Velominati Super Prestige: Milan-Sanremo 2013
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.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHAKie2XiU0[/youtube]
[vsp_results id=”22700″/]
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Cancellara
3. Thor
4. Pozzato
5. Goss
Picked Goss for the win on the nose 2011. Have Faboo each way this time. Sagan just needs to finish and will win. Phil Gil will do well as usual.
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Gilbert
3. Goss
4. Cancellara
5. Pippo
@The Grande Fondue
Well, descents are pretty scary, speaking from personal experience.
You’ve got the whole going downward experience, and the, well, yeah, all that.
VSP PICKS:
1. The Tourminator
2. Faboo
3. Goss
4. Gilbert
5. Van Avermaet
This is going to be one hell of a race and I hear Eurosport GB are putting it on live! I think the weather is going to break this wide open and am giving the idea of a mass sprint finish a miss. I am bit torn between Boss Hogg or GT but I think Sky will make a play and I just can’t help but back Nibbles descending under these conditions. It’s going to be one hell of a ride!
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibbles
2. Boss Hog
3. Sagan
4. Faboo
5. Geraint Thomas
VSP PICKS:
1. G
2. Fast Phil
3. Faboo
4. Sagan
5. Nibbles
Let the faffing begin – just decided Faboo is going to knock Sagan off his bike, probably by slamming on his brakes unexpectedly, when he hears Sagan opening a bag of potato crisps, and whilst Sagan rummages roung the ground picking them up, will be run over by the OPQ leadout train
VSP PICKS:
1. G
2. Fast Phil
3. Sylvain Chavanel
4. Faboo
5. Nibbles
VSP PICKS:
1. Fabian Cancellara
2. Philippe Gilbert
3. Peter Sagan
4. John Degenkolb
5. Filippo Pozzato
May the rainbow strips fly high on Sunday
VSP PICKS:
1. Philippe Gilbert
2. Fabian Cancellara
3. Peter Sagan
4. John Degenkolb
5. Filippo Pozzato
VSP PICKS:
1. sagan
2. Nibali
3. Cancellara
4. Cavendish
5. Gilbert
VSP PICKS:
1. Cavendish
2. Sagan
3. Gerrans
4. Boonen
5. Thomas
VSP PICKS:
1. G
2. Sagan
3. Nibali
4. Thor
5. Gilbert
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Gilbert
3. Thor
4. Cancellera
5. Degenkolb
<<
My VMH is leaving for Milan today and I’m so jealous!! Next year I’ll be there too.
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Cancellara
3. Moser
4. Boonen
5. Gilbert
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Hushovd
3. Nibali
4. Cavendish
5. Boonen
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Nib
3. Poz
4. Degenkolb
5. Goss
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Cavendish
3. Degenkolb
4. Thomas
5. Van Avermaert
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Cancellara
3. Sagan
4. Moser
5. Boonen
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Cavendish
3. Goss
4. Cancellara
5. Gilbert
I have this feeling that Boonen should be in there somewhere….
-Dinan
Five guys who should be at the pointy end of the race. Loving that the auto-correct wanted to change Nocentini to “No engine.” When was the last time an Italian won a Spring Classic?
VSP PICKS:
1. V. Nibali
2. F. Cancellara
3. Y. Offredo
4. P. Sagan
5. R. Nocentini
@Gianni Ciao! I’ll be there.
And while waiting for the race, I’m leaving you and all Veloninati a ‘panino’ recipe that one of the soigneurs of the Team Androni gave me some time ago.
This is not a recipe for the riders panini, this is a recipe for the soigneurs!
It’s what they eat while waiting for the riders at the feed zones.
French baguette, fresh cheese or better Stracchino, pickled onions (3 per panino) and tuna.
I was able to eat an entire baguette but it was all that I had that day…
Does anyone know if Bein Sports is broadcasting this? They did the last 3 stages of T-A under the ubiquitous title ‘Italian Cycling’ THANKS.
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Cancellara
3. Nibali
4. Hushovd
5. Gilbert
VSP PICKS:
1. cancellara
2. Sagan
3. Gilbert
4. Pozatto
5. Moser
@Daccordi Rider
Wow. Stopping for coffee apparently helps you extend the gap.
I just cannot imagine anyone stopping Sagan right now…he really is that good
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Nibbles
3. Chavanel
4. Spartacus
5. EBH
VSP PICKS:
1. Fabian Cancellara
2. Peter Sagan
3. Filippo Pozzato
4. Philippe Gilbert
5. Mark Cavendish
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Goss
3. Cavendish
4. Nibali
5. Cancellara
@Souleur
Right up until Sky box him off and block him…swift dig in the ribs on the way up the Poggio and a sudden breaking manoevre on the descent should sort him out!
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Sagan
3. Cav
4. Goss
5. Pozzato
@Deakus
That might just make him angry,you don’t want to see him when he’s angry….
Hmmmm. That’s all I have at present. Hmmmm. Who to pick, who to pick, who to pick…Will Phil have his super afterburners for the final ascent, and if he does, can he hold a slender lead to the line? Not usually. Hmmmm. Is Thor ‘really’ back? Hmmmm. Has dragging the bunch around rehoned Tommeke’s edge? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Will Sagan have time to mock the bunch by bunnyhopping on his rear wheel across the line? Hmmmmmm.
@Deakus
You are so quintessentially British!! Love it
VSP PICKS:
1. G
2. Fast Phil
3. Sylvain Chavanel
4. Faboo
5. Nibbles
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Sagan
3. Boonen
4. Cancellara
5. Welsh wonder. G Thomas
VSP PICKS:
1. Hushovd
2. Nibali
3. Sagan
4. Eddie Bos
5. Cancellara
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Nibali
3. Pozzato
4. Cancellara
5. Gilbert
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Gilbert
3. Cancellara
4. Voeckler
5. Farrar
I decided that since Gianni has declared that Farrar will not win I should clearly pick him to at least place. With any luck this will turn out to be another 0-[oint result on my part (although it’s hard to imagine not getting at least 1 for having Sagan on the list somewhere).
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Sagan
3. Cavendish
4. Boonen
5. Farrar
VSP PICKS:
1. Y. Offredo
2. E. Boasson Hagen
3. V. Nibali
4. P. Sagan
5. R. Nocentini
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Gilbert
3. Cancellara
4. EBH
5. Nibali
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Gilbert
3. Spartacus
4. Nibali
5. Goss
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Greipel
3. Cavendish
4. Boasson Hagen
5. Hushovd
@Steampunk ‘s on the attack!
@Pedale.Forchetta
I’m going to make me one of these soigneur’s pininis (or should I say “Signature V Panini”) for race day so I can, at least in some small way, share in your joy while watching on live stream. Thanks.
The UCI would like to know what we think about cycling as it exists today. Take the survey, maybe Pat won’t just throw it out and keep on keeping on?
http://www.uci.ch/Modules/ENews/ENewsDetails.asp?id=OTA2NQ&MenuId=MTYzMDQ&LangId=1&BackLink=%2FTemplates%2FUCI%2FUCI8%2Flayout.asp%3FMenuID%3DMTYzMDQ%26LangId%3D1
I suspect it will finish with a select group, so Sagan has the edge. If Cav makes it to the finish in the front he wins. Will be interesting to see if Moser gets away again to crank up the pressure on the others; would also love to see Faboo blow the race to pieces in the finale. Shaping up for a fascinating contest
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Cavendish
3. Moser
4. Cancellara
5. Goss