Velominati Super Prestige: Giro d’Italia 2012 Stage 20

The famous bends of the Stelvio

See that huge mountain over there? The one with the steep, twisty road going up it? The one that is often covered in snow this time of year? Right, race ya to the top.

I don’t know what more there is to say about this year’s Giro; four days from the end, with two of the biggest mountain stages yet to come and the G.C., Mountains, and Points competitions are all wide open. Basso is looking perhaps the freshest of the favorites, but Hope of a Nation is not looking to be weakening, either. Purito hasn’t shown weakness, though he also hasn’t really been able to show the speed he usually has on the uphill finishes; on his trademark uphill finale attacks, the slower men have (usually) been able to contain him. The Pony, on the other hand, showed his scars as he cracked on the way over the last hill on Wednesday’s stage and seems to be on the down side of his good form as we enter the final stretch.

Friday’s stage may well solidify the looks of things, but Saturday’s stage to the top of the Stelvio will be fireworks for sure. Clear your calendars for Friday and Saturday; this is going to be good.

Since this is a Tour stage, point on offer are 5 for first, 4 four second, 3 for third, 2 for fourth, and 1 for 5th. No bonus points for the right rider in the wrong place. Get your picks in by the time the countdown timer goes to zero. Points count towards your overall VSP total but do not effect your Giro VSP total. 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

Mikel Pearce says:

May 25 2012 at 11:37 am

@Steampunk

@Mikel Pearce
Post-ride drinks could take on a whole new meaning. Of course, it could also mean we might be bombarded by a whole summer horde of fat, rule-breaking new adopters of our fine sport, clogging up "our" roads on steeds for which they are wholly unworthy (yes: we should embrace this missionary work).

Too, there's an outside chance the Ontario Cogal could start with an espresso with Steve Bauer, who is scheduled to meet the CBC (Canadian for BBC) at our point of departure on Sunday morning (though I fear we'll miss him by an hour or so). I indirectly invited him to join us in case he preferred a ride (Rule 9 conditions quite likely) over watching the TT...

As I said, , those fat, rule breaking slobs will make bling bikes cheaper for you and me, and might also help to push to make more room for bikes on our roads ... The more the better, I say. We can TEACH them the Rules FFS!

Ryder rocks. So hoping he can pull it off.
Bianchi Denti says:

May 25 2012 at 12:15 pm

Scarponi to win overall by breaking away on stage 20 with my random Basque removed from pre-event picks. Stranger things have happened...

VSP PICKS:

1. Benat Intxausti Elorriaga
2. Scarponi
3. Pozzovivo
4. Purito
5. Basso
Calmante says:

May 25 2012 at 12:19 pm

VSP PICKS:

1. Hesjedal
2. Basso
3. Rodriguez
4. Scarponi
5. Pozzovivo
Trobs says:

May 25 2012 at 1:06 pm

VSP PICKS:

1. Basso
2. Hesjedal
3. J Rod
4. Scarponi
5. Pozzi
tomb says:

May 25 2012 at 1:22 pm

VSP PICKS:

1. Basso
2. Rodriguez
3. Hesjedal
4. Scarponi
5. Intxausti
Nate says:

May 25 2012 at 1:47 pm

VSP PICKS:

1. pozzovivo
2. purito
3. hesjdal
4. scarponi
5. basso
CanuckChuck says:

May 25 2012 at 1:53 pm

VSP PICKS:

1. Joaquim Rodriguez
2. Ryder Hesjedal
3. Michele Scarponi
4. Michele Scarponi
5. Michele Scarponi
nico says:

May 25 2012 at 2:43 pm

VSP PICKS:

1. Joaquim Rodriguez
2. Ryder Hesjedal
3. Michele Scarponi
4. Pozzovivo
5. Ivan Basso
Simon says:

May 25 2012 at 3:28 pm

Scarponi looked fucked as flatfish at the finish today, even amongst the rest of the wreckage. Now I've said that, he'll win it, you watch.

VSP PICKS:

1. Joaquim Rodriguez
2. Pozzovivo
3. Uran
4. Hesjedal
5. Basso
Adrian says:

May 25 2012 at 4:07 pm

Come on "He who cycles with wolves" hang in there and it's all yours

VSP PICKS:

1. Scarponi
2. Pozzovivo
3. Ituraldi
4. Hesjedal
5. Rodriguez