Classics time

Tonight is Milan - San Remo, the first of the classics for the season and a time of much speculation and excitement for cycling lovers. Typicallly San Remo is deemed a sprinters race with a relatively flat course over almost 300km. There is the Cipressa and the Poggio climbs in the finale to light things up, but it is usually a bunch kick as the break is caught pretty late.


My first recolecction of this race was when Andre Tchmil, riding for Lotto, attacked in the last km amd held the sprinters off, I think zabel might have been second. The other memorable one was when zabel, wearing his german champs kit, posted the victory only to have Oscar Freire come at him very very late.

Im not convinced that this year will be a mass gallop, it seems like cycling has changed a lot over the last 12 months where more and more breaks are going the distance as the big teams run out of horse power. Freire is going in as favourite but Rabobank cant ride the front all day like a Saeco or Fassa Bortolo used to, so it will be interesting to see who takes responsibility for the race.

If it is a bunchie then I'm taking Pettachi to nail Napoloatano and Hushovd. I think the new downhill sprint will help the power sprinters. Boonen says he has targeted San Remo this year, but I am yet to be convinced that he is the power he was the last 3 years.

If its not a bunchie then Alessandro Ballan to top Chavanel and Di Luca.

There you go, I've put it on the line so lets see how bad I am at picking it.