Finally, we have Milan-Sanremo. I hope pedale.forcetta is ready to shoot some pictures, especially black and white because it will be cold and possibly wet. Throw in a little wind and a race of this distance will weed out the less hardy. Recently, but not too recently, this race would be won out of a decent size field sprint. And yet, besides Fabs winning in 2008 it does come down to a sprint finish of some size. That race was setting up for a field sprint when Cancellara bolted and no one could catch him. The solo charge to the finish just doesn’t seem to work here. It is such an interesting race because the finish is unlike any of the other monuments. Moreno Argentin lost the race because he was not as good as descender as Kelly. Getting down the Cipressa and Poggio well is not easy. The descents are tight narrow Italian roads, hairpin turns, madness. Fabs and Sagan are two excellent descenders and Sagan has a killer sprint. NIbali just won Terreno. Thor has recovered. Boonen is back with Cavendish, on the same team! Gilbert is wearing the rainbow jersey. Andy Schleck has pre-dropped out. God Damnit, if you are going to get up at some weird hour of the night to watch a race this year, this is it people.
An American has never won one of cycling’s monuments and Sunday’s race does not seem to be where it is going to happen. Tyler Farrar would have to latch onto a special train and surely Cancellara will not be towing people to the line this year. The odds of Australian riders winning the last two editions were very long but it demonstrates how exciting and unpredictable this race is.
Here is the incomplete start list, it will be updated when available. No Delgados, no whining, the betting window is now open. Get you picks in before the countdown timer goes to zero at midnight Pacific Time. The winner of this event is awarded the MSR comment badge for the remainder of the season.
Here is a little video from last year, interesting more for the behind the scenes action and the amount of bleeped out cursing.
[vsp_results id=”22700″/]
I know as well as any of you that I've been checked out lately, kind…
Peter Sagan has undergone quite the transformation over the years; starting as a brash and…
The Women's road race has to be my favorite one-day road race after Paris-Roubaix and…
Holy fuckballs. I've never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I've missed…
This week we are currently in is the most boring week of the year. After…
I have memories of my life before Cycling, but as the years wear slowly on…
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I love the lead photo here. Gianni - nice choice going for two riders who never won M-SR. I've said it before, Momuments should only be photographed in B&W. Look at the grime on the legs and faces. Their caps are long gone. No helmets, no sunglasses, just a thousand yard stare from Eddy and grim determination from Marc. The kilometers are taking their toll and the bunch is closing in. Dreams are about to get shattered. Beautiful!
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Cavedish
3. Cancellara
4. Nibali
5. Goss
Sagan takes it from a 4 man break containing the usual suspects. Boonen takes the sprint from the reduced by atrocious conditions peloton.
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Cancellara
3. Chavanel, Sylvain
4. Nibbles
5. Boonen
Thank fuck it's the weekend. Just been one of those weeks, not terrible, just... Meh.
To improve matters it's MSR time, I haven't Delgado'd, and I've got a pile if shiny new bits to bolt to my bike. All I need is a beer and everything will be fine, just fine.
But that wouldn't be good preparation for racing tomorrow, so I'll behave and save it for recovery time.
Sagan and Nibbles to clear off by descending the Poggio like maniacs, Thor and Boss Hog for a Scandi-scrap for the podium, Cav taking the bunch gallop from the rest.
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Nibbles
3. God of Thunder
4. Boss Hog
5. Cav
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Spartacus
3. Cav
4. Chavanel
5. Phinney
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Nibali
3. Kwiatowski
4. Boasson Hagen
5. Hushovd
I don't know why I'm not picking Sparticus, but I don't think that tactically he does't vave this race figured out. He'll pull a big group to the end and get shut out.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cavendish
2. Sagan
3. Nibali
4. Edvald Boasson Hagen
5. Hushovd
@DerHoggz
Ends today? WTF! my comments were
The UCI should have as its number one priority the cleaning up of the sport. This is larger than egos or self interest and its current efforts in this area are poor. The idea that publicising positive test in a fair and timely manner should change depending on who the rider is, is tant amount to corruption and the management of the UCI currently has a lot to answer for. The fact that it is taking the media to raise these issues highlights how poor cyclings anti-doping program has been and its approach to resolving these matters. Both the Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador debacle being a case in point. Cyclists should live and work in an environment where being clean is the default expectation and failure brings the full force of the regulations down on the individuals. Key sponsorship is leaving the sport and this is as a direct result of lack of leadership at the top of the UCI for many years.
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Cav
3. Gilbert
4. Boonen
5. NIbali
I just can't go with Cavendish this year after I watched him sit up mid-way through the race last year.
Sagan, with his climbing ability, is going to drive the field over the Poggio and leave most of the sprinters in the dust. But he'll tire and fall off from the effort and, after Spartacus tows a late break all the way to the finish, Gilbert (who looked like he was rounding into form during Paris-Nice last week) is going to be this year's Gerrans and go around Faboo during the last 500 meters and take the top spot on the podium.
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Nibbles
3. Faboo
4. Sagan
5. Rickshaw