Velominati Super Prestige: Giro d’Italia 2016
Ladies and gentlemen, prepare for the Giro, 2016, starting in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands and finishing in Torino, Italy. Here is a provisional start list. The riders make the race so it should be fantastic racing, a race up the whole of the country, for three weeks, what’s not to love? The Giro usually has a crazy stage and we are unsure what this year’s edition holds in that category, maybe more racing at night, or on dirt, bring it on. The Shark, Landa, Malmerde, Uran Uran, even Red Ryder, and more, each have a decent shot at the over all.
We all know the drill, this race starts on Friday so keep your delgado monkey on a tight leash. Consult your personal oracles; there are bike frames, carbon wheels, V-kit and more for the winners of the season-long overall VSP. Further details can be found on the VSP page. Bon chance.
[vsp_results id=”42800″/]
Worse, Landa abandons. VSP going down the pan. It’s not April 1 is it?
@VirenqueforeVer
Ha! Well it is a Pissa of a race, no???
Saw Landa was out, and I couldn’t remember if I had him in my picks, log in, sure enough… I can handle one failure (Uran), but 2?? … Fuck me running Batman.
@Buck Rogers
What about yesterday’s stage? The break survives with Ben King going into the lead? That was a damn good stage.
@AJ
Ditto. And I used my rest day swap to ditch Uran. FFS.
@Teocalli
And now for something totally different: I enrolled for the Eroica in Limburg on July 3rd. Ya there too?
Am looking for 28mm clinchers as there’s some pave in between. Any suggestions? Am running currently Schwalbes Ultremo’s 23mm, do not want to go broader than 28mm as the innertubes are maxed out at 28mm. Thanks for advice.
@AJ
I just watched the last few KMs. Good that they held on, lead was dropping fast for a while.
Coverage is beyond brutal on NBC even with the benefit of watching from DVR. Moto feed wasn’t working well and poor CVV had the shifty eyes going between Paul and Phil.
What is going on with their descending?
Several awful examples of Inside Suicide… or more accurately kamikazes trying to take out a few others at the same time.
@ChrisO
An outbreak of Schleckitis in the peloton???
And how about Cojones’ win today? 21 years old and finished 6th in the Tour de l’Avenir last year. Might be a rider that we’ll be seeing more of in the future, eh?
@KogaLover
Hi, yes I am booked in. Planning on arriving Friday for a long weekend leaving on the Monday.
I run Tubular on The Butler and use Veloflex Roubaix which are 25mm. They have done 2 Eroica Britannia which is 25 % Strade – a couple of sectors where a full suss mountain bike would not be amiss – and touch wood not had any problems (that’s buggered that then!). Thinking of fitting Veloflex Vlaanderen 27 mm for both events this year but again they are Tubs only.
Maybe look at the new Vittoria Corsa that does come in 28 mm clincher and still gives you the retro gum wall look. I have run the previous Corsa on #1 and found them reliable on cobble and strade equivalent.
@Teocalli
Glad to see that one of my picks abandoned and another, good Ol’Dumoulin, ONLY lost 13:00 minutes today.
Yup, shaping up to be one hell of a Giro VSP!
@Buck Rogers
Does not sound like Dumoulin will last long from the post stage interview. Nasty saddle sores.
@Buck Rogers
+1 one on it being one hell of a Giro, Brambilla was awesome on stage 8.
I’ve also got Uran Uran who suffered a bit of Falling Down in the time trial.
I sticking with my original picks, though.
@Teocalli
DAMN! If it is not Landa’s intestines then it’s Dumoulin’s ass ruining my VSP!
But what a great stage and great stories! Brambilla going out a hero, Le Petit Prince getting the MTN jersey back, a young gun winning the stage. Just such great and unpredictable racing! LOVE it!
@chris
FUCK’In A, you know it!!!
I will now make my obligatory self-righteous post about how VSP Pick Swapping is the lowest form of activity that any one with any hnour or soul can make in their life!
Here endeth the lesson from the self appointed Lord High Commander Dictator for Life of the VARDS Society (Velominati Against Rest Day Swaps)!!!
Rest day swaps assume that the second half of the race will be less of a crap shoot than the first. This crap is shot, and will continue to shoot.
@Buck Rogers
With Uran, Landa and Dumoulin failing terribly so far in this Giro, I will be lucky to remain in the Top 10 of the VSP Overall standings. I have a love-hate relationship with the Giro and it’s unpredictable nature. Faaahhhhkkk!
@Buck Rogers
Yup, awesome riding by Brambilla today and then giving it up at the end for Bob J. I’m not going to make any 2nd rest day swaps, but I see top 3 for young Boaby. EQS have to be loving this: three stage wins and three riders in pink. Great ride by Ciccone. Any relation to Madonna? Still worried that Malmerde might win though. How depressing that would be.
Anyone looking for a reason as to why Landa crapped himself not even halfway through need not seek further than:
@Gianni
curse of the Poi Holloi
Wondering what the hell caused The Windmill’s sores. Seems like an odd time to get them, 1st week and all.
How about Brambilla’s wheel kick out on the hairpin? Bet he needed some new bibs after that!
@Buck Rogers
I will swap during Le Tour, but by the first rest day it seems like there is some sort of predictability… The Giro though… I would venture to say the Italian relationship with predictability is loose, at best.
@KogaLover
Try Vittoria Open Pave’ CGIII in 27c. There is the green stripe and all black. I’ve been really impressed with both what this tire will hold up to and the feel, particularly with a latex tube, but still very good with the black soul of a butyl tube within. First time I rode them I was on 50km of Colorado mountain gravel roads with latex tubes. No nicks, cuts or punctures and they’ve served well all through the fall, winter and spring since on two of our bikes.
@GoldenGorilla
True but as I believe Vittoria have discontinued them they may be hard to find now. Though they seem to be still pretty available in the UK.
and Dumoulin abandons.
@KogaLover
I suspect there is a G+ version of the Pave’ in the works or maybe they just have so much faith in the G+ compound’s cut resistance that they’ll make the 28c version of the Corsa its replacement. Of course the Veloflex equivalent would be very good and very close owing to the relationship between those two companies.
The plus side has been that the Open Pave has been on sale in the US recently and I’m just starting to see a few places out of stock. I took advantage and stockpiled a few for winter training next year.
And back on subject – Landa’s withdrawal is unfortunate for Sky when he was looking pretty good up to the point where he started driving the porcelain school bus. Still no luck for that squad in the Giro. Can’t wait for next week’s serious stages to shake it all apart.
@GoldenGorilla
Good luck getting hold of the fuckers though.
I’ve been trying for a month to get some Corsa G+ tubs.
They sell out within days, even hours, of being in stock and that’s at 70 quid a pop.
@ChrisO
I’ll be gluing a set of those on next week. I’ll let you know how they go…
@ChrisO
VanillaBikes may have some in 25mm Ribble in 23 mm. I was looking for Veloflex Vlaanderen earlier and happened to look at those too.
Giving my LBS a shot first. They do stock Vittoria so I can ask if they can get G+ if you like (but I guess you’ve tried yours anyway).
@Teocalli
Last time I looked Bontrager was the higher end of my LBS’s tyre range. I don’t go there often.
I’ll get some eventually, and I have a spare Corsa for now anyway – I’m just slightly bemused that Vittoria have launched it with so little regard for their supply chain. If Evans, Wiggle and Chain Reaction are all out of stock you’ve got a big problem.
@ChrisO
I found a lot of places said they had stock or said they would have it in 8 to 10 days. They were lying. Mine came in about a month and a late. Your best bet would be ringing around.
Maybe Vittoria didn’t realise how gullible we’d be and fall for the graphene wonder material thing in such large numbers.
I haven’t braved to try the Corsa G+ tubs this year. I was a bit put off on the Corsa cxIII tub last year. Had a set flat both tires on the first ride and another set with multiple deep embedded gravel on the first ride and a flat rear on the second. I tried sealant with Conti Revo due to its behavior with latex tubes, but couldn’t get the sealant to hold at higher pressures. The ride was brilliant, but the durability was non-existant. $400 in tires for 3 rides is too rich for my blood. Been running some previous gen Pave Evo 24s tubs on the nemesis, but have had some issue with the base tape I’ve never seen in a tire before. Some Michellin Pro4 tubs will be the next on the block.
@wiscot
I think Greipel would have been looking for a couple more stages whether Kittel stayed or not. Kittel is devastating on the short and flat stages, but Greipel, with great support, can push out a bit farther. We’ll never know. It’s a shame Kittel bailed so early.
I didn’t make any rest day swaps. I assume they appeared on post automatically, simply because I posted during that day. Is that the story?
Crapspackle! Tommy Two Windills has shot his bolt and Landa too!
Well, chaps, my VSP has departed on the slow boat headed for shit creek (sans paddle).
All I can hope for now is that two non picks fill the two top slots and the rest come home as planned. If Jungels and Amador could be so kind and crush everyone else I would be most greatful.
@dinosaurJR
in the same boat here, hoping first and second come from outside my first five picks and that will cover the penalties, that leaves Valverde, Zakarin and Kruijswijk to choose from.
@piwakawaka
Move over chaps, that’s my seat up front of the SS Titanic, Fuck, who’s running this fuckn show any way…..
Shit creek, no paddle, in a barbed wire canoe.
Gents,
I have a question;
Am I the only one who thinks it is disrespectful and indicative of a lack of moral fibre for so many sprinters to simply “leave” the Giro? The worst for me is Kittel and Greipel whom have / are planning to abandon the Giro whilst in possession of the Maglia Rosso! I find this unbelievable! Apparently Caleb Ewen will also make a “planned abandonment”.
What is going on here, fellow followers of the V? Surely if you enter a race you finish it unless ill / injured or by some other mechanism become incapacitated and unable to compete further?
The Giro is a Grand Tour, FFS! Le Tour is not the be all and end all of our beloved sport. Is this indicative of a deeper problem in cycling? Are Grand Tours too hard? Should there be a World Tour (or what ever it’s called these days) points penalty for riders who purposefully abandon a race? How about a financial penalty?
I know I said I had “a” question… Sorry. This just gets on my tits a little bit.
@dinosaurJR
I’m with you. Same always put me off Cippo and 1 week tours.
@dinosaurJR
Same thought train as you! Enter race to finish race, unless injury takes you out. Refer to Rule #70
@dinosaurJR, @Teocalli
Totally agree, if you bail without being unable to go on (Contador in 2014, Ocana in 1971), stage wins shouldn’t count and you shouldn’t get to start the next one.
Thomas would have got a pass in 2013 but he didn’t realise you’re supposed to retire when you bust your pelvis.
Distributing sprint stages more through the 3 weeks might help. I know they are to some extent but there does seem to be a growing bias towards week 1 to give the sprinters a bagful and then leave. I often wonder what it’s like for the rest of the team when the main man is a sprinter.
@chris
I like the cut of your jib, fella.
Should one leave the race without good reason – and no, “I’m saving the legs for the TdF”, isn’t good reason – the stage results you had achieved in said abandoned race are disregarded and you and automatically are barred from starting the next years edition.
This is a slap in the face to Italy, Coppi, Il Tricolore, Lasagne, Chianti, Grappa, Cippo, Il Dolomiti, Gianluca Vialli and Great Pantanis Ghost!
@dinosaurJR
er …….. Cippo?? He of the King of the One Week Tours? That Cippo?
@Teocalli
I can’t help but wonder if the Champs Élysées sprint finish and the prestige it embodies didn’t exist, how many sprinters would make it through Le Tour?
To address your musing about sprinter orientated teams after the big boys pack up their wattage bazookas and go home – they’re probably relieved; it becomes a far easier final week with no boss rider to protect, I would imagine. Just keep your head down, stay out the wind and make the time cut. If you feel like it, jump on a break, if you don’t then don’t… I’m guessing, of course…
@dinosaurJR
No SHIT! Completely agree! There ought to be a LAW against it!!! (or at least a Rule, eh???)
@Teocalli
On reflection, I probably should have left him out…
@sthilzy
Good knowledge of The Rules there. Injury, crowd barrier, well meaning but over zealous spectators, poorly piloted motor vehicles, acts of God, acts of Dog, etc.
@dinosaurJR
Acts of Frahnk?
But Rule #70 does not really cover this. The sprinters are there to win sprints. So, one could argue that they are honouring Rule #70 b/c they are only there to win stages and if the race does not have sprint stages left, why continue to ride.
Now I do not believe this, I think that they should honour the race by continuing until the end, but I am sure that is the thought process.
@Buck Rogers
This could be wrapped up in the same rule that outlaws rest day swaps:
Rule #95 // Any rider, whether real or virtual, picked to ride a Grand Tour shall be expected to finish barring serious injury or other medical condition.
Failure to complete a Grand Tour in lesser circumstances shall result in any stage wins being struck from the record books and automatic ineligibility for the next edition of the Grand Tour in question. Teams, real or virtual, allowing a rider to retire during a Grand Tour shall receive no World Tour or VSP points for that Grand Tour.
Messrs Thomas, ten Dam and Hoogerland will be the final arbiters of whether an injury or illness qualifies for exemption
I hear you all, but alas, we live in an age of carefully planned blocks of training and racing. A rider’s whole season is carefully strategized and unfortunately this means riding some races to win, some for training and some for a bit of both. If you are a contender and have had a bad day or a sprinter whose stage opportunities are gone, I do see the rationale for quitting. I’m not saying I agree with it, but I understand it – especially if there are other goals for the season.
@chris
Fuck yeah! Give that man a Rule!