2011 Milano-Sanremo
Matthew Harley Goss takes first Aussie Triumph in Milan -Sanremo!
Matthew Harley Goss (HTC-Columbia) took the in a sprint out of a select
group of 8 riders who made the selection on the final climb of the Cipressa
putting his name in the race palmares and made cycling history claiming the
first Australian win of the 102nd edition of the Milan - Sanremo
Goss Wins... Cancellara and Gilbert
Photo © 2011 Fotoreporter
Sirotti
Goss held off the late charge of Fabian Cancellara (Leopard-Trek) and
Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) in the final 200 meters, in one of the
most exciting editions in the past ten years.
Alessandro Ballan (BMC) finished fourth with Katusha's Fillipo Pozzato 5th
followed to the line by Michele Scarponi (Lampre-ISD), Yauheni Offredo (FDJ) and
Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale).
 Z
Scarponi is caught, Goss ahs come around Gilbert and drives for the line.
Gilbert and Pozzato, Scarponi and Ballan and Offredo follow. Cancellara begins
his run up the left side of the road with 80 meters to the line.
Photo © 2011 Fotoreporter
Sirotti
the 8 escaped from a group of 40 riders on the climb of the Cipressa chasing
down BMC's Greg Avermaet Avermaet was joined by FDJ's Chainel and Offredo and
Stuart O'Grady. Avermaet attacked with 8 km to go and led over the summit
alone with ten seconds at 7 km to go.
A counter by Nibali caught and passed Chainel, he then caught O'Grady
and Offredo just before the summit leading them in the pursuit of Avermaet.
A counter attack by Fabian Cancellara brought the group together with 2.3 km
to go. Nibali and Cancellara finished the job catching Van Avermaet with 1.6 km
to go. An attack by Gilbert with 1 km to go set up a dynamic sprint Scarponi
and Offredo leading the chase under the banner with Nibali jumping with
500 meters to go; but both were caught by Goss and Cancellara.
Goss played off the Gilbert's attack passing him in the last 200 meters with
Cancellara almost catching Goss near the line and having to settle for second
with Gilbert third.
A crash on the climb and again during the descent on the rain slicked roads
of the Capo Berta with 98 km to go split the peloton. Leopard-Trek forced the
pace on the front forcing a gap of 2 minutes on the second group who wold get as
close as 30 seconds but in the end were unable to connect by the finish.
A moment of silence for the Japanese people preceded the race with national
champions Takashi Miyazawa (Japan), Giovanni Visconti (Italy) and world champion
Thor Hushovd holding a flag that all of the riders signed.
Photo © 2011 Fotoreporter
Sirotti
102nd Milano -Sanremo 298 km
The "Classica di Primavera". 102nd Milan-Sanremo got underway overcast
skies threatening rain earlier this morning in Italy's second largest city
Milano to start the 7 km neutral start. During the day the race would be hit by
intermittent showers and sun.
Ignatiev leads Sijmens, De Marchi and Miyazawa
Photo © 2011 Fotoreporter
Sirotti
The early part of the race would be animated by a break of four riders, Nico Sijmens (Bel - Cofidis), Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus - Katusha), Alessandro De
Marchi (Ita - Androni Giocattoli) and Japanese road champion Takashi Miyazawa (Farnese Vini-Neri
Sottoli). The quartet opened a gap on the action of Miyazawa and Ignatiev after
ten kilometers and quickly built up a gap of over 8 minutes as they passed
through Daily Peloton's Fabio's home town of Pavia after 29 km.
In the first hour the four averaged 47 km/h and by the
60 kilometer marker, Miyazawa, De Marchi, and Sijmens Ignatyev led the pack by
12:30 riding under perfect conditions under sunny skies. The quartet would gain
as much ast 12:50 on the chase but by the 98 km the gap had fallen to 9:50 with
200 km to go.
Starting the climb of the Turchino, the gap fell again to 7 minutes under
pressure from the Garmin-Cervélo team with Thor Husovd taking a turn on the
front; and by the end of the descent the fugitives wer down to just over
six minutes. The four continued to work as a well oiled unit perhaps more
optimistic than they should be entering the tougher half of the parcours with
135 km to go.
By the start of the climb of Manie, Miyazawa, De Marchi, Sijmens and
Ignatyev held only 3 minutes with 99 km to go as we closed to the business end
of the race. A nervous peloton chased the four onto the climb but disaster
struck as 20 riders crashed on the early part of the climb splitting the
peloton.
Ahead Katusha's Mikhail Ignaiev and Alessandro De
Marchi had dropped Sijmens and Miyazawa. ahead by a minute of a spirited chase
of the first group led by the Liquigas-Cannondale team. behind the riders were
untangled and chasing but already a two minute gap was in play for some.
Ignatiev and De Marchi went over the summit with 1:20
behind the skies opened up as they started the descent. By the time the first
chasers went over the summit they would face newly slicked roads... causing more
crashes. Behind the peloton was now reduced to 4 chasing groups with Hushovd and
Freire who had both held up at 2 minutes.
Five Leopard-Trek riders lead the first group on the road eager to outdistance
the sprinters group
Photo © 2011 Fotoreporter
Sirotti
Our two escapees were caught by the lead group with
77 km to go. In the next 20 km the chase groups merged with most of the
favorites in the first group of 45 riders. Quick Step, Katusha, Lotto, and
Leopard were quick to push the pace and take advantage of the split.
Rabibabj ked tge secibd group on behalf of their three time winner Freiere,
chase adrift at 1:52 with Hushovd and Cavendish.
Only 3 km to the pivotal Capo Berta and first series
of series of bumps the gap was 1:45; in the first group: Philippe Gilbert,
Petacchi, Cancellara, Bennati, Tom Boonen, Peter Sagan, Andre Greipel,
Alessandro Ballan, Heinrich Haussler, Filippo Pozzato, Nibali, O'Grady, Goss,
Modolo and others. The second group, Lampre's Scarponi, Visconti, Freire,
Hushovd and Cavendish.
The gap fell to below a minute as the climb of the
Cipressa began BMC and Katusha were active leading on the climb as the rain once
again began to pelt the riders. Mid climb Lampre's Michele Scarponi attacked
from the second group and flew up the Cipressa game to join the leading group
cutting the gap to 30 seconds. Ahead on the climb, RadioShack's Yaroslav
Popovych attacked opening a gap with 30 km, to go and is first over the summit.
While Scarponi closed to the group Steve Chainel
attacked with FDJ team mate Offredo and was joined by Greg Van Avermaet and
Stuart O'Grady the quartet opened a 15 second gap. The quartet catch and drop
Popovych. Meanwhile Scarponi catches on the back and starts moving up through
the first group.... impressive chase.
With 11 km to got the four near the final climb of
the Poggio with a 28 second gap. Vincenzo Nibali attacked on the climb going
clear eating up the gap to the four leaders. Van Avermaet attacks dropping
his former break mates. Nibali catches Steve Chainel first. Chainel jumps and
holds Nibali's wheel, but can't. Offredo and O'Grady are the Italians next
target and he catches both as they latch on his wheel. They follow Van Avermaet
over the summit at nine seconds.
BMC's Greg Van Avermaet on the descent of the poggio leads into Sanremo
Photo © 2011 Fotoreporter
Sirotti
Behind, all hell has broken loose as Ballan and then
Cancellara and Movistar's Marco Marcato lead the chase nearing the summit....
Marcato crashed on the descent with Popovytch forced to stop or hit the rider.
In the end the group would be back together catching
Van Avermaet in the final kilometers where the final sprint would be won by Goss
with Cancellara coming up short and probably wishing he had started his sprint
just one second earlier. While Gilbert third might be wishing he had held back
for another hundred meters before leading to the line. Goss played the sprint to
perfection against the two veterans adding to his count of wins in his best
season yet.
Matt Goss after the finish
Photo © 2011 Fotoreporter
Sirotti
2011 Milan - San Remo Results
298 km - 6.51:10 - 38,373 km/h
1 Goss Matthew Harley Aus Thr HTC - Highroad 6.51:10
2 Cancellara Fabian Sui Leo Team Leopard - Trek - 0:00"
3 Gilbert Philippe Bel Olo Omega Pharma - Lotto - 0:00"
4 Ballan Alessandro Ita BMC BMC Racing Team - 0:00
5 Pozzato Filippo Ita Kat Katusha Team - 0:00
6 Scarponi Michele Ita Lam Lampre - Isd - 0:00
7 Offredo Yoann Fra Française des Jeux - 0:00
8 Nibali Vincenzo Ita Liq Liquigas - Cannondale - 0:03
9 Van Avermaet Greg Bel BMC BMC Racing Team - 0:10"
10 O'Grady Stuart Aus Leo Team Leopard - Trek 0:12"
11 Ventoso Alberdi Francisc Esp Mov Movistar Team 0:27
12 Petacchi Alessandro Ita Lam Lampre - Isd 0:27
13 Bennati Daniele Ita Leo Team Leopard - Trek 0:27"
14 Rojas Gil Jose Joaquin Esp Mov Movistar Team 0:27
15 Marcato Marco Ita Vcd Vacansoleil - Dcm Pro C.Team - 0:27"
Complete
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