Milan-Sanremo - preparations meet tactics meet luck



La classica di Primavera

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On Saturday the 103rd edition of the Milan-Sanremo will take place, a race often referred to as "la classica di Primavera". I wrote a post last year including some of the race history, you can find that here. 

Shorts
As the Italian name suggests, Spring is finally here, at least in countries close to the Mediterranean. At 298 kilometres long, Milan-Sanremo is the longest race in the season, normally the longest races don't cap 280 kilometres, like the worlds. Some have criticized the race for being boring with the action only taking place the last 20 kilometres with the Cipressa and Poggio as the ultimate pinnacles the riders deal with. I see this as a beautiful race going through a nice part of Italy. However, I can relate to the fact that the race is on fire the last 30 kms.


One for the sprinters?
The race is also called sprinters' classic but I find the race as not always living up to this name. It is difficult to pinpoint one single reason for this but 298 kilometres is very demanding any day of the week, not to mention this early in the season. The distance makes even the smallest climb difficult, which is why the Cipressa and/or Poggio often determine the winner or at least define the decisive break. Normally, the fastest sprinters doesn't win. Actually I don't like this term, as the fastest guy is the one to cross the finish line first, right? The ones who have prepared the best as well as being lucky, will be there in the final. Often those two go hand in hand, just read what Roald Amundsen, the Norwegian explorer, said about luck:

"Victory awaits him who has everything in order — luck, people call it. Defeat is certain for him who has neglected to take the necessary precautions in time; this is called bad luck."


Wide open for the opportunists
As I often repeat it is impossible to predict the future and guessing the winner is difficult. It is easy to name ten-fifteen riders who can be among the winners on a given day, but that does not impress anyone right? So let me just name some of the riders I expect to rock the race, and quite frankly, I see them all up there. But remember, this is racing and anything can happen. Last year Hushovd was in great shape but found himself caught behind a crash just before the Cipressa. I guess he won't be that far back on Saturday.

Ready for the long haul?

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I have narrowed it down to these five riders. There are many more, but what fun is it to mention they all? The list is based on form, capacity and former achievements. Of course, choice of tactic play a part here too.

Peter Sagan
Edvald Boasson Hagen
Oscar Freire
Fabian Cancellara
Tom Boonen


Tactics and strategy
How do you control all the different outcomes in a 298 km long race?

Normally a break takes off early, often gaining a significant lead. One thing is certain though, the ones in that breakaway will never make it to the finish line first. This Monument in cycling is so prestiguos to win that teams have brought their very best hoping to win, making sure a breakaway will not survive. The ones in this breakaway will be riders from teams getting a wildcard, who will honour the sponsors as well as the race itself by being in the front. Teams with a favourite might also sneak in a rider or two as well, for two reasons. 1) having an exuse not to use strength rallying the break in later 2) the possibility of having a rider up there who can provide cover if the lead man comes up or just to be a free asset.

The last 30 kms - who will be the strongest?

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Watch closely 10-15 kilometres or so prior to the Cipressa, riders slip backwards to get bottles and food from team cars, as well as receiving final advice/orders from the DSs. Some riders will try to help their leaders to the front in hope to avoid any chaos that might occure in the peloton. The sprinters will fight for their lives to stay near the front, to avoid sliding too far back on the climb. All this while the riders who picked up fluids and food try to make their way to the front to support to their leaders with some crucial food or drinks. The pro teams have own nutrition experts, like Team Sky's Nigel Mitchell, who have sorted a menu suited to each rider on every step of the way.
We'll have the usual attack on the Cipressa or the Poggio by Nibali and Garzelli or other punchy riders. In addition to this, the Italians will try to snatch a win on home soil. Count among them Pettachi, Viviani (evil tongues will say Sagan will ride him in like Nibali if he can) and Sacha Modolo, remember his 4th place last year?

Radioshack-Nissan could use Italian star Bennati or Fabian for a late attack whilst BMC could do the same with GVA or Gilbert.

Summary
The first of cycling's five monuments is here, and the strong men will battle it out. I'm excited to see how the different teams play their tactics. Having just one egg in the basket can bring a devostating result as the peloton is tired, teams not all that organised this early and everybody wants to secure a place in the spotlight. We will see if Roald Amundsen's words is valid still on Saturday.

Let's have a look at the frenzy in the last kilometres Milan-Sanremo 2011 where Matt Goss won.

BMC - the pressure is building

The World Tour circus has been ongoing for one and a half months now, travelling from Down Under to Asia and the Middle East. The riders have enjoyed some nice weather and been riding with their new kit, some with their new team for the very first time. Some teams have been winning "every race" (as I wrote here) while others have yet to open the champagne.

Worried yet?

Photo downloaded here.

Winning is contagious
Yesterday I talked to Mads Kaggestad, former Credit Agricole, on twitter. He mentioned that the pressure is now on for the big teams who have yet to win. I support this fully.
Of course, the riders on teams that haven't won anything yet will shrug the shoulders, look distant and say that "the season is still young" or that "the goals are the classics" and so forth. But, beneath all that, I suppose there is a tiny piece of uncertainty building. Nothing big, nothing you'll loose sleep over. Yet.

Thing is, big teams have big riders. Big riders get the support, meaning that "less experienced riders need to seize the possibilities", as Kaggestad said. So far they have not, meaning that the team's stars need to step up to do the job and win. After all, that is what they are paid to do.

Take BMC, having last years WC, tour winner, and rider of the year. The pressure on these guys is intense. Luckily, the three of them have been in the spotlight before and are familiar with pressure and how to deal with it. Have in mind, being mentally strong has nothing to do with being emotionless or "switched off", it is how you deal with pressure.

Solutions
There are many things one can do to deal with this, in my work I see this all of the time. Getting on the offensive and in that "zone" is critical, over-analyzing the preparations, the training and the team, are just some examples of how not to do it. Hopefully, staff and riders have been in situations like this before and have a strategy to cope with it or race coaches who are trained to work on these matters. Let's not forget another fact in favour of the stars; having adjusted your form during the better part of a decade helps too.

Summary
The season has been on-going for nearly two months now. Teams like OP-QS, Lotto, Sky and LIQ have all nailed a victory or three each, bringing the riders' shoulders down and creating smiles all around. Meanwhile, other big teams, like BMC has yet to prove themselves. This may lead to pressure building, both within the team, from sponsors and from fans. Will discipline remain? Who has the mental strength to perform? Only time will tell. 

BMC training camp video compilation

It's the season for pro teams training camps. For some riders it is the second training camp with their new team, for others the very first. The nervous first chatter is (hopefully) over by now and the first 6 hours training rides are accounted for. The team is divided into groups depending on goals, social reasons, leadership reasons, season plans or simply due to transfer of experience.

Team BMC has been in Calpe, Spain for several days now, building the team by merging the different riders and staff together. The team to the very dynamic Sean Weide has made many videos from the camp, i have gathered some of them below. Like last year, Team BMC use social media well, in addition to releasing videos on their YouTube channel, they also have an audio line.

Here you can watch some of their latest videos for some insight in the training camp:

Gilbert focusing on the details - video

The famous date is closing up on us, the "final" Giro di Lombardia is soon here. There are several riders who can make it this weekend, albeit many seem to have settled down with Gilbert as the winner already, or at least the man to beat. I don't disagree with that he's the man to beat, but I'm brought up with a nice ability to take nothing for granted. In this, I will never settle for one man to win, this is racing and anything can happen. Above all, the Lombardia is a classic, where mental toughness, intense preparation succeed over fear and the fact that Gilbert is the only man who can nail it.

Top athletes need a certain ability to focus on the important details. Professionalism in every possible way, every step is examined, tested and developed further. Some of course, get scraped on the way, but that is all about prioritising. Winners don't feel they miss out on something by living like they do, they just prioritise differently, in that specific time of their life. In this video, which of course is a promo, Gilbert says that success "is 50% training, the rest is all the other small things."

This attitude is transferable to our daily life or business too. Imagine how many who exaggerate their ability to achieve massive goals in a relative short period of time? I'm sure you recognize this, either from your life or someone you know. At the same time, people tend to misinterpret their ability to achieve goals over longer periods.

Winners, top performers or whatever you call them are not interested in reaching their goals, they are committed.  When you feel it, you'll know the difference. They will never loose sight of their goal, their level of persistence is unbelievable.

Let's have a moment to see the great rider Gilbert talking about the little details. Sadly, I will be in the US as the Lombardia takes place, but I hope the race will be exciting. And for picking the winner? I don't know, but I'll you this; nobody is unbeatable, even Gilbert.

Long time since last post

As you can see it's been a while since my last post. Have had some very interesting, yet long days lately, so I haven't found the time to squeeze in some words on the blog. However, when times like this occur, one can rely on twitter, the micro-blogging sphere.

I will post more here soon, need to get my head above the water first.

It's getting close to Copenhagen. Can Hushovd regain the throne, will Gilbert again jump for the line first? Or perhaps will we see a certain Slovak hit the finish line. I wouldn't rule out G, EBH or Matt Goss either. No one has mentioned the old cat Oscar Freire. If he's in shape, he can very well make it.

I can feel the anticipation building. Bring on the Worlds.

That was what I call racing

A superb finish - as usual

Photo: AFP, downloaded here.

What a stage, it had everything. Temperature, nerve and racing. That last 1 km was just great. A much anticipated win for Gilbert, Evans was someone few had called their bookies about, but it in the holy name of retrospect it's easy to say he should be a favourite.

Sadly for Contador, he lost precious time to his fiercest rivals; A. Schleck, Evans, Basso and Wiggo. Varies people have commented this, in favour of and against Contador. If Contador didn't participate in the Giro, 1:20 isn't that much, but with some uncertainty connected with his form, it's hard to say. It's fair to say that the previous mentioned favourites will not let Contador get his seconds back easy, that's for sure.

It is easy to say that the 3km rule is foolish when your favourite rider is caught at the wrong end, just as it easy to say it has a function when your rider is at the right end. The rule has a function in flat sprints, as history shows people taking odd and dangerous manoeuvres to gain a better position. At a uphill sprint like today, it isn't that important. The rules are clear and there are stages that we know the 3km rule not will be applied.

The jerseys are sorted out, the most funny result is that Hushovd will be in the KOM-jersey. Geraint Thomas from Sky did a superb job and nailed the white. He continues to improve every year, what a rider. Evans in green and Gilbert of course, switching his Belgian tricolour for yellow.

This Tour is already getting unpredictable, and today we saw some of the finest racing I've seen in years. What a start, may it continue to filled of great racing.

Tomorrow, we'll see a change in the GC. My tip is either Hushovd or Thomas in yellow, as their respective teams are better in TTT.    

Gilbert's pedal stroke - new era?

Gilbert style


Photo downloaded here.

Gilbert possess abilities in sprinting in addition to being what analysts characterise as a "punchy climber". During the Liège-Bastogne-Liège, I found myself noticing his pedal strokes. He has a certain way of pedaling which I find quite extreme. I can´t come up with another rider who perform one like Gilbert. Let's walk through the basics.

Pedaling a bike is all about getting as much power relative to weight as possible. Easy, right? But there is more. Some say you get the most power generated between 2 o'clock and 5 o'clock, and there got to be a reason they made pedals cleats at all, no? Personally I find it strange that Gilbert is able to put such extreme watts from his pedaling. The reason for this is that his position with his ankles seem to contract his calves, normally this would make the muscle less flexible and as a result less powerful. But then again, I was only watching the last 25 km so I can't say if Gilbert was focusing solely on attacks and sprints or just pedaled that way the whole race.

The old days vs the new
Well, pedaling, at least how I learned it back in the day was something like this:
When pushing down - heel down. When pulling leg upwards - heel up.
Now, I know I'm not alone on this one.

The trouble is, this is not the way Gilbert is doing it. Not the Schlecks either, although they are not as extreme as Gilbert.

I'm not all found of the method where you do all the stuff the PROs are doing, just not so much, but technique-wise learning is always important.

The way they rode was with the toe-down, bring all the leverage down, after all, that is where your power is going in the first place. Gilbert's position on the pedals is like a ballet-dancer, he is very pointy with his toes down. If you have really strong calves and ankles, that is something you could do, but most in the peloton seem to point the toe only slightly down.
Don't pull your foot up as hard as you can, that will bring fatigue to the hamstring very fast. This is what you could do on a sprint battling your mate for pints or climbing a short hill. Try focusing on assisting your foot who is pushing, pull just as hard as the "working" foot don't have to compensate.

Pedaling power and pedaling efficiency
Two aspects of pedaling that you can work on. The first one could be trained by adding a heavier gear and perform intervals up a hill, at lower cadence and PROs use both one-legged intervals as well as both legs. Pedaling efficiency is equally important, especially if you don't want to feel knackered after every ride. A good way to train this is putting on a very light gear and pedaling at very high cadence, trying not to bounce off the seat. If you can be comfortable at 120 RPMs, you're in the zone.

Next goal?


Photo by remepro.nl, here.

Cancellara vs Gilbert - comparable?

Everybody has been talking about Gilbert's dominance in the classics this spring. Understandable since he is a fenomenal rider, who really is one of cycling's hope in these troubled times. Some has said Gilbert's dominance is like Cancellara edition 2010. I can perfectly well understand why someone said that, however they are two very different riders.

Cancellara - brute force

Fabian is all brute force. He showed that winning the E3 this year, litterally riding people off his wheel. Mighty impressive. Same way he demolished the peloton last year in Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. TT'ing the last 50 km to the velodrome in Roubaix with three-four of the strongest cyclists in the world not catching you? That's panache. That is also his Achilles heel, that's all he got to play with, that and a superstrong desire to win. Now, before you get mad at me, allow me to add that I'm a great fan of Cancellara and his style.
This year has so far proved Fabian a bit wrong. If it is allowed to say that about his season so far. A podium in one the major classics is an amazing achievement, and Cancellara has done this twice. 
It seems that his advantage finally has been unveiled. A strong team working against him can make him win second place instead of number one, Paris-Roubaix 2011 is an example of just that tactic.

Gilbert - the punchy climber

A totally different rider, but still manages to get the results. And some results he's got so far. What I find interesting is that Gilbert controls a race way different than Cancellara. For one he has a wider spectre to rely on, beside having a stronger classics team he climbs well, he sprints and he clearly is in shape. What is equally important, in my eyes, is his flair for tactics. The way he reads a race really make the difference between him and others. Combined with a panache the same, if not more, of Fabian's; there is your rider of the month.

I don't know about you but I will be glued in front of my TV or computer during Liège-Bastonne-Liège, this is a race I don't want to miss, and who knows, will Gilbert make the triple?