Velominati Super Prestige: Milano Sanremo 2014

Merckx takes his first of seven MSRs.

Het Volk (it will always be Het Volk to me) and now the Strade Bianche may well mark the sentimental beginning to the season, but those are specialized, pre-season races that appeal mostly to riders who are preparing for bigger objectives later in the year, such as the Cobbled or Ardennes Classics. Same goes for Tirreno Adriatico and Paris-Nice; there are preparatory events – none of the marquee names have these events in their programme as primary objectives.

The season doesn’t really start until Milano Sanremo, the first Monument and the first race of the year that any Pro would proudly define their career by winning, and so that’s where we start the fifth installment of the Velominati Super Prestige. Last year saw our biggest turnout yet, with sponsors kicking in some serious prizes for the Tour de France VSP. This year we’ve built on that momentum to offer three major prizes for the season-long VSP:

First place overall wins a Veloforma Strada iR Velominati Edition frame in addition to the customary VSP winner’s VVorkshop Apron
Second place overall wins a set of hand built CR Wheelworks Arenberg wheelset in a custom Velominati paint scheme laced to orange Chris King hubs. (CR Wheelworks is Café Roubaix’s new wheel goods brand.)
Third place overall wins a full Velominati V-Kit with accompanying custom orange Bont Vaypor+ road shoes.

So, without further ado, check the start list, review the VSP Scoring Guidelines and get your picks in by the time the countdown clock goes to zero at midnight PDT on Sunday the 24th. If you think we mapped one of your picks wrong, use the dispute system and we’ll review it. Also remember to be precise enough in your description so we know which rider you mean; in other words, if you enter “Martin”, we will use our discretion (read: wild guess) to decide if you mean Tony or Dan – and that choice will not be negotiable once the the countdown clock goes to zero, so be sure to give yourself enough time.

Good luck, and don’t let these awesome prizes ruin your Rule #43 spirit.

[vsp_results id=”29200″/]

[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/frank@velominati.com/VSP Prizes/”/]

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

CanuckChuck says:

Mar 19 2014 at 5:13 am

Safety picks...

VSP PICKS:

1. Sagan
2. Degenkolb
3. Cav
4. Spartacus
5. Gilbert
wiscot says:

Mar 19 2014 at 5:13 am

@frank

@wiscot

Third place gets TWO Velominati caps? So they do exist . . . or will by the end of the season. Stop your shameless teasing FFS!

Its the same cap from different angles, genius. Also, for clarification, its just one pair for shoes, not two. But lets make a deal: if you win, I'll give you two caps.

Ah, Frank, you remember my confusion in reading the cap graphics? If only emoticons were allowed . . . Two caps are the extra motivation I need to win the VSP. I'll pick them up at the Heck of the North so leave room in your suitcase for them . . . or just bring a repaired inner tube instead.
Roobar says:

Mar 19 2014 at 5:23 am

Going with the G's it seems

VSP PICKS:

1. Sagan
2. Gilbert
3. Degenkolb
4. Greipel
5. Gerrans
Rom says:

Mar 19 2014 at 5:32 am

VSP PICKS:

1. Peter Sagan
2. Daniel Moreno
3. Michal Kwiatkowski
4. Bauke Mollema
5. Diego Ulissi
LastBoyScout says:

Mar 19 2014 at 5:39 am

VSP PICKS:

1. Cancellara
2. Sagan
3. Gilbert
4. Greipel
5. Phinney
KW says:

Mar 19 2014 at 5:47 am

VSP PICKS:

1. Cancellara
2. Sagan
3. Cavendish
4. Degenkolb
5. Van Avermaet
The Grande Fondue says:

Mar 19 2014 at 5:54 am

Wish I could fit Kristoff in there too but I can't see who to leave out.

VSP PICKS:

1. SAGAN Peter
2. BOONEN Tom
3. CANCELLARA Fabian
4. CAVENDISH Mark
5. DEGENKOLB John
Keith Rousseau says:

Mar 19 2014 at 6:13 am

VSP PICKS:

1. Tom Boonen
2. Fabian Cancellara
3. Peter Sagan
4. Greg Van Avermaet
5. Edvald Boasson Hagen
rosiusyves says:

Mar 19 2014 at 6:15 am

VSP PICKS:

1. SAGAN Peter
2. KWIATKOWSKI Michal
3. BOONEN Tom
4. VAN AVERMAET Greg
5. CANCELLARA Fabian
johnthughes says:

Mar 19 2014 at 6:23 am

As a matter of preference it would be "Boonen, Cavendish, Kwiatkowski, Phinney,Sagan"...but then there is reality. Seems like a sprinter year.

VSP PICKS:

1. Cavendish
2. Sagan
3. Kittel
4. Degenkolb
5. Greipel