Velominati Super Prestige: Milano-Sanremo 2016
Milan Sanremo. I know we’ve been watching the men and women crush the cobbles already, and that’s the spiritual beginning of the season, but La Primavera is the longest Classic of them all, and the first race of the season that will be a genuine target for all the gunslingers. Which makes this the symbolic start to the season and, typically, the first event of our annual Velominati Super Prestige.
Please don’t call it a fantasy cycling game; the VSP is based on the old season-long Super Prestige (and later the World Cup) which awarded points to riders for how they finished in the qualifying races. The points were tallied and whomever held the most points at the end of the season was declared the winner, was showered in champagne, got epic bragging rights, and presumably got the girl. During the year, the leader earned the right to wear the white leader’s jersey with verticalized rainbow stripes.
Our series is based on the same principle, where you select the riders you think will be in the top five, in order of finishing. Points are awarded for getting your picks right, and bonus points are on offer for getting close. The leader of the event gets a little white jersey as their posting badge, and those who win the events for the Monuments and Grand Tours get to post with a commemorative badge for the ensuing year.
For the last several years, we’ve also been offering some crazy prizes; a custom road frame to the winner, hand built wheels to the runner-up, and a full v-kit to the runner-up-runner. This year, we’re delighted to announce that our friend Dan Richter of Café Roubaix will be offering up another of our collaboration Velominati-CR Wheelworks wheelsets. The V-Kit is the same as last year, with the addition of the possibility to choose the new VLVV design should you so choose.
The big news is that Don Walker of Don Walker Cycles and the head honcho of the North American Handmade Bicycle Show is going to be offering one of his hand-built, custom road frames. I was introduced to Don through @Haldy, who owns something like five of his bikes. There is no denying it when you meet a fellow Velominatus: instant friendship. I had him build me a track bike for The Improbable Hour on Festum Prophetae, and now we’re flirting about my first custom road frame because my other bikes just seem so impersonal now.
Don is the quintessential small frame builder; he only take 6 customer orders per year so you won’t be rolling up to the local group ride only to find four other riders on the same steed. The rest of his bikes are for his team and for the therapy of working with his hands. Working with him on the bike design is an incredible experience; delving into riding style and position and fine-tuning every detail of the build. And then it quickly devolves into shit-talking and teasing. I am so excited to share this experience with the lucky winner.
With that, start prognosticating on your picks and check the scoring guidelines. I know some of you are doing some intense analysis, and recall that last season we had a tie which we had to break by going back to see which of the two were entering their picks in earlier on average. Also don’t Delgado it; we have been known to have the odd timing glitch and even though that’s not your fault, I’m still not going to manually enter your picks because you waited around and the window closed earlier than you thought it would. The kids probably have an emoji for that.
Good luck, and may the V be with you. VLVV.
Café Roubaix's CR Wheelworks Arenbergs
[vsp_results id=”38071″/]
refresh screen (post) from yesterday
interesting concept that my racer picks remain in a Black hole. they are there but will not be evident until the end
Long time, first time, this’ll be a good excuse to pay more attention this year!
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First big event, I always feel like I am picking names out of a hat until we really see how everyone’s form looks.
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would make quite the first win of the year for the rainbow jersey
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I would really like a breakaway to succeed, but am going for a small select group to sprint it out….
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Finally playing after lurking for two years. Thinking of a shiny new bike/wheelset makes me all drool-ey.
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Ok, trying one mo time.
I’ll get in on the nicknames then…
The top three are self-explanatory, but for the non-Aussies, Wendy Matthews was a kind of pop star who was a bit too much of a musician to be commercial, and a bit too commercial to be a musician. Kinda like Bling, will have a few minor hits but never reach the top of the pops.
The former Australian PM John Howard was a cunt. Not sure that Lee Howard is, but he’s been given the IAM leader role of my boy Heiny, so that might be enough to qualify him if he doesn’t come up within at least 0.2mm of winning.
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Here I come, crawling out of the woodwork – with this offering from the Hardman
http://velonews.competitor.com/2016/03/news/road/video-museeuws-tips-for-riding-the-koppenberg_398851
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Fuck if I know. The only good thing for me is that I get to watch it live in Paris as opposed to a crap computer feed that I usually have at home.
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@Al__S
Kris Kristofferson or maybe more obliquely Bobby McGee?
@Harminator
Bling basically said he thought he could have won had Gerro not been riding for himself…
The invisible shall now be visible
Did have a crack at #36 and #50
@universo
Pretty sure the standard for the VSP coding is that it won’t post your original picks again unless you change one of them.
Mine will likely show because I’ve decided to go with @Brett‘s nickname contribution for Kristoff.
VSP PICKS:
Sagan
Cancellara
Gallopin
Stybar
Van Avermaet
Fabulous new frame… Hope springs eternal.
Start as I mean to go on. With no clue.
VSP PICKS:
The “Spartacus Farewell Tour” starts this weekend. Knowing that it’s your last go-around will make you work that much harder to the detriment of the rest of the peloton.
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Here goes nothing. Yet again.
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Bam bam!
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Bam Bam!
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Not showing picks? Are my picks entered?
Cleared history, dumped cache;
Alexander Kristoff
Michael Matthews
Peter Sagan
Nacer Bouhanni
Greg Van Avermaet
@Mikael Liddy
I know that bit. But this shows a changed approach for OGE who have a history of hedging their bets. It was only a matter of time before Bling replaced Simey as the team’s puncher but if Gerro is butthurt and refusing to work for MM he’s a bigger cunt than I had reckoned. When I think of all the big names who were happy to work for him…SMH. Go Bling. Real chance this year.
The champs gonna cross the line by himself!
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@Harminator
My recollection was both of them inferred they could have won, if the other worked for them. Indeed having Gerro work for Bling would have raised Blings chances in my estimation. Having someone to go so deep in support the race rather than leaving at the botty of the Poggio would have been a real asset.
New blood!
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No idea how this will roll out
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Popping my VSP cherry…here goes! *gulp*
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VSP picks
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Amazing prizes once again! Thank you Velominati, Cafe Roubaix and Don Walker for your generosity!
Filler picks until I can think this one through.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Sagan
3. Greg Van Avermaet
4. Stybar
5. Matthews
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My work access doesn’t seem to like to play with the Velominati – only shows line 1
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@Mikael Liddy
they are posted already, but simply exist in a Black hole
Hmmmm….
Don’t feel 100% on these for now…
VSP PICKS:
adding
V to Fabian to make this legit!
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@Mikael Liddy
technically I changed the pick and untechnically the pick is unchanged
…and what the hell
Andy Schleck must be great on Fixx karaoke
@Harminator
I think OGE have made a gradual shift over the last 12 months to invest a lot more wholly in the younger guys on the team (Bling, Chaves, Yates x2), I think Gerro might have to suck it up & accept he’s no longer top dog.
I’m not particularly devastated, while undoubtedly successful, there’s something about him that just doesn’t engage with me…there’s something seemingly joyless about his wins, just like he’s ticking a box.
This pick’s the best, Jerry!
The best!
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H
ere’s to another finish line rumble between Matthews and Bouhani
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@frank
I like that you picked Gallopin. Somebody should. I would have if my tin can didn’t tell me to do otherwise.
My pick’s in limbo, Jerry! In limbo!
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Sagan is now Rule #33 compliant, this must mean something.
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Here’s hoping
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Expecting Sparticus and Co(Sagan and Stybar) to go mental up the Poggio and descend like madmen, making it a race to the bottom and not allowing Bling or The Hair (Kristoff) to rejoin prior to the finish.
I have missed something… who is Billions and Billions?
Thanks for running a fantastic site and event. Long time reader, thought it is time to get involved. Also thanks to those putting up the prizes, simply awesome.
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