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.
@Buck Rogers
Correctomundo. Slightly different rules on the Stage VSPs. Forgot to mention that specifically but it is outlined on the VSP rules page.
A lot of folks getting Ronned up here. Don’t be afraid to read the Rules, then the VSP Rules, and then don’t get too worked up.
Reeelax, we’re all still Followers.
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?
@frank
Ah yes then. As I stated in when I sent in my dispute, I’ll go ahead and fuck off now……….
Damn. Three correct riders, but incorrect order
@frank
Bah! Hidden in the small print, bottom of the Terms and Conditions…right where you knew I would not find it! What makes it worse is that I scoured the rules before posting about it!
“Minor Stages
We will be posting minor stages as well. Scoring is similar to one-day racing, except no bonus points are in play for getting the rider in the wrong placing.”
You will find me on the naughty step!
Who the hell is the Lampre rider sporting the crazy mustache and Dumbo ears on Sunday? I can’t be the only one who saw him, looked more like a pirate (not that one) than a cyclist. I think I saw him again today and the Urstache was gone…
Ha, that’s a tough misstep for that Tifosi.
Buck – strong work! This should be good.
@ped
I promise that’s not me.
@disputees
All of your disputes were rejected because as we’ve discussed they were over bonus points that aren’t in play.
@Buck Rogers
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.
@frank
Well, obviously it wasn’t you b/c it was the bystander who crashed and not the pro cyclist.
Sorry, couldn’t resist!
@frank
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.
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.
@Nate
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.
@Buck Rogers
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.
Okay, so I didn’t call him Uran Uran. Can I get a point anyway?
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?
Uhhh, upon further reading of the actual rules, never mind.
Great great stage today.
@frank
There’s a whole blog dedicated to Colombian cycling that wrote about the rise and fall of the Colombians in the late-’80s. It’s the doping that made them disappear in the first place. Apparently many of them called it quits when sprinters started dropping them on the climbs.
These guys grow up and train at unbelievable altitudes, and apparently Colombian local racing is pretty competitive. That makes for natural climbing talent and high hematocrit.
@Buck Rogers
When I heard on twitter that someone had fallen off the edge of the mountain I’d assumed they meant Hesjedal rather than a spectator.
Turns out that it was rather worse for Ryder, he disappeared off the face of the planet.
@Nate, @Bianchi Denti, @tessar
You guys are cute with those theories, but if I’m not mistaken, the Columbians certain have their fare share of doping positives.
There are a handful of riders who left the sport due to credible cases of not wanting to dope (Andy Hampsten, Edwig van Hooydonk, Graeme Obree) but I’d need more than a blog post (which I didn’t read, to be fair) to be convinced of such things.
The fact is, so long as Sky races the way they do, and Astana, and Katusha, then I’m very skeptical that the sport is in fact cleaner at all, which nullifies all those arguments.
@JohnB
The fact is, we don’t know and the racing is just as awesome if they’re doping or not. I’d prefer them to be clean, but its not the reason I watch the racing and its not the reason I love the sport.
@Chris How do you hear something on twitter? I’m only familiar with the version you read.
@frank
The Dutch. Doping. Bike Handling Skills.
@frank That’s a good point. Bit pedantic though. “I read on twitter that…” “I heard that…” or “It has been communicated to me in one way or another, the specific method of such communication being completely and utterly fucking irrelevant, that…” Take your pick.
@Chris
Is it just me or does that guy bear a striking resemblance to JVS?
@Chris
My preferred term is ‘according to the twitters’, as it shows just the right amount of cynicism about the source of the material.
@Chris
Chapeau! Post of the day right there for me!
@Buck Rogers
I think the spectator was called Joey. Is he alright?
@frank
Well, the Columbians were big at the top level, then went away for most of the EPO era, and now seem ascendant again, if you will excuse the pun.
@Nate
Mention made on tour of CA yesterday that Bogota has more cycle lanes than any other capital city in the world…
Uran looked way to comfortable as he motored away up the hill away from everyone, especially after sitting near the front most of the day. He must have had extra Wheaties at brekkie. Most everbody else was pulling Voeckler faces.
@frank
Synesthesia – I find it makes the world so much more interesting – expeciallyTwitter
If Rigoberto was a doper surely he’d be able to sprint a bit better than he did at the Olympics. Maybe not well enough to beat Vino but certainly not as badly as he did.
@Chris I can recommend @ukcyclingexpert on twitter. Its a spoof account but they come out wih some funny stuff.
@motor city Ha, yes, some very funny shit. Came across it yesterday.
@strathlubnaig
He probably lives at similar altitudes, compared to those living on the Riviera.
@frank
While I’m flattered that you think I’m cute, that’s not the issue here (save it for KT 2014).
I agree that we don’t and probably never will know for sure. But the Colombian ascendency has followed the bio passport implementation and a general reduction in climbing rates. So I’m still willing to believe that they are fast and clean.
Re: Sky, Katusha and Astana – there is a rumour this week that a “former GT winner” is about to be charged by the UCI for bio passport problems. These 3 teams all have at least one former GT winner riding for them.
If anyone is interested, http://www.cyclinginquisition.com focuses on Colombian pros past and present. They have an excellent photo article this week on the 91 Tour.
@wiscot
JOEY’S OK!!! I think Joey’s OK!
@Bianchi Denti
I’m more worried about the size of Evans jaw these days, who woulda thought it could get any bigger? Seems to be a performance correlation! What happened to the Canuck? Very disappointing.
@the Engine
Once I ate ‘shrooms on a mountain bike ride and tasted a crash.
@Bianchi Denti
Great call Bianchi Denti. Cycling inquisition is an excellent site and Klaus is one of my favorite cycling bloggers. Always great stuff about the colombians and cycling in general. I picked up a copy of “Kings of the Mountain” from him which has been out of print for years. He buys them at used book stores etc. and then resells them without making a profit. I urge everyone to check out his site and also his brothers blog/podcast http://speedmetalpodcast.blogspot.com/ similar content but in a very entertaining podcast format. Good stuff
Regarding his theory about the Colombians and their resurgence over the last few years in the pro peloton, he brings up some interesting points and if there is anyone out there I would give credibility about the escarabajos he’s the guy. But to that point, reading his site (and Matt Rendells books) has also educated me on just how massively important pro cycling and pro cyclists have been to the country over the years. The government, national and regional politicians, national industry and even drug lords have been connected to some of the bigger cycling teams. With that sort of backing and the national adoration that goes with success in cycling there, it’s hard for me to imagine that at least their top cyclists didn’t have access to – and sometimes take advantage of – some of the same doping opportunities that the rest of the worlds cyclists did.
The timing of their successes definitely lends credence to his theory. I hope Klaus is right, and their success is a result of a cleaner peloton – either way they are energizing the vertical stages of many of this years races…and it is great to watch!
@frank.
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.
So who has the worst bike skills at the Giro? Give you a clue, goes down like a big girls, very wet, blouse…
On a completely different note – halfway across the globe good ‘ol Jensie was doing his best to animate an otherwise hohum day at the TOC:
“The third stage of the Amgen Tour of California saw the first appearance of RadioShack-Leopard’s Jens Voigt, one of just a handful of riders to have started all eight editions of the race. The large German attacked from kilometer zero, driving the initial pace up to 40 km/h before the field quickly reeled him back and settled down a bit.
Voigt then joined another larger group of 23 riders that immediately peeled away from the field”
He seems to be living by The Badgers mantra of “As long as I breathe I attack”….
@LA Dave Heh, some of what you wrote there about the place of cycling in Columbia reminded me of the coke-binge story from We Were Young and Carefree.
@DerHoggz
There is a good read here on inrng that discusses the altitude thing. Not a factor.
@LA Dave
Indeed, I stayed up to watch the second half last night and then wished I had not bothered….the highlights were:
1. YungerSchleck doing some work in a breakaway – Surprising but hardly a highlight.
2. Peter Sagan massive swing across the line of sprint to find a way through which although pretty spectacular considering he succeeded, did look pretty dangerous and I am surprised he was not DQ’d. I wonder if there was a lot more space there than I could see from the head on shot…?
After the previous days racing in a Kiln it was somewhat benign but I suppose that could be the case wherever it was held….although I am not sure we get roads that wide over here which makes for a different style of racing….
Well, I’ve been offline a few days cos of work and only just caught up on yesterday’s stage. Oh to have been a fly on the wall for the conversation between Wiggo and Dave Brailsford lastnight. Two Knights of the realm discussing how many bottles Wiggo can fit up his jersey on the upcoming mountain stages?! Going to be very interesting to see how this plays out.
@frank
If we believe Hampsten when he says he retired because he didn’t want to dope, then we should believe Herrera and the other Escarabajos. It’s not just a post on the Colombians – it’s an entire blog full of VVonderful V-intage cycling photos and stories.