The race of the falling leaves; this Classic of cycling is a circuit course around Lake Como in the lakes district of northern Italy. It’s the last chance to save a season for those whose season needs saving. For the riders who have been at it since the Tour Down Under this is one race too many, others will climb off at the first feed, muttering basta! If you’ve had an injury or missed a chunk of the regular summer season, getting back into form for this race is your last gasp for greatness, as it is for the Velominati Super Prestige series, the coveted shop apron will be awarded at the conclusion of this race. The renting of lycra and cursing of the gods will be heard as the elusive apron slips out of all but one Velominatus’ hands.
The unstoppable Cadel Evans will be relegated to his not-so-resplendent BMC kit, all powerful Thor has extended his season to honor the Arc en Ciel Jersey. Bettini won Lombardia in his Worlds jersey after a Rule #5 solo descent to the line. Can Thor do the same? Fellow Italian Cunego has also soloed away to victory here. Last year Gilbert won a two-up sprint from Sammy Sanchez ahead of a chasing group. For 2010 the course has been made longer and harder, as if it wasn’t already.
Lombardia is rarely won in a field sprint, whoever goes on the last climbs and can descend without crashing (I’m looking at you Frank Schleck) has a chance. This is an Italian race, a home race for the Squadra and that has to be factored in. It’s an all a-rounder’s race, not for the pure climbers, pure sprinters, or big roulers. Fabian Cancellara has it on his punch list but I don’t think it’s going to happen this year. Look to the Worlds results, factor in who still is hungry and has form, who is a strong-man who can get his climb on after too many kilometers, add the Italian factor and you might have a handful of possible winners.
Check out the rules and scoring here, and good luck.
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1. Bugle-song (far-fetched, but I like the kid)
2. Nibbles
3. Sammy's Sandwich
4. Irishman Martin
5. Pip Giblets
...and Steampunk for the apron. I pencilled Gesink in ftw about a month ago, and that's shot my whole plans for Lombardy. Would love to see King Thor stick with the climbers in order to show them all how to descend, but my sense is he's showcasing the rainbows for Cervelo out of duty and his season's over. What the hell are we going to do with ourselves after this weekend?
@Steampunk
NO. FUCKING. WAY. I predict maybe 2 points for that pick, mate.
@all
Here's where it's at:
1) Le Grand Frere Grimpeur. There isn't a man in the bunch with a more Magnificent Stroke. Knees tucked in, long, lanky, power, grace. You can't beat that shit, except mabye be racing a bike faster or staying on it in the twisty bits. It's like the nose on a 1997 Bordeaux. Unfortunately, like a '97 Bordeaux, if you didn't coddle it and fucking keep it perfectly, by now it's all fucking corked and stinky and will give you gut rot. But Frank doesn't have gut rot. He just needs to win another massive race. And that will happen tomorrow.
2) Does anyone care about who looses? There's no way anyone will loose to Frankie boy in a sprint, except Contador, but we all know he has to be solo to win. Which he will be. What happens behind? Well, put me in for a Gilbert second place - also solo. He can win a gallop, but he has the class to avoid the waiting game. Why wait for a sprint for second when you can escape and go for the win - even though you narrowly miss the Grimpelder?
3) Cunego has done nothing, why not get third?
4) Riccardo Needle, assuming he's starting. He's bound to want to prove that doping still works, and will likely show.
5) Danilo Di Luca will do so many drugs in 2011 that he will invariably travel back in time to earn 5th place before his ban ends.
@Marko
NICE. Climbs like butterfly, swallows a wasp.
@Marko
edited
1. Nibs-Ali
2. Cuddles
3. Brakjovic
4. Gilbert
5. Horner
1. Nibbly Knees-up
2. Dr Phil Gilabert
3. Le Grand Grimpeur
4. Samuel Sandshoe
5. No idea but I like Irish Martin and, as we now know, you don't fuck with the Irish
whether The Sweater buys him a good or bad bottle of wine, Our Hero Thor! will not win tomorrow:
ah cock. Grimpelder isn't racing. OK, Grimitto, then.
@all
We'll allow you through midway through the race to enter your picks this time - on account of us being a bit late to get the bugger up.
1. Cadelski
2. Gilbert
3. Canhego
4. Schleck f
5. Ss Sanchez
@frank
Il Piccolo isn't lining up either.