Velominati Super Prestige: Milano-San Remo

RDV wins La Primavera in 1973

The second annual Velominati Super Prestige kicks off with La Primavera, Milano-San Remo on March 19. The first Monument of the year, MSR is the first true showdown of the year where all the big names will be en forme and willing to sell their mothers to notch this prestigious win. Although known for its famous climbs including the Cipressa and the Poggio, it isn’t the terrain that poses the greatest challenge in this race, but it’s distance. At almost 300km, this race is a monster. Without having ever ridden it, I can tell you with zero confidence that the Poggio is not a steep or difficult climb, but with a big pile of kilometers already ridden, even its moderate gradient will weigh heavy in the legs.

MSR often finishes in a bunch sprint, but not always. With a well-timed attack on the Poggio and more than a handful of seconds buffer before starting the descent, riders with technical descending skills (sorry, Les Freres Grimpeur, never gonna happen) can stay away and spoil the day for the fast men.

We find ourselves with a pile of data gleaned from watching Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico, but La Primavera happens to be enough of a wild-card that all that data will only serve to cloud judgement. Our advice? Take out the radio earpiece to and vote on feel.

The winner of this VSP edition will earn an “Obey the Rules” bumper sticker and all reader’s points qualify towards the final prize of the free personalized Velominati Shop Apron. This year we’ve enhanced the entry mechanism; if you are inclined to enter, simply post your predictions for the top five placings in the designated area above the posts section, bearing in mind that entry/modification of picks closes at 5am Pacific time on the day of the race. Check the Super-Prestige main page for rules and scoring information.

Good luck.

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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View Comments

Jarvis says:

Mar 18 2011 at 11:08 pm

*quietly rolls up to the start line unnoticed*

VSP PICKS:

1. Boonen
2. Friere
3. Haussler
4. Davis
5. Sagan
Jarvis says:

Mar 18 2011 at 11:09 pm

VSP PICKS:

1. Boonen
2. Friere
3. Haussler
4. Davis
5. Sagan
Nate says:

Mar 18 2011 at 11:11 pm

@frank
I salute your faith in our community.

On a separate note I like how when I log in from different machines, my prior VSP auto-populate but don't re-post.
Jarvis says:

Mar 18 2011 at 11:16 pm

Fat-fingers on the keyboard and the double-post is equivalent of *rolls up quietly to the start line then fails to stop and skittles half the peloton*

I also seem to have lost my black icon, must have used a different email
Jarvis says:

Mar 18 2011 at 11:21 pm

Oh sod it, who am I kidding:
1. Oscarito
2. Tommeke
3. Thor
4. Davis
5. Sagan
Gianni says:

Mar 18 2011 at 11:41 pm

@ben
Visconti!? Good on ya. Man, I kept picking him last year and got nothing out of it, but I can't stop. I'd like to see Tommeke win but I'm not betting. I am betting that Cav will not win this year, he won't make the final selection. Haussler could and I hope he doesn't fuck up Thor's chances. If Friere is in the finale he will win, he is the Zabel of today.

Marko, Versus sucks...nothing, I'm spending $1.99 on Universal, if I could only figure out what time it will be shown.

VSP PICKS:

1. Thor
2. Some Italian guy
3. Some Russian guy
4. Visconti
5. Gilbert
ken says:

Mar 19 2011 at 12:01 am

Quiet 'off season' for me Velominati-wise, but the VSP is back! Definitely a month or two away from peak form though..... But here goes

* you may need to be 40-something woman who liked naff 80's British boy bands to get this one....

VSP PICKS:

1. Heinlich Manouvre-ler
2. Bros*
3. Rainbow God
4. Giblets
5. T-bone
G'rilla says:

Mar 19 2011 at 12:18 am

VSP PICKS:

1. Boasson Hagen
2. Thor
3. Haussler
4. Petacchi
5. Goss
ken says:

Mar 19 2011 at 12:51 am

Can't handle your new-fangled New-World Pacific-Time, but it's almost 8am GMT here so I think I'm not too late to add (in a brazen but no doubt futile quest for a bonus point...)

13. Cavendouche, sitting up, frustrated at his lack of early season form

VSP PICKS:

1. Heinlich Manouvre-ler
2. Bros*
3. Rainbow God
4. Giblets
5. T-bone
anotherdownunder says:

Mar 19 2011 at 1:38 am

Thought the VSP was a good reason to join up after lurking for a while now.
Good luck with your picks

VSP PICKS:

1. Ballan
2. Gilbert
3. Davis
4. Haussler
5. Flecha