Velominati Super Prestige

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.

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283 Replies to “Velominati Super Prestige: Giro d’Italia 2012 Stage 20”

  1. Basso to go solo, Hesjedal to drop Rodriquez with his powerful climbing, Pozzovivo to pass both and Uran to make Scarponi look bad.

    Or Hesjedal and Basso do a TT up this mountains together.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Basso
    2. Pozzovivo
    3. Hesjedal
    4. Rodriquez
    5. Uran

  2. Go Pozzi!!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Pozzovivo
    2. Scarponi
    3. Basso
    4. Tiralongo
    5. Henao

  3. I expect some way down on GC to pull off a surprise but the top guys to battle it out…

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Basso
    2. U ran U ran
    3. Scarpers
    4. Hesadoll
    5. Rodyourguess

  4. Ever get the feeling that the GC battle will be behind a few climbers who don’t matter on the GC front? Ever wonder if you’re just wasting your time with VSP and will never ever ever get your picks right?

    Yeah. Me too.

    That said, in 2005 Basso lost 42 minutes (he was sick!). Hmm.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Pozzovivo
    2. Rujano
    3. Basso
    4. Scarponi
    5. Hesjedal

  5. Cause if it doesnt happen this way my entire VSP stays in the shitter. From What I have seen, Basso is riding really well as is weight of a nation. I am regretting putting Scarponi in 2nd place but didnt have a good alternative for a rest day change. I dont see J-Rod staying in pink after this one. but again WTF do I know.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Basso
    2. Hesjedal
    3. Scarponi
    4. Uran
    5. J-Rod

  8. I have no idea what I’m doing here, so I’ll just take a guess, based on previous stages.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Hesjedal
    2. Pozzovivo
    3. Barta
    4. Basso
    5. Scarponi

  10. VSP PICKS:

    1. Joaquím Rodríguez
    2. Ivan Basso
    3. Ryder Hesjedal
    4. Michele Scarponi
    5. Dominico Pozzovivo

  11. Still waiting for Ryder to crack. This has to be the day. Also, unfortunately for my overall vsp picks, don’t see scarponi being top five either. Hopefully i’m wrong on both accounts!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Basso
    2. Joaquin rodriguez
    3. Pozzovivo
    4. Uran uran
    5. Tiralongo

  12. Gah…curse my rest days picks…go Ryder!!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. J-rod
    2. Basso
    3. Hesjedal
    4. Kreuziger
    5. Duran Duran

  13. VSP PICKS:

    1. Domenico POZZOVIVO
    2. Michele SCARPONI
    3. Ivan BASSO
    4. Rigoberto URAN URAN
    5. Ryder HESJEDAL

  14. VSP PICKS:

    1. R. Hesjedal
    2. M. Scarponi
    3. I. Basso
    4. Joa. Rodriguez
    5. D. Pozzovivi

  16. Every time I see a photo of that road, that mountain, and that climb it blows my mind. I’m not sure if I’d like to race up it or run and hide if challenged.

    Hey…Ballan is sometimes poked for being a bit homely but what about Uran Uran? With that hair and face he looks a bit like a Caveman to me.

    Will be interesting to see if Astana pulls it back together or caves in and goes quietly.

  17. VSP PICKS:

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

  18. @Roadslave525
    You out there somewhere, Roady? Is the Stelvio still on your agenda for later this year? Lucky bastard!

  19. VSP PICKS:

    1. My Little Pony
    2. Poo-rito
    3. D-Uran D-Uran
    4. Pozzo-bility
    5. Basso Profundo

  20. Not quite sure how I can actually bet to have one diesel winning this and the other diesel in third with a little guy between them. And, more to the point, if I see Basso and Rodriguez going off together, how does Basso come out on top? Hesjedal to finish more than a couple of minutes down; Scarponi another minute back. Uran leads in the others.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Basso
    2. Rodriguez
    3. Hesjedal
    4. Scarponi
    5. Uran

  22. I have a sneaky feeling that Urna will surprise us all though

    VSP PICKS:

    1. rodriguez
    2. hesjedal
    3. basso
    4. Uran
    5. pozzovivo

  23. VSP PICKS:

    1. Basso Ivan
    2. Scarponi Michele
    3. Hesjedal Ryder
    4. Pozzovivo Domenico
    5. Rodriguez Joaquim

  24. What do a fucking know?

    Somone needs to stick that picture of the Stelvio into the meme thngy “what I think I do.” Holy Merckx, I’d love to ride that.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Hesjedal
    2. Basso
    3. Rodriquez
    4. Possovivo
    5. Purito

  26. an original collection…

    VSP PICKS:

    1. basso
    2. hesjedal
    3. rodriguez
    4. scarponi
    5. domenico pozzovivo

  27. @Bianchi Denti

    @Roadslave525
    You out there somewhere, Roady? Is the Stelvio still on your agenda for later this year? Lucky bastard!

    I will be there sept 16 till 19

  28. Nationalist Ryder pick for first. Here’s to hoping.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. hesja
    2. basso
    3. scarp
    4. purito
    5. pozzo

  29. @Ron

    Hey…Ballan is sometimes poked for being a bit homely but what about Uran Uran? With that hair and face he looks a bit like a Caveman to me.

    And he’s so dumb they had to name him twice just so he wouldn’t forget what it was.

  30. Mrs. Steampunk came through the living room just now and I showed her the pic of the Stelvio, mentioning this was on tap for Saturday (which was a subtle hint that I was hoping to watch it). “It doesn’t look too bad,” she says. Mrs. Steampunk lives and breathes Rule V in all aspects of life. As I was about to protest, she followed up with: “I mean, it’s all downhill.” Ah yes: I see now. When I corrected her, she was still dismissive. “How many of them have dropped three children?” I was about to make some kind of comment about Cav and the Schlecks being fairly petulant and a number of them might have dropped all three at one time or another, but was already aware that this was not a debate I was going to win, so I let it slide…

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Rodriguez
    2. Basso
    3. Hesjedal
    4. Scarponi
    5. Uran

  31. Basso rides from the front and leaves them all behind. J-Rod does well to hold but cracks and looses his requisite minute. Ryder does well to hold on to secure a spot on the podium, but he can’t hold Cavendish’s wheel in the final.

    Yeah, my number four pick won’t impact my score, that’s the funny part.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Basso
    2. J-Rod
    3. Pozzovivo
    4. Cavendish
    5. Scarples

  32. @frank
    That’s being fairly charitable, really. Isn’t it Spanish custom for the first last name to be the father’s and the second last name to be the mother’s?

    Pozzovivo: I’ve loved his spunk and climbing through the Giro, but is he really going to challenge on Saturday? Before he can race up the Stelvio, he has to come down three pretty big mountains. I really don’t see him staying in contention…

  35. VSP PICKS:

    1. Ivan Basso
    2. Joaquím Rodríguez Oliver
    3. Roman Kreuziger
    4. Michele Scarponi
    5. Alessandro Ballan

  40. I see what you’re all doing…picks in now so you sit high in the ‘first in best dressed’ stakes, then watch tonight’s stage & change them all accordingly.

    (yes I may be doing the exact same thing)

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Basso
    2. Hesjedal
    3. Pozzovivo
    4. Columbian Caveman
    5. Nieve

  43. I know this is post is for the Giro, but have a look at what Wiggo has been UP to.
    He’s climbed to outer space. Will this help him in the TdF?
    Article here

    Thanks BRR for reading The Telegraph!

  45. First post. Seemed like an appropriate time to stop being a lurker and get involved.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. basso
    2. rodriguez
    3. scarponi
    4. hesjedal
    5. pozzovivo

  46. But hey, whast the hell do I know…..I picked Elder for 5th, and Kruz Missile (well he has lived up to the exploding part of that title) for 4th. Couldn’t be bothered changing my picks on the rest day. Oh and I also said that Weight of the Nation was going to come in just outside the top 5.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Pozzovivo
    2. JRod
    3. Basso
    4. Scarponi
    5. Uran

  47. @Bianchi Denti

    @Roadslave525
    You out there somewhere, Roady? Is the Stelvio still on your agenda for later this year? Lucky bastard!

    Has anyone here climbed the Stelvio? Fucker, that has to be on anyone’s life list of bitchin’ climbs. Fookin’ Nigel’s heading that way? He will slay it. I be jealous.

  48. Boring picks you bet. As long as Ryder hangs tough and doesn’t crack so he can slay all on Sunday. I’ve been wearing my pink jersey out here on Maui to celebrate early. Now how can I watch any of this wicked stage being 12 time zones out? A college style all-nighter? Pizza, pints and espresso, sounds pretty nice.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. pozzovivo
    2. my little pony
    3. basso
    4. red ryder
    5. j-rod

  49. @Steampunk

    @frank
    …trying and failing to come up with some lame Crowded House reference. Sergio Luis Don’t Dream It’s Over. And still failing…

    not necessarily, I kinda like what you did there.

  50. @Gianni

    @Bianchi Denti

    @Roadslave525You out there somewhere, Roady? Is the Stelvio still on your agenda for later this year? Lucky bastard!

    Has anyone here climbed the Stelvio? Fucker, that has to be on anyone’s life list of bitchin’ climbs. Fookin’ Nigel’s heading that way? He will slay it. I be jealous.

    Myself, Mrs Dr and a couple of friends did it last year whist staying at Lake Como. Did the side they are using this year as well. It was fuckin awesome. Not the hardest climb we did (that was the Col de Agnello) but probably the most spectular.I want to post a picture of me on it but can’t access the photo from this puter dammit. Really looking forward the the next couple of days. Last to crack wins I reckon.

    Try this link and look for 4 fine looking people posing under the sign at the top.

    http://www.bicyclinginitaly.com/gallery_details.asp?areaID=13

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