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.
No way these guys will all be in a break together. Just rolling the dice Vegas style.
VSP PICKS:
1. Scraps only
2. Nibbles
3. Sorensen
4. Brajkovic
5. phil gil
@Jamin
Screw it. Where’s Marcus, lets let him get his shot in then I’m off to kill myself before we fricken lose.
VSP PICKS:
1. Chavanel.
2. What Pedale Forchetta picked
@mcsqueak
Thank you good sir, but you do realize all a guy has to do to be state champion in Idaho is smash a potatoe while wearing lycra. You think the skinheads actually let them on the road? Just target practice. Im’a going to crush the Cogal VSP!
@Rose City Rolleur
admirable tactic, I think you should get double points if your man wins
Missed the last VSP due to being in another country without access to the webs, so here’s hoping I pull a large one out of the freckle
VSP PICKS:
1. Phil Gil
2. Guaca Molle
3. Sam San
4. J-Rod
5. Nibbles
@Dr C
please Merckx don’t let the Wallabies win at the weekend
@minion
Bring it on for Sunday I say. The Convicts won’t be able to do it this year – the All Blacks will go all the way.
VSP PICKS:
1. The same picks as Marcus
As an aside, I take back any and all shit I’ve ever given MT bikers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2oymHHyV1M&feature=youtu.be
though you’ve all already seen this I’m sure
@scaler911
I think you are the third Velominatus to post it, but that one won’t get old. Brutal how the fucker rotates 90 degrees while airborne to start the dude off with the horns and finish him off with the hind legs.
VSP PICKS:
1. phil gilbert
2. j j cobo
3. dan martin
4. greg van avermaet
5. tommy voeckler
VSP PICKS:
1. Fuglsang
2. Voekler
3. S. Sanchez
4. Nibali
5. Gilbert
Scarponi isn’t riding. Really bad, I loved seeing him and Gilbert last year.
@minion
Convicts and Southern Sheep Molesters to fight it out for the First and Second Loser positions. Northern Sheep Molesters for the win. Current Emgland team to be merged with the football team. Woodward/Deano combo to head up the win in 2015. I’ll buy the first round at the 2015 cogal if I’m wrong!
Been a fun week in NZ. Whenever anyone has asked me who I think will win on the weekend I’ve said Gilbert. Apparently I’m a dick.
VSP PICKS:
1. Giblets
2. Simone Gerrans
3. Visconti
4. Dirty Sammy
5. Roche Jnr
Have got to figure an Italian will step up to be counted at some point this year in a major race. And god, I love this race… the bittersweet feelings of the end of the year and a mid-table finish in the VSP
VSP PICKS:
1. cunego
2. nibali
3. gilbert
4. sanchez
5. sorensen
Love that photo! The VMH fell asleep the other night & I snuck in some race videos from my ‘tube playlist. One of them happened to be that very, very wet 2010 edition (that’s ’10, right?). Cool racing, crazy weather.
I guess this weekend will provide closure; I can move on with the year & accept that a V-apron just isn’t in the cards for me this year. At least there was a ton of great racing with the added excitement of the VSP.
I want to put about 12 names, cutting it to 5 is hard. GVA has the form right now and will be tough to beat methinks. I bet against Phil at San Seb and paod for it but I think he will still be in the mix but not dominating. Sky and Rabo have som dudes on form too and should animate the race but this is a monument and so the winner will need to be special.
This is my 3rd favourite race and I cannot wait!
VSP PICKS:
1. Greg Van Avermaet
2. Damiao Cunego
3. Phil Gilbert
4. Vincenzo Nibali
5. Thomas Voeckler
@G’phant
Yes, but you’re our dick. Wait, what? That didn’t come out the way I meant…
With that antelope video fresh in my head I was in fear of imminent donkey attack on my ride this morning.
We had made the trip down to the mountains in the east of the UAE and there are lots of goats and the occasional donkey wandering around.
As I was climbing a 8-10% hill, and as the lead rider, I came up to this donkey at the side of the road who got a bit alarmed and started running along the side just ahead. Then the roadside narrowed so he came onto the road, and I was thinking that at some point if he runs out of space and feels harassed enough he could just turn around and bolt at me.
And without anyone to video it I wouldn’t even make any money from the clip rights.
VSP PICKS:
1. Rodriguez
2. Sammy Sanchez
3. Cunego
4. Mollema
5. Uran
what the hell. wont get to watch this, but it should be an awesome race. have a damn good time to you guys doing the Cogal.
VSP PICKS:
1. Boss Hogg
2. Cunego
3. Sorensen
4. Nibali
5. Sammy Sanchez
VSP PICKS:
1. cunego
2. gilbert
3. scarponi
4. sammy sanchez
5. nibali
@All Whilst I agree that it is a massive mistake to move this race it really does allow for Velominati to set up an Annual Cogal to be run each year at this time. With the advantage of more than a weeks notice, people will be able to plan attendance and maybe even get good deals on group travel and accomodation to wherever the Annual Velominati Cogal is that year. Wherever it is held it must at least provide a 70% chance of VVeather patterns to enhance the pain experienced by all.
We’ll go with one favorite and four dark horses, but what the hell do I know.
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Nicolas Roche
3. Daniel Martin
4. Basso
5. Janez Brajkovic
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Dani Moreno
3. Eddy Boss
4. Barredo
5. Cunego
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Mollema
3. Van Avermaet
4. Nibali
5. Fuglsang
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Van Avermaet
3. Mollema
4. Visconti
5. Voekler
Still thinking. But is Cavendish really starting? The CN start list says he is? Anyone? Not that I think he can win this or anything, just, interesting. Afterall, he is known for his climbing ability.
VSP PICKS:
1. Sammy Sanchez
2. Little Tommy V
3. Le Mevel
4. Scarponi
5. Nibbles
No idea if Johnny is on the start list, but he is now on my permant VSP list.
VSP PICKS:
1. Can he go?
2. Sammy S
3. Nibbles
4. Steijn
5. Hoogerland
VSP PICKS:
1. Phast Phil
2. Cunego
3. Cobo
4. J-Rod
5. Voeckler
Question answered re: Cav. Thanks CN for your timely and helpful reportage.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/no-tour-of-lombardy-for-cavendish
Neither wind nor rain nor fog forecast for the start/finish.
Gilbert will keep his appointed rounds.
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Van Avermaet
3. Visconti
4. Mollema
5. Lastras
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Van Avermet
3. Visconti
4. Nibali
5. Betancur
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Greg VA
3. Nibali
4. Mollema
5. Cunego
VSP PICKS:
1. Cunego
2. Fast Phil
3. J-rod
4. Sammy Sanchez
5. Rui Costa
Here goes nothing, one last time.
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Nibbles
3. Van Avermaet
4. Visconti
5. Mollema
Looking forward to 2012
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Mollema
3. Van Avermaet
4. Cunego
5. Nibali
9:25 a.m., live, Universal Sports. That is the only thing I am sure of right now. The only way to move up a few places is to pick someone other than Phil Gil but I just don’t see how he can’t win.
Here goes.
VSP PICKS:
1. Greg Van Avermaet
2. Daniel Martin
3. Vincenzo Nibali
4. Juan Jose Cobo
5. Damiano Cunego
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilly Bear
2. Sanchez
3. Visconti
4. J
Let’s see if I can get all my picks in this time. Looking to move up one spot to the VSP podium
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilly Bear
2. Nibbles
3. Visconti
4. J-Rod
5. Mollema
VSP PICKS:
1. L’ours des Ardennes
2. Carlos Alberto Betancour Gomez
3. Nibali
4. Uran
5. Le mevel
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Nibali
3. Van Avermaet
4. Visconti
5. Cunego
Everyone riding in seattle tm have fun! If the weather is anything like it is here in Vancouver you couldnt have picked a better fall day.
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Scarponi
3. Voeckler
4. Van avaerrmaeett
5. NIBALI
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Van Avermaet
3. J-Rod
4. Voeckler
5. Cunego
Eddie BH
Giblets
Nibbles
J-rod
Pozzato
Likely to do about as well as the rest of my picks this year. Ach well…form is temporary and all that.
Cobo has already climbed off. Come on! Put a guy in your picks and he climbs off.
It’s looking like one race too many for Gilbert. I suspect the real problem is that the normally uber-compliant Belgian today appears to be riding in violation of Rule #39.
Great effort from Nibali to get away, and now he’s over the Ghisallo with a minute lead…
Wow, they just showed the replay of Nibali escaping – he just rides off and drops Gilbert on a climb. For that alone he deserves to win a Monument !
They’re closing it down a bit. Should be a great finish!
But is G1 just Paolini?