Velominati Super Prestige: Milano-Sanremo 2016
Milan Sanremo. I know we’ve been watching the men and women crush the cobbles already, and that’s the spiritual beginning of the season, but La Primavera is the longest Classic of them all, and the first race of the season that will be a genuine target for all the gunslingers. Which makes this the symbolic start to the season and, typically, the first event of our annual Velominati Super Prestige.
Please don’t call it a fantasy cycling game; the VSP is based on the old season-long Super Prestige (and later the World Cup) which awarded points to riders for how they finished in the qualifying races. The points were tallied and whomever held the most points at the end of the season was declared the winner, was showered in champagne, got epic bragging rights, and presumably got the girl. During the year, the leader earned the right to wear the white leader’s jersey with verticalized rainbow stripes.
Our series is based on the same principle, where you select the riders you think will be in the top five, in order of finishing. Points are awarded for getting your picks right, and bonus points are on offer for getting close. The leader of the event gets a little white jersey as their posting badge, and those who win the events for the Monuments and Grand Tours get to post with a commemorative badge for the ensuing year.
For the last several years, we’ve also been offering some crazy prizes; a custom road frame to the winner, hand built wheels to the runner-up, and a full v-kit to the runner-up-runner. This year, we’re delighted to announce that our friend Dan Richter of Café Roubaix will be offering up another of our collaboration Velominati-CR Wheelworks wheelsets. The V-Kit is the same as last year, with the addition of the possibility to choose the new VLVV design should you so choose.
The big news is that Don Walker of Don Walker Cycles and the head honcho of the North American Handmade Bicycle Show is going to be offering one of his hand-built, custom road frames. I was introduced to Don through @Haldy, who owns something like five of his bikes. There is no denying it when you meet a fellow Velominatus: instant friendship. I had him build me a track bike for The Improbable Hour on Festum Prophetae, and now we’re flirting about my first custom road frame because my other bikes just seem so impersonal now.
Don is the quintessential small frame builder; he only take 6 customer orders per year so you won’t be rolling up to the local group ride only to find four other riders on the same steed. The rest of his bikes are for his team and for the therapy of working with his hands. Working with him on the bike design is an incredible experience; delving into riding style and position and fine-tuning every detail of the build. And then it quickly devolves into shit-talking and teasing. I am so excited to share this experience with the lucky winner.
With that, start prognosticating on your picks and check the scoring guidelines. I know some of you are doing some intense analysis, and recall that last season we had a tie which we had to break by going back to see which of the two were entering their picks in earlier on average. Also don’t Delgado it; we have been known to have the odd timing glitch and even though that’s not your fault, I’m still not going to manually enter your picks because you waited around and the window closed earlier than you thought it would. The kids probably have an emoji for that.
Good luck, and may the V be with you. VLVV.
Café Roubaix's CR Wheelworks Arenbergs
[vsp_results id=”38071″/]
until the fixx is fixed
1 DEGENKOLB, John (GIANT – ALPECIN)
2 SAGAN, Peter (TINKOFF – SAXO)
3 KRISTOFF, Alexander (KATUSHA)
4 STYBAR, Zdenek (Etixx – Quick Step)
5 CANCELLARA, Fabian (TREK FACTORY RACING)
Thanks to Don W, Dan R and the Keepers for offering such spectacular inducements. Alas, my selections will be, once more, unworthy.
That being said, I was a spectacular 38th in Cycling Revealed’s Trivia Monday. Congrats to Tom Mc for finishing 11th.
@universo
Interesting selections! Is Deutche ‘Tache riding? I thought he was still on the injured list with his finger. Smart move putting Pinchy in 2nd. He likes 2nd. Sparty is going well and with this being his last rodeo, I can totally see him giving it laldy. Watch out for those wee Aussies though.
you reminded me that I forgot about John D. these picks are messed up
let the good times roll
I just registered for an account. How do I enter my picks? It states “Sorry, entry/modification for VIP event is currently closed.”
1. KRISTOFF, Alexander
2. MATTHEWS, Michael
3. SAGAN, Peter
4. CANCELLARA, Fabian
5. VAN AVERMAET, Greg
Lead photo is one of those painful ones where another North American rider is about to get fucked. And, for once, it wasn’t Bauer but LeMan. Bit painful as it was claimed that King Kelly used the moto to latch onto the two upfront and then drill them in the sprint. Oh well, LeMan said that at the time he was pretty sure that he would come back and win it another year, or at least take a few monuments in his career, but alas, it was not to be.
Oh to be young and full of hope!
@Buck Rogers
This series of photos of where Kelly is behind LeMan on the descent of the Poggio, catches and eventually drops him is classic Hardman material. Catching and dropping LeMan is no easy proposition as he was a bitchin’ descender and had the motor or motors. Sean might have been juiced to the gills. Or not. Either way, killer photos.
@universo
The fix is still broken seems
@Gianni
Righto. Most definitely but I believe that I read just recently where LeMan, not with real sour grapes, but seemed to say that the moto was bringing Kelly up to him. In fact, I believe that LeMan actually motioned to the moto multiple times to fuck off and stop letting Kelly draft behind it and catch them up.
@Buck Rogers
LeMan telling moto in front of him to Move It, I got feckin’ Kelly on the way.
@Gianni
Ahhhh, well, perhaps you might be correct but it is not like you have photographic evidence or any ….
Oh fuck it. Yup, you’re right, I’m wrong. I’m due for hill repeats tomorrow anyways!
OK, just a tad rusty on the VSP system! Dates are sorted; the event is open for picks!
Anyone who put in temporary picks, please put the real ones in. Sorry for the trouble!
done
Yes!
done once again
Set of Dan wheels come at me.
no appearo the picks
@universo
The fix of the fix still broke
No?
eliminated commas… now!
@Barracuda
very close to posting FIXX music video (entertainment)
@Barracuda
that’s the spirit!
OK all, so this is wicked fucked, but the posts for picks are not showing up but they are actually winding up in the database, so you are all good. I am getting the V-Monkeys (me) working on this straight away to sort out but apparently something happened in the last 4 months that has buggered up the vsp-post-displaying mojo.
FFS. Seriously, computers are cunts.
@universo
Yep, Im happy to play first loser or have ” Sagan syndrome ” if the second prize is that good.
Stybar just wouldn’t fit…
Trying to post. We’ll see what happens.
Stybar just wouldn’t fit…
@frank
now i’m realizing i should have named my design office FFS. can i use the tagline there too?
Can.Not.Wait!
I can verify for everyone that since the picks were actually opened, that all of your picks are being recorded, they are just not being displayed for some crazy reason.
Merckx bless computers and at the same time, Armstrong them all to Vurgatory.
The problem seems to be with the bit of code that attaches the picks to the post, some major updates to the WordPress framework in the past 6 months have caused me the odd gray hair or two, but just keep on posting up your picks; the gray hairs are mine alone, they do not impact your points. In fact, consider it an incognito advantage that no one else is seeing your picks for the moment!
@frank
I like it, kind of a Rasmussen like preparation. Everyone knows you’re in training, but no one knows where…
Tbh, my main concern is that I can’t think of a decent nickname for Kristoff…
Lets roll
I wouldn’t be worthy of such a frame but then, I am usually not too lucky with these things. Happy guessing everyone!
.
Cancellara goes long!
form riders with a wild card
I hope it doesn’t get cancelled. Like, if there’s a brief rainshower the day before or something. Our precious snowflakes might not be able to stand it.
These picks came to me while reading the grit in the bottom of chain-cleaning can. It’s the best I can do for tea leaves. Come on, Regina Superleggera!
hmm, struggling to submit picks, maybe the Vputer rejects because of a heavy Australian bias??
@Mikael Liddy
Very good! This is where you say you’ve picked Nibali but really you’ve got a Mexican.
I like it too. Bit like racing without radios.
@Mikael Liddy
I note Orica have omitted Gerrans. I’ve not really been paying attention but methinks all is not well with him and Matthews since the Worlds.
@Harminator
Correct, shat in his own nest
Picks
Picks are picked. Now let them fight.
Here is my pick
Sagan
Cancellara
Van Avermaet
Kristoff
Bouhanni
Done
trying again