Categories: Velominati Super Prestige

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.

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View Comments

Pedale.Forchetta says:

Oct 13 2011 at 2:01 pm

Ahah! I'd love to see this result!

VSP PICKS:

1. Michele Scarponi
2. Vincenzo Nibali
3. Damiano Cunego
4. Alessandro De Marchii
5. Thomas LÃ¶vkvist
wiscot says:

Oct 13 2011 at 2:13 pm

@Buck Rogers
Yreah, but Patty McQuaid's gotta get another sweet foreign trip in and impress people who can be impressed by him. I doubt anyone in Europe respects him anymore. Maybe he'll try and get the Chinese to make all their production subject to UCI approval and get that wee sticker. IMHO, the Tour of Beijing will become like the Japan Cup - something a few riders do to end their season but not something that really matters in the big scheme of things. A nice wee anomaly and nothing more.
Netraam says:

Oct 13 2011 at 2:28 pm

VSP PICKS:

1. Moreno
2. Cunego
3. Mollema
4. Gilbert
5. Nibali
Oli says:

Oct 13 2011 at 2:29 pm

Beijing may well be a factor, but until the relatively recent moves in the calendar Lombardy used to be raced the weekend following Worlds so I think it's great to see the UCI restore that tradition. Better debut showing for the Maillot Arc-en-Ciel than Paris-Tours, fo sho.

VSP PICKS:

1. Gilbert
Dr C says:

Oct 13 2011 at 2:30 pm

WTF

VSP PICKS:

1. Tommy V
2. Urano
3. Sammy Sanchez
4. Sandy Casar
5. Gerrans
mcsqueak says:

Oct 13 2011 at 2:55 pm

Alternate Seattle Cogal VSP FTW.

VSP PICKS:

1. Cyclops
2. Scaler911
3. Frank
4. EightZero
5. mcsqueak
Roberto Marques says:

Oct 13 2011 at 3:07 pm

VSP PICKS:

1. Gilbert
2. Cunego
3. Nibali
4. Voeckler
5. Samuel Sanchez
King Clydesdale says:

Oct 13 2011 at 3:26 pm

@Buck Rogers

Well the results from the Giro del Piemonte cemented him in the top. AG2R is looking for points bad right now, so he will be working hard again this weekend.

Avermaet may replace velits still, i'm going to sleep on it.
Nate says:

Oct 13 2011 at 3:27 pm

@Steampunk

Are you sure? Frank's rarely wrong about these kinds of things. Every post is meticulously researched.

Aren't you some sort of professor? You should be able to tell that Frank abhors research without him having to tell you so.

@frank

You're 'Murcan? Berkley, no less. So you're snobby, too. Shocker. I wonder why I thought you were from down under?
Ah well, just when you think you know someone. Oh, and thanks for reassuring me that the articles actually get read.

Can't say why you thought I was antipodean. Yes, Berkeley. Curious why you think that makes me a snob (above and beyond the fact that I appreciate the obsessive commentary around here).

And of course the articles get read. They are meticulously crafted, and I am honored to have been the object of your research-aversion.
King Clydesdale says:

Oct 13 2011 at 3:33 pm

Also, has Pierre Rolland been up to anything since Alp d'Huez? This would be a decent classic for him but he didn't make the startlist.