Velominati Super Prestige: Milano Sanremo 2014
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.
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So many could do this, I could have picked a top 20, so bets try and go for unique 5 to score points this year. I have goals, Top 20 this year, need to peak in July!
@Deakus
Geraint is surely leading the points jersey in that category!
Final revision…
I’m listening to Freire’s advices on cyclingnews.com and taking Degenkolb in.
VSP PICKS:
1. Fabian Cancellara
2. Peter Sagan
3. Alexander Kristoff
4. John Degenkolb
5. Simon Gerrans
VSP PICKS:
1. Cavendish
2. Spartacus
3. Sagan
4. G Thomas
5. Eddy Bos
Gerrans sick….
VSP PICKS:
1. Peter Sagan
2. John Degenkolb
3. Gerald Ciolek
4. Fabian Cancellara
5. Mark Cavendish
@simonsaunders
Yes but it seems a difficult choice. Stannard seems to be in form and building well this season and PR will suit his heavier frame and power over the cobbles. They may well double hat it on the basis that so much can go wrong especially on entry to the pave section where it narrows and the peloton gets squeezed. Both hard men, difficult choice…
Heeooooo.
VSP PICKS:
1. John Degenkolb
2. Peter Sagan
3. Fabian Cancellara
4. Tom-Jelte Slagter
5. Philippe Gilbert
Looking forward to another exciting VSP. MSR appears wide open this year!
VSP PICKS:
1. Kristoff
2. Paolini
3. Stybar
4. Sagan
5. Chavanel
Slight change due to Stannard not lining up.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cavendish
2. Greipel
3. Sagan
4. Cancellara
5. Kwiatkowski
VSP PICKS:
1. Peter Sagan
2. John Degenkolb
3. Fabian Cancellara
4. Mark Cavendish
5. Arnaud Demare
I am always rubbish at this
VSP PICKS:
1. Phillipe
2. Kwiatowski
3. Saga Holiday
4. Sparticus
5. Vichot
More changes cos Gerrans is out. Doubt it’ll make much difference . . .
VSP PICKS:
1. Cavendish
2. Degenkolb
3. Sagan
4. Slagter
5. Cancellara
VSP PICKS:
1. Kwiatkowski
2. Sagan
3. Demarre
4. Degenkolb
5. Greipel
@Steampunk
Exactly.
Gerrans out. Cav in.
Done. No more changes!
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Greipel
3. Faboo
4. Degenkolb
5. cavandish
Shot in the dark!
VSP PICKS:
1. Chris Froome
2. Alberto Contador
3. Vincenzo Nibali
4. Alejandro Valverde
5. Andy Schleck
Good luck!
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Degenkolb
3. Cancellara
4. Matthews
5. Kreuziger
@Captainsideburns Gerrans is out.
VSP PICKS:
1. sagan
2. gilbert
3. cancellara
4. vansummeren
5. stybar
Here we go!
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Durbridge
3. Fast Phil
4. EBH
5. Swiss locomotive
Alright, throwing in my late picks without even checking the ODDSCHECKER website. I had a ton of fun with this VSP in 2011 and 2012 but found the odds sites in 2013 and got too caught up trying to win and just pretty much went off of Oddschecker, which really took the fun out of it for me. So, playing by heart and what I have been seeing in the races, not by oddschecker for this year. I am sure that I will not place as high overall but I am also pretty sure that I will have a lot more fun with it!
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Cavendish
3. Cancellara
4. Greipel
5. Kwiatowski
VSP PICKS:
1. cancellara
2. kwiatkowski
3. avaermeaererert
4. sagan
5. cavendished
What a difference a few years makes. I didn’t pick him, but I’d be very happy to see Cav win MSR.
@Buck Rogers
Good on ya, but my head says that if OPQS have two riders finishing in the top five, one of them is winning this…
@RedRanger
Can you explain how choosing riders who are actually in the race is Anti-V, as your position on this matter implies?
I think the Ranger in Red is operating under the assumption that in the case of a tie, the Velominatum that didn’t make a submission change will be declared the victor.
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Greipel
3. Faboo
4. Degenkolb
5. Gerrans
@kixsand
Speaking of which: Gerrans is out.
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Cancellara
3. Gilbert
4. Dekenkolb
5. Greipel
@Steampunk
Two thoughts on my picks. One is Sagan takes a flyer a la Sparty a few years ago and wins it just ahead of the bunch sprint won by Cav with Kwiatowski helping in the leadout or perhaps a small breakaway makes it and Sagan edges out the others.
But, who knows??? Should be SUPER no matter what!
Oops…thought I had fixed that.
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Greipel
3. Faboo
4. Degenkolb
5. Cavandish
@frank
Naw. Redranger is going by the adage that you dance with whom you brought and do not pull a Nancy tactic and leave switch out when your man tales a beating, if I am not mistaken.
But, JESUS H CHRIST, are we already having this debate??? Seems like it should be at least another month before we rehash this dead horse for another flogging!
VSP PICKS:
1. cavendish
2. greipel
3. degenkolb
4. sagan
5. coquard
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Kwiatkowski
3. Cancellara
4. Cavendish
5. Degenkolb
Gerrans out sick – modification required! Gah.
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Degenkolb
3. Cancellara
4. Gilbert
5. Demare
@frank I wasn’t trying to imply that. Every one has their own tactics. Mine is gonna be to get my picks in early and not fudge with them after that. If I lose(which I probably will) then I need to HTFU and try again next time.
VSP PICKS:
1. Kwiatkowski
2. Thomas
3. Cancellara
4. Sagan
5. Gerrans
VSP PICKS:
1. Kwiatkowski
2. Thomas
3. Cancellara
4. Sagan
5. Cavendish
VSP PICKS:
1. John Degenkolb
2. Mark Cavendish
3. Peter Sagan
4. Phillipe Gilbert
5. Arnaud Demare
Ummm I think… errr, dunno but Gerrans is out and I have had too much red wine (to ease the Achilles injury) to be able to think straight. I have heard people say that they would prefer a broken bone to a soft tissue injury and thought “Yeah, right”, but now I think, Yeah – they are right. Anyhow…. good luck everyone!
VSP PICKS:
1. P Sagan
2. M Cavendish
3. J Degenkolb
4. F Cancellera
5. M Kwiatkowski
@RedRanger
Of course, pre-race, it’s a bit like noticing you have a puncture before the start, but deciding that’s the tube you brought, so why mess with it.
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Cancellara
3. Simon Clarke
4. Kristoff
5. Cav
@Steampunk right, but in this case, I assume, if I wake changes I void the advantage of an early pick in the off chance I can actually pick the right person for a single spot.
I won La Primavera last year and it was my only decent set of picks all season. Here’s to a better GC this year.
VSP PICKS:
1. P. SAGAN
2. F. CANCELLARA
3. M. CAVENDISH
4. J. DEGENKOLB
5. S. CHAVANEL
VSP PICKS:
1. Degenkolb
2. Sagan
3. Cavendish
4. Cancellara
5. Boassen Hagen
@Buck Rogers
[ Old Ben voice ] “Trust your feelings… let go… look at last year’s results… or the year before…”
@RedRanger
Don’t updates only effect the one position being changed?
@unversio
Ha! Perfect!!!
DAMN!!! I just realized that you are giving away some SERIOUS prizes for this race! Now where’s that oddschecker site tab again???
So many riders are on form and capable of wining , this year more than any in recent times. Can’t wait!
VSP PICKS:
1. Degenkolb
2. Cancellara
3. Matthews
4. Demare
5. Sagan