Velominati Super Prestige: Strade Bianche 2012
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.[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0jCHawi9II[/youtube]
VSP PICKS:
1. Philippe Gilbert
2. Marco Pinotti
3. Fabian Cancellara
4. Ryder Hesjedal
5. Vincenzo Nibali
I’m going to keep picking Billions and Billions until he starts racking up the big wins. The kid is killer. I’m not convinced the protagonists in April will kick here either.
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Nibali
3. Cuddles
4. Ryder
5. Visconti
Subject to change. I was really tempted to through a few other names in there, my list to pick from was 11 names long. Limiting myself to one rider per team eliminated 4 of them, then the rest of the decisions were made on form. Sagan over Nibali was a tough one, as we Costa over Visconti. I had a pick or two from Garmin that didn’t make the cut as well.
I’m sure the over analysis will come back to bite me in the ass.
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Costa
3. Cancellara
4. Gilbert
5. Kreuziger
Watched the final stages of last year’s race last night. The run in to the finish is extremely twisty with a 90 degree bend no more than 100m out, doubt someone will be able to wind up a massive kick & I reckon the expert bike handlers will be to go.
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibbles
2. Good Cadelephant
3. Faboo
4. Phast Phil
5. The Nephew
This id totally wishful thinking, we’ll see who’s got legs for the spring.
Where are the OmegaQuickstep guys? Saving everyone for Paris-Nice?
VSP PICKS:
1. Ryder Hesjedal
2. Peter Sagan
3. Giovani Visconti
4. Fabian Cancellara
5. Phillipe Gilbert
@marko
They may not kick for the win, but apart from Phil taking it out, Canhego & Faboo were both in the ultimate selection as well.
Just remembered Cuddles in targeting T-A again so the Vericose Vein makes a straight swap from the BMC roster
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibbles
2. Shoe Covers
3. Faboo
4. Phast Phil
5. The Nephew
VSP PICKS:
1. Greg Van Avermaet
2. Sagan
3. Faboo
4. Maxim Iglinskiy
5. Pablo Lastras
VSP PICKS:
1. Ryder Hesjedal
2. Giovani Visconti
3. Vincenzo Nibali
4. Fabian Cancellara
5. Vincenzo Nibal
VSP PICKS:
1. Alessandro Ballan
2. Mark Cavendish
3. Philippe Gilbert
4. Daniel Oss
5. Fabian Cancellara
VSP PICKS:
1. Cuddles
2. PhilGil
3. Rom Kreuz
4. Faboo
5. Visconti
VSP PICKS:
1. Van Avermaet
2. Nibali
3. Cancellara
4. Hesjedal
5. Gilbert
VSP PICKS:
1. Rui Costa
2. Alessandro Ballan
3. Fabian Cancellara
4. Philippe Gilbert
5. Ryder Hesjedal
Nice one, Gianni!
This race should be great. Love how Scarponi just takes his shades and says fuck it, throws them on the road in that linked video.
Rigid – Looking good! Nice, strong riding right there.
Stabbing in the dark here…
VSP PICKS:
1. SAGAN
2. GILBERT
3. CANCELLARA
4. HESJEDAL
5. VISCONTI
@Rigid
Stop doing races right now! Are you nuts? Drink too much and practice eating frites in the name of Merckx. I will be back driving the autobus. A few more races…I outta!
Dart Board says -\/\/——–>
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert Grape
2. Nibbles
3. Sagan
4. Van Avearmat
5. Sparticus
Spelling mistake
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert Grape
2. Nibbles
3. Sagan
4. Van Avermaet
5. Sparticus
Why pick Victor Hugo Pena Grisales? Because I can. Why the f%&$ not.
VSP PICKS:
1. Phil Gil
2. Pretty Boy Pippo
3. Fabian
4. Ryder H
5. Victor Hugo Pena Grisales
An all-Italian squadra per me…
BMC has the power, but who will they gift the win too? Not Gaga, too early. Not Cuddles, way too early. Big Georgie? Too late. GVA for the Ardennes. That just leaves Ballan, who needs a win for his confidence. Watertight theory, that.
VSP PICKS:
1. Ballan
2. Oss
3. Nibbles
4. The Nephew
5. Visconti
Must be the year for an Italian to finally win..
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Gilbert
3. Cancellara
4. Moser
5. Ballan
My first time playing the super prestige, it definitely gets you reading up on the athletes and their past races!
VSP PICKS:
1. Philippe Gilbert
2. George Hincapie
3. Peter Sagan
4. Alessandro Ballan
5. Fabian Cancellara
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Gilbert
3. Sagan
4. Ballan
5. Hesjedal
@Buck Rogers
Martinborough, about 80kms north-east of Wellington, NZ. 2km of deep gravel (1 line only) every 8km lap. Less than half of the starters finished, due to mechanicals, punctures and crashes. Great fun.
@Gianni
@frank
Yep. We’ll both be there. It will be a hoot!
@Rigid
I held up the chicks by riding behind them and freaking them out. And then they crashed…I’m the quintessential domestique! I’ll be an asset to you and @Brett in Belgium when the time comes…
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Gilbert
3. Van Summeren
4. Alessandro Ballan
5. Sagan
@Gianni
I hear you Gianni, but don’t worry I’ve been consuming post ride recovery beers religiously. I call them my Flander’s Fanta’s
@Rigid
I actually witnessed Rigid refuse a beer the other day. I dunno, but it seems like some people are going to Belgium for cycling…
Gianni was 100% accurate with appropriate use of epic for that stage. I remember watching live and feeling giddy that this was one of the best stages in any Grand Tour, I had ever witnessed. Cuddles was a monster that day, but so was Vino.
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Nibali
3. Cancellara
4. Sagan
5. Evans
VSP PICKS:
1. Faboo
2. Cadel Evans
3. Gilbert
4. Sagan
5. Nibali
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Visconti
3. Ballan
4. Nibali
5. Kreuziger
An largely italian top 5 for what is developing into a favourite italian race. I think Gilbert is waiting out for the later races to show what he’s got and will help Ballan who will return the favour come Ronde time. Whoever wins needs to be able to smash the short climbs and have a bit of a sprint on them and nibbles is looking goot atm.
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibbles
2. Ballan
3. Cunego
4. Battaglin
5. Sagan
Is there a parcours anywhere to view? Haven’t watched this race in its entirety before, so not sure who its likely to suit best, though I think Spartacus must be getting desparate for a win, and maybe now all eyes are on BMC, maybe this will be his chance
@TomC
And to all who have picked Cunego, I don’t think he’s racing the event this year, he isn’t on the start lists I’ve seen.
@Dr C
Have a look at the percorso from the Gazzetta dello Sport.
@Dr C
Marko posted an article on it this time last year (just not a VSP event) & I’m pretty sure toward the end of the comments there’s a link to a 15 min highlights video that shows the main sections & then the final reckoning…
Is this being shown / streamed anywhere?
It’s being shown on Eurosport in the UK.
May as well get in on the fun…
VSP PICKS:
1. Spartacus
2. Gilbert
3. Nibali
4. Vansummeren
5. Hincapie
@Dr C
http://www.cyclingfever.com/stage.html?etappe_idd=MjcwNDU=
@motor city
http://www.cyclingfans.com/ (if you live in the states, you may or may not get the stream, I’ve had good luck tho. I’ve just had to try a bunch of different feeds from this site).
VSP PICKS:
1. Fast Phil Gil
2. Roman Kreuziger
3. JV it’s Summertime
4. G Visconti
5. Spartacus
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Cancellara
3. Hincapie
4. Ballan
5. Thor
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Nibali
3. Visconti
4. Ballan
5. Kreuziger
pretty similar to everyone else picks
VSP PICKS:
1. gilbert
2. cancellara
3. cadel
4. Nibali
5. sagan
Not having time to really study this race, I offer another random selection.
VSP PICKS:
1. Spartacus
2. Ballan
3. Roman K
4. Visconti
5. Sagan
Not feeling great about this week. Tough to pick from such a loaded bunch early in the year. Methinks my reign in the rainbow jersey might be short-lived…
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Gilbert
3. Cancellara
4. Nibali
5. Hesjedal
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibbles
2. Ballan
3. Visconti
4. Battaglin
5. Sagan
L’Eroica is an awesome event; you have to participate in it to see what it is really about. It boils down to a celebration of cycling in tribute to the sports roots. It embodies the V.
FWIW, the Gran Fondo parcours is actually harder than the pro race; more climbing, much more strada bianche (110 of 205 km). For those of you not into the vintage thing; an official GF version of the Strada Bianche race is in the planning stages.
@Touriste-Routier
I like the idea of that.
Your avatar is the epitome of awesome btw.