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. Cancellara
2. Visconti
3. Nibali
4. Gilbert
5. Kreuziger
@Netraam
I think that is a wise choice to put Spartacus on the top step but I’m going with a sentimental favorite.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cuddles
2. Fast Phil
3. K-Zinger
4. Fast as a Shark
5. JVS
VSP PICKS:
1. Philippe Gilbert
2. George Hincapie
3. Greg Van Avermae
4. Peter Sagan
5. Fabian Cancellara
@Cyclops
Spartacus has improved his sprinting last year, and he has won this race before.
Great write-up, Gianni. Looks like it’s going to be sunny and warm this year.
http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/Siena+Italy+ITXX0072
My favorite spring race. I’m especially partial because I’ve ridden these roads, and am planning to do so again next year. I’m tempted to pick an all BMC finish, they are certainly bringing the varsity squad to this one. But I’m going to wait to see a full start list first.
Wow, I’d forgotten how much fun it was to watch that stage last year.
As for picks, I think I’m going to hold off on picking right away this time around, to give the tea leaves more time to settle (Read: shamelessly freeload off the picks of those more knowledgable than I).
@Chappy McPappystackings
What about Boom?!
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Sagan
3. Pozzato
4. Evans
5. Lastras
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Hesjedal
3. Sagen
4. Gasparotto
5. Hincapie
VSP PICKS:
1. Cuddles
2. Spartacus
3. Gilbert
4. Peter Sagan
5. Giovanni Visconti
Here goes nothing. So hard to pick this time of year……
VSP PICKS:
1. Fast Phil Gil
2. Roman Kreuziger
3. JV it’s Summertime
4. G Visconti
5. Spartacus
VSP PICKS:
1. Vincenzo Nibali
2. Fabian Cancellara
3. Fillipo Pozzato
4. Phil Gilbert
5. Maxim Iglinskly
VSP PICKS:
1. Rui Costa
2. Alessandro Ballan
3. Fabian Cancellara
4. Damiano Cunego
5. Juan Flecha
VSP PICKS:
1. Rui Costa
2. Alessandro Ballan
3. Fabian Cancellara
4. Philippe Gilbert
5. Juan Flecha
Pozzato still has a broken bone. Even if he is now pain-free, he wouldn’t have had enough time to train to be able to ride for a top-5 position by saturday.
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Nibali
3. Ballan
4. Sagan
5. Visconti
VSP PICKS:
1. Ryder Hesjedel
2. Vicenzo Nibali
3. Roman Kreuiger
4. Claudio Corini
5. Giovaini Visconti
VSP PICKS:
1. Cuddles
2. Cancellara
3. Gilbert
4. JVS
5. Nibali
I think we are going to see a very beautiful race.
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Ballan
3. Oss
4. Moser
5. Visconti
2012 Program
Echo Scaller911’s comment:
So hard to predict this early on a race like this.
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Cancellara
3. Chavelel
4. Ballan
5. Nibali
@Pedale.Forchetta
LOVE the Moser pick. Hell, if the nephew of Francesco cannot place, who can, eh?
Sounds like fun. Rain would make it interesting.
VSP PICKS:
1. 61 VAN SUMMEREN Johan
2. 3 BALLAN Alessandro
3. 22 IGLINSKIY Maxim
4. 111 CANCELLARA Fabian
5. 82 SAGAN Peter
VSP PICKS:
1. Philippe Gilbert
2. Fabian Cancellara
3. Roman Kreuziger
4. Giovanni Visconti
5. Vincenzo Nibali
@Gianni
Well, if Boom were in the race, I’d lay down my big badda Boom, 5th Elemently on you, but since he isn’t . . .
And don’t make fun of old Chappy: the repetitive Booms last time were a result of VSP malfunctions when it went live.
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Sagan
3. Maaskant
4. Visconti
5. Ballan
By the by, @Rigid and I raced a local version of Strade Bianche last weekend. @Rigid is in the white V-kit, I’m in green and black.
It goes without saying that we were superb…well, @Rigid was, anyway.
[dmalbum: path=”/velominati.com/wp-content/uploads/readers/Richard/2012.02.29.22.44.11/”/]
Arghhh! Sorry about that. And now here’s @Rigid!!
FFS! I give up.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cadel Evans
2. Gilbert
3. Nibali
4. Cancellara
5. Kreuzinger
VSP PICKS:
1. Cadel Evans
2. Gilbert
3. Nibali
4. Sagan
5. Cancellara
Let’s see if my luck continues from last weekend shall we?!
VSP PICKS:
1. Philippe Gilbert
2. Ryder Hesjedal
3. Fabian Cancellara
4. Vincenzo Nibali
5. Giovanni Visconti
VSP PICKS:
1. Peter Sagen
2. Fabian Cancellara
3. Phillippe gilbert
4. Nibali
5. Cadel Evans
@Buck Rogers
Ahah, you are right!
VSP PICKS:
1. Peter Sagan
2. Giovanni Visconti
3. Alessandro Ballan
4. Ryder Hesjedal
5. Fabian Cancellara
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Cancellara
3. Visconti
4. Nibali
5. Hesjedal
@Bianchi Denti
Awesome! Where is this?
Looks a like a goodie – and I’ll be doing my first road race on Sunday – yikes!
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Cancellara
3. Nibali
4. Visconti
5. Evans
@Netraam
I’m sticking with a Pozzato top 5. He is probably the hungriest rider in the peloton about right now. He hasn’t done much lately.
@Pedale.Forchetta
Nice picks, the all Italian selection. I saw young nephew Moser had some results recently, very good. I’m liking Vinny to win too. It has to happen.
@Erik
He hasn’t done much but break his damn collarbone about two weeks ago. The man is tough to be racing so soon. bravo to make the finish let along top five.
@Chappy McPappystackings
heheehee, old chappy make a me laugh. Especially your avatar, which I hope is not you. gulp. Insert foot in mouth.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cadel
2. Gilbert
3. Nibali
4. Cancellara
5. Sagan
@Bianchi Denti
You and Rigid are looking good. Glad to see someone else in the witte jersey. Are you both coming to Belgium? It shall be awesome.
@Bianchi Denti
Yeah, you both look the business – exceptionally strong work. I’m going to go train some more now.
@Gerard
YES!!! As Teddy said, “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred with dust and sweat and blood, ….” AWESOME for you!!!
For the first race, main goal should be keeping the rubber side down, but try to do well as well, obviously!
@Gerard
You knopw, I cannot resist posting the full quote as it is my favorite in life, words to live by!
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
VSP PICKS:
1. Vincenzo Nibali
2. Philippe Gilbert
3. Cadel Evans
4. Enrico Battaglin
5. Fabian Cancellara
@Gianni
see you in Belgium, it’s so close now I am counting off the days. Might do a couple more races to make sure you guys dont drop me after the first berg. The photo was of a great warm up – known locally as the Martinborough Pave. A 7.5k loop on country roads near Wellington with 2k of gravel thrown in. The only quick way to ride this is to big ring it, ride down the centre strip and don’t look left or right. Plenty didn’t and paid the price of bloodied knees etc..
Good times tho – I cleaned up the easier grade by riding off the front after 2 laps (bianchi denti claims to have held up the peloton for me)