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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@strathlubnaig
You are doing something terribly wrong, newer chains last a lot longer than the old ones.
Maybe I’ll go electronic when it trickles down to 105 level. I dont know, man. I love nice stuff, but seriously the 105/Rival/Centaur type tier of stuff works so well in my limited experience. I’m fat so saving a pound or so on 105 vs DA isn’t worth it and I believe that when tuned right it all works pretty well and doesn’t make you go faster…..now some carbon wheel/light wheels on the other hand, that’s where I’d blow my load.
@graham d.m. Agreed, I got plenty of weight to lose on my end. and I think you cant go wrong with Ultegra mechanical.
@DocBrian
Yeah, I hate self-opinionated people. Especially those who get offended when others dare to have a differing opinion. I mean, what’s up with that?
Why would you only tell living people to stay away from us? Got something against corpses?
Where do you stand on zombies – as they are the living dead, would you say yay or nay?
@Giles
They would be fucking WIN on a rain bike though! Those few seconds pumping the water off the rim before the pads work clenches my buttocks everytime…
@Beers
Aha..but that puts you on carbon rims surely?….those of us on alu rims suffer less…
@DerHoggz
Dunno – our roads are covered in a sort of grinding paste that gets everywhere especially in the wet – 1500kms is not far off my average and I’m cleaning the damn thing constantly. It could be the wattage from our mighty guns causing the chains to wimp out of course…
@the Engine what are you using for chain lube?
@HeinrichHausslersHairstyle
Here, in my opinion are two great reasons to not go the electric route. The second reason speaks for itself. Who wants limp wrists? The first, well the only thing I like about cycling more than riding my bike and spending time in my lbs looking at shiney new stuff or awesome kit is being out in my gagrage and cleaning and tinkering and tuning my bike. Usually with a decent beverage. If I didn’t have to tune it what would I do? I get a real sense of satisfaction out on the road when the bike is silent and shifts perfectly…I made it do that.
Actually there’s a good third reason and that’s that elecy will make you a poorer rider surely? I know enough people who already wait too long to shift gear on a climb…crucn crunch ping…know what I mean? From what I understand on di2 etc you can change under load any time you like. It’s like using super wide super side cut skis. Any fool can do it, Where’s the skill or art in that?
I’m sticking with my Sram red 10s now but my next build will be campy super record 11s mechanical and I look forward to lots of hours tuning it and giving it love and attetnion.
@DocBrian
I think you need to get a grip and have a word with yourself. As far as for the self opinionated morons you are in disagreement with, as far as I can see, none of them run this site. They just come for entertainment same as me and you. Self opinionated is redundant by the way.
@Marcus
You say that now but my guess is that after two minutes you’d be a bitter dissapointment to yourself!
@paolo You are most probably right – however if i could fuck myself I could probaby also kid myself into thinking that i was really good.
I wonder if Amoebas tell each other to go fuck themselves?
@paolo valid points indeed. for me di2 is new, shiny and good. Like the first time I got carbon clinchers, a carbon frame or sti. It adds to the ride not detracts. Doesn’t mean non-users are Luddites, just different perspectives on what makes a ride quality.
@mouse he’s back!
@scaler911
This.
I am a fan of both – but given the choice today it’s mech because I prefer the sensations – I prefer the look of mech set up; I prefer the feel of mech shifting – the visceral tactility and connectedness of a confident mech shift; and as important the sound : I find the high pitched whine of elec front derailleur disconcerting – much prefer the satisfying thunk engagement of mech shift.
Its all about personal preference and we are splitting 1st world hairs over this – but elec does de-sensitise the bike another degree like carbon over steel anaethetises the road just that little bit more than I like.
But really – what a problem to have. Poor us.
@paolo
Woh! You just blew my mind!
@the Engine
I dont think I am doing anything ‘terribly wrong’ at all. I just ride the bike at a decent pace and check the chain stretch. When it hits ‘1’ I change the damn thing, otherwise I woill wear out all the other more expensive bits. 1500km seems to be the average figure before I need to really monitor things and think about swapping it out. As @The Engine says, our roads are shite and our weather is generally shitier, and we have a lot of hills. PM is the way to go.
@paolo
Where do you suppose we get it?
@paolo csr11 shouldnt take but a few minutes to tune. once the cables are stretched, you’re golden. if you have internal routing it takes a few rides, but if it is external put on some leather gloves and pull baby pull.
put in big ring, small cog. attach cable to rear mech with tension and screw. run up and down the cassette and make tension adjustment for 6th cog. like buttah
This whole electric it’s good/ bad reminds me of clipless vs. toe clips and straps. I loved old school pedals and straps but I would never go back (maybe on the track?). I ride an old Bianchi with down tube shifters and she’s just fine for all my regular needs. Last summer I demo-ed a Felt with electronic shifting and as expected the shifting was awesome! But more awesome was the 6 1/2 kilos of felt vs my 9 1/2 kilo 30 year old.
Bottom line when all this stuff costs less than a used car or I get sponsored by Viagra to ride the masters worlds I am happy to lug along and watch the Felts and Storcks from the back of the pace line.
@Giles
Saw this somewhere, and oh so true.
@mouse
RIght, “Velominati, Self-Opinionated Silly Self-Fuckers”, stand by for a site update.
I’ve been on holiday a few days and am amazed to find this out about myself. Particularly since the good Doc appears to be better with a scalpel than his spell checker as I had a job of it sorting out what he’d said. And, the people he appears to have a beef with don’t run the site. He attention to detail mirrors his opinion of electronic shifting.
All things being equal, if electronic shifting gets Minion, ChrisO, and Marcus (and me, from the sidelines) agreeing, well, I’d have thrown him out for it if he’d not (apparently) left on his own. Not to mention for calling this place a “blog” – I’ve never been so insulted in my life.
@Rob I guess it will only be a matter of time though, after all not so long ago only high end cars came with ABS brakes, and I still recall the novelty of autolock seat belts in cars.
@Erik
What is it with the fucking thrones? Its a worse trend than baseball caps on the podium.
@JohnB
Honestly, choosing wheels is like choosing the character for your bike that day…I love being able to swap between machines. For that reason alone, I’ll be buying up as much 10spd Campa as I can manage just to resist the investment of buying 11spd for all those bikes.
Besides, having ridden Mektronic killed my love of electronic shifting, though I’m given to understand Mavic Zap! was pretty good. Mektronic made me vow to always keep a cable between my hand and my rear mech.
@strathlubnaig
You look like a fanny with that pink shirt. Don’t let the guys on the rig see you in that.
@Deakus
I use rain blocks and they are great; my carbon rims brake better in all circumstances than alu, but they go after brake pads like a fat guy at an all-you-can-eat buffet.
@Marcus
The question is, would you also fake your own orgasms?
@Rob
You are my hero. +1 badge to you.
@Rob
Even when the tech is to make stuff lighter, the tech has to be slowed down by 70 grams here;
I read somewhere a while a go that the UCI regulations on minimum weight was there to make sure the bikes are of solid, ‘safe’ build. The above pic throws out that theory.
@PeakInTwoYears
Wow, you must not be American. You know you are hinting at actual evoloution don’t you? Not the sort that sees dura ace become di2 but actual evoloution. This is tant amount to herasy in some parts of this country. ( not the PNW where it sems many enlightened people live..i hasten to add).
@frank
poor wiggo….did you ever see someone so uncomfortable and ill at ease with themselves. I hope as he grows older he gets used to being inside his own skin.
@paolo
American of the big-government socialist class-warfare social-engineering Wall Street-occupying pot-legalizing gay marriage-supporting flavor. (Unless you’re coming for my guns, in which case you should bring several well-armed friends.)
@frank
I’m telling you, after Sky/Wiggins dominated last year they have become the model to follow it seems. First the TT-winning fist pump, now a throne. I was surprised by the distinct lack of sideburns throughout the peloton, even on the Modfather. Perhaps that explains his poor performance? Contador is taking some races off to grow his out before the TdF no doubt.
@frank
Maybe aye, but a fucking FANTASTIC looking fanny….
@Deakus
Seems my last post put someone’s nose out of joint enough to pack it in.
Let’s see if I can make it two for two…
Carbon rims on your rain bike.
All of my riding through this autumn in Melbs has been on Carbon rims. The thing that I’m discovering is that;
i) They perform surprisingly well braking wise
ii) They stay clean!!
I’m loving the fact that even after a filthy wet ride, my bike isn’t covered in that shitty aluminium / grit paste that is ground off the braking surface of aluminium rims.
Carbon rims for all conditions. Put your aluminium hoops in the bin. Now.
….Aaaaand; GO.
@mouse
Who brakes? If you brake you lose.
@Marcus
There ya go sweetheart fixed it for you.
*fuck* BUY *it*
Just a reminder of how hard pro cyclists can be….
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/morabito-toughed-out-giro-ditalia-with-broken-ankle-and-wrist
Sure shows soccer playing wanks how it ough to be done
So pleased that the counter-argument to DocBrian’s observation about “the self-opinionated morons who run this site” has largely been based on the fact that we don’t run the site.
I would hate to lose credit, wherever it comes from.
@frank
A chick once told me – ‘Opinions are like orgasms…mine matters most & I really don’t care if you have one.’
She is still single.
@strathlubnaig
Every single one of ’em who finished that tour, hard as FUCK, long, fast, steep, wet, cold, steep, freezing, fast, steep, snow, rain, hail, and they’re racing each other, hard as FUCK. Great tour the strongest guy with undoubtably the strongest team, he still had two left 3km from the finale of stage 20, very well ridden by both, so if Nibali is not at TDF then who is Astana’s GC guy?
Looking forward to seeing how guys who rode the Giro perform in France, Cavendish must be rubbing his hands with glee at his prospects, again great support from his team, another great aspect of this noble art is that it requires an entire team for one individual to win, and that’s just the team on the road, the investment must be huge at this level, anyone know what kind of budgets they operate with?
@piwakawaka And Cav did it without electronic gears. He must be good operating at such a disadvantage.
@Daccordi Rider why gamble on new tech with a sure thing like Cav? looking forward to him Griepel, and Sagan going head to head at TDF, hopefully being a Badass all over Italy won’t slow him down any, Griepel had a week in the rain in Belgium Sagan had a week of sun in the US wonder who had the best prep?
@RedRanger
This time of year light oil as recommended by the LBS – clean after every ride with White Lightning and then reapply. If I’ve had a soaking and can’t clean That Fucking Bike due to family duties I spray GT 40 on the drive train to keep corrosion at bay until I can – I’ve seen rust develop during a coffee stop.
@frank
I’ve just assumed it’s his digital version of a doctor’s particular brand of illegible scrawl…
@the Engine
You might wanna try green oil super dry chain WAX , yeah, it’s “dry”, but given that we clean & lube more regularly than you’re average punter it will do the job. It’s great for avoiding that build up of shite
@ped
I thought the preferred weapon of choice was Dumonde Tech…?
@Deakus Have you managed to get that in the yUK?