Velominati Super Prestige: Giro d’Italia 2012
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.
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Uh oh. MAJOR problems with the two lead riders.
Amador is in gross violation of Rule #27; he looks to be wearing knickers he decided to shorten himself at the start line. Also, I’d say he was in violation of Rule #85 for a long time there as well.
Then in second place we have the Little Prince. He’s got 85 covered but they just showed a closeup – looks to be a Rule #37 violation and he’s got a cap on backwards and brim flipped. It’s like he’s trying to one-up Gilbert.
Basso making a move?
@Erik
Would Barta have been the first Czech to win a Giro stage?
Stunning and impressive move from Hesjedal today. I’ve never thought of him as a guy who could make a move like that””always thought he was the kind of diesel who was tough to drop, but not a guy who could bust the favourites on an uphill like that. Watching him dump Nieve and Purito trying to catch him and giving up was something. I guess once things turn uphill a bit more steeply, Purito will get his own back, but that was a great finale. Kreuziger?
Nice ride from Uran, too!
Boy! Ryder gives a pretty horrible interview, though, doesn’t he? He’s not a favourite in the Canadian cycling community, and I guess you can see why…
What a great final! Ryder buried the fuckin’ pin on that one!
As for results, we’ll start updating them now at our discretion and whenever there’s a big shakeup. Starting with today because shit on a stick that was awesome.
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Watching the post-race interview with Ryder. He is definitely the perfect amount of dumb. “I just went so see what I could do and it worked out well.”
Yes, great push by Ryder. I LOVE him on the podium. He seems like a calm, modest dude (despite posing with wolves!) but he does his best rock star impression up there. Throws his arms up, does a bit of a dance, enthusiastically sprays the champagne. And the crowd today seemed like about 50 photographers and that was it. Must be kind of funny to celebrate and spray champagne for…almost no one. (not that the ride wasn’t impressive, just not the biggest crowd.)
And how about the podium music? I’ve now heard Van Halen on multiple days, maybe “Jump” each time and for Uran they were playing ZZ Top’s “Legs.” A joke about cyclists and their guns? Or do Italians just love 80s rock music?
Had to know how to use ’em to get up that climb today, for sure.
@Ron
Were those Sidis Ergo 3s?? I tried a pair on at an expo a couple weekends ago, when the Sidi Mobile Fit Van was in the Denver area. They were pretty nice, but pretty steep $$$-wise at $500/pair. Also found out my left foot is a 42.5 and my right foot is a 43.
@frank
True: but couldn’t find even the simplest nice thing to say about the rest of the main riders. Or the humble, “Yes, well this kind of hill might suit me better than the steeper stuff later.”
It makes me wonder about these guys and whether they believe what they’re saying. Like Horner at California””out to beat Nibali: does he realize that Nibali is soaking in some sunshine in California and prepping for the Tour where he’ll obliterate Horner, or is he totally oblivious? Same with this: does Ryder really think he’ll be able to stick with the others when the walls get steeper? He might, but a little humility might go a long way…
@itburns
This jersey photo reminds that Nalini makes great Pro wear also.
@versio
Pugilism reigns in the EPO years.
@Steampunk
I’ve got a linguist mate doing his PHD in NZ, on interviews sportsmen give after a match/game/race/whatever, it’s pretty interesting the access he’s been given and how candid some of the sportsmen he’s interviewed are. A very large part of it is the interviewer giving the athlete the chance to say the right thing, and also very few athletes get any media training – Cav might be the only rider on Sky to have had any, for instance. For the most part, he reckons that after games or whatever they’re just gasping and want to get to the changing room, and you can see a lack of patience with interviewers at times, and that they’re just ordinary guys who aren’t into the trainspotting as much as (for instance) we are.
If you get a good interviewer it’s pretty rare to find an athlete make a dick out of themselves.
Linking to the Cav discussion, Anyone read Cav’s book “Boy Racer”? I’m almost finished and surprising have found it a fascinating read. There are moments when you hate him, then moments later your in awe of him. SomethingI didn’t realize before hand is apparently he is crap on a stationary bike and puts out very low watts but in race conditions he’s pretty unstoppable. Needs the anger to perform…..
Anyway went into the book thinking it would be tosh and have been pleasantly surprised….
The standings make you think how good a team sky will have in the tour of france. Henao, Uran currently climbing with the leaders, then Wiggo, Porte and Froome to add in, Thomas is no slouch either, the last 3 in the team presumably being Boassen Hagen, Cav, and either Flecha or a minder for Cav. (Eisel, Stannard, Hunt or similar)
Cyclingnews says Schleck the elder has abandoned.
@Erik
They are blaming an injury from the crash on stage 11 but we all know its because he’s missing andy.
Grimpelder just put in his face time and now he’s leaving to go rub sunscreen on lil’ bro’s shoulders.
@Erik
…and apparently Johan is pissed…
Watching todays feed in Italian, which seem righ but also means I only understand half of whats being said. Looks like a nice Rule #9 day indeed.
@LA Dave
He should be. Its getting harder and harder for me to like the Schlecks.
@RedRanger
Me also. Following it for a while. I would love the Little Prince to hold on but just do not see it happening.
@Buck Rogers
He is doing some great descending so maybe he can make something happen
Man, Rabottini is hurting and Cunego OTB. Bummer! Hope at least Rabottini can hang on.
Which fav jumps first???
Scarponi lights it up!!!
These Italian commentators are great
There goes J-Rod. What a great finish this is going to be!!!
Purito is killing em right now
Thats what its about right there. pure awesome!
Un-FUCKIN’-belieavble!!! Best finish I’ve seen on a tour stage in years. Literally yelling out loud!!! just awesome!!!
Fitting end.
@Buck Rogers
BRILLIANT!!!! This is the Giro, baby!! I can’t believe that!! My heart was in my throat when I saw JRod blow by and HE HELD ON!!!
Did you see the guy on the motorbike behind with the red glove doing this move?
@Buck Rogers
+1 That was amazing.
@frank
Still with chills running up and down my spine!!! Pure fucking awesomeness on a bike! So beuatiful. You cannot script it better than that. Just unbelievable!!!
Harmon has to be the best commentator in the world. He wears his heart on his sleeve. Just brilliant.
“Certainly in for a cracking week, aren’t we?”
“That must certainly be the first time anything with a Cipollini name has won going uphill.”
Wow, what a cracking weekend of racing. Typical Giro: the favorites playing leader jersey hot potato. Awesome. Basso is looking strong, though I find myself cringing the same way I did with Ullrich thinking can’t you just get out of the saddle and accelerate a bit?
A shakeup in the VSP and despite a new lineup, I still find myself with the same shitty number of shitty points.
Oh, and Schleckie had a phychanical and DNF’d.
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Killer finish! The other gatos in the house freaked when I started yelling. I understand the penalty for a rider swap but what about for a reorder? So no new riders just reordering your top five – is each change a penalty or nothing?
What’s making this Giro for me is that J-Rod thinks he can win it. Unlike the Schleck’s he has realised that he’s not going to hold on in the time trial. I think he’s really going to attack for all the remaining mountain top finishes and look to build the 1 to 2 minute cushion he needs over a better time trialist like Kreuzinger or Scarponi
@el gato
Every time you move a rider from one position to another, it takes the full penalty. Proceed carefully, the second rest day has big penalties, too. Shuffling all the top five is a 50 point hit!
@Adrian
Thanks for that. I’ve avoided it, but maybe it’s worth a look. In return, Nicolas Roche’s book is tosh.
Man, what a great stage! Glad to see Rabbotini got the well-deserved win.
The Schlecks better do something in the tour after Frank’s DNF. Cav’s still in the race and he’s crashed way more than poor Frank did.
@frank
You found it in English? All I could find was Italian, which, in retrospect, was just fine as the Italian commentator’s head was about to explode at the finish when Rabottini held on and then went past for the win. So awesome. Still cannot believe it and cannot WAIT to ride today. Today, I will be Rabottini on the bike.
It time for grimpelder to grow a vagina, at least those things can take a pounding.if i would be in bruyneels shoes i would ban him from my tdf team and tell him his mission is now to win the vuelta otherwise tear up his contract
Top 10 and Status of Velominati Super Prestige pre-race favourites:
1 RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joaquin
2 HESJEDAL Ryder 0:30
3 BASSO Ivan 1:22
4 TIRALONGO Paolo 1:26
5 KREUZIGER Roman 1:27
6 SCARPONI Michele 1:36
7 INTXAUSTI ELORRIAGA Benat 1:42
8 HENAO MONTOYA Sergio Luis 1:55
9 CATALDO Dario 2:12
10 CASAR Sandy 2:13
15 GADRET John 3:24
17 CUNEGO Damiano 3:45
22 RUJANO GUILLEN Jose’ 7:50
23 PINOTTI Marco 8:15
DNF (15) SCHLECK Frank
DNS (10) POZZATO Filippo
Right now I’m thinking no swaps. There are a lot of mountains left next week. And a time trial. Hmmm. Things to distract me all day at work tomorrow.
@frank
Penalty or no penalty for replacing a rider tomorrow that has crashed out? The VSP page states that there is a penalty but I thought this might be a typo since that would make it exactly like any other substitution.
@itburns
Should be penality. Which contender crashed out anyways? PAAAAHHHHllease don’t tell me you are referring to Grimpelder. SERIOUS loss of V-ness if you are!
@Buck Rogers
No, not “The GC Who Never Was”. I have Pozzato.