On Tap...

La Classicissima
The Northern part of the continent has The Ronde, Roubaix and the Ardennes classics, but for the one-day hardmen it all starts in the boot, Italy, with Milan-San Remo (or Milano-San Remo, depending on how pretentious you want to be). Although MSR lacks the romanticism of the Northern Spring Classics, it definitely has some distinctive features which makes it a true classic, la classicissima.

Of the five cycling classic monuments (Flanders, Roubaix, L-B-L, and Lombardy), MSR is the longest. It is a grueling day in the saddle covering just under 300 kilometers. Like Ghent-Wevelgem, the race usually comes down to the sprint. But the tantalizing run up to the finish line in San Remo is what makes this race special, as the strongest on the day are ususally selected on the Poggio and Cipressa climbs.

But even if a rider makes the selection, another aspect that makes MSR unique is the parked cars. Yuppers, you heard it right, parked cars. You would have thought that being one of the classic giants, the parcours would be devoid of such obstacles, but on more than one occasion in recent history, someone has run into a vehicle. Then again, clearing nearly 300 kms of road would be an excruciating exercise for any group of race organizers.

If you like watching paint dry then find a place to watch the entire race, otherwise be patient and wait for the final hours. Catch it on either Cycling.tv or on Versus.

Sofa-Setter
This weeks selection from the ROLL Film library is none other than Pee Wee's Big Adventure.

What Borzo (the "bike guy") said:
"Well, after sitting through 90 minutes of silly shenanigans, I can now say that the only reason for a bike fan to see this movie is to warn others not to waste their time."

What Strauss (the "film guy") said:
"Pee-wee loves his bike as much as any movie character has ever loved an inanimate object. For all the bicycle films we've reviewed, I believe this is the first bike to have such a distinct look that you could recognize it on the street."

Granny's Take:
C'mon how can you argue with a guy who only wants his bike back? Although maybe not as comical, I've certainly done some strange things for a bike.