Velominati Super Prestige

Velominati Super Prestige: Milano San-Remo 2012

Fignon drills it on the Pogio in 1989. Photo: L'Equipe

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.

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537 Replies to “Velominati Super Prestige: Milano San-Remo 2012”

  1. @frank
    I like the badge and when I got it last year I read up on what it was about in Tour – remarkable that people would end up trying to be last because of the celebrity that became attached to it. I, on the other hand, am trying to pick winners for the VSP but never seem to manage it.

  2. Cav will get it if he can hang on. Will not make the same mistakes as last year. Cancellara or Nibbles could get away on the Poggio or Cipressa but then I will only score 1 point.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Cavendish
    2. Boonen
    3. Sagan
    4. Cancellara
    5. Van Avermaet

  3. When Cancellara won in 2008, he didn’t accelerate on the Poggio. He accelerated after the Poggio. It depends on how much Sky is still able to ride, but otherwise it will be Faboo.

  5. So many to choose from. Can I pick 10? I just took a handful of my best picks and threw them at a wall. These are the ones that stuck. I’m sad that Phil isn’t here but he’s sick and it’s a long one.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Cancellara
    2. Greipel and shit
    3. Bennati
    4. Ballan
    5. Nibali

  6. I said I’d never underestimate Gilbert again but he’s coming back from the flu.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Cav
    2. Boonen
    3. Cancellara
    4. Sagan
    5. Haussler

  13. VSP PICKS:

    1. Renshaw
    2. Cancellara
    3. Sagan
    4. Haussler
    5. Goss

  15. Woah, that MSR badge is awesome! I have it in my sights! Good work Frank.

    As for La Lantern Rouge – I always see it as a welder’s mask or a deep sea diver’s helmet. (I can’t do anything in terms of coding or programming, but that’s just my reaction when I see it.) What do I know.

    Pedale – wait, you’ve put two bottles on your Pegoretti? And a third in your pocket? I was sure you were a camel. It’s completely awesome that you’re ridden the/a similar MSR course. I dream of that! Can’t wait for those photos.

  16. Revised due to the God of Thunder being under the weather…

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Cav
    2. Sagan
    3. Boonen
    4. Cancellara
    5. Bennatti

  18. I thought this would get easier as I pondered. But it just keeps getting harder (as the Bishop said). I may change my mind (as the actress probably said), but at least now I won’t Delgado.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. The Rainbow Missile
    2. Little Brummer Boy
    3. Nibbles
    4. H2
    5. Tommeke

  19. update with thor out

    VSP PICKS:

    1. cav
    2. haussler
    3. gilbert
    4. boonen
    5. cancellara

  20. Just in case we’re not excited enough about the weekend, here’s Flecha bombing it down the Cipressa with a gopro on his noggin.

  24. Gah, must stop second guessing…

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Boonen
    2. Cancellara
    3. Sagan
    4. Goss
    5. Cav

  25. VSP PICKS:

    1. Cavtastic
    2. The great Gilberto
    3. The sag(an) of San remo
    4. Gripe-el
    5. Gossamer

  26. My 2nd favorite one day after P.R. Just because it can be won by any of the disaplines and that keeps it fresh. It seems that it is a toss up here between Cav and Canc – I’ll go with the later because Cav will have to have luck at this distance.

    Frank love the badge (can’t believe you got Corsica or Sicily in there -to lazy to find out which) and I do not care what some others say the lanterne rouge is primo.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Cancellara
    2. Boonen
    3. Cavendish
    4. Sagan
    5. Goss

  27. Sheesh too many riders to pick from in this one. I’m going for a few emotional picks – Hoogers because it’s the first time I’ve seen him since he was clothed in barb wire and Roulston cause he’s a kiwi, who can climb and sprint and will lead Faboo out

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Nibbles
    2. Hoogerland
    3. Cancellara
    4. Boonen
    5. Hayden Roulston

  29. Heart says Cav, Brain says Sagan, I reckon this is one of the hardest to call races of the season. Giblets may be on a massive Psy Ops mission with a faux fever, though looks like he was sat next to Thor as he now as the BMC pestilence too

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Faboo
    3. Cav
    4. Goss
    5. Nibbles

  30. Thor out, Oli in. Bretto, Oli’s gonna rip you a new one sunshine, get your excuses ready

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Boonen
    2. Oli
    3. Fabian
    4. Freire
    5. Bretto

  31. VSP PICKS:

    1. The Missile
    2. Saganator
    3. Nibbles
    4. Spartacus
    5. Boonen

  32. Man, not seeing a lot of love/faith in wee Oscar here. He’s a sly wee devil who loves this race. Never count him out! Would love to see Tommeke win, but Cav is super-stoked for this and when he really sets his mind on something . . .

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Cav
    2. Friere
    3. Bopnen
    4. Greipel
    5. Cancellara

  33. In light of the brakes Le Profeseur is riding, has anyone ever worked on Deltas?

    My Tommasini needs to be recabled & I’ve never taken apart Deltas, which you need to do in order to get at the cable clamp. I know I need to pick up a 3.5mm allen and know you somehow need to get the face plate off.

    Anyone with some experience would be a welcome tutor!

  34. Unscrew the barrel adjuster at the top of the brake, then the face plate kind of pulls out from the top until you can disengage the clips at the bottom whereupon it comes away revealing the interior. The allen screw and cable are obvious, but it’s quite tricky to install a new one just so. Just study it carefullly before undoing anything, hopefully that will help later.

  35. Wait, here’s one I prepared earlier! There is, of course, a bit more to it than my awesome Paint skills are revealing, but the gist is there. These are my Croce d’Aune Deltas, by the way.

  36. slight changes to 4th and 5th… this is a tough one!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Cavendish
    2. Sagan
    3. Cancellara
    4. Goss
    5. Boasson Hagen

  37. @Oli
    That is awesome! Great post… now if you have one for Avid Shorty Cantis I would appreciate a post… I can’t get those damn things to work at all!

  38. love/faith in wee Oscar

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Free and airy
    2. Matt Bros
    3. Fabulous scarf dahlink
    4. Tommeke
    5. The adventures of barbie barbie

  43. 3 for the sprint & 2 for a Poggio bust-up.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Cav
    2. Goss
    3. Tommeke
    4. Cancellara
    5. Nibbles

  48. First, I’d like to put in a good word for the Ohio University Bobcats taking on Michigan tonight. My alma mater is not known as a sports university, we have a bit of a reputation as a party school, though I also learned a lot. In any event, go Bobcats.

    As for the picks, good grief. I may change the positions of Cav and Oscarito. Otherwise, I’ve left off Griepel, Boss Hog, Goss, Ballan, and Patacchi. And others. We’ll see.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Cavendish
    2. Freire
    3. Sagan
    4. Boonen
    5. Cancellara

  50. I’m gonna bet against the tide and guess that this years race will end with a selection going down as follows

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Cancellara
    2. Boonen
    3. Sagan
    4. Friere
    5. Nibali

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