On the Rivet

A look at who's riding hard this week.
Milan-San Remo

Our first true monument of the season takes place this Saturday.  La Classica di Primavera ( the classic of the spring) is known as a sprinters classic.  It is also the longest race of the season coming in around 298K.  I know the purists won’t allow it, but why don’t they just add another two Ks, make it an even 300.  Although the finish is flat and the stage has almost exclusively gone to sprinters in the last 10 years, historians of the sport (I’m looking at you Patrick) know that the climbs and the length give other riders a chance as well.  (Check out the story in PEZ cycling about Fausto Coppi, good read)

But what are we really concerned about?  Our riders and points.  So let’s see who has a chance this weekend.

Being that Saturday is a special day for the Irish, I am going to start with Patrick.  Even if it wasn’t his namesake's feast day, I would have to say that Patrick has more than the luck of the Irish on his side this Saturday.  Patrick fields one of the strongest teams at this year’s race.  Cancellera won this race in 2008, the only non-sprint win in recent memory.  His form looks spectacular and if he can get away, as he has been known to do, he is next to impossible to catch.  Eddie Boassen Hagen is the other rider I could see winning this if it isn’t a full on bunch sprint.  If a group goes on a climb he could stay with and then win the sprint.  But he will probably be relegated to a helper role for you know who.  What a waste.  Patrick’s best chance for a win in my opinion is Tom Boonen. Tommeke looks great early on this year.  He is getting in breaks, outsprinting guys and he has the support of a solid team.  This is one of the few races he hasn’t won and he is one of the few riders who can still crank it up after a really long day.  Look for Bonnen to win or not place at all.

Mike is probably the second most Gaelic director in the league dependent upon if he is going by Komperud or Mikey McKeith.  He is also the second most likely director to win the race.  I am sick of mentioning Millar so, on to the real rider, Mark Cavendish.  He has won here before and he has been working on getting over the Italian climbs.  His team is strong and will do all they can to pull him over the hump and then deliver him to the line.  Cav, it’s hard to say, has got to be the favorite.  I thought Thor was going to race but it looks like no, so I guess Mike has all his eggs in one basket. Wait, wrong holiday, all his luck on one shamrock, all his whiskey in one glass, all his potatoes in one…

Greg and Bill fight it out for the next most Irish.  Honestly, I don’t know if Bill is Irish or not, but both Bill and Greg are in the category of having a wife with an Irish name.   That is good enough to tie for third.  I will start with Bill because he is the easiest.  It would take more than all of the four leaf clovers in Killarney to get this guy a win Saturday.  He has nobody riding.  Well, more time to drink I guess.  Greg has an interesting team going into San Remo.  Coming fresh from a win at Tirreno, Nibali is obviously on form.  He says he’s gonna give it a go by trying to make the race as fast as possible up the climbs.  If that happens he may really have a chance.  Could a break stay away?  I say no.  Greg’s other contender is the formidable Gilbert.  Is this the day he freaks out and shows us what he’s made of?  The climbs aren’t too big for him and maybe he is sick of waiting till April.  My guess is someone else from BMC will try to break, but you never know.

I am the least Irish of all the team directors and thus come last.  I am Catholic, enjoy potatoes and Guinness and most of my friends seem to be Irish so I don’t feel too bad horning in on the fun.  The only thing better than hanging out with my Irish friends, is rubbing a win right in their big Irish faces.  The win would be even sweeter for Team Wiskota Dynamic if Greipel, the big German can pull of a win over the Manx Mouth.  My team has several other cards to play.  Cunego is not a favorite but you can never totally discount an Italian in an Italian race.  Farrar has been looking for a big win in the monuments if his team supports him well he has a chance.  The most intriguing rider has got to be Sagan.  This is uncharted territory for the young Slovak, but he has shown so far that he can climb and sprint.  I would love a win Saturday and I expect a sprint.  If that happens I should be able to get a lot of points by possibly placing three sprinters in the top 5.  

Wiskota Fantasy Podium: Cav, Boonen, Sagan

Spoilers: Goss, Pozzato, Freire, Petacchi

Volta Ciclista a Catalunya starts Monday not all of the riders are announced yet.  As of now riders scheduled to watch past winners Valverde and Rodriguez earn me all kinds of points include: Vino, Thor, Sammy Sanchez, Dan Martin, Cunego, Horner, Andy Schleck, Wiggo, Gesink and Fuglsang.  Lots of riders here and lots to watch.  I probably won’t have time for a preview, please leave comments with your own take on the race they call “Volta”.