Velominati Super Prestige: Strade Bianche 2012

The stones of Italy

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]

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331 Replies to “Velominati Super Prestige: Strade Bianche 2012”

  1. @motor city

    @Dr C

    Interesting cumulative factoidMilan-San Remo Р1908 metres feet Tour of Flanders Р1740 metres Paris-Roubaix Р993 metres Li̬ge-Bastogne-Li̬ge Р3317 metres Amstel Gold Р2741 metres

    I’ve fixed your post

    Just testing

  2. I still don’t know who Hope of a Nation is….

    @Chris

    Slightly more educated guess this time. These guys haven’t retired yet.
    VSP PICKS:
    1. Saggers2. Gilbbers3. Nibbers4. Fabbers5. Ballers

    Sounds like an operating list for a Plastic Surgeon

  3. Going to ride our local white roads today as a warm up!

    I’m guessing the finish will be around 10-10:30 EST tomorrow?

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Peter Sagan
    2. Ballan
    3. Nibali
    4. Johan VS
    5. Gilbert

  4. VSP PICKS:

    1. Cancellara
    2. Gilbert
    3. Visconti
    4. Nibali
    5. Hincapie

  5. @frank

    Hmmm it was supposed to show the last 7 seconds only where the guy says “I know something most don’t” It works when you click from the side bar here showing recent posts, but at least on my comp. it does not work from the main post.

    Computers are cool…but not if you’re a tool (like me).

  6. VSP PICKS:

    1. Vinny Shark Nibbles
    2. Ballan
    3. Cuddles
    4. Visconti
    5. Ryder Hope of Canada Hesjedal

  7. Ok, just saw this on steephill. Thought others might like to know:

    Start time: Saturday 11:00 CET (5:00:00 AM EST); Current Weather in Gaiole in Chianti
    Earliest live video: 14:30 CET (8:30:00 AM EST); Live video, audio and text options
    Approximate finish: 15:45 CET (9:45:00 AM EST); Current Weather in Siena

  8. Check check. Gravatar upgrade.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Fast Phil Gil
    2. Roman Kreuziger
    3. JV it’s Summertime
    4. G Visconti
    5. Spartacus

  9. @Dr C

    I still don’t know who Hope of a Nation is….

    @Chris

    Slightly more educated guess this time. These guys haven’t retired yet.
    VSP PICKS:
    1. Saggers2. Gilbbers3. Nibbers4. Fabbers5. Ballers

    Sounds like an operating list for a Plastic Surgeon

    It’s Red Ryder H. who was the only Canadian in the Tour and felt the weight of a Nation on his wee cyclist shoulders. I think that was his original moniker, “weight of a nation”

  10. OK, time to man up. Normally I do put ‘weight of a nation’ in the running but he has been messing about here on Maui too much. At some point his teammate Peter Stetina will start placing in this kind of race. Betting against Gilbert again, why do I do these things?

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Nibali
    2. spartacus
    3. Visconti
    4. Van Avermat
    5. peter stetina

  11. VSP PICKS:

    1. Gilbert
    2. Sagan
    3. Visconti
    4. Cancellara
    5. Vansummeren

  12. @Dr C

    I still don’t know who Hope of a Nation is….

    @Chris

    Slightly more educated guess this time. These guys haven’t retired yet.
    VSP PICKS:
    1. Saggers2. Gilbbers3. Nibbers4. Fabbers5. Ballers

    Sounds like an operating list for a Plastic Surgeon

    You funny.

  13. When is Paris Nice going up? Hitting the road to head to the Cogal this avro.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Gilbert
    3. Visconti
    4. Spartacus
    5. The other Fabian (Wegmann)

  14. @frank
    where do I put up my VSP picks for Paris – Nice?
    I have to pick the GC before it starts or before it ends on the last day?

  15. i love this race!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. sagan
    2. Van Avermaet
    3. spartacus
    4. johan vansummeryet
    5. nibali nibbles

  16. @Gianni
    Grazie mille!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Gilbert
    3. Giovanni Visconti
    4. Spartacus
    5. The other Fabian (Wegmann)

  17. @paolo

    @frank

    Hmmm it was supposed to show the last 7 seconds only where the guy says “I know something most don’t” It works when you click from the side bar here showing recent posts, but at least on my comp. it does not work from the main post.

    Computers are cool…but not if you’re a tool (like me).

    Ah – that’s because I’ve yet to update my ebedder to recognize the “start from” tag…I’ll add that at some point. Sorry, you’ll just have to suck it up for now…thanks for explaining, though – I’ve been meaning to get that, and knowing others would like to see it (and not just me) helps me prioritize it.

  18. @paolo
    Do you know that Maaskant used to be not only a good cobblestone rider, but also a good sprinter and someone who could ride on hills? Because if you did know that, than you’re late to the party: he hasn’t been training that for a solid 2 years.

  19. @Dr C

    I still don’t know who Hope of a Nation is….

    Ryder Hesjedal. He nicknamed himself this when he was doing well at the Tour and he had the hopes of his entire nation (Canada) on his shoulders.

  20. @Gianni

    @Dr C

    I still don’t know who Hope of a Nation is….

    @Chris

    Slightly more educated guess this time. These guys haven’t retired yet.
    VSP PICKS:
    1. Saggers2. Gilbbers3. Nibbers4. Fabbers5. Ballers

    Sounds like an operating list for a Plastic Surgeon

    It’s Red Ryder H. who was the only Canadian in the Tour and felt the weight of a Nation on his wee cyclist shoulders. I think that was his original moniker, “weight of a nation”

    I think you might be right…sorry – didn’t see your response previously.

  21. From the start list, Evans is riding it. I wouldn’t bet against him, given his giro strade bianche performances…

    VSP PICKS:

    1. evans
    2. gilbert
    3. nibali
    4. fabiano
    5. hesjedal

  22. Oh please, oh please let it rain tomorrow!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Phil Gilbert
    2. Sagan
    3. Visconti
    4. Ballan
    5. Nibali

  23. VSP PICKS:

    1. Popovych
    2. Fast Phil
    3. Pozzato
    4. Kreuziger
    5. Nibbles

  24. VSP PICKS:

    1. Alessandro Ballan
    2. Fabian Cancellara
    3. Vincenzo Nibali
    4. Filippo Pozzato
    5. Roman Kreuziger

  25. VSP PICKS:

    1. Cancellara
    2. Gilbert
    3. Nibali
    4. Visconti
    5. Battaglin

  26. On further thought…

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Ballan
    3. Giovanni Visconti
    4. Spartacus
    5. Wegmann, the other Fabian

  27. Gotta go with the emotional favorite. The VMH loves Georgie. And when he wins, so do I!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Hincapie
    2. Cancellara
    3. Gilbert
    4. Popovych
    5. Evans

  28. VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Ballan
    3. Kreuziger
    4. Cancellara
    5. Stetina

  29. VSP PICKS:

    1. Ballan Alessandro
    2. Cunego Damiano
    3. Gatto Oscar
    4. Van Avermaet Greg
    5. Visconti Giovanni

  30. Gilbert again. Sagan looking strong too. Bit early to see who’s on form.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Gilbert
    2. Sagan
    3. Cancellara
    4. Van Avermaet
    5. Nibali

  31. VSP PICKS:

    1. gilbert
    2. sagan
    3. cancellara
    4. pozzato
    5. boonen

  32. VSP PICKS:

    1. Ballan
    2. Gilbert
    3. Iglinski
    4. Van Avermaet
    5. Cancellara

  33. VSP PICKS:

    1. Philippe Gilbert
    2. Peter Sagan
    3. Cadel Evans
    4. Maxim Iglinsky
    5. Fabian Cancellara

  34. I haven’t the slightest idea what I am doing.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Gilbert
    2. Spartacus
    3. Nibali
    4. Hincapie
    5. Millar

  35. VSP PICKS:

    1. Van Avermaet
    2. Cancellara
    3. Gilbert
    4. Sagan
    5. Ballan

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