Velominati Super Prestige: Milano San-Remo 2012
The Poggio. It’s probably one of the most famous easy climbs in the world; going through old cycling photographs, I rarely come across one where the leaders haven’t moved Sur La Plaque. It has a reputation, however, for being a real leg breaker, mostly because any climb is a big climb once you cross its summit after a paltry 291 kilometers. And the descent provides one of the twistiest, most exhilarating finales in the sport.
This race stands apart as the longest on the calendar, and represents the only of the five Monuments where the sprinters have a chance at final glory. But this can have it all: the long, solo break routinely makes it to the finish uncaught. The final attacks on the Poggio regularly stick. The attack that goes away on the climb often gets caught on the descent. And, sometimes the whole thing stays together for a bunch gallop. Essentially, any ride who is on form has a chance at glory. This is a unique race.
The question on everyone’s mind is wether Cavendish can get over the Poggio in position to make it to the finish in the first group. If he does, then you can jot down the winner right now. He’s lost some significant weight in the last few weeks, so his climbing should be good; we also have it on good authority from our eyes and ears on the roads in Italy that the Manx Mouth has been spotted training in the hills of Italy with the express intention of making it over the last bump. If, on the other hand, he gets spat out the back like a rainbow turd when the road points uphill, it will be a free-for-all. The fast semi-climbers with descending skills like Nibbles are talking big about their chances. And who in their right minds would ever discount Faboo with his brommer or Gilbert once he fires the howitzers.
So rub your lucky rabbit’s foot and throw some salt over your shoulder; you’re going to need some divine intervention on this one. This year’s VSP is also the first year where we’ll be offering a special badge to the winner of the monuments. We can’t unveil the MSR Badge yet, but the winner of this VSP event will have the honor of posting with the badge until next year’s event. The winner will also receive a free Symbol Pack. Check the start list and get your picks in by 5am Pacific on Saturday morning; if timezone arithmetic isn’t your strong suit, just watch the countdown timer in the banner at the top of the site. As usual, your points go towards the overall VSP as well.
Good luck.
@motor city
Very interesting read! Thanks!
.
VSP PICKS:
1. Mr Todd
2. Mr Gorilla
3. Mr boonen
4. Mr renshaw
5. I am spartacus
Argos is rumoured to be one of the new sponsors of 1t4i. Announcement on 30/3 or 3/30 for americans.
@Chris
I suspect we’ll see a lot of defensive riding. All eyes will be on Spartacus as well as Sky. My sense, though, is that Sky might be fielding the strongest team””and one very well equipped to keep the race under control. Cav won’t have any trouble with the Poggio (he got caught behind a crash last year; the Poggio wasn’t the issue) and like him or not, the kid has a very healthy respect for cycling heritage. He knows what the bands mean and he knows what it would mean to win in San Remo in the bands.
What more needs to be said……#GoCav
VSP PICKS:
1. Cavendish
2. Hushovd
3. Goss
4. Farrar
5. EBH
It’s gonna be another Cav-tastic result (probably). Can feel it in my water.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cavendish
2. Cancellara
3. Van Avermaet
4. Sagan
5. Nibali
VSP PICKS:
1. Cavendish
2. Sagan
3. Haussler
4. Cancellara
5. Boonen
Switched my order.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cavendrinkinthecoolaiddish
2. Boonen
3. Sagan
4. EBH
5. Faboo
@taon24
Who is Mr. Todd? Please dispute your pick with an explanation.
@frank:
Mr Todd = Cavendish, presumably. What with his girlfriend being Peta Todd and all…
@Dan_R
Online article on Laurent Patrick Fignon.
Born in Montmartre, Paris, August 12, 1960. Died in Paris, August 31, 2010. (article quote)
One of the few cyclists to have transcended the sport and was able to occupy an altogether more artistic plain.
http://www.cyclesportmag.com/features/laurent-fignon-a-tribute-to-an-icon/
VSP PICKS:
1. Cav
2. Spartacus
3. Tomeke
4. Gossy
5. Thor
@Dan_R
Online article on Laurent Patrick Fignon.
Born in Montmartre, Paris, August 12, 1960. Died in Paris, August 31, 2010. (article quote)
One of the few cyclists to have transcended the sport and was able to occupy an altogether more artistic plain.
<http://www.cyclesportmag.com/features/laurent-fignon-a-tribute-to-an-icon/>
@Steampunk
I suspect your analysis is probably better than mine but it’s not unheard of to remove the pure sprinters from the equation on the Poggio.
I like Cav, he’s never managed to annoy me in the way that he has others here or in the way that brash youngsters generally annoy me. I also love the fact that he knows his cycling, the past as well as the present. He’s going to be under alot of pressure though because he’s not afraid to state what he wants to acheive.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cavendish
2. Cancellara
3. Gilbert
4. Sagan
5. Boasson Hagen
Okay, here’s the re-do after the CanuckChuck experience.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cav
2. Faboo
3. Boonen
4. Nibbles
5. Greipel
@Cyclops
Pffft. Whatever. Like that’s hard.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cavendish
2. Sagan
3. Cancellara
4. Gilbert
5. Goss
I guess the big question is, will this end with a final selection or in a bunch sprint? I tend to prefer the idea of a classic going down to a selection.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cav
2. Boonen
3. Farrar
4. Hausler
5. Goss
I’m really starting to like Paul Martens from the Rabobank. He can sprint a bit and isn’t afraid of hills. And he also has a great sense of music.
Thor Hushovd has a fever, isn’t racing MSR. Check your picks. Source: inrng
VSP PICKS:
1. Cav
2. Cancellara
3. Nibali
4. Boonen
5. Boss Hogg
VSP PICKS:
1. Cavendish
2. Cancellara
3. Bossen hagen
4. Haussler
5. Goss
Gatto or Boonen to replace Hushovd?
VSP PICKS:
1. Cavendish
2. Viviani
3. Cancellara
4. Guardini
5. Boonen
Woah, symbol pack & a special badge to the winner? Very pumped about that. Let me put the start list into my Big Blue computational machine…
Nate – what video of Kelly are you talking about? I’m lost.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cavendish
2. Nibali
3. Cancellara
4. Boonen
5. Goss
VSP PICKS:
1. greipal
2. Haussler
3. Cavendish
4. cancellara
5. nibali
Correct.
VSP PICKS:
1. Mr Todd (201)
2. Mr Gorilla (141)
3. Mr boonen (161)
4. Mr renshaw (186)
5. I am spartacus (191)
@all – here is a preview of the badge that the MSR VSP winner gets to wear for a year. Hard to come up with something that represents La Primeviara, but here’s what we settled on:
Ridiculously difficult to pick this time
Fancied Eddy the Boss, but I think Sky will throw everything out for Cav.
Cancellara, looks pretty good at the moment though….
VSP PICKS:
1. Fabian Cancellara
2. Cav
3. Sagan
4. Matty Goss
5. Haussler
@Brett, @Ron and @Gianni
The story of the solo break away sounds better if told than written! I do hope to tell you one time.
As for the bottle that time I’ve used like all the mortals the 2 bottles mount at the frame + my usual one in the jersery. You can’t be silly in a 300km race.
As you can understand though as soon I reached the Poggio I did it, I thrown away both! After this pretentious gesture I felt obliged to attack the hill with the 53 ant frankly I did a decent job…
@frank that ‘boot’ is wonderful to say the least, it’s really boombastic!
@frank
Very good work on the icon!
Updated lineup to get rid of Thor.
VSP PICKS:
1. Haussler
2. Cavendish
3. Boonen
4. Cancellara
5. Sagan
Into the second bottle of Italian wine for inspiration. Let’s see how this works. Either way, I win!
VSP PICKS:
1. Cavendish
2. Freire
3. Goss
4. Boonen
5. Farrar
Ah, I’ve got the Lanterne Rouge again. Here’s hoping for some points.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cav
2. Cancellara
3. Not quite so fast Phil
4. Griepel
5. Boonen
VSP PICKS:
1. Boonen
2. Cancellara
3. Sagan
4. Goss
5. Cavendish
Giblets steps up.
VSP PICKS:
1. Boonen
2. Cancellara
3. Sagan
4. Goss
5. Giblets
Go Murilo!!!!
VSP PICKS:
1. Murilo Fischer
2. Boonen
3. Cavendish
4. Sagan
5. Freire
VSP PICKS:
1. Cav
2. Farrar
3. Goss
4. Faboo
5. Ballan
@Markp
4. Hushovd, Thor – Out
4. Freire, Oscar – In
VSP PICKS:
1. Cavendish, Mark
2. Boonen, Tom
3. Cancellara, Fabian
4. Hushovd, Thor
5. Sagan, Peter
VSP PICKS:
1. Spartacus
2. Gerry Thomas
3. Peter Satan
4. Johnny Hoo
5. Boonen
With Thor out, I will add Cav
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Boonen
3. PhilGil
4. Sagen
5. Cav
if Cav is in the front group then he wins, full stop. so other picks are going to have to be for other eventualities & Gilbert doesn’t seem to be there yet, not really sure y
VSP PICKS:
1. Cavendish
2. Boonen
3. Nibali
4. Modolo
5. Eddie Boss
See here’s the problem with putting picks in early, you start second guessing yourself…here is my revised line up
VSP PICKS:
1. The Banded Missile
2. Faboo
3. Freire
4. Billions & Billions
5. Nibbles
@Roberto Marques
Eu acho que o Brasileiro nao vai chegar la’ ate’ ao fim…
VSP PICKS:
1. Mark Cavendish
2. Fabian Cancellara
3. Tom Boonen
4. Alessandro Ballan
5. Matt Goss
@Jonny
On the plus side, that badge, I humbly submit, may be my finest work in 16x16px graphic design. It actually looks like a lantern.
@frank
What, exactly, is the rule for assignment of the Lanterne? Who gets it among the last place finishers?