Velominati Super Prestige: Giro di Lombardia

No event of the year is more likely to provide piles of Rule #9 in the Five and Dime than il Giro di Lombardia. A hilly circuit around Lake Como ensures lots of climbing and that the bunch is blown to bits before the finish. Add to that its position as the last classic of the season, nestled in amongst the falling leaves of mid-October, and you’re nearly certain the weather will be terrible. The fact that it is being moved from October to September is distressing on several levels, not least that I’m certain the weather will be better. Good for the riders, bad for us; the way you hear some of the race organizers and the UCI talk, you’d almost thing they actually put the riders’ well-being before the amusement of the public. That can’t be right.

But most importantly, the Giro di Lombardia represents the final edition of this year’s VSP. The results are all but buttoned up for Nate, although both Marcus and G’Phant are in with a mathematical chance of taking over the win with a perfect score and Nate pulling a Delgado.

VSP G.C.
1. Nate (120 points)
2. Marcus (109 points)
3. G’phant (107 points)

(Antipodal VSP Podium. Interesting.)

You know the drill, get your picks in by 5am Pacific on Saturday. Depending on how things go, we may be late to post the final results as the race organizers and the UCI scheduled the event in conjunction with the Seattle Cogal. Oh, and if you don’t know what time 5am Pacific is and your Google Skills are not sufficient to elucidate that for you, I suggest you simply don’t cut it too close.

Good luck.

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.

View Comments

  • Ah what the hell... good luck to the top 3 VSP candidates, this could go down to the wire!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Cunny lingers
    2. GVA
    3. Giblets
    4. Dirty Sammy
    5. T5

  • @Nate
    I adhere to much the same standard in my professional work. Which is why I need to back Frank up like this...

  • And further to this...

    1. Wallabies
    2. Wales
    3. All Blacks
    4. France

    Don't count on doing any business with New Zealand next week. It will be closed for mourning.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Van de Walle
    2. Gerro
    3. Gilbert
    4. Basso
    5. Chris Sorensen

  • Basically an unexpected break stays away. Not likely, but since everyone else has already picked Gilbert to win, this would be the only way to move up a place or two.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Maxime Bouet
    2. Jose Serpa Perez
    3. Maxim Iglinskiy
    4. Sylvain Chavanel
    5. Stijn Devolder

  • Philly finishes the season with a bang?

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Philbert
    2. JRod
    3. Nibali
    4. Sam Sanchez
    5. Cunego

  • @Rose City Rolleur

    Basically an unexpected break stays away. Not likely, but since everyone else has already picked Gilbert to win, this would be the only way to move up a place or two.
    VSP PICKS:
    1. Maxime Bouet2. Jose Serpa Perez3. Maxim Iglinskiy4. Sylvain Chavanel5. Stijn Devolder

    Like your style, RCR! Logic and skill wins VSPs, but panache wins hearts.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Visconti
    2. Fedrigo
    3. Gerrans
    4. Chavanel
    5. De Gendt

  • Sorry to disappoint, but it looks like fair weather with high pressure in control. May be a bit breezy at times however, with winds gusting past 25 knots.

  • @mcsqueak

    He graduated from the same college as me. But he majored in Graphic Design and Broadcasting. I studied meteorology with a math minor. He donated the money for an impressive tv studio on campus, he gave ZERO to the meteorology program.

    The fact that he gets paid as much as he does makes me sour.

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