2014 Milan-San Remo

Milan-San Remo

A seven man break

Takes the first 100 KMs

While danger men

wait 

Trek, Cannon, Katusha and Sky

are poised for what comes as miles fly by

At less than 100 km to go

there's rain and wind, but (give thanks!) no snow

Cannondale, Trek and Giant bound

The break is 6 and still around

The Capo Mele 

Cervo and Berta

Loom ahead the sprinters

will hurt--ah!

Giant-Shimano serves the pain

Exhausting the bunch is their aim

Wardrobe malfunctions! The capes!

The gloves!

The rain continues to pour from above!

Staying warm is now a task

I guess they wish for a whisky flask

Markey's lips are blue

But he's undaunted

A sprinters' race is what he's wanted

Paolini pours hot tea on his gloves

La Primavera--it's Spring we love!

Cannondale pounds on for Pete

Capo Berta is fresh meat

Taking Barta in its' fangs

Sorry, Jan, that wrecks your plans

Mark with Quick is looking well

He wants to ring the winners' bell

Ditto Fab! He looks so great

I love to watch him concentrate

Now the clock says AM eight

My heart begins to agitate

Deep in early morning sighs

I feel their pain

these macho guys

The favorites must achieve the front

The Cipressa yet to hump

Katusha is on it

Mark's lost part of his train

More high drama from hilly terrain

Cannondale leaps

Tjallingii and de Maar

Have come so far

Nibali makes his move

Nine KM to Pogio

Phil Gilbert seems ready to go

Nibali on his stomping grounds

Stays in front

Does not look 'round

Pronto! The Poggio!

The favs bide their time

Cav, Deg, and Greipel

have much on the line

Gilbert attacks 

always a thrill

The descent Poggio 

a dangerous hill

Wet, technical Pete and Greipel 

20 riders contest for the title

Kristoff wins for Katusha

A bit of a dark horse

Cav must settle for fifth

But he stayed the course

Glorious Fab Cancellara takes two

But Kristoff did more--good on you

Ben Swift came three

Happy is he

Cancellara feels the frustration

Alex Kristoff and Katusha

Earned their ovation

Poor Fab!!!  Dip your fork into cheesy fondue

Comfort food is prescribed for you

Ditto Degenkolb, felled by a late puncture 

How 'bout beer and brats and some acupuncture?

Whatever it takes to get through the night

The entire group put up a great fight 

Milan San-Remo 2014

The bottom line:

Kristoff took it clean

Reflections on 2014 Paris-Nice

To my faithful readers--

My apology

I moved from Paris-Nice

To ancient Italy

I enjoyed an Ojai weekend

with Mimi and her crew

Binge watching The Borgias

While Betancur played through

A sturdy lad of 24

He's called an old-school puncheur

A mighty man on short steep climbs

He plans to gain form and bide his time

A lad from Colombian coffee lands

He is determined to be his own man

Ag2r seems to agree

He can win some stages handily

They'd like him to shed a few pounds

But they're totally happy he's around

Paris-Nice was exciting and fresh

Everybody did their best

Lots of lads had their moment of gloire

This early test leaves me eager for more

2014 Paris-Nice Stage 6

2014 Paris-Nice Stage 6

Two big climbs have cut down the group

To 30 or 40 riders

With less than 12 KM to go

You won't find seek or hiders

The break is done

As is Johnny D

Caruso and Devenyns work easily

Nibali descends breezily

Astana asserts

At 5KM Nibali's works hurts

Betancur seems a tad shakey

His team gathers 'round

A steep climb awaits

Betancur agitates

Shagter  comes alive

And then dies

Betancur revives and

takes the prize!

He gave it everything he had

Rui Costa is two

World champion, you

G. Thomas is four

He's still covered with gloire

But Betancur now wears juene

Mondiale AG 2

says we're so proud of you

And we'll see more from you, soon

2014 Paris-Nice Stage 5

The five man breakaway

Has worked hard today

The course is a bit short

The peloton is heaving

Lots of hard breathing

But the break just won't abort

Split and strung out long

The bunch moves along

The break holds at 30 seconds

Bakelants, Chavanel, Feillu

Make their mark

Busche and Insausti take part

With 25 km left the break shows heart

Feillu, Brice grits his teeth

Chavanel his lead won't release

A long climb  sets the stage for attacks

No one is holding back

The mood of the bunch is full tilt 

They've all put on the gas 

Tommy V falls away

He 's been taken by task

Didier is OK for Trek Factory

His sense of the win is olfactory

Degenkolb is a factor

His team a non-actor

Geraint Thomas has Lopez and Hog

It's all teams attack

There's no holding back

G. Thomas flails the rod

Aggressive riding the rule of this stage

Nibali and Betancur rage

John Degenkolb is there

With his cool facial hair

Geraint is there

Jungels fights fair

But Betancur takes the win

Second is Jungels

Not quite king of jungle

2R AG Claims victory

A Columbian long hair

The story

An exciting stage

Fought hard from the get

A lot of racing to go yet

Betancur now GC four 

Does AG 2 R see an open door?

My heart beat is raised

From a finish crazed

Geraint T dons yellow for Sky

A thrilling race

Fought at fast pace

Hats off to to all say I

2014 Paris-Nice Stage 4

The wine of today

Is Beaujolais 

Etage Quatre est presque fini

A long steep climb

And a tricky descent

Creates late race argument

Geraint Thomas,and Slagter are 

In front 

Degenkolb not far behind

Thomas' given his head

Can he put it to bed ?

With 4 km left to go?

At this point no one knows

Slagter wins the sprint

To Garmin compliments

Geraint Thomas hangs in for Sky

Stage Four makes him the yellow guy

Degenkolb three seconds down

He no longer leads

But he 's still around

A likely lad Thomas prevails

Top GC score, he hails from Wales

Tom Jette Slagter gets his kiss

For Geraint it was a near miss

He looks quite a treat in jeune

For the Welshman a good afternoon

2014 Paris-Nice Stage 3

Gianni Meersman is gone

He got nicked for a draft

Lars Boom crashed out

Belkin thinks that 's daft

Perrig Quemeneur 

flies like gull through the air

Julien Fouchard has a puncture 

They wait for him in the break

Snacking through that juncture

Bouhanni's team--FDJ I mean

Je regrette, for my faux pas

It's been a four month off time

My brain's un peu de blah

The Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours

For sprinters is an open door

Riding well is Team IAM

Hoping to avoid a jam

Andy Schleck is a new pop

But in this race he's had poor luck

Many teams have sprinters' dreams

Timing will be everything

I'm on my second cuppa joe

With 17 kilometers to go

Jeff Soupe is in the potage

For FDJ  c'est dommage 

Quemeneur remains tête des affaires

He is on a mission

As they start the circuit

He asks no one's permission 

Degenkolb wins first this time

Stage 3 is his time to shine

He's wearing yellow and green

His joy a sight to be seen

Matt Goss comes in two

Giant-Shimano says to John

Yo home boy--we love you.

I like his spiffy facial hair

He took the sprint fair and square

A bow to Perrig Quemeneur 

Who faltered not through wear and tear

2014 Paris-Nice Stage 1 and 2

The race to the sun

Has so far been fun

If you have strong nerves 

I've been MIA

since Saturday

Unable to observe

Bouhanni won for FJC

Enduring a knee injury

He dueled with Degenkolb, John

They then agreed to get along

Bouhanni likes the roads of France

The Schlecks slowed down by circumstance

An early stage held a big crash

Later on the sprinters clash!

In Etage Deux Nacer stays in yellow

Moreno Hofland is the winning fellow

John Degebkolb takes second times deux

So for now I'll say adieu