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2015 MFP CLassics Challenge - Ride Logging Thread
TheBigYin
Posts: 5,686 Member
Dates for the Diary...
07/03/2015 - Strade Bianchi
08/03/2015 - Roma Maxima
22/03/2015 - Milan Sanremo
29/03/2015 - Gent Wevelghem
05/04/2015 - Ronde Van Vlaanderen
12/04/2015 - Paris Roubaix
19/04/2015 - Amstel Gold
22/04/2015 - Fleche Wallonne
26/04/2015 - Liege Bastogne Liege
04/10/2015 - Il Lombardia
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Replies
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Not actually part of the “monuments” of the sport, this is a relative newcomer – founded in 2007 as the “Monte Paschi Eroica” ( 2007 , 2008 ) and “Montepaschi Strade Bianche” ( 2009 , 2010 , 2011 ) but it’s possibly one of the most spectacularly beautiful races to imagine (given good weather of course)
It is characterized by the innovative presence on the trail of some sectors of roads, dirt roads typical of the countryside of Tuscany , which makes it a unique event in Italy and beyond.
It is no coincidence that the race combines two aspects of the famous “northern classics” – the long tiring stretches of rough/unmade roads of the Paris Roubaix and the numerous and repeated hard “walls” or short steep climbs of the Ronde van Vlaanderen. For these reasons, the riders likely to be in contention for the final victory are usually the toughest, strongest and most resilient – which is what makes this a true classic in the making.
The start is in Gaiole in Chianti and the epilogue in the famous Piazza del Campo in Siena .
http://www.gazzetta.it/Speciali/StradeBianche/en/?lang=en&t=01
Last 51km of the 2012 race video (you can speak Italian can’t you?
)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhFiPffEZsM
And, as with many of the spring classics, there is an amateur event that we mere mortals can aspire to join in with – in this case it’s L’Eroica. A little more specialised than most of the modern “sportifs” – in that there are specific entry criteria – not for you, but for your bike… These are they (from the official rules and regs document):
Your vintage bicycle must have all the following characteristics:
• road racing bicycle, built before 1987 (not cyclo cross or time trial bike)
• steel frame (the only aluminum frame bikes permitted are ALAN or VITUS with either screwed or glued joints)
• gear shift levers on the down tube of the frame (exceptionally, only pre-1980 bar-end gear shifts are allowed)
• pedals with toe clips and fitted straps (quick release pedals are not allowed, except Cinelli M71 pedals)
• the passage of brake cable outside the handlebars
• New bicycles with steel frames can be used but they must be assembled with vintage components (gear levers, handlebars, pedals, etc).
• The adjustment of the rear wheel gears to suit the difficulty of the route is permitted.
You get the idea. This ride is for vintage bikes only. You can just about get away with aluminium but carbon? No chance. And if you were to show up with Di2 you’d have everyone else in town choking on their espresso and biscotti.
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Scoring
Each "race" will accumulate "MFP Points" (a bit like UCI points, but nothing to do with Fat Pat and Corkscrew Hein.)
"Winner" of the race is the person who rides the furthest in the 24 hours that the race is run, in your own time-zone, in a single ride - if you ride to and from work, pick the longest of the two as I'm only accepting a single ride in a given day!
For the Overall Competition, For Each Ride, Points Will be Awarded as Follows
1st - 25 pts
2nd - 20 pts
3rd - 16 pts
4th - 12 pts
5th - 11 pts
6th - 10 pts
7th - 9 pts
8th - 8 pts
9th - 7 pts
10th - 6 pts
11th - 5 pts
12th - 4 pts
13th - 3 pts
14th - 2 pts
15th - 1 pts
A Individual and Overall Table will be maintained, and hopefully results published within a couple of days of the ride completing (time constraints and my being around to "do the math" notwithstanding).
Hopefully, this will stop the whole competition stagnating if someone goes out on the first race day, rides a 600km Brevet and is so far ahead of anyone else that they simply cannot be caught... It worked pretty well last year.
One further feature that people seemd to enjoy last year, which I'll be continuing with is the "spot prize" points themed around certain of the races...
so - For the Strade Bianche
- if you post a photo that shows your bike on a unmetalled road with proof that it was that days ride then it may just get an extra point.
- if you complete your challenge ride on a "L'Eroica" compliant bike (http://www.eroica-ciclismo.it/documents/regolamento_eng.pdf for the rules) and post a photo to prove it, you'll get another 5 points.
- and just for the hell of it - post a picture of your post-ride recovery bottle/glass of Chianti or Italian Birra and you can have yet another point!0 -
Roma Maxima
The New Kid on the Block really, the Roma Maxima is basically a “re-branding” exercise by RCS Sports (the organisation behind the Giro d’Italia) on the Italian semi-classic cycle race previously known as Giro del Lazio. The Giro del Lazio had not been raced since 2008, and the 2013 edition was the first one with the new name.
The race was scheduled on 3 March 2013; it started on Via Appia Antica in Rome, passed through the cobblestone section of the ancient Appian Way and the steep climbs of the Roman hills, and ended again in Rome in Via dei Fori Imperiali, near the Coliseum, after 180 kilometres (110 mi).
The French Blel Kadri won the race after a 127 km (78.9 mi) breakaway. Kadri, together with André Cardoso, Christophe Premont, Pim Ligthart and Albert Timmer, got away after 53 km (32.9 mi); on the climb to Campi di Annibale he dropped the other riders and powered on alone with 40 km (24.9 mi) to go. A five-rider group, among whom there was also Vincenzo Nibali, tried to chase Kadri down, but Kadri managed to hold the gap all the way to Rome. Lampre-Merida's Filippo Pozzato won the sprint for the second place, and Grega Bole (Vacansoleil-DCM) was third. Since Roma Maxima is not a World Tour event, riders were not allowed to use the radio during the race; so both Pozzato and Bole did not know that Kadri was still away, and Pozzato celebrated on the finish line thinking he had won the race.
Kadri Celebrates...
So Does Pippo...
(what a stunning backdrop to the finish... modern day Gladiators indeed...)
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and the Bonus Points for Roma Maxima...
Photo Bonus Points
Pre/In Ride Coffee - 1pt
Evidence of "Prior Civilization" - 3pts
Post Ride Drink (beer/wine) - 1pt
Post Ride Food Bonus - 1pt
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this thread is for LOGGING RIDES ONLY, PLEASE POST ANY CHATTER IN THE DISCUSSION/SIGNUP THREAD...
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10092093/2015-mfp-classics-challenge#Item_15
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07/03/2015 - 46.9km - Strava Corrected elevation: 263m - https://www.strava.com/activities/264208151
Unmetalled road (behind)
(In front)
Classics Challenge Totals: 46.9km & 263m of climbing0 -
07/03/2015 [Strade Bianche] - 46.9km - Strava Corrected elevation: 263m - https://www.strava.com/activities/264208151
08/03/2015 [Roma Maxima] - 80.5km - Strava Corrected elevation: 469m - https://www.strava.com/activities/264832041
No piccies or bonuses.
Classics Challenge Totals: 127.4km & 732m of climbing0 -
07/03/2015 - Strade Bianche - 45.8km - 256m --https://app.strava.com/activities/264167747
08/03/2015 - Roma Maxima - 113.1km - 1931m -https://app.strava.com/activities/264954945
No pics or bonuses....
Totals: 158.9km & 2187m climbed0 -
03/03/2105 - Roma Maxima - 81.5km - 664m https://www.strava.com/activities/265160786
Totals after two classics 201.4km - 3,623m climbing
Pre ride pathetic attempt at a caffe con crema
IMG_3026
After ride Fettucine with ragu and another glass of the Villa Donoratico
IMG_3028 0 -
3/7/15: https://app.strava.com/activities/265280807 28.6km 14m
thought about taking a picture of my drive way since it is unmetalled but it is currently under water so I am carrying my bike in/out.
3/8/15: https://app.strava.com/activities/265280818 49.6km 184m
Stone haus--about the oldest thing I could find on my route today.
Toasted ravioli--guilty treat!
No post ride drinks since I don't drink
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07/03/2015 - Strade Bianche - DNR
08/03/2015 - Roma Maxima - DNR
Just for completeness.
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Strade Bianchi - for some reason Strava didn't catch the begining of the ride so the length is about 3 miles less than it should be. Oh well. No old civilization, it was too dark to see much anyway by the time I left work.
07/03/2015: https://www.strava.com/activities/264586988 7.6km 99m 00:30:14
Dirt road by headlight and moonlight. by Spatialized, on Flickr
Post-ride refreshments. by Spatialized, on Flickr
08/03/2015 - Roma Maxima, DNS0 -
Am I too late to join in? Not been on the community boards much of late. I did ride Sat and Sunday so have rides to log.0
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07/03/2015 - Strade Bianche - DNR
08/03/2015 - Roma Maxima - DNR
Hugging a pillow and coughing up a lung.0 -
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07/03/2015 77.8km 758m climbing https://www.strava.com/activities/264200444
No photos to report
08/03/2015 104.1km 383m climbing https://www.strava.com/activities/264953802
No photos to report0 -
okay folks - entries now closed - spreadsheet with results on
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1is7rqtpb9GLIN5wOxLA2CVufrERxC03DyIUUoGTjwAI/edit?usp=sharing
Any errors or omissions give me a shout...
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17.03.2013 Milano-Sanremo
Milan – San Remo (Italian: Milano–Sanremo), "the Spring classic" ("la classica di Primavera"), is an annual cycle race between - you guessed it - Milan and Sanremo. It is the longest professional one-day race at 298 km. The first was in 1907, when Lucien Petit-Breton won. Today it is one of the 'Monuments' of European cycling, and results contribute towards the UCI World Ranking; until 2007 it was part of the UCI ProTour. From 1999 to 2005, a women's race, the Primavera Rosa was organised alongside the men's but at a shorter distance.
Milan – San Remo is often called the sprinters' classic while its sister Italian race the Giro di Lombardia held in autumn is the climbers' classic.
In the early years the main difficulty was the Passo del Turchino, but when cycling became more professional the climb was too far from the finish to be decisive. In 1960 the Poggio, a few kilometres before the finish, was introduced. In 1982 the Cipressa, near Imperia was added. The other hills are the 'capi', the Capo Mele, Capo Berta and Capo Cervo. From 2008 on the organisers added 'Le Manie' as well, between the Turchino and the 'capi'. The 'Turchino' and the 'Manie' are longer climbs, while 'capi', Cipressa and Poggio are rather short. The climbs are neither steep nor long for professional cyclists. As such, many sprinters are capable of keeping with the main peloton on these climbs, and therefore the race most often ends in a mass sprint.
The most successful rider was Eddy Merckx; he won seven times (record of victories in one single classic race). In recent times, the most successful rider has been Erik Zabel who won four times and lost 2004 to Óscar Freire only because he lifted his arms to celebrate too early. It was the opening race of the UCI Road World Cup series until the series was replaced by the UCI ProTour in 2005.
Being the longest professional one-day race, Milan – San Remo is an unusual test of endurance early in the season. It is won often not by the fastest sprinter, but one best prepared early. The Cipressa and Poggio have foiled many sprinters who could not stay with the front group.
Despite its flat course and long finishing straight, sprinters teams have been foiled from time-to-time by a determined attack on the last hills. Good examples include Laurent Jalabert and Maurizio Fondriest escaping in 1995 and staying away to the finish. In 2003, Paolo Bettini attacked with several riders who all stayed away and in 2006 Filippo Pozzato and Alessandro Ballan attacked on the last hill and stayed away. The fastest Milan – San Remo over the usual course was in 1990. Gianni Bugno set 6h 25 m 06 seconds to win by 4 seconds over Rolf Gölz. This was an average of 45.8kmh (28.45 mph). In 2006, the peloton came close with a 6h 29 m 41s, won by Filippo Pozzato. At the other extreme of the race Is the 1910 edition, which was won in a time of 12h 24 m, in a snowstorm.
http://www.gazzetta.it/Speciali/MilanoSanremo/en/?lang=en&t=01
My favourite memory of this race was the absolutely MENTAL descent of the poggio by Sean Kelly to chase down Moreno Argentin -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL3jQmkj3uI
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Okay folks - its reminder time again... don't forget, the next installment of this challenge commences 22nd March 2015 - that's this Sunday coming, your local time.
As posted in the discussion thread, there's spot prizes available again...
Again 3 possibilities this week
- First one is related to the nickname "La Primavera" - so 1 bonus point for a mid-ride photo showing "signs of spring" (daffodils/snowdrops/catkins/newborn lambs etc. - NOT your MTB's suspension
)
- Second, just to piss all over the healthy aspect of this fitness site - 1 point for either a "bottle of Peroni post-ride recovery drink shot" OR a "cafe break shot with coffee/cakes/biscotti as appropriate" taken mid-ride.
Images should by preference have EXIF data present to verify timestamps, and the mid-ride photos should be geotagged to check they match up with the ride in time and location. For those of us using Strava, I'd suggest using a smartphone and Instagram, as you can actually link the two accounts, and the geotagging will actually show the location of the photo-call on your Strava route-trace...
- Third - and this is the big 5 pointer (so damned difficult to get) - is time related. The Milan Sanremo is the longest distance race in the series, and it's a long time in the saddle even for the pro's. So - here we go - anyone who spends more "moving time" (i.e. not counting cafe breaks, photo-calls or stopping mid ride for 7 hours for a sleep!) in their single ride gets a 5 point bonus. Obviously, I can only declare the points scored on this AFTER the pro's have crossed the line and registered their time...
Since the forum "upgrade" I daren't actually close the thread, in case it won't let me re-open it, or it throws the thread away... so, please don't post in here until you've got a ride to add... Also, as I can't back edit things for you, don't submit until you've got all the pictures collated and ready to add in one go... It's a fecking nuisance, I know, and I can see it being a bloody NIGHTMARE on the 3 week tours so i'm beginning to worry as to how to actually organise those...0 -
22 March - https://www.strava.com/activities/272001235 105.3km 3:52 moving time
Beautiful autumn day could be substituted for spring - promise
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07/03/2015 [Strade Bianche] - 46.9km - 263m - https://www.strava.com/activities/264208151
08/03/2015 [Roma Maxima] - 80.5km - 469m - https://www.strava.com/activities/264832041
22/03/2015 [Milan - Sanremo] - 106.9km - 997m - https://www.strava.com/activities/272279121
These are the piccies I wanted for the Maxima Roma bonus:
Milan - Sanremo bonuses:
Spring Flowers
Recovery Drink [Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]
Another photo of interest; Richard Whiteley's resting place:
Classics Challenge Totals: 234.3km & 1729m of climbing0 -
07/03/2015 - Strade Bianche - 45.8km - 256m --https://app.strava.com/activities/264167747
08/03/2015 - Roma Maxima - 113.1km - 1931m -https://app.strava.com/activities/264954945
22/03/2015 - Milan - Sanremo - 50.3km - 362m - https://app.strava.com/activities/272397434
No pics or bonuses....
Totals: 209.2km & 2549m climbed
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22/03/2015 - Milan - San Remo - 212.1km - 2,307m - https://www.strava.com/activities/272591963
Total ride time 8:23:15
Totals after 3 classics 413.5km 5,930m
Cafe break - Cappucino and a jelly filled donut (no biscotti here in the south :-))
Signs of Spring - Bradford Pear trees in bloom
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22/03/2015 - Milan - San Remo - 161.6km - 1638m - https://www.strava.com/activities/272199055/
Total ride time 6:49:47
Taken with the iphone:
Taken with the proper cam:
Think I just managed to scrape the time in saddle bonus!
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07/03/2015 77.8km 758m climbing https://www.strava.com/activities/264200444
No photos to report
08/03/2015 104.1km 383m climbing https://www.strava.com/activities/264953802
No photos to report
22/3/15 67.5km 592m https://www.strava.com/activities/272215050
I did put the photo on instagram but for some reason I cannot get my instagram photos on Strava!!0 -
3/22: DNS
Yep, I'm a total loser.0 -
Ok, closing off distance and points summary
Rider Distance Spring Beer / Time in
Name ridden signs coffee saddle
Kupe 105.3 1(for trying) 0 0
cloggsy71 106.9 1 1 0
KitTheRoadie 50.3 0 0 0
Veloman21 212.1 1 1 5
spatialized dns
Jakes1971 161.6 1 0 5
BigG59 67.5 1 0 0
I'll update the spreadsheet in a few minutes...
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This discussion has been closed.