The Monte Paschi Strade Bianchi is happening this Saturday and it is such an interesting race we are putting it into the VSP. The route is a mix of pavement and white marble sectors that roam through the hilly Tuscan country and finishes in the middle of beautiful Sienna. It seems early to me but that is because the Giro had an epic stage on the Strade Bianche in May 2010. The word epic is overused but the wet, grimy Giro stage was compelling, awesome, everything you would want in a race. It was epic.
This race grew out of the immensely popular Eroica retro-sportive. Goggles, mustaches, heavy old bikes, I don’t understand it. It must be like the Civil War enactments in the USA: people are compelled to recreate something, and participate in it to understand it. I’m never going to participate in the Eroica sportive, so I’m never going to understand it. Sweet Merckx a mighty, I’m old enough to never want to ride a bike with a five speed Regina cluster again. Give me Campa 11 with electronic shifting if you must, I’m riding into the future.
Phillipe Gilbert started his reign of terror in 2011 by winning the Strade Bianche and he never stopped. I would not want to bet against him and yet, perhaps he is saving himself for a month from now. His team is stacked with possible winners (a phrase we are going to be over-using this year). Judging from past results the Italians have not had any home road advantage but if Vinny “da shark” Nibali can ride away from everyone in Oman, surely he can do it here. This year’s incomplete start list includes past winners, potential Spring Classic stars and Mark Cavendish. Did I imagine this, the World Champion on the crushed marble roads of Tuscany? Please stay tuned for a more accurate start list.
I will stop further skewing the odds at Lotto, they are all winners aren’t they? Put on your aluminum foil thinking caps, consult the awesome countdown timer which will stop on Saturday morning and be thankful there is not a women’s edition of this race to show the world how little you all know about women’s racing (@cyclops excluded somehow).
I just can’t stop myself from including a bit of wet strade from the Giro.
I know as well as any of you that I've been checked out lately, kind…
Peter Sagan has undergone quite the transformation over the years; starting as a brash and…
The Women's road race has to be my favorite one-day road race after Paris-Roubaix and…
Holy fuckballs. I've never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I've missed…
This week we are currently in is the most boring week of the year. After…
I have memories of my life before Cycling, but as the years wear slowly on…
View Comments
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Maaskant
3. Nibbles
4. Faboo
5. Giblets
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Maaskant
3. Kreuziger
4. Faboo
5. Giblets
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Sagan
3. Cancellara
4. Ballan
5. and for some reason Pozzato
Yours is as well! I was wondering where you found it? A friend had updated the original Pellos drawing, and I adopted it as part of a logo I've been using for quite a number of years.
@paolo
Maaskant? I like that Panache.
Also I keep changing my picks.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Ballan
3. Nibali
4. Gilbert
5. Kreuziger
VSP PICKS:
1. Evans
2. Hesjedal
3. Ciavatta
4. Visconti
5. Pinotti
VSP PICKS:
1. Cuddles
2. Nibali
3. Spartacus
4. Phil Gil
5. Peter Sagan
@Touriste-Routier
Mine came from a google image search. It's going to confuse the hell out of me having two people with the same avatar and if you've been using it for years then I'd best get me a new one.
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Gilbert
3. Faboo-ticus
4. Cuddles
5. Visconti
By the way, many of these nicknames are flying way over my head. Any possibility of an overhaul of the Lexicon page, so poor schmucks like me won't be left behind on things like "Billions and billions" (that one absolutely stumped me, too).