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Velominati Super Prestige: L’Eroica/Strade Bianche 2013

Eroica
This isn’t Pavé – its Gravé.

Until the 70’s it was common to race on gravel roads, but the Paving of the Planet has led to nearly every road being graced by smooth, black tarmac. As is the case with most things, once we are shown the easy path, it is difficult to return to more arduous ways. So it is with gravel roads; we take measures to avoid unpaved roads and in doing so, we eliminate some of the most rewarding experiences.

Marko has been at the leading edge of the Minnesota Gravé Scene (which has been at the leading edge of the American Gravé Scene), going so far as to build a custom carbon gravel racer called Le Graveur tuned not for CX but for fast racing on gravel roads and snow machine trails. Limited paved roads has lead race organizers to look for alternatives and the result has been several great rides cropping up in the Midwest, East Coast, and in Montana. Challenge has even developed a tire named after one of Minnesota’s most popular gravel races, the Almanzo. Its exciting stuff, and I’ve caught the bug myself; I’ll be planning several big Gravé rides this summer with the boys at Veloforma in Portland as well as some up in Northern Washington near Mazama. What could be better than riding a road bike on gravel roads in the quiet of the wilderness? Not much.

I digress; riding gravel is nothing new, and until the last 30 or so years, most races featured some manner of gravels roads, especially once races hit the mountains. The Italian race l’Eroica, is a throwback to those days, sending the riders over the glorious white gravel roads known as the Strade Bianche. It may not be pavé, but with steep climbs and long sections of gravel racing, this is one of the most unique and best races of the year. And the lack of cobblestones won’t stop me from praying for rain. On a side note, stay tuned for a Keepers Tour coming to this area in the coming years.

Enough of the chatter, lets get onto the Naming of the Picks for the 2013 L’Eroica/Strade Biache. As usual, enter your picks by 5am Pacific time on Saturday. If you can’t do Time Zone Math, just watch the countdown timer in the banner and put your picks in before it goes to zero. Points go towards the season-long Velominati Super-Prestige competition; the winner will receive a personalized shop apron. Check the start list and try to pick riders who are actually going to be there; I know that’s a stretch. Good luck.

Gratuitous Photos of @Marko’s Le Graveur

[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/frank@velominati.com/Le%20Graveur/”/]

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287 Replies to “Velominati Super Prestige: L’Eroica/Strade Bianche 2013”

  1. Here’s hoping that my Strade is a hell of a lot better than my Omloop was!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. SaGan
    2. Cancellara
    3. Van Avermaet
    4. Valverde
    5. Kessiakoff

  3. VSP PICKS:

    1. Pozzato
    2. Cancellara
    3. Kristoff
    4. Valverde Belmonte
    5. Kessiakoff

  4. What does “L’Eroica” mean anyways?  Sounds wonderfully Italian erotic to me!  This has to be the best “new” race to hit the pro’s for ages.

    And what about the Roma Maixma.  That race sounds like it should be run with a peloton of 300 and headed by Russell Crowe and Gerard Butler.  Sooo cool!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. SaGan
    2. Cancellara
    3. Van Avermaet
    4. Valverde
    5. Kessiakoff

  6. VSP PICKS:

    1. PHINNEY Taylor
    2. MOSER Moreno
    3. CANCELLARA Fabian
    4. RAST Grégory
    5. NOCENTINI Rinaldo

  7. VSP PICKS:

    1. Fabian Cancellara
    2. Lars Boom
    3. Grega Bole
    4. Peter Sagan
    5. Enrico Gasparotto

  10. VSP PICKS:

    1. Fabulous Fabian
    2. Sagan
    3. Phinney (come on, kid)
    4. Van Avermaet
    5. Juan Antonio Fleche

  11. Hey – I’m just as likely to be right as any of the rest of you – especially if there’s a crash. A Faboo hat trick would be a great way for him to open his account after last year’s disappointments.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Faboo
    2. Alexandr Kolobnev
    3. Oscar the Cat
    4. Greg Van Avermaet (again)
    5. Francesco Reda

  12. @Buck Rogers

    What does “L’Eroica” mean anyways? Sounds wonderfully Italian erotic to me! This has to be the best “new” race to hit the pro’s for ages.

     

    The Heroic, at least according to Google translate

  13. Fab Fab Fab

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Cancellara
    2. Sagan
    3. Pozatto
    4. Evans
    5. Paolini

  16. @seemunkee

    @Buck Rogers

    What does “L’Eroica” mean anyways? Sounds wonderfully Italian erotic to me! This has to be the best “new” race to hit the pro’s for ages.

    The Heroic, at least according to Google translate

    I like Buck Rogers’ translation better!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Peter Sagan
    2. Fabian Cancellara
    3. Taylor Phinney
    4. Greg Van Avermaet
    5. Damiano Cunego

  20. Boom looks good with blanco on the blanco stuff. Would be a poetic win.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Fabby dabby doo
    3. Cuddles
    4. BOOM !
    5. Phineas Fog

  21. M. Iglinskiy is not lining up for this one?

    VSP PICKS:

    1. F. Cancellara
    2. P. Sagan
    3. E. Gasporotto
    4. G. van Avermaet
    5. O. Gatto

  22. The Magic 8-Ball was broken last week, hopefully I’ve fixed it this time around.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Cancellara
    2. Phinney
    3. Sagan
    4. GVA
    5. Boom

  23. Anyone remember 2010 Tour of Flanders?  I’m counting on that Cancellara showing up.  Not that I would bet on it.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Cancellara
    2. Van Avermaet
    3. Cadel
    4. Sagan
    5. Phinney

  25. VSP PICKS:

    1. Greg Van Averm
    2. Enrico Gasparotto
    3. Fabian Cancellara
    4. Sep Vanmarcke
    5. Alejandro Valverde

  26. Odd…

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Greg Van Avermaet
    2. Enrico Gasparotto
    3. Fabian Cancellara
    4. Sep Vanmarcke
    5. Alejandro Valverde

  27. VSP PICKS:

    1. Fabian Cancellara
    2. Manuel Belletti
    3. Peter Sagan
    4. Sacha Modolo
    5. Lars Boom

  29. I love this race. Can’t wait.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Cancellara
    3. Thomas Dekker
    4. Fredrik Kessiakoff
    5. Pozzato

  30. Really like this race a lot, last years was one of the best early season races for sure.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Faboo
    2. Sagan
    3. Cunego
    4. Van Avermaet
    5. Pozzato

  31. That’s one slick bike, Marko!

    These races are really great, especially when PRO cycling has taken a beating lately. Then again, I think a lot of people who follow the races kinda knew & it didn’t really ruin the fun completely.

    I love the finish of the Strade Bianchi & definitely dream of riding into Siena one day, maybe full gas with cheering crowds!

  33. VSP PICKS:

    1. Fabian Cancellara
    2. Greg Van Avermaet
    3. Moreno Moser
    4. Taylor Phinney
    5. Lars Boom

  34. Unfortunately can’t see Faboo 3-peating it here, surely a race on gravel is made for a bike handler like Sagan…

    VSP PICKS:

    1. S-Again
    2. Faboo
    3. T-Phin
    4. Can’t Quite Go
    5. Tommy Dekker

  35. VSP PICKS:

    1. Peter sagan
    2. Lars Boom
    3. Cadel Evans
    4. fabian cancellara
    5. Moreno Moser

  36. @Mikael Liddy

    Few handle their bike as well as Spartacus, London Olympics notwithstanding. Apparently a third win means a stretch of the race will subsequently carry his name. That’s pretty cool.

  37. VSP PICKS:

    1. Cancellara
    2. Sagan
    3. Kessiakoff
    4. Van Avermaet
    5. Valverde

  38. Three wins and he gets one of the strade named after him? Easy pick.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Cancellara
    2. Sagan
    3. Van Avermaet
    4. Boom
    5. Kolobnev

  39. VSP PICKS:

    1. Peter Sagan
    2. Fabian Cancellara
    3. Lars Boom
    4. Alejandro Valverde
    5. Greg Van Avermaet

  40. VSP PICKS:

    1. Fabian Cancellara
    2. Peter Sagan
    3. Van Avermaet
    4. Sep Vanmarcke
    5. Taylor Phinney

  41. VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Cancellara
    3. Greg Van Avermaet
    4. Alejandro Valverde
    5. Taylor Phinney

  43. @Steampunk yeah that’s true, was more thinking Sagan’s mtb/urban background might have him with an advantage on the loose stuff but as you say Fabian’s not sloppy on the bike either.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. S-Again
    2. Faboo
    3. T-Phin
    4. Can't Quite Go
    5. Tommy Dekker

  45. Who know’s? Faboo pulls a bunch a dudes along for a while ala MSR but nobody is strong enough to beat Sagan anyway. This will be Sagan’s campaign this year, so much so people will be calling it the Prague Spring (thin I know but it would have worked before the split).

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Kolobnev
    3. Faboo
    4. Potato
    5. MiniPhinney

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