Velominati Super Prestige: Giro d’Italia 2015
This is the most exciting thing that’s happened in Cycling since April. Yes, that’s a full two weeks with nothing exciting happening and its been killing me. I know its been killing you, too.
I love the Giro, the master alchemist of bad weather and big mountains that keeps the racing exciting from the first day through the last. You can generally count on enough climbing in the first week to see the leadership bounce around like one of those singing ping pong balls on Sesame Street. The race has its fair share of provenance as well, with many a legendary battle fought between legendary riders.
This year’s race is also remarkable for the fact that a GC rider is not only racing both the Giro and the Tour, but for Contador’s publicly stated objective of doing the Giro-Tour double, a feat not matched since Pantani crushed it back in 1998. That is an awesome goal, I just wish it was a goal set forth by a rider I could get enthusiastic about. A quick scan of the start list has me wondering who is made of the same stuff Bertie, and I’m coming up short. Uran Uran and Pozzovivo are the standouts; and I have serious doubts about Porte being able to come up with the goods, not to mention my boy Ryder who, despite having actually won the Giro, does not inspire confidence in his ability to repeat the feat. It is looking like energy bars may be Contador’s biggest rival for the title, like in last year’s Tour.
Now that I’ve given you three paragraphs of useless drivel that you’ve probably already skipped over, I feel comfortable getting down to Road Tacks. This is the Giro, people, lots of points at stake. And those points are going towards amazing prizes including a Jaeger frame and a Café Roubaix wheelset. There is plenty of time for you to Delgado the thing, too, so my advice is that you avoid doing that. Give yourself enough time to enter your picks so if something has gone amuck, you have time to hit “reload” or come back V minutes later to try again before the event closes. Remember, your procrastination in this matter will not result in the only Keeper with database skills diving into the backend to enter your picks for you. (And if you do encounter a problem, please be so kind as to take a screenshot and upload it as the descriptor “it didn’t work” doesn’t help us debug the problem.)
The scoring for the Grand Tours is a tad more involved than the one-day races, so look them over before making your prognostications. (One of the best things about the VSP is that I usually get to use the word “prognostication”, an opportunity one should always relish.)
So get your picks in before the countdown clock goes to zero, hit the go button, and good luck.
Café Roubaix's CR Wheelworks Arenbergs
[vsp_results id=”32941″/]
VSP PICKS:
Hard to look past Bertie.
Porte has a strong team and good form but will he have the luck?
Just don’t like Aru.
Koenig looks a good up and comer.
VSP PICKS:
from heart to head here
VSP PICKS:
And back to heart and not liking Aru
VSP PICKS:
VSP PICKS:
VSP PICKS:
VSP PICKS:
VSP PICKS:
Now or never for Richie…? There is often one ‘super domestique’ in the top 5 – this year I reckon Konig.
VSP PICKS:
My Aussieness says pick richie ……..I cant do it I know he’s gunna shit himself
I wish Valverde was racing
VSP PICKS:
VSP PICKS:
VSP PICKS:
VSP PICKS:
VSP PICKS:
Please don’t dispute your picks before they’ve been mapped. You are just creating extra work for us. Once its been mapped, feel free to dispute.
I’ve a feeling a big crash will knock out the usual favourites…
VSP PICKS:
VSP PICKS:
VSP PICKS:
VSP PICKS:
Well, I won’t be getting much done for the next three weeks. Sadly, I don’t think Cannondale Garmin and Hesjedal have it in them this year.
VSP PICKS:
VSP PICKS:
VSP PICKS:
I really would love to put Ryder on my list, but I think his form is shit. Also, could someone tell Aru that his suffer face looks like he is about to cry to his mommy? He should take some tips from Tony Martin on the suffer face.
VSP PICKS:
VSP PICKS:
VSP PICKS:
VSP PICKS:
After the warm ups that were the classics it’s getting properly started now.
VSP PICKS:
VSP PICKS:
VSP PICKS:
Something is going on at Cannondale. Ryder is shite, Ted King is retiring at 32, Martin is off form too.
VSP PICKS:
VSP PICKS:
VSP PICKS:
Heart, as always, performs a coup de gras on the head. Stupid head, serves you right.
(Also, I am amazed at how much people are copying one another’s picks.)
VSP PICKS:
VSP PICKS:
I’ll throw in for a few spoilers. I really think the top 10 is just about anybody’s race. You’ll have to be on great form and get a little lucky to get anywhere near the podium. Should be fun.
VSP PICKS:
VSP PICKS:
As Porte gets skinnier, his nose gets bigger. It seems like the cynicism we either lacked or allowed to sit dormant is coming out. It’s hard to ignore, but I still tend to just try and enjoy the races and scenery.
Ha…Pozz will lose 3.5 days on the TT. Nice work, ‘punk!
VSP PICKS:
VSP PICKS:
VSP PICKS:
@frank
Never mind; I removed the option to dispute before its mapped, so pbthbt!
VSP PICKS:
VSP PICKS:
@frank
Forgive me if I am wrong, but aren’t you Dutch? Isn’t the option to dispute part of that culture? If my assumptions are correct, I feel as though I am being repressed.
Porte always has a really bad day, but maybe this time he doesn’t?
VSP PICKS:
VSP PICKS:
VSP PICKS:
VSP PICKS:
Painful boring picks. I wish there was an outlier that could liven up the show. Maybe they will let Ryder get into a break. Hoping Aru doping does overcome is lack of race days and put him in the top five. Crap, now I’m going to get sued.
VSP PICKS: