Velominati Super Prestige: Giro d’Italia 2014
For the simple reason that the Cobbled and Ardennes Classics are behind us, I have not alternative but to get back on my soap box about the Giro being the best of the three Grand Tours. Well, usually, at least. Last year’s race sucked the big one (even if it was supremely Rule #9), but for the most part it is the race that is the most closely contested of the three. There are mountains everywhere Italy meaning there are less bunch sprints, the weather is completely unreliable, and the slightly lower calibre of rider seems hungrier. Or maybe the reduced pressure means riders aren’t quite as stressed out and are able to funnel that extra energy into the race.
My favorite Giro is a hard one to pick out, but its either the 1988 Giro when Andy Hampsten took the win after freezing himself stiff with Erik Breukink on the Gavia or when Pantani took his in 1998. I’ve been watching the ’98 Giro during my morning turbo sessions and Merckx-oh-me, that was an All-Drugs Olympics nail-biter. ’98 is also an interesting contrast to ’88; in just a decade, the technology had changed so much but more than that, the doping atmosphere in the sport transformed completely. From Hampsten’s Giro, EPO went from just being dabbled with on the fringes to being abused by leaders and domestiques alike by the time Pantani won. Hampsten wrote a nice piece about racing against dopers in Tyler Hamilton’s book, The Secret Race. He described the various side-effects that the popular drugs of his era had, such as bloating and a tendency to make the user over-estimate their abilities. Amphetamine made the riders do stupid things, cortisone made them retain water, and steroids made them heavy; a clean rider could use those factors to their advantage. A far cry from the rocket fuel that allowed humble domestiques to big ring up major alpine passes.
Why am I talking about drugs? There’s a race starting in a few days, people! This is our first Grand Tour, and the picks are worth more points, not to mention that strategy starts to play into things with the chance to swap your picks out on either of the rest days – at a certain point penalty. Remember that points are not accumulated; the standings on the last day of the race are what kinds, so keep the long game in mind.
Any points you win count towards the overall prizes plus the winner of this event also gets to post for the rest of the year in the pink jersey badge. So check the start list, review the VSP Grand Tour Scoring Guidelines and get your picks in by the time the countdown clock goes to zero at midnight PDT on Friday, May 9th. If you think we mapped one of your picks wrong, use the dispute system and we’ll review it. Also remember to be precise enough in your description so we know which rider you mean; in other words, if you enter “Martin”, we will use our discretion (read: wild guess) to decide if you mean Tony or Dan – and that choice will not be negotiable once the the countdown clock goes to zero. There has also been a recent scourge of people putting a rider in more than one place. Two words: Piti Principle, people! Don’t make me do a bunch of extra programming to keep you from being allowed to submit such an obviously unsportsmanlike set of picks. We will mercilessly clear out all your entries should we find you have attempted this.
Also don’t forget we’ve got three major prizes for the season-long VSP:
- First place overall wins a Veloforma Strada iR Velominati Edition frame in addition to the customary VSP winner’s VVorkshop Apron
- Second place overall wins a set of hand built CR Wheelworks Arenberg wheelset in a custom Velominati paint scheme laced to orange Chris King hubs. (CR Wheelworks is Café Roubaix’s new wheel goods brand.)
- Third place overall wins a full Velominati V-Kit with accompanying custom orange Bont Vaypor+ road shoes.
Good luck, have fun with it, and don’t lose your Rule #43 spirit.
[vsp_results id=”29781″/]
Common sense wins and I moved Ryder down the list.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cadel Evans
2. Ivan Basso
3. Juaquim Rodriguez
4. Ryder Hesjedal
5. Thomas De Gendt
The website hasn’t changed my list. I will check back in a bit otherwise I will try again.
VSP PICKS:
1. Ryder Hesjedal
2. Ivan Basso
3. Juaquim Rodriguez
4. Cadel Evans
5. Thomas De Gendt
Trying to switch a second time
VSP PICKS:
1. Cadel Evans
2. Ivan Basso
3. Juaquim Rodriguez
4. Ryder Hesjedal
5. Thomas De Gendt
A wee Italian for the win in honour of Marco Pantani, a bit like him in stature but hairier and hopefully a lot smarter than the Poe and coke fuelled Elephantino, a wee Columbian to finish second again, Cadel for the podium again, and the eastern europeans to make their mark. C’mon the Giro!
But if they all make it off the rain sodden Emerald Isle with intact collar bones I will be happy and amazed.
VSP PICKS:
1. DomenicoPozzovivo
2. Nairo Quintana
3. Cadel Evans
4. Przemyslaw Niemiec
5. Rafal Majka
Due to picks not mapping.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cadel Evans
2. Nairo Quintana
3. Joaquim Rodriguez
4. SCARPONI Michele
5. URAN Rigoberto
VSP PICKS:
1. Quintana
2. Uran
3. Evans
4. Rodriguez
5. Dan Martin
VSP PICKS:
1. J Rod
2. Q Tip
3. Pozzo-tiv
4. Henry Rolland
5. Salmon Sandwich
A promo. Seems like they didn’t realize Nibali isn’t riding. I understand he’s Italian (Sicilian) and the defending champ, but seems like they’d tone it down, considering he isn’t starting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efLkTj4ks_0
VSP PICKS:
1. Nairio Quintana
2. Joaquim Rodriquez
3. Cadel Evans
4. Rigoberto Uran
5. Fabio Aru
VSP PICKS:
1. J. Rodriguez
2. Quintana
3. C. Evans
4. R. Uran
5. Pozzovivo
VSP PICKS:
1. Nairo Quintana
2. Joaquin Rodriguez
3. Rigo Uran Uran
4. Cadel Evans
5. Dan Martin
@sthilzy
no breach of Rule #16 there, although that helmet/head size ratio does reduce the Fantastic factor slightly.
VSP PICKS:
1. Good Cadelephant
2. Mick Jagger
3. J-Rod
4. Quintana
5. Count Basso
@Mikael Liddy
This should nullify any issues with helmets.
Post from Nov 15, 2013
“Yes it is way early (way early), but picking a winner of the Giro d’Italia 97Ëš now – Rigoberto Uran.”
Somehow, I don’t see Evans finishing in the top five. And no one is talking about Red Ryder Hesjedal, so I might as well pick him and get no points FFS.
VSP PICKS:
1. Quintana
2. hesjedal
3. Rodriguez j-rod
4. rolland p
5. sanchez sammi
I think that the number of picks could be extended to “top 10” for grand tours… just sayin’.
VSP PICKS:
1. Quintana
2. Evans
3. Uran
4. Joaquim Rodriguez
5. Dan Martin
Throwing in some Canadian love.
VSP PICKS:
1. Quintana
2. Evans
3. Rodriguez
4. Hesjedal
5. Martin
ooops, I forgot about Rigaberto
VSP PICKS:
1. Quintana
2. hesjedal
3. Rodriguez j-rod
4. rolland p
5. uran r
I wanted to pick Hesjedal, but I just could see him in my top 5. Top ten maybe…
Rigo U Facebook link actually works from 2013 Giro d’Italia post.
Giro today, gone tomorrow.
VSP PICKS:
1. Quintana
2. Evans, Cuddly
3. Purito
4. Uran Uran
5. Pozzovivo
What I really meant to say: I wanted to pick Hesjedal, but I just couldn’t see him in my top 5. Top ten maybe…
Madness takes over me — Rigo’s shoes are ready.
VSP PICKS:
1. Quintana, N
2. Rodriguez, Joaquin
3. Uran, R
4. Martin, D
5. Scarponi, M
VSP PICKS:
1. Nairo Quintana
2. Joaquim Rodriguez
3. Cadel Evans
4. Rigoberto Uran
5. Domenico Pozzovivo
VSP PICKS:
1. Nairo Quintana
2. Cadel Evans
3. J-Rod
4. Rigoberto Uran
5. Domenico Pozzovivo
VSP PICKS:
1. Quintana
2. Pozzovivo
3. Uran
4. Rodriguez
5. Kiserlovski
Who the FUCK knows. I don’t.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cadel Evans
2. Joaquin Rodriguez
3. Rigoberto Uran
4. Rafal Majka
5. Michele Scarponi
@unversio
Oh, good lord. So gorgeous. Understated and elegant, and ready to kick ass.
@unversio this photo is a pretty good example of why he should be known as Mick Jagger from this point on.
Also that Hampsten photo is FUCKING AWESOME!
VSP PICKS:
1. J-Rod
2. Pozzovivo
3. Majka
4. Uran
5. Niemiec
Late nights begin tonight. Hello Europe.
VSP PICKS:
1. Luke Durbridge (Aus)
2. Luca Paolini (Ita)
3. Sébastien Chavanel (Fra)
4. Michele Scarponi (Ita)
5. Ivan Basso (Ita)
Sorry, Cuddles, just can’t see it any more.
VSP PICKS:
1. Nairo Quitana
2. Mick Jagguran
3. Purito
4. Pozzovivo
5. Arrrrrrrredondo
Shots in the dark.
VSP PICKS:
1. Nairo Quintana
2. JoaquÃm RodrÃguez Oliver
3. Rigoberto Uran
4. Michele Scarponi
5. Domenico Pozzovivo
VSP PICKS:
1. Quintana
2. Rodriguez
3. Evans
4. Pozzovivo
5. Uran
Good lord, I’ve been imbibing and almost forgot about the Giro. Silly me, I’ll go with the Colombian on this. I can’t quit him. Nor can I quit Mr. Evans, and that may be my downfall.
VSP PICKS:
1. Quintana
2. Cuddles
3. Purito
4. Scarponi
5. Ryder
@eenies Seriously, what’s with national tours starting in far-flung places? I mean, starting the Tour on the eastern coast of England at least is plausible, but starting the effing Giro on the other side of the continent? Why not start the ToC in Connecticut?
Let’s try
VSP PICKS:
1. quintana
2. rodriguez
3. arredondo
4. evans
5. niemiec
VSP PICKS:
1. Quintana
2. Uran
3. Rodriguez
4. Evans
5. Duarte
Some weird form of national pride is making me pick Cuddles. I suspect he’s over the hill but I’d just love to see one more big win.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cadel
2. Quintana
3. Uran
4. Rodriguez
5. Dan Martin
Hmmm… my picks seem to have disappeared. Here they are again!
VSP PICKS:
1. Purito
2. Quintana
3. Uran
4. Cuddles
5. Dan Martin
@Roobar
Go with your gut, you may well be right, I certainly hope so !
Oh no, delgado’ed.
There going to be any single stage VSPs during the Giro?
1 hr 23 min here
Elated to learn that in building identity work for my cycling industry client, I had unknowingly chosen the very typeface used currently for the Giro d’Italia.
Started watching the Giro (now) here
@Owen
I hope things go better than ’98 when Le Tour started in Ireland. Chris Boardman (probably the only clean rider in the peloton) crashed out while wearing yellow and when “le tour du dopage” got back to France the Gendarmes were waiting.
@unversio
Gotta love those Russian brides!