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FEATURES: BEING THERE: MILANO-SANREMO PART TWO
Tim Maloney
March 24, 2011
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Eventual third place finisher Phillipe Gilbert rides third wheel with his teammates.
Photo: Yuzuru Sunada
Milano-Sanremo has returned to it's traditional race day, the Saturday of March 19th, the feast day of San Giuseppe. Back in the old days, La Classicissima started next to the Duomo in the heart of Milano, but the site in front of the 15th century Castello Sforzsesco offers a wide-open welcome for tifosi and teams alike.
Now in his 18th pro season (!), George Hincapie chats with HTC's Mark Renshaw before the start of Milano-Sanremo. Hincapie feels at home with BMC; Big George told Road Bike Action that he was feeling good for the upcoming classics like his beloved Paris-Roubaix.
George Hincapie's 2011 BMC SLR01 Team Machine, equipped with Shimano Di2 groupset, Easton EA90 carbon wheels with Continental tubulars, a Fizik Alliante saddle and a looong 140mm Easton stem.
BMC President / General Manager Jim Ochowicz was on hand to watch his riders at Milano-Sanremo. Och was enjoying the racing, especially Cadel Evans win at Tirreno-Adriatico, but was looking forward returning home to California where he could test his legs on his local loop in Woodside.
Sprinter Andre' Greipel is a new arrival at Omega Pharma-Lotto and the muscle bound German speedster is riding a special edition of his Canyon Ultimate CF. Greipel's nickname is "Gorilla" so Canyon created a specially decorated bike for him. Equipped with Campagnolo Record 11 speed with a SRM enabled FSA
cranks, Mr. Gorilla favors a Selle Italia Flite saddle, Mavic Cosmic 80 / 50 combo wheels and a Ritchey negative rise stem for that low sprinters position.
Designed to scare the sprint competition, Gorilla Greipel may have a helping hand from his new frame decor.
Greipel's Omega Pharma-Lotto teammate Phil Gilbert chats with Team Leopard's Fabien Wegmann before the start of Milano-Sanremo. Phil The Thrill ended up third in Sanremo with the help of Gorilla Greipel, but the Belgian star has his sights set on a Tour of Flanders win this season.
Despite some ups and downs with Alberto Contador's bad beef and most of his team stars moving to Team Leopard for 2011, Bjarne Riis remains confident that his Saxo Bank-Sunguard squad will have a
strong year in 2011.
Super Sagan! That's our nickname at Road Bike Action for Peter Sagan, the 21year old Slovak sensation who was 2008 Junior MTB World Champion and rides for Liquigas-Cannondale. After taking three stage wins and the overall st the Tour of Sardinia, Sagan made his debut at Milano-Sanremo with high hopes, eventually finishing a respectable 17th.
Peter Sagan's Cannondale Super Six Hi Mod is newly equipped with SRAM Red for 2011, FSA components, Fizik Alliante saddle and Mavic Cosmic Carbone wheels with Schwalbe Tubulars. Later this season, Sagan and his Liquigas-Cannondale teammates will upgrade to Cannondale's lighter Super Six Hi Mod Evo model.
Bianchi is back at Milano-Sanremo with the Androni Giocattoli team. The iconic 125 year old Italian brand provides the Andronis with their Oltre model, made in HoC carbon fibere, integrated seat mast, UTSS Ultra Thin Seat Stay, internal cable routing and BB30. A mixed bag of components is on the Androni rig, with SRAM drivetrain, FSA crankset, bars & stem, Time pedals, and Fulcrum Racing Speed XLR wheels on Kenda tubulars. |
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