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Saturday's Milan San Remo explained

  • 21-03-2012 11:04pm
    #1
    full gas
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 117 ✭✭


    On the road
    Stuff in my head that sometimes gets out
    TUESDAY, 20 MARCH 2012

    Spartacus and the King


            Theres been a lot of debate over last saturdays Milan - San Remo, with some commentators actually voicing their disgust over the airwaves as Simon Gerrans crossed the line arms aloft in magnificent triumph. Im a bit confused over it all to be honest with the most prominent argument being mr. Gerrans should not have sprinted around mr. Cancellara on account of  mr. C doing the lions share of the driving on the front, which is what we have come to expect from the beast. (In my book, The very fact mr. G hung onto him on the descent says hes entitled to go for the win!). This is a bike race with a history of mythical proportions, at over 300km's long, the list of winners really is a who's who of all time cycling greats. The winner is always going to be a great rider.
            There are 2 factors which have not been taken into account for last saturdays race and they are 1 - Sean Kelly and 2 - youtube. As all cycling fans will know, Sean Kelly still plays a prominent role in Milan - San remo but these days it is as a very informed commentator.

    Simon Gerrans outfoxed Fabian Cancellara to take this years Milan San Remo
    The thing is this:
    - Back in 1986, 2 riders got away on the Poggio, they were Greg Lemond and an Italian, I think by the name of Guiseppe Pettito. Kelly's cute hoor intuition told him it was time to go after these boys, and he wasnt taking anyone with him. On catching the 2 escapees, Kelly threw them a look that said, "ye can fight out the minor placings between yerselves lads, The winners cheque is already lodged." (rumour has it, he actually said this but the yank and the Italian were lost as they were not up to speed with their Tipperary/Waterford dialects. Being from co. Cork, I have trouble with it too from time to time) The 2 duly hung on to mr. Kelly for dear life, fair f***s to them for doing so, and Kelly duly destroyed them in the finish to the delight of the Italian crowd (even though he had beaten an Italian into third, the manner in which he did so left no one in any doubt as to the podium order.).

    Sean Kelly,  Milan - San Remo 1986
    - Eight years later, One rider by the name of Moreno Argentin rode clear on the poggio, This was one of the classiest 'foreign' riders of what Irish cycling fans like to call the Kelly/Roche era. (The Italians probably call it the Argentin/Bugno era!)  99 times out of 100 when Argentin got himself in this position he was not going to be caught, but our friend and hero mr. Kelly had other ideas now that his loot  from 1986 was nearly spent! Kelly began the descent into San Remo at the front of a large group with a 15 second deficit to Argentin. His speed into the infamous hairpins was such that Rolf Sorensen, no slouch at the time, was unable to hang on to Kellys back wheel. Kelly was now on his own trying to bridge the Gap to Argentin and, Kelly being Kelly caught him as he  went under the kilometre to go flag. The gasp from the Italian crowd on hearing their hero was caught by ours was such that it could be heard over the TV commentators excited rants. Ours demolished theirs and took his second career victory into San Remo.
    - Fast forward to 2012 and the race unfolded no less dramatically on the poggio. Similarly to 1986, 2 riders got away and the strongest man in the race went across to them and towed them to the line, unfortunately for Cancellara, either he underestimated Gerrans or overestimated himself, but the gritty Aussie outsprinted Cancellara and took the spoils. 
             If Cancellara spent more time on his (for the sake of argument) weakness that is sprinting and less time watching Sean Kellys methods of winning in San Remo on youtube, he just might have held on for the win. While I cant find the 1986 edition (I do have it on video though) the 1992 edition is free for all to see. Mighty and all as he is, with his 'Kelly like', ability to set a race alight, The young buck must realise that just because the King can do it, doesnt mean Spartacus can. Heres a link to the 1992 race, this is always worth watching. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL3jQmkj3uI. 
        
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