After a winter of long training rides that offered more in the way of numb extremities than it did in acute enjoyment, I have to say that the warming of the air and brightening of the skies have served to remind me that while I love riding in bad weather, I certainly don’t have anything against riding when its nice out.
But dont think for a minute that this quells my desire to watch the Pros battle the elements as well as each other and, quite frankly, after a Spring Classics campaign that gave us only fleeting tastes of Rule #9 Glory, I welcome the arrival of the 2012 Giro d’Italia which holds the distinction of being held in the worst weather and over the worst roads. Come July, I’ll get just as wound up as anyone about the biggest racing spectacle of the year, but in my heart, the Giro d’Italia is the best Grand Tour of the three.
All that said, I’m a little disappointed to see that the Giro starts in Denmark. Not that I have anything against Denmark – lovely place – it’s just that this choice takes us away from the classical Giro opening week involving a mountaintop finish or two and gives us a Tour de France-style opening week of flat stages and crosswinds. We’ll have to wait almost two weeks before we start seeing the riders cross the highest passes and hitting the uphill finishes, though the final week does appear to set us up for considerable fireworks as the second-last stage will see the riders cross the Mortirolo and finish atop the Stelvio.
What does this mean for the VSP? Quite a bit, actually. Bearing in mind the changes we’ve made to the Rest-Day picks from the years past, it means that as the race settles out, those who have made changes to their lineup on the first rest day will not have the opportunity to do so again on the second rest day. And, those who wait for the second day will see steep penalties tallying up against their totals. But on the line is a Symbol Pack, the chance to post for the rest of year with the Maglia Rosa VSP Badge and, of course, the grand prize of the personalized Shop Apron. Check the start list and with any divine beings that you might be able to influence, and then get your picks in by the time the countdown timer goes to zero at 5am Pacific on the 5th May.
For reference, please review the new Grand Tour scoring and penalty guidelines. Also note that since these new rules required new coding and this represents the first Grand Tour, there is always the chance that there are defects in the code. Watch your picks and your points as we move through the event and alert us of any anomalies. If your points seem wrong, use the dispute function to alert us of the matter; complaints in the posts feed to this effect will be ignored. Finally, don’t leave anything to the last minute so we have time to fix any problems before its too late. Good luck.
Scoring:
Readers who wish to enter shall enter their predictions for the top five placings on General Classification of each Grand Tour by 5am on the day of the first stage or prologue.
Points
Points will be scored as follows: 20 points for first place, 15 for second, 10 for third, 7 for fourth, and 5 for fifth; plus 3 points per rider in the top five regardless of the rider’s placing, but riders are not scored twice.
Changing of the Picks*
Contestants are allowed to make line up changes on one of the rest days of the Grand Tours but not both. These changes will come with a point penalty. You will be allotted one (1) rest day to make swaps in grand tours. You pick either the first or second rest day. The penalties for swapping will be lower for the first rest day than the second. This will allow you to swap out a rider(s) who gets caught in some first week nervousness with a 5 point penalty for each swap. Or make some go for broke/doomed to fail break-away swap on the second rest day for a 10 point penalty per swap. You make one swap or five on either rest day for the corresponding 5 or 10 point penalty per swap.
Additionally, if one of your riders crashes out, DNF’s, or DNS’s, you may swap them out on a rest day with corresponding penalties if you haven’t already used up your one rest day swap. The only exception to this is riders who are booted from a race for a positive test; if your rider is on the juice and gets chucked off the race, you get a free swap of that rider within 24 hours of the disqualification.
[vsp_results id=”15814″]
[/vsp_results]
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View Comments
My gut is telling me that Basso, having recently been thinking about pulling out of the Giro entirely is not up to it mentally. Grimpelder has been two months from peaking for this whole season, and I don't think he cares that much right now... So, because most teams are going for stage wins rather than the GC, I'm betting on local hungry talent to step up and pick up the slack.
I often wish that the VSP could be done stage to stage, as I'm convinced that Vaitkus is going to take a stage or two.
VSP PICKS:
1. Rujano
2. Pozzovivo
3. Hesjedal
4. Scarponi
5. Pinotti
@Steampunk
Hey, I read it last year. I know you're an academic so I'll look forward to your thoughts on it. Right now, I'll reserve my thoughts until you've finished it. . .
I'm guessing Basso will find form but only have one really good day. The Pony ought to be more consistent.
VSP PICKS:
1. Scarponi
2. Basso
3. Gadret
4. Ryder
5. Kreuziger
In the spirit of diving into the debate, anyone who says the Giro isn't sexy needs to have their head examined. I'm looking at you @Brett. I'm obsessed with the Tour, but in sweet, sweet, sweaty saddle kinda love with the Giro. I can standing missing a stage and catching up on it later with le Tour. The Giro keeps me wanting, waiting, needing more.
That said, I'm worried this this new organizer has made her soft. Less daring.
As for the picks, this is a tough one... another reason why I love this race. (Unlike the Tour, where barring injury I already have my picks and am set for a really boring split screen view of Wiggo and Cuddles time trialing with a clock below showing the various splits).
So...
Scarponi, because he hung with Contador and has something to prove.
Kreuziger... because J-Rod can't time trial
J-Rod... because Basso will ultimately falter
Basso... because he knows how to win
Gadret... because he has a bad-ass trailer, because when Roche asked him for a wheel he just rode by and said, "non," and because Roche isn't riding this year because (and here is one for the debate) Roche is just as whiny as the Schlecks. If his dad wants to improve the sport so much, he should tell his son to Harden the Fuck Up.
No Schleck. I've given up on them.
VSP PICKS:
1. Michele Scarponi
2. Roman Kreuziger
3. Joaquim Rodriguez
4. Ivan Basso
5. John Gadret
@Sauterelle
OK, so the Kelly comment was the first thought I could pull out of my ass... I didn't want to disrupt the theme. Next, Cunego has some good days left in his medicine cabinet... I mean legs!
@Skinnyphat
Are we sure he's post-juice? I don't have the data, impossible to tell. And post-Puerto, he still managed to win one. Against Cuddles.
I agree, though, these guys who think they can win the Tour are on crack; fast-forward two months to the pace getting upped and them dropping off the back of the group while Tommy V holds on. Oh well, if they didn't have delusions of grandeur, they wouldn't be Pros in the first, place, right? Gotta start with dreaming big, I suppose.
@mouse
Have you watched any Pro cycling in the last 22 years (spain) or this season (Astana)?
@Aidas
As is customary, we'll pick a few stages to do a sub-VSP on. We generally get them more wrong than the regular VSPs.
I suspect that Schleck the elder will do well, but for some reason, I can't stand the thought of picking him. It's nice to be close to a grand tour, but it will be strange to have to wait so long for a definitive climb to shake out the pretenders from the contenders. I will admit a North American bias causing me to put Ryder up as the winner when his palmares suggest that is a pipe dream. Here's to hoping that they sing O Canada at the end.
VSP PICKS:
1. Ryder Hesjedal
2. John Gadret
3. Michele Scarponi
4. Giovanni Visconti
5. Thomas De Gendt
@Erik
This goes to @Netraam's question from earlier, as to why I'm disappointed the race starts in Denmark. Its not a beef with the Danish start to much as what it did to the opening week; the first week is all sprinters stages and they don't hit the big hills until later in the second week. That is Tour formula, not Giro formula. The Giro is about a mountaintop finish in the first week. Battlestations for the GC from the gun. Better time your form right, because there's a monster set of stages at the end, too, bitches.
As for bemoaning the lack of stars at the Giro, stacking the race with big names like at the Tour just means people sit around waiting for one of them to attack (they don't) and then they all arrive at the finish together. Look at the Pyrenees in last year's Tour if you're wondering what I'm talking about.
Having smaller names in there means people think they have a chance, and they make bolder moves. Its more open and more fun to watch.
And I'll tell you something else (this ones' for the antipodes): Despite having gotten better since taking the bands, Cuddles is a boring rider to watch. No acceleration, no attacks, just diesel-engining up to whomever took a jab. Even his win on the Strade, which was the coolest stage ever, was not an attack. He just went more faster.
Wiggo appears to be the same. The Tour might really suck this year. The text live reports from CN will be more exciting than the tele coverage!
Evans and Wiggins still together, both looking like they might crack.
J-Rod attacks. Evans and Wiggins together. Evans to the front.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
They bridged up to J-Rod.
Schleck attacks.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Schleck caught.
Under the 1km to go.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Wiggins on the front. Evans looks to be in difficulty.
Evans on the front. Wiggins looks to be in difficulty.
Schleck attacks and takes 2 seconds. I will come down to the time trial.
Gold!