Last week we had two great stage races in the Paris - Nice and the Tirreno - Adriatico and while the Paris - Nice especially has plenty of prestige and history around it, to me it feels like the real cycling season is only about to begin with the Milan-San Remo this weekend. That kicks off the one-day spring classics season and over the next month we're in for a host of great and epic one day races.
I followed both those stage races last week though I didn't get seeing too much of it. The Paris - Nice was one in fine style by Australian, Richie Porte, and of course because he rides for Sky the usual we-need-another-Postal-team-asap crew came out to find reason to scoff at the result. Their scepticism and cynicism is completely understandable given what cycling fans have been put through in recent years but the whole thing is getting old and with no evidence with which to hold against Sky except that some doctor was employed by the team who used to administer drugs to another team in the past, it really ought to be let go.
This was all okay for a few months in the winter when there was no present day cycling to talk about, but now that the 2013 season is here and underway, I could really do with browsing for cycling news on the web and on twitter without having to read from some droning non-stop with insinuations either about riders today or stories, theories and speculation about drugs in the sport twenty-odd years ago.
This winter allowed me the chance to air my own grievances around the whole Armstrong saga, to read a couple of books on the subject, and then bury it in the memory bank before looking ahead to a year of good racing. In order not to hear about it every day when I wanted to be hearing about how the latest race was won, I completed an almighty purge of my Twitter following list.
The conclusion to what I like to call 'The Winter of a History of PEDs in Cycling' was that it was an ugly past but one in which it seemed the sinister game of doping was just a part of the game. It was sad and I encourage any past rider to come clean, but I've had enough with the digging. I was left sure that cycling tests more often and for more drugs than any other sport on the planet and given the stance of fans, sponsors, media and even now many young pros in the peloton, it's seen as more unacceptable a practice than in any other sport. Will cheats still try to cheat when money is involved? Of course they will, but I've come to terms with the fact that while I'll sometimes remain suspicious about some and about some performances, I feel the sport is trying to catch them, and has enough in place that if you cheat, there's a good chance you'll be caught eventually. If you don't, well, that's unfortunate for us, but it's a bi-product of cheating ... some will get away with it; I just know they're being well tested.
So enough about that garbage. I swore to steer clear from the subject until which times as a new positive test broke that represented a case in the present day world, yet I've just dedicated a paragraph to the subject. But I had to say something.
One we move.
While Porte was winning the Paris-Nice in style, over in Italy Vincenzo Nibali was kicking ass in the Tirreno - Adriatico while some riders pushed their bikes up climbs. Yes, there was an image from that event during one stage in which some of the climbs reached a 30% gradient that those who couldn't go any slower while zig-zagging up the climb came to a stop and walked it. Such a sight in the modern day professional peloton is surreal. It's hard to look away from such an image of these super-skinny, well-tanned, finely-tuned athletes pushing their bikes on a climb and not think to yourself: I know how that feels.
Nibali stole the lead from another Sky man, Chris Froome, late in the race and held on to the finish to win it. An early season psychological blow ahead of the Tour de France? Maybe it's still a bit early, but it was interesting to see how it played out.
One man who really stood out was Peter Sagan. Last year phenom took two stage wins in the week long tour and on that big stage with those killer climbs his immense power kept him with the front men as he won the stage dropping the likes of Froome, Alberto Contador and Cadel Evans with only Nibali and Joaquim Rodriguez able to stick with him until the final three man sprint for the line.
Sagan could be a treat to watch this year. He's clearly in peak form right now which is perfect for a man of his style ahead of these Spring classic races. There's no reason to believe he can't do a Philippe Gilbert 2011 or a Tom Boonen 2012 and win a handful of them. Meanwhile his ability to show he can climb reminds us that if he dedicated himself to it, honed his time-trialing a little more and his long-climbing, he could one day become a contender for a Grand Tour. That might be a ways off yet, but he'll be great to watch this year and beyond.
So, enjoy Sunday's Milan - San Remo if you have access to a TV showing it, or if like me, you'll try and find a way to stream it on the web. Either way it's sure to be an epic race and if you're looking for one of my ever unreliable predictions, I'll look past Sagan and give you Mark Cavendish.
