Velominati Super Prestige: Giro di Lombardia 2014

After the leaves have fallen. Photo: Pedale.Forchetta

I’m getting too old and cranky for all this race schedule changing. I know they already did this last year and presumably I had the same gripings then, but Lombardia is supposed to close out the season and I’m downright angry that Paris-Tours is closing out the books now; it only seems right that one of the most beautiful races should close out the season, not some sprinter’s classic that even The Prophet didn’t bother to win.

Speaking of the end of the year, this season has blown by; it seems only a moment ago that the cobbled classics were in full flight and the whole of the season was stretching out before us. That confirms it: Time is an asshole. On the other hand, time always provides another season so I guess that’s a redeeming quality.

Ok, the caffeine is kicking in and I’m now capable of an emotion other than resentment, so lets get more positive. There’s a beautiful race coming this weekend so get stoked! We have a newly crowned World Champion whose choice of bib shorts color to scrutinize. This is important work, people, and no one else is going to do it. His team has a strong track record for pairing leader and championship jerseys to team-issue bibs, with the glaring exception of Der Panzerwagan’s white (and bloody) skinsuit. My money is on team-issue.

Remember we have some major prizes on offer; @il muro di manayunk has a solid lead, but if he’s out of the points and Der @Steampunk has a good showing, anything can happen. (That might not be true, it might be mathematically impossible but I don’t feel like doing the math.) So prognosticate on the start list and get your picks in by midnight on Saturday Pacific Time (or when the clock goes to zero). Cheers, and good luck.

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frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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View Comments

simonsaunders says:

Oct 4 2014 at 11:58 pm

a year of guessing draws to the penultimate stab in the dark

VSP PICKS:

1. J-rod
2. Dumoulin
3. Valverde
4. Fabio Aru
5. Contador
Osbk67 says:

Oct 5 2014 at 12:09 am

VSO PICKS:

1. Philippe Gilbert

2. Dan Martin

3. Joaquim Rodriguez

4. Alessandro de Marchi

5. Daniel Moreno
dyalander says:

Oct 5 2014 at 1:01 am

1 delgado (curse you Internet gods)

2. Valverde

3. Aru

4. J Rod

5. Gilbert

6. Moreno

There's always next year.
Mikael Liddy says:

Oct 5 2014 at 1:38 am

Based on the video OPQS have released there's no danger of white bibs.
Jay says:

Oct 5 2014 at 5:44 am

Damn! I delgadoed this one.

I will disclose what my picks would have been after the final results are known...
Buck Rogers says:

Oct 5 2014 at 7:03 am

@Mikael Liddy

Based on the video OPQS have released there's no danger of white bibs.

Kid is growing and growing in my mind. Soooo, so was mad at him when he SMOKED Sagan at Strade this Spring as I wanted Sagan to win. Then I was watching the T-A Stage where he blew up and Contador took the lead but and kept going, even though he lost about 8 minutes. He's got guts and thankfully has passed the Rainbow Turd test as well.
starclimber says:

Oct 5 2014 at 7:50 am

Favourites carnage in full swing with 10 to go. I'd be delighted if Weening managed to somehow eke this out: properly eccentric and tough as fuck.
Erik says:

Oct 5 2014 at 8:30 am

Does anyone else long for the days when you had to actually click through to get race results from cyclingnews? I know that it is a better website than it used to be, but I could find out results by reading the live stream in order to pretend like I hadn't missed the whole thing. Now, you log onto a website and you know who won immediately.

Get off my lawn, you crazy kids.

Anyway.
The Grande Fondue says:

Oct 5 2014 at 8:38 am

1 Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin Sharp 6:25:33
2 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Movistar Team 0:00:01
3 Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Por) Lampre-Merida
4 Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Belisol
5 Samuel Sanchez (Spa) BMC Racing Team
Jay says:

Oct 5 2014 at 8:43 am

1 Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin Sharp 6:25:33
2 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Movistar Team 0:00:01
3 Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Por) Lampre-Merida
4 Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Belisol
5 Samuel Sanchez (Spa) BMC Racing Team

Damn... Exactly as I predicted. Oh well.