Velominati Super Prestige: Giro di Lombardia 2012
Il Grillo gives it some stick in 06. Photo: actionplus sports images[/caption]
Lombardia is a beautiful race. Taking in the majestic shoreline of Lake Como and climbing past the shrine to the Madonna del Ghisallo, its stunning Italian-ness bookends the Monuments along with Milan-San Remo which started them way back in March. And it’s a coming out party, a debutantes ball for the newly crowned World Champion.
Not since Paolo Bettini in 2006 has the rainbow jersey won here, but even if the bands don’t always take the win they are usually well represented at the business end of the race. Cuddles tried out his new found attacking style in 2009 by setting up Gilbert for the first of his two wins, and now the Belgian has the perfect opportunity to show off his new kit and add a third. The betting might not be on if Gilbert wins, but how, and whether he chooses to don black shorts or goes for the full Cipo-style whiteout. Let’s hope common sense and good taste prevail, especially after Cav did such a stellar job of Looking Fantastic over the last twelve months.
The VSP overall race is also at a critical point, and could be decided this weekend. San Tonio has a nice little 13 point buffer and probably only needs to pick up minimum points, while the chasing pack may need to think outside the square and hope a roughie can deliver a la Zaugg last year. You could throw a blanket over 2nd, 3rd and 4th, so close are they to each other, with Gianni not far back tasked with upholding the Keepers’ honor and hoping for a late surge into the top 5 or even the podium.
Check out the start list, take some chances or play it safe, keep an eye on the timer and get your picks in for a chance to wear the Lombardia badge for the next year. Good Luck!
Here’s PhilGil’s last win in 2010, in some nice Rule #9 conditions…
@batchuba
Woops – I mapped the winner to RODRIGUEZ Jackson by accident. Corrected and G’Phant won now. Bonus points are now also awarded correctly.
@Buck Rogers
Thank god for that. I had a sudden terror that perhaps all this time Jackson Rodriguez has been J-Rod, and Joaquim Rodriguez is some Venezuelan bloke. Which would have been worrying evidence of my ever intensifying delusional state.
Brett, I told you I couldn’t handle the pressure. nuttin’
G’phant can handle the pressure. Genius call there.
It is like bowling, I just want to break 100 in the VSP. Argh. And I lose the leaf. Good race by Purito. And it makes sense. I should have picked him from the start on a day like today.
@frank
Samuel Sanchez was second not L.L.Sanchez.
Il Lombardia 2012 Results
1 RODRIGUEZ OLIVER, Joaquin (KATUSHA) 6:36:27
2 SANCHEZ GONZALEZ, Samuel (EUSKALTEL – EUSKADI) + 0:09
3 URAN URAN, Rigoberto (SKY PROCYCLING)
4 SANTAMBROGIO, Mauro (BMC RACING)
5 HENAO MONTOYA, Sergio Luis (SKY PROCYCLING)
6 HESJEDAL, Ryder (GARMIN-SHARP)
7 MOLLEMA, Bauke (RABOBANK)
8 ZAUGG, Oliver (RADIOSHACK-NISSAN)
This is the most important triumph of my whole career. Today I was feeling in great shape. When I saw that all my rivals were tired and I felt so great, I realized I had a great chance to win. I managed to make the difference. To tell the truth I thought that somebody would join me, but instead nobody could answer and that makes this victory even greater. I think I was one of the favorites since the beginning.
This afternoon
Photo by me.
@Pedale.Forchetta
Really nice.Thanks for sharing.
@Pedale.Forchetta
Wow! This deserves a repost! So very eccellente’!!!
@VeloVita I was thinking that as well, and Gilbert just doesn’t look right in that outfit.
But when Good Cadel was World Champ, BMC kit was the same but his shorts looked much better with the rainbow stripes.
So what gives?
I bet Gilbert is pissed after working so hard to win the Worlds and then having to ride looking like some Fred who put his kit together from whatever’s on sale at Nashbar.
Perhaps it was so distracting that it caused his crash today?
@Skip
Perfect! +1 to that, Mate!
@G’phant
I’ll get you yet, my pretty. And your little dog, too.
Read elsewhere that Purito is the first Spaniard to win Lombardy, and only the 4th to win a monument. Would never have guessed.
@G’phant
Chapeau, about time you earned a VSP badge of some sort.
@Nate
Damn, cool stat. Who are the other Spanish monument winners and what races? Where’s Oli when you need him? Did Valverde or Flecha ever capture a Monument? I need to do a little homework here on ths one. Wait, Friere won MSR three times, right? That is one of them for sure.
@Nate Thanks. Am loving the leaf. (And, in case you wandered about the inspiration for my ‘acceptance post’ above: http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/giro-di-lombardia-2012/results)
@xyxax
Leave Piti out of this.
@Nate
Valverde had two LBL’s as well. So just missing the one other Panish monument winner. Stumped on that one.
Ha! Sweet race, awesome conditions! I just really get pumped seeing the PROs race that hard in those conditions. Hardmen. And, pretty slick backdrop.
Funny how things work out. Here in NC today I got rained on at 7:55 on my way to soccer, rained on during soccer, rained on during my ride home, rained on during a ride to two LBSs later in the day, rained on during my ride to see a friend, rained on during the pedal home. You get the idea.
BUT, tomorrow is No Sloping Top Tubes Sunday and the weather should be clear. Nice! With some new Veloflex tires on my Casati. Oh boy.
Pedale – HOT photo! You are a real PRO too! Love seeing your shots. Thanks for sharing.
@Buck Rogers
Freire, Piti and some bloke named Miguel Poblet who won MSR twice in the 1950s. Not ashamed to admit I looked that one up!
@G’phant
Hah, I though you were just trying to draft your own completely generic winner’s speech full of empty platitudes. Much better to have someone write it for you.
@TommyTubolare
Apparently I’m more dependent on coffee in the morning than I thought. Fixed.
@G’phant
I’m so glad my mixup with the Sancheseseeseseses didn’t screw you up after reading that. Absolute gold.
@Buck Rogers
Friere won MSR three times; that meas they meant distinct riders. I’ll have to think about the fourth one…
@Pedale.Forchetta
You never cease to amaze. Absolute class shot!!
@Nate
NEVAHHAHDAIM!
@frank
I have no clue what this means but @Buck Rogers already had Friere’s MSRs ID’d.
@Pedale.Forchetta
Hey Pedale, did you also film this? Looks like the same place.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ei9rLvV6NXY
Aha! No, no film from PF, but at 0.38 it’s me chasing the peloton.
I ran for half the Muro…
@Nate
Sounds like old Northern New England for “Never heard of him”? Or perhaps Frank was deep into his cups and his hands just kind of spasmed on the keyboard?
Nate, I had never heard of Poblet. Koblet, yes, Poblet, never.
@Pedale.Forchetta
Sweet. I dream of a day that I may run next to the pros whilst pissed beyond comprehension on whatever local bath-tub swill I am enjoying!
@Buck Rogers
I do believe you’ve got it. Evidently your cups were more synchronized with @frank’s; perhaps I need to have my bottom bracket faced.
I never heard of Poblet, either. Per wikipedia, he had a reasonably illustrious career: one of 3 riders to win stages in the 3 GTs in one year, first Spaniard to podium Paris-Roubaix, 20 Giro stage wins (3rd most by a foreigner).
@Nate
oh yeah, I was deeeeeeeep into my Grand Marnier last night. Such lovely stuff! Love this site, never had heard of him before and had fun trying to figure out the past Spanish winners. Long live the Velominati!
@Buck Rogers
I figured you’d be more of a whiskey man.
@Nate
actually, Bourbon is my drink of choice, but the sweet stuff overcomes me every now and then.
@Buck Rogers
Just as I’m getting ready for my the-kids-are-in-bed bourbon on the rocks, I’m realizing I finished off the last of a bottle last night. Dammit.
Hmmmm bourbon, no ice though, straight up.
Got into it in Las Vegas 2002. Got knocked out of the WSOP at the end of day one (pre poker explosion days only 731 entrants that year) and was consoling myself at the bar of The Four Queens, with a US friend from Portland. He says “Have you tried bourbon?” I replied I had not. Anyways, Makers Mark and a few others later, I was converted…
I’ve always thought of bourbon as being somewhat sweet but I suspect that’s just from being offered Jack Daniels and Coke.
I tend not to like my spirits mixed as a rule, other than G&T of course, and Campari and soda, but that’s dilution rather than mixing.
I’m prepared to give it a try though… I’ll have a look next time I’m in the booze shop to see what brands they have here.
@ChrisO Bourbon is a tiny bit sweeter than other whiskeys (and indeed whiskys). If I remember rightly it’s because of the charred, new oak barrels which give a caremel-y character (as opposed to old and un-charred for Scottish Whisky). Sorry, have gone slightly off topic and I think my booze nerd is showing.
@blackpooltower Bourbon for duty; single malt for pleasure; Armagnac for ecstasy.
@G’phant ‘for duty’ – nice!
@G’phant
Ooohh, I have never had Armagnac, cannot wait to try it.
Yes, bourbon straight, no mix, no ice. I love Pappy Van Winkle but it is sooooooo hard to get a hold of.
Check out what happened to Ballan on the descent of the Sormano:
@Nate
which came first: The fork failure or the crash?
Jesus, hope he is alright. Anyone know if he broke anything(aside from the obvious)?
Lots of crash descending the Colma di Sormano, but no one injured thankfully.
Later on Ballan posted a photo of his helmet, he was very happy that he was wearing one.
yikes.
I prefer this photo, obviously.
@Buck Rogers
I don’t know, but I find the fork alarming. Glad he’s OK.
@Nate
Isn’t that a weird place for forks to snap? Head crown maybe, but part-way down the blades? Weird.