A discussion born by continuing with Nibali the reasoning on the four new sporting directors who will arrive in the group. In particular, speaking about De Marchi, his way of running and the fact that few today attack like he did, the Sicilian had used great pragmatism.
«The group – Nibali had said – now has a very high level and then there are those who are out of proportion. Once upon a time we averaged 42, today you average 47. Five kilometers of difference which is not only linked to the preparation, but also to the race package. To the bike, the handlebars, the saddle, the seat post, the wheels, the shoes, the sock, the shorts. Everything is more efficient. And to attack when you go at 45 on average, you need to go at 50 per hour. The bar is raised and you have to keep the speed for longer, because the group doesn’t let go. This is why today it has become more difficult to escape and so many give up.”
Also because it’s one thing to set off at 45 an hour, but another when you go at 50: you sprint and then you stop…
The exception is Pogacar, which he has remarkable explosiveness, then he goes into his rhythm, sending everyone into acid. And when you’re on acid, it takes a long time to recover. Before you can get rid of the acid, your legs go into crisis and you’re likely to recover even a week later. When you race against Tadej, the main problem is this.
Perhaps his limit, if we can speak of a limit, is that he thinks he can manage everything by force. Look at the Sanremo: try to break away from everyone uphill, without thinking you can win it like Nibali did downhill…
That’s what I say, because he’s used to pulling them off by force. He wins any race by strength, not tactically. He attacks because he is stronger, while who wins with cunning and tactics? Van der Poel. Mathieu won the last Milan-Sanremo with tactics, a different concept. He is strong but at the same time he has a tactic.
How did it go at Sanremo?
When Pogacar attacked and Van der Poel kept him in his sights, I immediately said that if Tadej wasn’t careful, the other one would drive away and leave him there. Well, a second later that’s exactly what happened and he almost actually pulls it off. Then at the top they looked at each other, but Tadej understood that the other had enough to leave him there and he almost stayed there. In my opinion, he lost Sanremo right at that moment.
But Van der Poel did his other masterpiece in a sprint, managed as someone who knows how certain situations are handled does.
In a Milan-Sanremo the sprinter is always stronger. Even if there are 300 kilometers to go, there isn’t much difference. It’s different if you did 270 but with 5,000 meters of level, because then the values level out and then maybe you win the sprint.
And in any case Pogacar will certainly try again.
He has drawn up what he wants to try to win. He brought Switzerland, Romandie, Roubaix and Milan-Sanremo. The ones he misses. And he won’t do the Giro d’Italia because he has all these other races to do. And he will still run his way, trying to break away from them all.
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