Velominati Super Prestige: Giro D’Italia 2013
Twiggo is dreaming of a Giro-Tour double. He has sent out mixed messages about his Tour ambitions. Will he use the Giro as the ultimate Tour preparation or will be burn all his matches in May and hope he can find another pack for July? He has abandoned his successful 2012 Tour run-up strategy of winning every stage race he entered the previous spring. Now it’s the seclusion of Mount Doom of Tenerife, his coach and his watt meter his only competition. Team Sky is supporting Wig with a very strong squad, including superman, Kanstantsin Siutsou and with Cav no longer a teammate, it’s all the knights of the round table for Sir Twig.
Will the curse of the god-awful Astana kit continue to haunt non-Kazahk riders? Can Vincenzo’s Italian mojo overpower its powerful pale blue and yellow aura? Roman Kreuziger was finally able to win a big race once he shed that kit and pulled on one of Bjarne’s Saxo jerseys. Maybe it was more Bjarne and less jersey that made the difference.
Ryder gets no respect as the defending champion. His little dance at the end of Liége-Bastogne-Liége showed he is fit and ready for a fight. He can time trial, he can climb. Personally I have to back the local boy. And I always hate the overpowered, overwhelming favorite (read Team Sky here) in any race, unless that racer is Fabian Cancellara. No one can say Fabs has won a race this year surrounded with a team as strong as Sky’s. The Shack is just the Shack or a shack. Once Cancellara leaves for the Swiss “I AM” team, it’s lights out in the shack. Frandy, don’t forget to turn out ’em out when you leave.
If Cavendish wins the first day’s sprinter’s stage he will be in pink. He may be out of it after stage two, a team time trial.
But this is the Giro: crazy, unexpected, beautiful things can happen. The spinning wheels of fortuna are less predictable in Italy as they are in France in July. The betting window is now open. The complete start list is not yet available, an incomplete one is here and shall be updated soon. So sleep on your picks, wait for all the teams to make it official, unless you want to go with the obvious all Sky podium. The race begins Saturday so don’t Delgado away a Grand Tour opportunity.
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@erik
Thor, the greatest god, is with you, Cadel. Good beats evil every time in the movies. The Force be with you.
@Chris
Well fuck me gently with a chainsaw, 40% of my VSP jumped ship while I slept last night. Should have known better than go to sleep!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRTeguVdC8o
What’s going to be interesting is if Wiggo wants a crack at the Tour. Clearly there are ill feelings in the Sky camp and remarks from Uran et al during the week that “”we’re not Froome” testify to that. I’d imagine Froome is counting the days until he can leave. This raises a scenario where CF goes to the Tour in killer shape and designated #2 to BW. He reaches the mountains in a good way and close to BW on time.. He goes for it. Smashes the field and puts himself in yellow. Then what do Sky do? Let’s face it, Sky’s tactics likely cost CF a Vuelta and a Tour. Will he back off again? I doubt i. Hinault-Lemond round two gentlemen. Get your ringside seats now.
@erik
Ugh, me too! I could have had all five!
@Buck Rogers
Sleep is vastly overrated. Anyway, I’ve peed in a couple of bottles, labeled them Wiggins and Hesjedal ant popped them into the post to fat Pat and little Heiny. There’s bound to be enough shit in my system at the moment that they’ll both get pinged for something on the prohibited list and we’ll get free swaps.
@wiscot
Oh yeah, this has been brewing for months now and this just brings it to a head. Expect awesome fireworks come July!
@Chris
Whew! Thanks man, I appreciate it. Definitely worth doing a little HGH and EPO to get free swaps!
@wiscot
I don’t agree with that analysis. Just because a rider gets a few metres ahead on a stage doesn’t mean he would have won a tour. To do that you have to be highly focused and consistent for three weeks and also be able to work tactics and lead a team who will put their legs on the line for you – as yet I don’t think Froome hasn’t shown he can do either.
Not saying he doesn’t deserve the chance but if he has a chip on his shoulder and blames Sky then that might explain why he hasn’t been given it yet.
I think they will go to the Tour with both riders as co-leaders. It will be messy but the best rider will win, and it might not be either one of them anyway.
@Buck Rogers
@Chris
Withdrawing from a race due to “a nasty infection” is the cycling equivalent “I am resigning to spend more time with my family”.
Free swaps (and urinalysis) for everybody!
@Buck Rogers If only it was performance enhancing, I’ve had to work from home a few days this week which predictably ends up with me getting bored and eating all the unhealthy snacky things. More a Schelck/Contrador affair than Pharmstrong or Riccardo Ricco.
@xyxax
Is that a euphemism for “It’s becoming common knowledge that I frequent the public conveniences in the park near the house of commons”.
@xyxax
Nah, I think that his mentrual cycle was just a bit too heavy this month and that is why he withdrew.
@ChrisO
I agree that the tdf outcome would have been an unknown but I totally think that Froome did sacrifice a Vuelta win. He had that one in the bag and Sky blew that call.
@ChrisO
Co-leaders? 100% guarantee of unpleasantness. Has never worked and sure won’t this time. A pity because being from the UK I grew up watching British riders get shelled in the pro game with very rare exceptions. I remember the ANC debacle, but I remember Millar’s wins with immense pleasure. To now have legit Brit tour contenders fighting not just with rivals but themselves is disheartening. Maybe Sky will sort it out, but frankly I doubt it. Sooner or later the eggs have to go in one basket.
@Buck Rogers
Meanwhile the Women’s Tour of Languedoc is canceled then rescheduled, and ignored by the Keeper’s and the mainstream cycling news.
Obviously a lack of Rule #5 as Hesjedal and Bouhanni are also out as well.
Possibly a contender for the Anti – V of the year.
Drop out of contention, develop a “chest infection”.
Bugger! 2 of my top 5 dropped out.
@Chris
No that would be ‘watching badgers’. Number 9 in this great list: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22470691
2 riders out for me and like others I have wrong Sky Colombian.
@San Tonio
We’ve been at the forefront of bringing attention to Women’s Cycling – to the protest of many in this community when we introduced the Women’s VSP, I might add. I’m proud to see how much momentum the Women’s VSP is gaining and to see the other Cycling outlets pay more attention as well – Rouleur’s recent pieces on the ladies being a good example of that.
We do this in our spare time for the fun of it, and I bet you have little to no clue how much time and effort goes into this on top of our regular jobs and lives. I do not appreciate that snippy shit or being compared to the mainstream media. Reign in the attitude, or fuck off.
Not to mention that its still not confirmed to be on, and that we’d have to make a decision on a short VSP run-up.
http://www.womenscycling.net/2013/NewsPages2013/05_16_News_LDRCancelled.htm
@Chris
Bingo. “Hiking the Appalachian Trail” is another one that is gaining in popularity with the added benefit of making one seem all Bear Grylls-y.
@Buck Rogers
To be more serious, I am curious about infectious disease and pro cycling, as it is not infrequently implicated in ruining a race or a season. It is certainly a high-risk group (constant travel, participating in large groups, riding in all types of weather, extremes of physical exertion, lack of a rule-compliant way to attach hand-sanitizer to the stem) and demonstrates the demands and fragility of Tour-level peak condition.
Perhaps also explains why I am rarely sick. Physically.
I cannot see Twiglet being given preference of Froomedog in the Tour. Although David Brailsford is a dick, he is not stupid. Pippi Longstockings has shown little form so far this year, yet Froome looks to be in good shape. Why would you set your team up for a fail. Skys tactics are now known and people keep putting superglue on Brads saddle so he can’t climb for shit. I reckon Vroomey would work well with the Columbians tbh…
In addition it must be very bad for team morale in a team with such depth to make agreements and then break them…not sure it will happen no matter what Sir Brad says or thinks.
My money is on him targeting La Vuelta…
@xyxax
I was just having this discussion yesterday. I think part of the problem is weight, specifically body fat content. While I have no scientific evidence of why, I’ve noticed that when I drop below a certain Kg, I tend to get respiratory infections a lot easier. Kinda like a Ferrari; goes really fast when it’s running, but in the shop a lot.
Looks like Cav’s custom Venge has his name written in Velomiskrit.
@scaler911
I remember some article somewhere (how’s that for a reference) speaking to this and how pro cyclists are always walking a razors edge between being absolutely as thin as possible bordering on malnourished secondary to extertion and lifestyle and not actually being sick and malnourished. They said that the goal was to be just barely not sick the whole time from their condition but so thin and frail that they were almost constantly getting sick. I wish I remembered where I saw it. Actually think it was a cycling mag and not a scientific journal but it made a great point.
These guys immune systems must be shit, and I would imagine that we will see more sickness in the near future after the recent rule (last year?) where there are no needles allowed at all, not even allowing legit post-race IV’s or iron/vitamin shots. (IV rule seems older but the iron/vitamin no needle rule is recent)
@Buck Rogers
Immune systems not shit, just compromised, so pretty shit,really-
“Although elite athletes are not clinically immune deficient, it is possible that the combined effects of small changes in several immune parameters may compromise resistance to common minor illnesses such as URTI. Protracted immune depression linked with prolonged training may determine susceptibility to infection, particularly at times of major competitions. This is obviously a concern because of the potential impact of an infectious episode on exercise performance.”
I recall the Tour of Britain field being affected by a stomach bug in 2010, which was thought to be due to ingesting cow shit sprayed up onto the bottles from our crappy roads
@frank Hear, hear. Thanks for what you do. We appreciate it.
I’d be more excited about Cadel if he wasn’t wearing the ugly helmet.
Not that I can get a picture of it here. You can see it at cyclingnews. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/photos/giro-ditalia-evans-in-contention-as-alps-loom/265727
@erik
Yep. I’ve dabbled in a bit of web-related work and am teaching myself to code. I can only guess how much time goes into the site. And for somebody like myself who lives in the Howling Wilderness, the site is a bulging package of motivation, if you’ll excuse the inadvertently homoerotic metaphor.
Wow, weird. I can’t imagine many saw it coming. Both Wiggins and Ryder DNFs?
What about Cavendish’s sprinting the past two days. Yesterday he seemed to be “closing the door” but did he move around too much? It almost seemed like with yesterday he was so tired from that rain + ride he knew he needed some help and moved to the barrier on purpose. Thoughts?
@Ron
Commissaires are usually pretty quick to sanction, but maybe Cav’s getting a break this year. The boy dug deep today as he had no help at the end. He pretty much collapsed after crossing the line. He’s gotta be dreading the next few mountain stages though. Alas, the Giro gives red jersey points on mountain finishes. I’d love to see him win red this year – he should have won it last year – and would have – had he not been taken out by Italian riders. I’m looking at you Ferrari – who has been pretty much nowhere this year.
@Ron Wasn’t it DNS for Ryder and Brad, did not start?
@scaler911
@Buck Rogers
@ped
That’s an interesting personal observation, @ scaler911. What is your BMI at that tipping point, if you don’t mind such a personal question?
And there is some mysterious interplay between caloric and micro-nutrient deficit for which overly-simplified therapeutic supplements (zinc! Vitamin C!) are of only modest, if any, benefit. And proof that nutrient-rich food added to standard care for serious infections like TB and HIV improves outcomes is dodgy at best.
@Deakus
If Wiggins is going to the TdF as a contender he needs to man up soon and actually win some races, or at least participate fully, he did SFA in the lead up to the Giro. As for the Vuelta, not so sure, is it not a bit too hilly for him ? (as in steep as fuck ?) Froome has the form so far, be a strange decsion for Sky to ignore that.
This was posted on FB today by Vittoria and Fizik. Passo Stelvio today…
@RedRanger According to this report the Galibier stage is to be altered to NOT include the col summit, due to snow forecast and avalanche risk, ffs…
@xyxax
The problem with BMI is it can be inaccurate regarding body fat %. Putting my height and weight into a BMI calculator, I average ~21.5, and ~20.5 would be where I get sick. But, what I do know (personally) is that I’m 180cm- and 72.5Kg normally. If I get down to 67/68Kg (like I do when “peaking” for a big hilly event), I’m way more prone to things like bronchitis, and pneumonia.
@San Tonio Nothing mainstream about this media Champ!
Cant see Sky backing Wiggans now, last years TDF was almost designed for him, he has shown he cant compete on these types of parcours, so that rules out the Vuelta as well, if he had won the Giro then I could see Sky backing him for the “Double” but I think they “owe” Froome a shot and he seems to be in better shape and better suited to what lies ahead.
@scaler911
Who the hell came up with BMI, anyway? Some tall skinny bastard, that’s who. When I was at my overall most fit, single-digit body fat and bench pressing waaaaay over my body weight and running 8-minute miles for 20+ miles, my BMI was stupid high–like higher than the US Army’s recruitment standard. So I’m short and prone to bulk up. It’s just how I was born. BMI = bullshit.
And no, I actually don’t want to discuss the women’s ITT at the Tour of California.
@eightzero
Apparently the gifted one was quoted as saying “it was hard,flipping hard. Not as hard as making my first million but still, jolly tough!”
On behalf of affluent cyclists everywhere I wish her well. Smiley face smiley face because emoticons are forbotten (apologies keepers). Incidentally I’ve been at the ToC the last few days just hanging out. Everything I ever heard about Jens Voigt is true. Real nice bloke and a class act to boot.
@strathlubnaig
Doh!!
@strathlubnaig
Shite, there’ll be no Hampsten moves in thuds Giro…
@xyxax
In the fall I was down to 4% body fat as measured by my friend who is a”certified” personal trainer. I also had about a month or so of on/off respiratory stuff, waking up hacking and such. Didn’t relate the two at the time, but now I am wondering.
@scaler911
@PeakInTwoYears
Right, BMI is just a rough measure for adults, and doesn’t account for body type or composition. It is just the coin of the particular realm that I’m familiar with. I’ve had a few patients with BMIs of 14.
Anyway, whatever metric you use, it may be more about the level of activity and privation that got you there rather than the absolute value itself. Scaler, that’s a nice bit of knowledge about your own particular physiology. Do you now opt for peak performance at the risk of illness or “play it safe?”
@PeakInTwoYears
BMI = bullshit.
And just to complete the process of boring everyone to death, I would suggest that the measure of BMI is not the problem, but its use for something for which it was not intended, like recruiting criteria.
@DerHoggz
It’s something that you could observe over time with a kind of diary, using weight as a proxy for body fat unless you have one of those fancy scales. Anyway, I admire the hell out of you guys even being able to get yourselves into that zone.
On Cycling Weekly forum, this….”We also think some of the other teams might be using some sort of device which throws the SRM data off. Brad says his power meter numbers get stuck whenever Nibali attacks. In fact Brad was looking at his power numbers which were a bit weird when he crashed the other day”
ha ha ….couldn’t make it up.
@strathlubnaig
Who said that ? Haven’t seen it quoted anywhere else but if as-reported, well they seem to have lost the plot entirely.
Perhaps Nibbles has a V Meter field which overrides the power signal.
@strathlubnaig
Fucking Ri-cock-ulous!
Maybe he should learn to race then, or look at the road rather than his computer. Might not fall off