Velominati Super Prestige: Giro d’Italia 2013, Stage 10
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.
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Evans
3. Ryder
4. Henao
5. Scarponi
VSP PICKS:
1. Pozzovivo
2. Satambrogio
3. Is th’ Atapuma?
4. Intxausti
5. Brambilla
@roger
Like your style!
VSP PICKS:
1. Domenico Pozzovivo
2. Satambrogio
3. Is th’ Atapuma?
4. Intxausti
5. Brambilla
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Uran
3. Evans
4. Ryder
5. Wiggle
VSP PICKS:
1. Henao
2. Nibali
3. Pozzovivo
4. Betancur
5. Gesink
2 survive the breakaway. Then Uran is sent up the road in the last km to take the remaining bonifcation. Favourites finish in a group behind Di Luca, who wants to get on TV. Or not…
VSP PICKS:
1. Majka
2. Betancur
3. Uran
4. The Killer
5. Cadel
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Ryder
3. Cadel
4. Scarponi
5. Gesink
VSP PICKS:
1. Santabrogio
2. Atapuma
3. Evans
4. Nibbles
5. Pozzovivo
VSP PICKS:
1. Santambrogio
2. Atapuma
3. Evans
4. Nibbles
5. Pozzovivo
Heart wants to see Wiggo go on the attack and take ’em all to bits; head says there’s about as much chance of that happening as there is of me making 1st Cat this season. Technically it’s possible but it ain’t gonna happen unless I get a shipment of Bertie’s special beefsteak.
Go on lad, prove me wrong.
VSP PICKS:
1. Pozzovivo
2. Santambrogio
3. Good Cadel
4. Nibbles
5. Gesink
Just because I like the alliteration!
VSP PICKS:
1. Cuddles
2. Nibbles
3. Dirty diggles sanchez
4. Wiggles
5. Biggles bentancur
@JohnB
Let’s hope plan B doesn’t involve adding a BB to his game. Might explain why he was all tuckered out leading up to the Giro though.
https://twitter.com/ryder_hesjedal/status/327840793337425921
Thomas Danielson, photo by me
…and Ryder.
@Pedale.Forchetta great photo.
and the day after.
@Sauterelle
Ah, they are all cute, in an aero sort of way.
Rather, a Wiggo-mocking reference to explain my descent in the Giro VSP standings.
VSP PICKS:
1. Rabottini
2. Atapuma
3. Gatto
4. Nibali
5. Evans
VSP PICKS:
1. G Brambilla
2. D Atapuma
3. F Pellizotti
4. D Pozzovivo
5. M Santambrogio
VSP PICKS:
1. The Haymaker
2. The cadelephant
3. The shark
4. The rabbit
5. Skiddy wiggs
OK, jack-holes. Getting a bit clever on the names. While I admire your creativity, we’ve got fuck-all as far as clues go for who the fuck you mean. If you’re so clever we don’t know who to map to, you risk not getting your points. @chuck, I’m looking at you.
@Pedale.Forchetta
You’ve outdone yourself. Absolutely fantastic photos. Love the shot of Dekker. Your photos are so real; it feels like I’m there when I look at them.
Wiggins will be fine. He’s spent the last 24 watching this to get his mojo back:
VSP PICKS:
1. Santambrogio
2. Nibbles
3. Scarponi
4. Pozzovivo
5. Cuddles
@snoov
Yep, ToC on Eurosport now. Andy Schleck looked ok yesterday, best tune in quick before he drops out.
@motor city
The Welsh have the world bog snorkelling championships, the Scottish have the Baah, and the English have cheese chasing….or….they did. It got banned a few years ago…fucking health and safety!
interesting the difference in style between men and women on this….kind of tumble and break shit vs slide and have fun!
VSP PICKS:
1. Scarponi
2. Nibali
3. Santambrogio
4. Evans
5. Henao
@Sauterelle
Hah, sprung! That’s why I’d still pick Di Luca but never, ever ever ever a Schleck. Heck I struggle to pick Hushovd from time to time.
@frank
I didn’t think you guys (Keepers) were eligible for the “special badges”. Protest filed! (you do look good in pink tho, just sayin’).
Fingers crossed one of these fellas can do something and earn me a point or two…
VSP PICKS:
1. Pozzovivo
2. Pellizotti
3. Santambrogio
4. Atapuma
5. Duarte
@VeloVita
No the other one – Sean Kelly can pronounce any word or name any way he fuckin’ wants in my book.
@motor city Is it legal to wear a dry suit covered in butter?
I must presume that if Henao is there, Wiggins will be there. I guess. Evans gets a time bonus.
VSP PICKS:
1. Sanchez
2. Henao
3. Evans
4. Nibali
5. Wiggins
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibbles
2. Wiggo
3. Evans
4. Pozzovivo
5. Sanchez
@frank The photo of Dekker is one of my favourite too! He’s a cool guy. Thank you.
VSP PICKS:
1. Mauro Santambrogio
2. Michele Scarponi
3. Vincenzo Nibali
4. Domenico Pozzovivo
5. Cadel Evans
@Pedale.Forchetta Excellent work. Inspiring.
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibbles
2. Cuddles
3. Inexhaustible
4. Dirty Sanchez
5. Henao
VSP PICKS:
1. cadel
2. nibali
3. hesjedal
4. uran
5. wiggans
@Pedale.Forchetta
The shallow depth of field and the precise moment…fabulous.
VSP PICKS:
1. Evans
2. Gesink
3. Nibali
4. Scarponi
5. Henao
VSP PICKS:
1. POZZOVIVO Domenico
2. SCARPONI Michele
3. NIBALI Vincenzo
4. DI LUCA Danilo
5. FERRARI Roberto
VSP PICKS:
1. Cadel
2. Nibali
3. Wiggo
4. Some nondescript Italian
5. A pro-conti Italian
and a word from Djamolidin Abdujapaorov, on this year’s Giro (though nothing to do with Stage 10)
“Would I like to be having a go in the sprints? Well, I wouldn’t be afraid to have a go.”
“Sprinting is always about how ferocious you are, they’re wild moments. Sprinting is for real men. These days riders line up to see the doctor during races to get treatment for a few cuts. I don’t think I ever went to the doctors car during a race. I looked after myself.”
Rules 5 and 81 people
VSP PICKS:
1. Uran
2. Pozzovivovivo…o
3. Good Cadel
4. Sam San
5. Wiggo
VSP PICKS:
1. Pelizotti
2. Santambrogio
3. Sammy Sanchez
4. Good Cadel
5. Nibbles
VSP PICKS:
1. Gesink
2. Santambrogio
3. Intxausti
4. Cadel
5. Nibali
“technical, narrow descent” Beaker has already been on the phone to Brailsford demanding leadership at the TDF because he is fucked here.
My smokey Betancur to continue clawing back time as the leaders stalemate.
VSP PICKS:
1. Betancur
2. Nibbles
3. Cuddles
4. Uran
5. Scarponi
VSP PICKS:
1. Santambrogio
2. Scarponi
3. Nibali
4. Henao
5. S. Sanchez
VSP PICKS:
1. Sanchez
2. Evans
3. Nibbles
4. Santabrogio
5. Wiggs
VSP PICKS:
1. Uran
2. Nibbles
3. Sanchez
4. Scarponi
5. ‘