It already seems like a long time ago, but Milano-Sanremo was just a week ago. One of my favorite moments of the cycling year is to go to the start of Milano-Sanremo. Since RCS Sports boss Angelo Zomegnan moved it back to the traditional start in front of the Castello Sforzesco last year from the cramped confined of Piazza Sant'Ambrogio, it seems like another race. All the teams are right there, easy to find, and it's great to see old friends that you haven't seen since the previous season. The neighborhood is one of the best in central Milano and the setting in front of the 15th century castle built by Duca di Milano Francesco Sforza is second to none.  What a fabulous sprint win by the Manxman Cavendish, who the Italian press likes to call Cannonball. Yeah, Cannonball Cav...but watching the sprint again I have to think that if the Cerveloids had themselves better coordinated in the sprint, Haussler would have provided the perfect lead-out for Hushovd and Cannonball Cav might have been out of luck.


Meanwhile the star of the media circus at Milano-Sanremo was Lance Armstrong. Too bad about his unfortunate crash in Spain last Monday. It was nice to see Lance back in Italy after a number of years. I interviewed Lance before the 2002 edition, the last time he rode Milano-Sanremo. Get well soon Mellow Johnny!



I have a great Lance moment to share. I was waiting near the entrance to Castello Sforzesco where the riders went for sign-in. I said hello to Mario Cipollini, the greatest sprinter in cycling history, who was standing there with his manager Giuseppe Napoleone. Suddenly a flash of yellow, black & blue appeared; it was Lance himself, greeting a delighted Cipo with a big "ciao Mario" before heading into the sign-in. Great to see two of the greatest icons of modern cycling together in an intimate moment.


Erik Zabel was at the start of Milano-Sanremo; he's become a valuable mentor for Cavendish and Ete was instrumental in the youngster's win in Sanremo. As a four-time (almost 5) Sanremo champion, Zabel gave Cav the right advice. Here Zabel gets a new pair of Sidi's from Antonio Rosetto, Sidi's likeable promo man, but the retired German sprinter will have to wait a few more weeks to use them as he broke his foot in a training crash a few days before Milano-Sanremo.


Racy Language spied Silence-Lotto team doctor Nino Daniele (L) and former rider Adriano Baffi (R) chatting in the crisp Milano morning air. Nino worked with USPS and Discovery Channel in the past and now works with the Belgian squad when they race in Italy. The charming Roman medico told RL that he likes the Silence-Lotto team job and is looking forward to finally seeing Lance at the Giro. RL remembers well when Baffi was the Landbouwkredeit-Colnago diesse at the first edition of the Tour Of Georgia. He brought his wife and two kids to the race and it was fun for the entire family; the kids would prepare the musette bags and mom was right there in the feed zone handing up lunch!



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