Orica Greenedge DS Matt White has not yet selected his team for this years opening Monument, Milan-Sanremo.

 

This is mostly down to the route change that sees the removal of both the Pompeiana and La Manie climbs. This had made the race exceptionally sprinter friendly and changes the dynamic of the race and the riders taking part drastically.

 

"The course really suited the likes of Simon Gerrans and was really more of Classics sort of course," White told Cyclingnews of the route with the Pompeiana climb included.

 

"The course for this year had really no chance at all for the sprinters and now it makes it a sprinter's classics once again."

 

Gerrans remains the leader of the team, having one the race in 2012, but the 8 men who will support him has not been decided.

 

Matt Goss, who won in 2011, is far from his sparkling best but could produce a win and he is fast and crucially, won a stage in the Bay Crits Classic in January, his first race win for a year, and looks like he is returning to his best. White will use Tirreno-Adriatico and Paris-Nice to make his final decision.

 

"We've still not finalised our line-up for the race yet and we won't really do that until we've seen the form of the guys at Paris-Nice and Tirreno. Simon Gerrans will ride, that's for sure, but I want to see the form of the rest before we lock in the other eight guys."

 

Despite having several options in the race, White is annoyed that the changes have come so late in the race.

 

"I am a little bit disappointed with some of the changes though in the San Remo and the Giro time trial. Take Milan-San Remo, where Simon Gerrans had put a big effort in, but now it doesn't look like the same race. Then you have guys like Mark Cavendish and they didn't even have the race on their radar. From the sounds of it the race could have been fixed. It was just some road works that needed to be fixed. It comes down to money but it's a Monument. It's like taking the last 30 kilometres of cobbles out of Roubaix or the last three climbs out of Flanders."

 

Goss rode well in support of Gerrans in the Tour Down under and White is ready to repay his hard work in La Primavera.

"Goss hasn't raced for a month but I know that his preparations down in Monaco are going well and there are plenty of stages for him to show how he's going at Paris-Nice."

 

"Goss has never ridden Milan-San Remo on this route but looking through the team there aren't many guys who have ridden this version. Maybe Gerrans is the only one and maybe Hayman is the other."

 

"It opens it up to the likes of Greipel and Cavendish. Sagan can play whatever card he likes but for me Greipel is probably the favourite given the form he's had."

 

Goss and Gerrans have tremendous turns of speed but whether or not they can beat Cavendish and Greipel in a Monument is a big question. But Gerrans won stage 1 in the Tour Down Under by beating Greipel in a sprint, albeit a slightly uphill one. But anything is possible in cycling.