RBR's Milano-San Remo picks recap

Dan Connelly: "Freire. Bettini's been too fit too long. The pace will be higher on the Poggio this
year to keep the pressure on Cipo, and Friere has the edge here. Zabel can't sprint well enough, but
Telekom is strong enough to keep the breakaway crowd from getting away."

Bettini holds on to his fitness well enough. Freire (7th) burned his matches on the Cipressa. BTW-
VDB was 114th.

Kurgan Gringioni: "I'll take the obvious: Cipollini, even though I'm not a fan of his personality"
Cipo in 4th, but he still has a winning personality

Mike Shaw "I'm going to go with Henry on this one. I'm betting that Cipo is playing up the
psychological warfare better than the US in Iraq."

Marlene Blanshay: "I'm thinking Zabel, Freire, Petacchi".

Not sure if this was some kind of trifecta wager or not. Zabel (6th), Freire (7th) and Petacchi DNF

Erik Van Leeuwen: "I wouldn't mind Freire winning, but I take Petacchi"

Freire wouldn't have minded winning either but he wasted too much energy on the Cipressa.
Petacchi DNF.

Brian Roth: "Figueras" 39th

Eric Struckhoff: "Zabel. Again."

Zabel did not win. Again.

JTN: "Zabel"

Chris Mitchell: "McEwen"

30th, no word yet on any fistfights or excuses.

Jeff Jones: "I know I'm setting myself up for certain failure, but I'll go for:

1 Mario Cipollini (Ita) Domina Vacanze 7.10.14 2 Oscar Freire (Spa) Rabobank 3 Erik Zabel (Ger)
Telekom 4 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Lotto-Domo 5 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Fassa Bortolo"

Geez, not even close, the finish time was 6:44:33

Tom Kunich: "At least you got first place right. I think I'll candyass and say you're probably right
that it's going to be between Cipo and Friere who seems redhot right now."

The only thing between Cipo and Freire was Zabel.