Velominati Super Prestige: Milano Sanremo 2014

Merckx takes his first of seven MSRs.
Merckx takes his first of seven MSRs.

Het Volk (it will always be Het Volk to me) and now the Strade Bianche may well mark the sentimental beginning to the season, but those are specialized, pre-season races that appeal mostly to riders who are preparing for bigger objectives later in the year, such as the Cobbled or Ardennes Classics. Same goes for Tirreno Adriatico and Paris-Nice; there are preparatory events – none of the marquee names have these events in their programme as primary objectives.

The season doesn’t really start until Milano Sanremo, the first Monument and the first race of the year that any Pro would proudly define their career by winning, and so that’s where we start the fifth installment of the Velominati Super Prestige. Last year saw our biggest turnout yet, with sponsors kicking in some serious prizes for the Tour de France VSP. This year we’ve built on that momentum to offer three major prizes for the season-long VSP:

  1. First place overall wins a Veloforma Strada iR Velominati Edition frame in addition to the customary VSP winner’s VVorkshop Apron
  2. Second place overall wins a set of hand built CR Wheelworks Arenberg wheelset in a custom Velominati paint scheme laced to orange Chris King hubs. (CR Wheelworks is Café Roubaix’s new wheel goods brand.)
  3. Third place overall wins a full Velominati V-Kit with accompanying custom orange Bont Vaypor+ road shoes.

So, without further ado, check the start list, review the VSP Scoring Guidelines and get your picks in by the time the countdown clock goes to zero at midnight PDT on Sunday the 24th. If you think we mapped one of your picks wrong, use the dispute system and we’ll review it. Also remember to be precise enough in your description so we know which rider you mean; in other words, if you enter “Martin”, we will use our discretion (read: wild guess) to decide if you mean Tony or Dan – and that choice will not be negotiable once the the countdown clock goes to zero, so be sure to give yourself enough time.

Good luck, and don’t let these awesome prizes ruin your Rule #43 spirit.

[vsp_results id=”29200″/]

[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/[email protected]/VSP Prizes/”/]

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528 Replies to “Velominati Super Prestige: Milano Sanremo 2014”

  1. @Frank Is it new that any VSP posts which are picks only don’t appear in the Recent Posts column ? Or maybe I’ve only just noticed.

    Either way, chapeau – the VSP can tend to overwhelm the other content, which is a pity.

  2. Been a lurker for quite some time, thought it was time to get serious.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Greipel
    2. Cavendish
    3. Sagan
    4. Kwiatkowski
    5. Cancellara

  3. @Shlumpen

    Been a lurker for quite some time, thought it was time to get serious.

    Same here. And as a dutchie I’m hoping for some fireworks from our Johnny (Hoogerland). With his team disbanding and all other whatnot bumps in the road he deserves a good finish.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Cancellara
    3. Nibali
    4. Gilbert
    5. Hoogerland

  4. VSP PICKS:

    1. Pedro Sagan
    2. Boonen
    3. Kwiatkowski
    4. Spartacus
    5. Gilbert

  5. VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. John-Boy Degenkolb
    3. Taylor Phinney
    4. Gianni Meersman
    5. THURAU junior (why not)

  6. VSP PICKS:

    1. Fabian Cancellara
    2. Peter Sagan
    3. Tom Boonen
    4. Michal Kwiatkowski
    5. Simon Gerrans

  7. VSP PICKS:

    1. T.J. Slagter
    2. J. Degenkolb
    3. P. Sagan
    4. F. Cancellara
    5. T. Gallopin

  8. Lordy.  Season has been too good so far to have any obvious choices.  

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Boonen
    2. Sagan
    3. Cancellara
    4. Kwiatkowski
    5. Gerrans

  9. Based on not much at all.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Gilbert
    2. Hushovd
    3. Haussler
    4. Costa
    5. Gerrans

  10. I will place Rojas on 4th consistently through the season. At least in this one there is some chance

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Greipel
    3. Degenkolb
    4. JJJJ Rojas
    5. Démáré

  11. @frank

    @wiscot

    Third place gets TWO Velominati caps? So they do exist . . . or will by the end of the season. Stop your shameless teasing FFS!

    Its the same cap from different angles, genius. Also, for clarification, its just one pair for shoes, not two. But lets make a deal: if you win, I’ll give you two caps.

    Ah, Frank, you remember my confusion in reading the cap graphics? If only emoticons were allowed . . . Two caps are the extra motivation I need to win the VSP. I’ll pick them up at the Heck of the North so leave room in your suitcase for them . . . or just bring a repaired inner tube instead.

  12. Going with the G’s it seems

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Gilbert
    3. Degenkolb
    4. Greipel
    5. Gerrans

  13. VSP PICKS:

    1. Peter Sagan
    2. Daniel Moreno
    3. Michal Kwiatkowski
    4. Bauke Mollema
    5. Diego Ulissi

  14. VSP PICKS:

    1. Cancellara
    2. Sagan
    3. Gilbert
    4. Greipel
    5. Phinney

  15. Wish I could fit Kristoff in there too but I can’t see who to leave out.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. SAGAN Peter
    2. BOONEN Tom
    3. CANCELLARA Fabian
    4. CAVENDISH Mark
    5. DEGENKOLB John

  16. VSP PICKS:

    1. Tom Boonen
    2. Fabian Cancellara
    3. Peter Sagan
    4. Greg Van Avermaet
    5. Edvald Boasson Hagen

  17. VSP PICKS:

    1. SAGAN Peter
    2. KWIATKOWSKI Michal
    3. BOONEN Tom
    4. VAN AVERMAET Greg
    5. CANCELLARA Fabian

  18. As a matter of preference it would be “Boonen, Cavendish, Kwiatkowski, Phinney,Sagan”…but then there is reality. Seems like a sprinter year.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Cavendish
    2. Sagan
    3. Kittel
    4. Degenkolb
    5. Greipel

  19. Yes Yes Yes. Good to be back in the ring for the VSP. I won a Malteni Jersey in 2012 & Bonts in 2013 – proof that twatwaffle does pay.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Ulissi
    3. Stannard
    4. Slagter
    5. Kwiatkowski

  20. I’ll have a bash at this,how badly can I do?

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Greipel
    2. Sagan
    3. Degenkolb
    4. Boonen
    5. Stannard

  21. VSP PICKS:

    1. John Degenkolb
    2. Peter Sagan
    3. Alexander Kristoff
    4. Michael Matthews
    5. JJ Rojas

  22. VSP PICKS:

    1. John Degenkolb
    2. Peter Sagan
    3. Simon Gerrans
    4. Tom Boonen
    5. Arnaud Demare

  23. Third prize is…you’re fired!

    I nauseous already, so many nice prizes I can’t even win. Must check small print on VSP-Keepers contact.

  24. VSP PICKS:

    1. Peter Sagan
    2. André Greipel
    3. Fabian Cancellara
    4. Mark Cavendish
    5. Alexander Kristoff

  25. I am but a budding Velominatus, so don’t read too much into my picks. Dang that would be a nice bike to promote to #1…

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Faboo
    3. Tornado Tom Frites
    4. Degenkolb
    5. Kwiatkowski

  26. May the V be with them

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Fabian Cancellara
    2. Tom Boonen
    3. Peter Sagan
    4. Michael Matthews
    5. John Degenkolb

  27. Gawd, this is a tough one, given the start list and the parcours.  I’m going all-in with the notion that the sprinters get left behind somewhere. Boonen said that if the Pompeiana climb was cut from the race that he would be going for the win.  That, along with the fact that he’s yet to place first in MSR and that he has something to prove after last year’s disappointing injury, pretty much forces me to put him at the top of the list, despite the flat run-in to the finish.  Sparty and Sagan won’t let him get there without a fight, however.   Kwiatkowski and Stannard have been pretty impressive this spring, which earns them the last two spots in my top five.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Tommeke
    2. Spartacus
    3. Billions and billions
    4. Kwiatkowski
    5. Ian Stannard

  28. Sweet baby Merckx on a stick those are some nice prizes… I suck at sports pools almost as much as I suck at keeping my legs smooth, but I’m in.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Cancellara
    2. Kwiatkowski
    3. Kreuziger
    4. Moreno
    5. Sagan

  29. For no good reason; picked Sagan, Cancellara, Hushovd, Phinney, and Langeveld.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Peter Sagan
    2. Fabian Cancellara
    3. Thor Hushovd
    4. Taylor Phinney
    5. Sebastian Langeveld

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