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. i’m with cornfed, Sagan i think is a dark horse, and may do a nip slip for MSR

    Everyone is EXPECTING cav, and that is a huge expectation to have, but will see

    And +2 to Scalers Foto Op Shop, that is freaking hilarious!
    That should have been exhibit Numero Uno in his defense trial

    VSP PICKS:

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

  3. @frank

    @scaler911
    Have you ever worn the +1 badge before? Well, you’re wearing it now. That is the BEST. PHOTO. EVER. EVER. EVAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH.

    Thanks! But I did have the honor of wearing it during the “Gender Misidentification Fiasco 2011”. I’ll do the badge proud!

  4. dang it, thor is out
    see my replacement above

    VSP PICKS:

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

  8. big sprint or big breakaway? Personally, I’d like to see a breakaway and a Spartacus-Tommeke duel, but I think Sky will control and deliver the Manx Missle on a platter.

    VSP PICKS:

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

  14. VSP PICKS:

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

  20. hoping that prep work in Italy spells victory!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. cavendish
    2. goss
    3. cancellara
    4. boonen
    5. nibbles

  23. Seriously. How wide are Fignon’s bars in the header picture? They’ve gotta be wider than 44s, don’t you think? I mean, he wasn’t a wee guy so it’s not as if they look large because he’s small. Custom made perhaps?

  24. Those 5 from a select group of seven.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Boonen
    2. Sagan
    3. Gilbert
    4. Cancellara
    5. Cunago

  27. @wiscot

    Seriously. How wide are Fignon’s bars in the header picture? They’ve gotta be wider than 44s, don’t you think? I mean, he wasn’t a wee guy so it’s not as if they look large because he’s small. Custom made perhaps?

    44 center-to-center 3TTT. I thought the same as you and would love to know. I brought Fignon up at the bike shop and my mechanic is bringing in photos that he has with Fignon on Monday. I am getting drawn more and more to his entire story. Anyway, I continue to lust over wide bars.

  29. Thor can’t answer the bell.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Cavendish
    2. Boonen
    3. Greipel
    4. Freire
    5. Spartacus

  30. @Vin’cenza

    @wiscot

    Seriously. How wide are Fignon’s bars in the header picture? They’ve gotta be wider than 44s, don’t you think? I mean, he wasn’t a wee guy so it’s not as if they look large because he’s small. Custom made perhaps?

    44 center-to-center 3TTT. I thought the same as you and would love to know. I brought Fignon up at the bike shop and my mechanic is bringing in photos that he has with Fignon on Monday. I am getting drawn more and more to his entire story. Anyway, I continue to lust over wide bars.

    Have you read his book? Great stuff. Great rider. They don’t make them like him any more. Guaranteed worth reading. Still think those are custom bars . . .

  32. Damn, a few years back when Pozzato was on a white bike (a Time?) in white kit with the Italian flag jersey across it…phew, he looked the biznass for sure. He & Vlad Karpets have the tall, thin EuroPRO look workin’ overtime.

    Hard to leave some guys out – Goss, Farrar, others – but the field just seems so full of potential winners.

    I know how it feels to line up for a race; I can only imagine what it feels like to line up & look left, then right & see so many leg breakers. I guess you just need to adopt this attitude & rock it all day long tomorrow:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PQ6335puOc

    Crush your enemies!

  35. Updated pics. Decided I have no faith in Haussler…

    VSP PICKS:

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

  36. VSP PICKS:

    1. Cavendish Mark
    2. Sagan Peter
    3. Farrar Tyler
    4. Freire Oscar
    5. Cancellara Fabian

  38. VSP PICKS:

    1. cav
    2. get behind thee sagan
    3. spartacus
    4. hey! bo hagen
    5. they call me mr nibbs

  40. @scaler911

    @frank

    @scaler911
    Have you ever worn the +1 badge before? Well, you’re wearing it now. That is the BEST. PHOTO. EVER. EVER. EVAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH.

    Thanks! But I did have the honor of wearing it during the “Gender Misidentification Fiasco 2011″³. I’ll do the badge proud!

    !?! You’re a man? I never

  41. @Souleur

    i’m with cornfed, Sagan i think is a dark horse, and may do a nip slip for MSR

    Everyone is EXPECTING cav, and that is a huge expectation to have, but will see

    And +2 to Scalers Foto Op Shop, that is freaking hilarious!
    That should have been exhibit Numero Uno in his defense trial

    VSP PICKS:

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

    Yeah everyone expected Cav to win the worlds too and we all saw how bad he cracked under that pressure….

  44. VSP PICKS:

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

  45. Changed my mind

    VSP PICKS:

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

  48. @wiscot
    I would be making a mistake to not read this. Will find it — hard back if available. Have seen a few here that are already recommending it.

  50. Oh Merckx, who are so mighty, help me in my choices. I’m betting Sky gets the lad to a sprint, all for Cav, they should be able to do that. I hate to bet against my Fantastico Fabooo, I’ll double down on him on the stones. And Sagan for the nip slip.

    VSP PICKS:

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

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