Velominati Super Prestige: Giro di Lombardia 2016

Quietowski leads the remnants of the break around Lake Como. Photo: pedale.forchetta

I turned forty last week. Nothing feels different except all my strength has gone, my memory sucks, and everything hurts now. That, and everything makes me mad because it isn’t the way it used to be. Case in point: the Giro di Lombardia is no longer the last race of the year. (I know it hasn’t been for a while but no one counts that race in Japan or the Tour of Beijing as real races.) And they moved it up so early in the season that the leaves aren’t even falling yet. We call it the race of the falling leaves for a reason, people!

Christ, I miss the Cold War.

At least we can count on @pedale-forchetta to be at the roadside, delivering the most badass photos on the most badass part of the route.

For those of you entering the VSP, don’t let the fact that Paris-Tours and the Words haven’t happened yet fool you. Lombardia is this weekend even though it will barely be October by the time they hit the start line. Get your picks in by the time the clock goes to zero. (Countdown clock’s been fixed, by the way, just in time for the season to end – you’re welcome.)

Kick it.

[vsp_results id=”73758″/]

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

Bianchi Denti says:

Sep 27 2016 at 10:30 pm
Starter for 10...I'm picking Konig to ignore team orders, as a final "Thanks for nothing

" to Sky.

VSP PICKS:
1. Simon Yates
2. Konig
3. Dan Martin
4. Formolo
5. Contador
Bart says:

Sep 27 2016 at 10:36 pm
VSP PICKS:
1. Wout Poels
2. Fabio Aru
3. Daniel Martin
4. Greg van Avermaet
5. Samuel Sanchez
TheDon says:

Sep 27 2016 at 11:30 pm
VSP PICKS:
1. Dumoulin
2. Mollema
3. Gallopin
4. Bardet
5. Contador
TheDon says:

Sep 27 2016 at 11:33 pm
VSP PICKS:
1. Tom Dumoulin
2. Mollema
3. Gallopin
4. Bardet
5. Contador
piwakawaka says:

Sep 28 2016 at 12:55 am
VSP PICKS:
1. Romain Bardet
2. Fabio Aru
3. Greg Van Avermaet
4. Julian Alaphilippe
5. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor)
Adrian says:

Sep 28 2016 at 1:25 am
VSP PICKS:
1. Joaquim Rodriguez
2. Julian Alaphilippe
3. Bauke Mollema
4. Alejandro Valverde
5. Daniel Martin
RobSandy says:

Sep 28 2016 at 1:57 am

I'm turning 35 in a few weeks. Frank you old fuck.

Looking at previous winners, it seems literally any permutation of top 5 is possible. Need to think about this. Or get my dartboard out...
KogaLover says:

Sep 28 2016 at 2:27 am
VSP PICKS:
1. Daniel Martin
2. Rui Costa
3. Tim Wellens
4. Wout Poels
5. Bauke Mollema
sthilzy says:

Sep 28 2016 at 2:32 am
VSP PICKS:
1. Daniel Martin
2. Fabio Aru
3. Michael Albasini
4. Tim Wellens
5. Rigoberto Uran
Teocalli says:

Sep 28 2016 at 3:23 am
VSP PICKS:
1. Daniel Martin
2. Poels
3. Mollema
4. Yates S
5. Frank M