Velominati Super Prestige: Giro d’Italia 2013, Stage 10

Altopiano del Montasio. Photo via Cycling Passion

Day 5 of the Six Days of the Giro continues with an impromptu VSP event.

Lets have a look at where we are in the 2013 Giro. Wiggins must have spent time training in Luxembourg because he’s been descending like a Schleck when things get dodgy before disappearing into the team van to have a cry about it. Hesjedal has put in some good moves and then proceeded to get creamed in the time trial before getting shelled on the last climb in yesterday’s stage. Evans seems to be riding like he did when he won the Tour though he’s sure to get sick before very much longer, as appears to be his usual approach to racing. Perhaps the biggest shock is that Gesink has managed to both stay in contention and on his bike. And Nibbles is killing it, proving once again that moving to a team with a long history of doping is usually all anyone needs to convert from contender to winner.

We’ve also had climbs, rain, rain, climbs, turns, descents, twists, rain, climbs, and more rain. The Giro is proving once again why it is the best Grand Tour of the year.

In honor of the first big climbing stage and with the time gaps already big enough to suggest some bigger, gutsier moves from some of those riders who have already lost time, this could be a zinger. Most likely some wild cards will escape and stay away, which makes naming your picks even harder than usual, but surely the favorites who are already behind will lay down massive helpings of the V to try to claw time back. The irony is not lost on me that the climb has the word piano in it, when you know the last thing that would ever happen is that they would ride up there at an easy tempo.

Get your picks in by the time the clock goes to zero. There isn’t much time, so get to it.

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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frank says:

May 14 2013 at 11:59 am

@Buck Rogers

As I was mulling over the results of today's stage I started thinking that I really do not trust those Columbians as I bet they are doping like crazy down there in South America. I mean, the only guys that are likely doping more are the Spaniards where anything goes, unless you think about all the dirty Italians and the French with their history-they're also due for a return foray into the doping world but of course, that made me think about how the most likely organized doping program right now has to be British Sky so they are probably the worst but then again, where did they take their needle-tracked lead from, those cheating American Bastards US Postal and the COTHO which made me finally realize with great joy that I am not a doping racist as we all know that it started with the Dutch and who cares about them, right?

We didn't invent doping, we just systemized it, like we do with most things.

Very interesting point though, because I thought the same thing about the Columbians. I wonder if their status in the late eighties had to do with innovating EPO use? They can't stay on their bikes to save their life, either. It always seems to me there is a correlation between doping and poor bike handling skills.
Buck Rogers says:

May 14 2013 at 12:32 pm

@frank

@ped

I promise that's not me.

Well, obviously it wasn't you b/c it was the bystander who crashed and not the pro cyclist.

Sorry, couldn't resist!
Nate says:

May 14 2013 at 12:36 pm

@frank

@Buck Rogers

As I was mulling over the results of today's stage I started thinking that I really do not trust those Columbians as I bet they are doping like crazy down there in South America. I mean, the only guys that are likely doping more are the Spaniards where anything goes, unless you think about all the dirty Italians and the French with their history-they're also due for a return foray into the doping world but of course, that made me think about how the most likely organized doping program right now has to be British Sky so they are probably the worst but then again, where did they take their needle-tracked lead from, those cheating American Bastards US Postal and the COTHO which made me finally realize with great joy that I am not a doping racist as we all know that it started with the Dutch and who cares about them, right?

We didn't invent doping, we just systemized it, like we do with most things.

Very interesting point though, because I thought the same thing about the Columbians. I wonder if their status in the late eighties had to do with innovating EPO use? They can't stay on their bikes to save their life, either. It always seems to me there is a correlation between doping and poor bike handling skills.

There was that big brouhaha recently about one of the young Columbians winning one of those indistinguishable one week Spanish stage races. The idiot announcers suggested he came out of nowhere (he hadn't) and insinuated doping. Someone, maybe Inner Ring, had a really good explanation of (a) where he came from and (b) why the Columbians might be coming back because of a relative reduction in the level of doping in the peleton. Less doping, they can compete better. It was a good read.
Geraint says:

May 14 2013 at 12:45 pm

Cracking stage today, what a ride by Uran. Will be interesting to see how the team tactics develop, we've seen before (Froome/Porte at the Criterium International) that Sky put the team first, so if Uran starts to look the better bet for the overall win then they might put their efforts behind him. Either way, it's going to be tough for Nibbles and Cuddles to deal with a two-pronged Sky attack, especially as the latter seems to be getting very little support from BMC.
Bianchi Denti says:

May 14 2013 at 1:12 pm

@Nate

@frank

@Buck Rogers

As I was mulling over the results of today's stage I started thinking that I really do not trust those Columbians as I bet they are doping like crazy down there in South America. I mean, the only guys that are likely doping more are the Spaniards where anything goes, unless you think about all the dirty Italians and the French with their history-they're also due for a return foray into the doping world but of course, that made me think about how the most likely organized doping program right now has to be British Sky so they are probably the worst but then again, where did they take their needle-tracked lead from, those cheating American Bastards US Postal and the COTHO which made me finally realize with great joy that I am not a doping racist as we all know that it started with the Dutch and who cares about them, right?

We didn't invent doping, we just systemized it, like we do with most things.

Very interesting point though, because I thought the same thing about the Columbians. I wonder if their status in the late eighties had to do with innovating EPO use? They can't stay on their bikes to save their life, either. It always seems to me there is a correlation between doping and poor bike handling skills.

There was that big brouhaha recently about one of the young Columbians winning one of those indistinguishable one week Spanish stage races. The idiot announcers suggested he came out of nowhere (he hadn't) and insinuated doping. Someone, maybe Inner Ring, had a really good explanation of (a) where he came from and (b) why the Columbians might be coming back because of a relative reduction in the level of doping in the peleton. Less doping, they can compete better. It was a good read.

I also think this is the case. They had the natural talent back in the 80s (didn't we all?!), but for some reason they didn't jump on the bandwagon and ended up racing 90kg sprinters up mountains at 30km/hr for 50th place. Now doping is reducing, their natural talent can shine through again.
JohnB says:

May 14 2013 at 1:24 pm

@Buck Rogers

As I was mulling over the results of today's stage I started thinking that I really do not trust those Columbians as I bet they are doping like crazy down there in South America. I mean, the only guys that are likely doping more are the Spaniards where anything goes, unless you think about all the dirty Italians and the French with their history-they're also due for a return foray into the doping world but of course, that made me think about how the most likely organized doping program right now has to be British Sky so they are probably the worst but then again, where did they take their needle-tracked lead from, those cheating American Bastards US Postal and the COTHO which made me finally realize with great joy that I am not a doping racist as we all know that it started with the Dutch and who cares about them, right?

FFS! Cycling and cynicism hand in hand. There is no hope, no future, why even try?. What will the sport be like in the 25th Century Buck? Just the same for you I wager.
Lukas says:

May 14 2013 at 1:25 pm

Okay, so I didn't call him Uran Uran. Can I get a point anyway?
DocBrian says:

May 14 2013 at 1:28 pm

Nibali looking good at 41sec ahead of Cuddles. Early days, but 1st and 2nd appear to be set. Impressed by Cadel, but can he get over Nibs?
Lukas says:

May 14 2013 at 1:30 pm

Uhhh, upon further reading of the actual rules, never mind.
motor city says:

May 14 2013 at 1:37 pm

Great great stage today.