Velominati Super Prestige

Velominati Super Prestige: Giro D’Italia 2013

Pink Ryder photo:REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo
Pink Ryder photo:REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo

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.

[vsp_results id=”23343″/]

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1,031 Replies to “Velominati Super Prestige: Giro D’Italia 2013”

  2. @Marcus

    @DocBrian

    @Ron

    I’ve had a pretty easy time forgetting that Evans was still a cycle racer. When is the last time he’s ridden at the front of a race? (not a rhetorical question.)

    Highest VO2 of any athlete ever tested. Cannot possibly write him off. I’ve met him, Ridden with him. Amazing attitude. Truly superb human apart from anything else.

    Such an Australian biased fanboy furphy that Evans has the highest VO2 max ever recorded. He may have had the highest ever recorded at the AIS at one time, but thats about it. I recall Evans measured about 85. Compare that to Indurain 88, LeMond (apparently 92.5!). I think there are a bucketload of massive nordic skiers that blow cyclist VO2 max scores out of the water.

    And VO2 max isnt only half the story for a stage racer. Need to consider body weight. Hence watts per kg the real measure for riders…

    And Cuddles carries a bit more weight than other GC guys – except for those listed above!

    That said, Cuddles wont go quietly into the night!

    I thought the most important factor bar none on the long stage races was…recovery, recovery, recovery…..he who sleeps best gets to deploy the V again next day!  I think it is going to be a stonking Giro and after that awesome Vuelta last year I am starting to think Tour de what?

  3. VSP PICKS:

    1. Froome
    2. Hesjedahl
    3. Cadel
    4. Scarp one
    5. Wiggins

  6. My biggy. Automatically chose Froome, not realizing he wasn’t riding.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Hesjedahl
    2. Evans
    3. Nibali
    4. Scarponi
    5. Wiggins

  7. Too much TTT and ITT for Nibs…

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Jolly Naughty Wiggins
    2. Nibbles
    3. Hey Jadal
    4. Santa mbrogio
    5. Scared Pony

  9. VSP PICKS:

    1. Bradley Wiggins
    2. Vincenzo Nibali
    3. Robert Gesink
    4. Michele Scarponi
    5. Ryder Hesjedal

  10. VSP PICKS:

    1. Wiggins
    2. Nibali
    3. Evans
    4. Hesjedal
    5. Scarponi

  13. bassoI basso is out

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Nibbles
    2. Ryder
    3. Scar face
    4. Sanchez
    5. Wiggins

  15. @Marcus

    @DocBrian

    @Ron

    I’ve had a pretty easy time forgetting that Evans was still a cycle racer. When is the last time he’s ridden at the front of a race? (not a rhetorical question.)

    Highest VO2 of any athlete ever tested. Cannot possibly write him off. I’ve met him, Ridden with him. Amazing attitude. Truly superb human apart from anything else.

    Such an Australian biased fanboy furphy that Evans has the highest VO2 max ever recorded. He may have had the highest ever recorded at the AIS at one time, but thats about it. I recall Evans measured about 85. Compare that to Indurain 88, LeMond (apparently 92.5!). I think there are a bucketload of massive nordic skiers that blow cyclist VO2 max scores out of the water.

    And VO2 max isnt only half the story for a stage racer. Need to consider body weight. Hence watts per kg the real measure for riders…

    And Cuddles carries a bit more weight than other GC guys – except for those listed above!

    That said, Cuddles wont go quietly into the night!

    Yeah, highest ever recorded was 96 by Bjorn Daehlie, and if I remember correctly, that was in the off season and they feel he would have gone over 100 at peak time in the season. 

    Quick search showed this article.  Not the end-all, be-all but it jives with what I remember off hand.

    http://www.active.com/outdoors/articles/Nordic-Skiing-Excellent-Cross-Training-for-Endurance-Athletes

  17. @strathlubnaig

    Those misguided souls who included Basso may wish to revise the picks, he is oot.

    http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/basso-out-of-the-giro-ditalia

    Basso says “I was ready to do well and I was convinced I could have done well. The Giro is the race I love more than any other. But I’m sure I’ll be back next year and I’ll be even stronger.” Hmmmm . . . seems like the PEDs have been replaced by hallucogenic ones. Frankly, I think he was shit-scared of being humiliated by the younger riders.

  21. I was thinking Hesjedal and wrote Froome….these are my real picks.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Wiggins
    2. Nibali
    3. Scarponi
    4. Hesjedal
    5. Gesink

  22. @DocBrian

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Froome
    2. Hesjedahl
    3. Cadel
    4. Scarponi
    5. Wiggins

    hey Doc, put down the stethoscope and remove Froome from your picks, he’s sitting this one out.

  23. @strathlubnaig

    @DocBrian

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Froome
    2. Hesjedahl
    3. Cadel
    4. Scarponi
    5. Wiggins

    hey Doc, put down the stethoscope and remove Froome from your picks, he’s sitting this one out.

    Strathlubnaig ( sounds like old Irish?) thank you for letting me know, but I have already been told by several others that Froome is resting. I have accordingly changed my picks.

    By the way, I don’t have a stethoscope. I am not that sort of doc. M2 PhDs: first in Mathematics from 1970 when maths was done without computers and the second from 2000 in Education.

  24. @RManneck

    I was thinking Hesjedal and wrote Froome….these are my real picks.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Wiggins
    2. Nibali
    3. Scarponi
    4. Hesjedal
    5. Gesink

    I made a similar mistake.

  25. @piwakawaka Interesting points sir. For Sky, Wiggo winning agin would be good because he is a “personality” and a “character” and his eccentricities play well in the UK. Froome, as talented s he is, just doesn’t seem to have much of a personality. I’m sure Sky will try and manage this (maybe it’s all BS and secretly CF and BW are laughing at how hysterical the media are getting over the issue,) Should Wiggo win the Giro, he’ll want to be the first Brit to win the double. Spain, he can leave for anothr year.

    Interesting how CF is always referred to as “Kenyan-born” yet Wiggo is not referred to as “Belgian-born.” Bias?

  33. Switching things around.  Heart says Nibles, but Sky train is too strong.  Still not sure of the last two.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Wiggo
    2. Ryder
    3. Nibles
    4. Cuddles
    5. Scarponi

  34. It’s a good job not too many folks have Basso in their picks. He’s either regretting not using chamois cream or mourning the loss of Fuentes.  To all intents and purposes. that’s his career done and dusted.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Nibbles
    2. Ryder
    3. Twiggy
    4. Phinney
    5. Duran D'Uran

  37. I can’t not have another Italian in there. Phinney for the win…in 2015.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Wiggins
    2. Nibali
    3. Hesjedal
    4. Scarponi
    5. Sanchez

  41. Oops!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. NIBALI
    2. WIGGINS
    3. SANCHEZ
    4. EVANS
    5. HESJEDAL

  42. Grand Tour Time! Bring. It. On.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Badley Swingin
    2. Nibbles
    3. Scarponi
    4. Hesjedal
    5. Uran Uran

  44. Here goes, my first ever entry in the VSP. Would love Nibbles to finally make the break from Sir Twig, but think the Sky Train might be too strong. Gesink mainly because Team Blanco seem to be having a great season.

    BTW, I feel the need for an imaginative moniker for Ryder “by-name-by-nature” Hesjedal, but can’t think of one right now. And I too love “My Little ‘Poni.”

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Twiggo
    2. Nibbles
    3. Ryder
    4. My little ‘Poni
    5. Keep ’em Gesink

  45. @margc

    Here goes, my first ever entry in the VSP. Would love Nibbles to finally make the break from Sir Twig, but think the Sky Train might be too strong. Gesink mainly because Team Blanco seem to be having a great season.

    BTW, I feel the need for an imaginative moniker for Ryder “by-name-by-nature” Hesjedal, but can’t think of one right now. And I too love “My Little ‘Poni.”

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Twiggo
    2. Nibbles
    3. Ryder
    4. My little ‘Poni
    5. Keep ’em Gesink

    First time, eh? Well that makes you just as expert as the rest of us who’ve been doing this for the last few years! Good luck – just don’t beat me!

  46. Bye-bye Basso

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Wiggo
    2. Nibbles
    3. Hesjedal
    4. Uran
    5. Scarponi

  47. I see Basso’s condition has been upgraded to a sudden perineal abscess…. very ouch

  48. Needed some last minute tweaking.  Can’t wait for the racing to start.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Ryder Hesjedal
    2. Bradley Wiggins
    3. Nibali
    4. Tom Danielson
    5. Scarponi

  50. Trying real hard to find alternative picks from the main suspects, lots of potential sprinter stage winners and possible mountain stage winners but GC picks not so obvious. Och well….

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Nibbles
    2. It’s My Party Wiggins
    3. Go RYDER Go !
    4. Scarpers
    5. Wham Bam Santantambrogio

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