Velominati Super Prestige: Milan-Sanremo 2013

Eddy Planckert and Marc Sergeant photo:cor vos

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.

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Gianni

Gianni has left the building.

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View Comments

starclimber says:

Mar 17 2013 at 7:58 am

Tom Phone-in, like my staff: "Oh, hey boss, I can't make it, I have a bit of a cold"

Soft, pathetic.... Disappointing to say the least.
starclimber says:

Mar 17 2013 at 8:03 am

Beginning to look like Team QuitStep.
asyax says:

Mar 17 2013 at 8:05 am

Being in Perth, Western Aust, where it rarely rains, what is the betts way of keeping your lenses clear when it's pissing down aka MSR. Wiping with wet gloves just makes it worse. Rainex? I also wear prescriptions so like am quite uncomfortable when I can't see clearly.
tessar says:

Mar 17 2013 at 8:10 am

@asyax I wear prescription too, so I'm bound to my glasses. Those with more luck than us can simply remove their glasses altogether - risky in case of debris and mud, but at least vision is better.

Myself, I've found that a cycling-cap deep over the glasses does a pretty good job of keeping the rain manageable enough to see through.
starclimber says:

Mar 17 2013 at 8:11 am

Rainex isn't good for plastic. I take mine off and wack the lower edge against my thigh a couple of times, which clears them better than wiping.
ChrisO says:

Mar 17 2013 at 8:13 am

@Dinan

@Deakus

Quote from Boonen, I think someone needs to have a word with him about Rule #5 he has done untold damage to the Belgian reputation! "I think my decision says enough.This is partly a precaution, but also a statement to the organization. They knew long enough that there was so much snow on the road. What happens now is the fault of the organization's own fault. Have you ever wanted to bicycle through the snow ridden? There are nicer things than this. I'm completely frozen."

I'm not at all a fan of the whining but I can see his point. Those conditions look like pure shit. I'd be worried to ride in that as well. Yes, that statement violates Rule #5 but I have slid out numerous times in conditions like that on a solo ride. Add the competition and speed in there? No thank you...

-Dinan

That's an explanation of why you don't get paid millions of euros to ride a bike, not an explanation of why someone who is paid millions is not riding his bike.
Sauterelle says:

Mar 17 2013 at 8:16 am

@ChrisO

@Dinan

@Deakus

Quote from Boonen, I think someone needs to have a word with him about Rule #5 he has done untold damage to the Belgian reputation! "I think my decision says enough.This is partly a precaution, but also a statement to the organization. They knew long enough that there was so much snow on the road. What happens now is the fault of the organization's own fault. Have you ever wanted to bicycle through the snow ridden? There are nicer things than this. I'm completely frozen."

I'm not at all a fan of the whining but I can see his point. Those conditions look like pure shit. I'd be worried to ride in that as well. Yes, that statement violates Rule #5 but I have slid out numerous times in conditions like that on a solo ride. Add the competition and speed in there? No thank you...

-Dinan

That's an explanation of why you don't get paid millions of euros to ride a bike, not an explanation of why someone who is paid millions is not riding his bike.

+1
ChrisO says:

Mar 17 2013 at 8:18 am

@asyax

Being in Perth, Western Aust, where it rarely rains, what is the betts way of keeping your lenses clear when it's pissing down aka MSR. Wiping with wet gloves just makes it worse. Rainex? I also wear prescriptions so like am quite uncomfortable when I can't see clearly.

On the commentary at Tirreno last week when it was pissing down Magnus Backstedt had an interesting observation. He said he found it better to have the glasses on but to be in the spray stream of the rider in front. it sounds counter-intuitive but he reckoned the constant flow of spray helped.

For rain when not in a group ride I find the peak of the cycling cap does a good job of keeping most of the water off. Of course that doesn't help once they are wet - take Maggie's advice and find someone to draft I guess.
Deakus says:

Mar 17 2013 at 8:21 am

@Sauterelle

@ChrisO

@Dinan

@Deakus

Quote from Boonen, I think someone needs to have a word with him about Rule #5 he has done untold damage to the Belgian reputation! "I think my decision says enough.This is partly a precaution, but also a statement to the organization. They knew long enough that there was so much snow on the road. What happens now is the fault of the organization's own fault. Have you ever wanted to bicycle through the snow ridden? There are nicer things than this. I'm completely frozen."

I'm not at all a fan of the whining but I can see his point. Those conditions look like pure shit. I'd be worried to ride in that as well. Yes, that statement violates Rule #5 but I have slid out numerous times in conditions like that on a solo ride. Add the competition and speed in there? No thank you...

-Dinan

That's an explanation of why you don't get paid millions of euros to ride a bike, not an explanation of why someone who is paid millions is not riding his bike.

+1

I think his Directeur might also point out the fucking sprinters seem to be able to make it round....why can't you? Cav has just gone back to remove some clothing......HARD MAN! I think he wants a sun tan!!
unversio says:

Mar 17 2013 at 8:21 am

@ChrisO "Tom! Tom! Tom! We pay you to freeze!"