Milan - San Remo

Just found that all of my DS are not riding and a bit surprised that Bouhanni,Kruopis and Navardauskas are not having a go.

Current team
Sagan
EBH
Freire
Oss
Bak
Hansen
Gallopin
Spilak
Vandenbergh

well navardauskas broke something but cant remember what

OK for those to lazy to research DSs for the Milan San Remo by using:
Cycling Fever
CyclingNews
Cycling Archive

Here is a look at the current popular DSs (ie rode Paris Nice and now riding MSR)
S. Spilak KAT 5.7 two top 5 finishes in Paris Nice + 4th on GC. He can climb but can not finish fast. He rode for Lampre for 4 years and this is his 1st MSR. Job on Saturday is to get Freire and/or Paolini over the Poggio in the 1st group.
X. Florencio KAT 2.8 also two top 5 finishes in Paris Nice unlike Spilak can sprint, has ridden MSR 8 times before, has finished 21st, 24th twice and 25th. Probably No. 3 rider for KAT, but worth considering.
F. Gavazzi AST 9.7 3 top 10 finished in PN, unlike Spilak, 3 years with Lampre 3 MSR starts, 2009 17th, 2010 70th 2011 DNF.
A. Kristoff KAT 8.2 5 top 10 finishes this year, PN form not as good as teamate Florencio, still outside chance on a team with talented MSR riders.
S. Vandenbergh OPQ 2.7 no real form this year, never ridden MSR, prefer others.
K. Lodewyck BMC 9.6 if he starts (only showing on offical list not others) I expect he will attack, like in Qatar. Do not expect him to get over the Poggio in the 1st group in his 1st MSR. If he does though, can sprint a little.
L. Bak Lot 15.7 3 MSR starts for DNF, 121, 59. See the pattern, I expect around 30th, I would recomend investing your 15.7 elsewhere.
K. Boeckmans VCD 3.1 young rider starting he 1st MSR, always a risk. Though recent form including 2nd at Nokere Koerse behind Chicchi tell you he can finish well. A gamblers choice.
M. Bouet ALM 6.2 1 start in MSR 2010 finished 152nd, will improvem but not the type of race I see him doing that well in.

So what about the pro continetal teams and riders that you might of never heard off.
C. Betancurt ASA 6.9 impressed me in Giro Lombardi last year finished 9th alongside Gilbert and Visconti. Did a great break away on stage 6 of TA. Likely to be aggresive but the course if not lumpy enough for him, plus it is his 1st MSR.
COL other than Duarte (KM) most of the riders have not riden in Europe till this season, it showed in TA and there is more to learn in MSR, can not recommend anybody.
E. Battaglin COG 3.0 big things are expected of this young man who with young Moser (two very famous surnames) utterly dominate U23 racing in Italy last year. TA form was not exciting and at 22 probably not read for 300kms+ of racing, one for the future.
F. Failli FAR 6.0 & E. Favilli FAR 6.4 TA form on this pair nothing to get excited about. Failli did get over the Poggio in the leading group last year and finished 24th. Favilli finished 9th in the Strade Bianche two weeks back and can sprint.
P Bailetti UTE 2.9 The best contender on a weak team, this is not an "LPR Brakes" of old team. Still with the team working for him and a little luck a top 20 finish for Bailetti is not out of the question.
D Colli TT1 3.1 Ex Geox rider, riding the MSR for 1st time, decent form and sprint on him. Much more likely than Bailetti IMHO for top 20 finish.

Well Nickobec I have 2 of those (and swapped another out this morning) plus 3 more who've top 10d in previous editions of the race. Think my key is the identification of a cracking PC star rider who dosn't cost the earth. I've got 1 more pure sprinter who will either win or be ill/crash. My last 2 stars are AR riders, one with a history and one who's on form. I think I'm all set now!

Nickobec, great post.

Chavanel is out with bronchitis.

Hushovd is also out with a fever.

Garmin confirmed

Tyler Farrar
Murilo Fischer
Heinrich Haussler
Robbie Hunter
Andreas Klier
David Millar
Johan Vansummeren
Fabian Wegmann

Cav and Bernie discuss MSR

http://youtu.be/sHeb2LYtY7U

Gonna go out on limb here and say Goss is not going to be the first person to win 2 MSR back to back since Zabel!!!

Unfortunately don't think Cav is gonna have the Year he thinks he's gonna!
Wiggo's turn to shine this time!

Hausslers such a big gamble, eithe e does really well, or he crashes out.

Wiggo probably ain't gonna win.

Ebh? Nah.

Don't fancy goss's chances either.

Nor Cav

Spartacus to launch an attack from 2k out, this time without goss on his wheel, but still Philippe Gilbert?

Now you're talking.

Unfortunately don't think Cav is gonna have the Year he thinks he's gonna!
Wiggo's turn to shine this year!

29 transfers and i'm still not happy!

Well the team that Ive settled on for now looks pretty good on paper.....But there is not an Italian in sight...That cannot be right for M-SR....or can it...

All my riders seem to be italian and my team doesnt look to good on paper

In the quest to continue the discussion on changing the star/ds quota rule I have put together a team of cheaper riders (149.7pts).
Lloyd Mondory AR Ag2r-La Mondiale 18.1
George Hincapie AR BMC Racing Team 15.4
Sacha Modolo PC Colnago-CSF Inox 15.3
Filippo Pozzato AR Farnese Vini 20
Oscar Gatto PC Farnese Vini 13.1
Heinrich Haussler AR Garmin-Barracuda 20.3
Vladimir Gusev AR Katusha 14.4
Oscar Freire PC Katusha 22.2
Elia Viviani PC Liquigas-Cannondale 10.9
While you wouldn't use this team even if valid, it does highlight the possibilites of including a few more mid-cost riders.

teams picked , although after the paris - nice debacle im not wholly confident that ill be getting loads of points tommorow .. we'll soon see

Some hard decisions picking a suitable top 4, my selections seem to be 3 all rounders & 1 sprinter (Cav), although I'm struggling to decide on either Cav or Gilbert
Anybody want to join me in saying what they think the podium will be (in any order)?
I'd say Cancellara, Gilbert, Boonen.

was a broken collarbone

Hmmm, I see a theme...

5 Italians
1 Frenchman
1 Kazak
1 Belgian
1 Slovakian

(at the minute)

Any idea what happened to Renshaw? Not seeing anything in the news or on Twitter.

My Saturday Breakfast Menu sorted

1 .. Fondue
1 .. Croissants
4 .. Colazione
1 .. Blini
1 .. Brettljause
1 .. Waffle

That's if they're all still on the menu

My dilemma is who to go for - Nibali or Sagan. Cant see both finishing top 10. Cav's still in my team, but most seem determined to spoil his plans, so may remove him last minute.