Velominati Super Prestige: Giro di Lombardia 2014
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.
[vsp_results id=”31190″/]
VSP PICKS:
1. gilbert
2. dumoulin
3. arredondo
4. slagter
5. valverde
VSP PICKS:
1. BARDET Romain
2. RODRÃGUEZ Joaquim
3. VALVERDE Alejandro
4. URAN Rigoberto
5. MOLLEMA Bauke
VSP PICKS:
1. J rod
2. Gilbert
3. Aru
4. Rainbows&wildflowersKwiatkowski
5. Dan Martin
VSP PICKS:
1. Dan Martin
2. Greg van Avermaet
3. Mikael Kwiatkowski
4. Alejandro Valverde
5. Daniel Moreno
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Valverde
3. Costa
4. Dan Martin
5. Gallopin
VSP PICKS:
1. Kwiatkowski
2. Van Avermaet
3. J Rodriguez
4. Valverde
5. Gilbert
VSP PICKS:
1. Kwiatkowski
2. Contador
3. J Rodriguez
4. Valverde
5. Gilbert
With the GC out of reach, I’m not sure if my entry would be akin for someone going for a stage win when out of contention, or is more like that knucklehead sprinting for 35th place.
VSP PICKS:
1. Tom Dumoulin
2. Alberto Contador
3. Rui Costa
4. Romain Bardet
5. Warren Barguil
Shooting at falling leaves
VSP PICKS:
1. Van Avermaet
2. Valverde
3. Kwiatkowski
4. J Rodriguez
5. Gilbert
VSP PICKS:
1. Kwiatkoski
2. Dan Martin
3. Valverde
4. Albasini
5. J Rodriguez
Stunningly unoriginal picks. Stunningly bad picks. That’s been the sorry tale of my VSP this year. Here’s to the 2015 season.
VSP PICKS:
1. Dan Martin
2. Kwiatkowski
3. Rodriguez
4. Bardet
5. Gilbert
Edit for not reading start list…
VSP PICKS:
1. Contador
2. Valverde
3. Kwiatkowski
4. J Rodriguez
5. Gilbert
VSP PICKS:
1. Valverde
2. Rodriguez
3. Dan Martin
4. Dani Moreno
5. Gilbert
remember – course changed this year
VSP PICKS:
1. GVA
2. J-Rod
3. ‘Berto
4. Bauke
5. D Caruso
can’t see GVA on the start list….
VSP PICKS:
1. Tony Gallopin
2. Dan Martin
3. Roman Kreuziger
4. Michal Kwaitkowski
5. Adam Yates
I hope Vino is telling the boys not to win this…might look suspicious…
I’m not a GC guy. Topped out on the Worlds ITT and feel I can call it a good season.
Love to see Contador win this one. Doped or not, he’s a fighter, but you can’t even be considered to be one of the ‘Great’ ones without winning the Rainbow Bands or a Classic. Yes, winning a Grand Tour is enough to call it a career, but you’ll never be ‘Great’.
Unfortunately Valverde is Mr. Consistent (Tour, San Sebastian, Vuelta, Worlds). You’d think he’d be tired by now. I see this going down like San Sebastian.
That said, Alessandro De Marchi will win from a breakaway. But breakways are too hard to predict.
VSP PICKS:
1. Valverde, Alejandro
2. RodrÃguez, JoaquÃm
3. Gilbert, Philippe
4. Gallopin, Tony
5. Mollema, Bauke
VSP PICKS:
1. Valverde
2. JRod
3. Dan Martin
4. Aru
5. Moreno
I will be on the top of the Ghisallo to see the race !!!!!!!!
VSP PICKS:
1. Contador
2. Aru
3. Rodriguez
4. Valverde
5. Caruso
VSP PICKS:
1. Dan Martin
2. Philippe Gilbert
3. Warren Barguil
4. Joaquim Rodriguez
5. Tony Gallopin
VSP PICKS:
1. Wee Danny Martin
2. Caruso
3. Aru
4. Gallopin
5. Gilbert
VSP PICKS:
1. Contador, Alberto
2. Rodriguez, Joaquin
3. Valverde, Alejandro
4. Gallopin, Tony
5. Sanchez, Samuel
I love autumn. All images copied from Pez Cycling News.
VSP PICKS:
1. Contador, Alberto
2. Rodriguez, Joaquin
3. Valverde, Alejandro
4. Gallopin, Tony
5. Sanchez, Samuel
VSP PICKS:
1. J Rodriguez
2. A Valverde
3. A Contador
4. F Aru
5. D Moreno
VSP picks
VSP Picks:
Dan Martin
Philippe Gilbert
Warren Barguil
Joaquim Rodriguez
Tony Gallopin
pedal, pedal, pedal
VSP PICKS:
1. Dan Martin
2. Gallopin
3. Gilbert
4. Valverde
5. Contador
VSP PICKS:
1. martin
2. valverde
3. contador
4. rodriguez
5. kwiatkowski
VSP PICKS:
1. GILBERT, Phillipe
2. VALVERDE, Alejandro
3. GALLOPIN, Tony
4. RODRIGUEZ, Joaquin
5. Martin, Dan
VSP PICKS:
1. Valverde
2. J Rod
3. Michal Kwaitkowski
4. Dan Martin
5. Tony Gallopin
VSP PICKS:
1. Alejandro Valverde
2. Joachim Rodriguez
3. Michal Kwiatkowski
4. Dan Martin
5. Alberto Contador
VSP PICKS:
1. Warren Barguil
2. Daniel Martin
3. Daniel Moreno
4. Valverde
5. Uran Uran
Here goes
VSP PICKS:
1. Malmerde
2. J Rod
3. Dan Martin
4. Dani Moreno
5. Giblets
My guess is it’ll be rank outsiders. Davide Formolo showed well in Montreal. Wish I had the stones to pick Gallopin to win. I like that guy.
VSP PICKS:
1. A. Valverde
2. J. Rodriguez
3. A. Contador
4. P. Gilbert
5. T. Gallopin
VSP PICKS:
1. Valverde
2. J Rod
3. Gilbert
4. Aru
5. Contador
VSP PICKS:
1. Joaquin Rodriguez
2. Valverde
3. Contador
4. Aru
5. Kwiatkowski
“It’s a crazy idea and so it might not be taken into consideration [by the team]. I have suffered and I still suffer physically but I believe that that the head makes the difference.”
Indeed it does, Domenico, indeed it does.
VSP PICKS:
1. Pozzovivo
2. Aru
3. De Marchi
4. Hesjedal
5. Zaugg
VSP PICKS:
1. Valverde
2. Purito
3. Gilbert
4. Contador
5. Martin
Forgot that Contador is racing.
VSP PICKS:
1. Valverde
2. Rodriguez
3. Contador
4. Gilbert
5. Dani Moreno
VSP PICKS:
1. Kelderman
2. Aru
3. Phil Gil
4. Bardet
5. Moser
VSP PICKS:
1. Rodriguez
2. Contador
3. Kwiatkowski
4. Aru
5. Valverde
Philly shatters JRods hat trick dreams with a little late season magic…
…or not.
VSP PICKS:
1. Philbert
2. JRod
3. Kwiatkowski
4. Dan Martin
5. Valdirty
I’m picking team issue shorts and no extraneous rainbow decoration. Cav knows how it’s done, hopefully he’s had a word.
VSP PICKS:
1. CONTADOR VELASCO Alberto
2. VALVERDE BELMONTE Alejandro
3. KWIATKOWSKI Michal
4. ARU Fabio
5. CATALDO Dario
Caution – Wind.
Attack fest.
White rainbow bibs.
VSP PICKS:
1. Simon Yates
2. Gilbert
3. Kwiatowski
4. Valverde
5. JRod
VSP PICKS:
1. Rodriguez, J
2. valverde, a
3. Contador, a
4. martin, d
5. kwiatkowski, m
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Dan Martin
3. Kwiatkowski
4. Rodriguez
5. Valverde
Let em fall…
VSP PICKS:
1. A. Valverde
2. D. Martin
3. P. Gilbert
4. A. Contador
5. J. Rodriguez
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Dan Martin
3. Valverde
4. Kwiatkowski
5. Rodgriguez
@JCM great images
can anyone confirm that it is not a post race recovery beverage being poured into the bidon (canteen?)
of the third placed rider .
VSP PICKS:
1. contador
2. j rod
3. valverde
4. martin
5. aru