Velominati Super Prestige: Giro d’Italia 2017

Vincenzo Nibali won the Giro going downhill.

I spy with my little eye a certain Michele Scarponi, who sadly lost his life while out training near his home two weeks ago, in there amongst his teammates after his captain, Nibbles, won the race. I’m torn about a death like Michele’s – we subject ourselves to similar risks every time we climb aboard our bikes and we accept it as part and parcel of our craft. Yet, while every day members of our tribe lose their lives to their trade, it takes a high profile rider to remind us how real that risk is.

But onto lighter topics, Nibali won the Giro last year going downhill, and it happened on the one stage I managed to sleep through which is another way of saying I missed it. But I love waking up to a that WTF feeling only a reshuffled GS can give you.

The race starts Friday morning, which is sooner than I expected, so I’ll stop typing so you can start picking. Get them in by the time the clock goes to zero, and remember that our Grand Tour scoring rules are a little different than the smaller events. So jump on that start list and get prognosticating!

Good luck!

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frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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View Comments

Phillip Mercer says:

May 7 2017 at 3:49 am
Boy I hope I don't cop a 25 point penalty...

VSP PICKS (2nd Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nairo Quintana
2. Vincenzo Nibali
3. Adam Yates
4. Steven Kruiswijk
5. Ilnur Zakarin
eenies says:

May 7 2017 at 3:49 am

I Think I'll wait for Sundays stage before I pick my picks. Strong cross/tailwind for the 1st 100km then up to 50mph cross/headwind for the finale. It could be fireworks from the start and the end of some GC dreams. Or it could be a snooze fest like the 1st two stages as everyone waits for Etna.
Lebowski Achiever says:

May 7 2017 at 4:50 am
Okay, sticking with the same. Ready for chaos!

VSP PICKS (2nd Rest Day Swaps):
1. Quintana
2. Mollema
3. Zakarin
4. Dumolin
5. Yates
Two Ball Billy says:

May 7 2017 at 5:24 am
VSP PICKS (2nd Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nairo Quintana
2. Bauke Mollema
3. Vincenzo Nibali
4. Geraint Thomas
5. Adam Yates
tony macaroni says:

May 7 2017 at 8:39 am
VSP PICKS (2nd Rest Day Swaps):
1. Quintana
2. Kruikswijk
3. Pinot
4. Landa
5. Nibali
John Irvine says:

May 7 2017 at 10:03 am
VSP PICKS (2nd Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nairo Quintana
2. Tom Dumoulin
3. Geraint Thomas
4. Thibaut Pinot
5. Vencenzo Nibali
dancollins says:

May 7 2017 at 10:51 am
VSP PICKS (2nd Rest Day Swaps):
1. N. Quintana
2. T. Pinot
3. V. Nibali
4. G. Thomas
5. A. Yates
The Grande Fondue says:

May 7 2017 at 4:23 pm
VSP PICKS (2nd Rest Day Swaps):
1. Quintana
2. Nibali
3. Kruijswijk
4. M Landa
5. T Pinot
Randy C says:

May 7 2017 at 6:45 pm
VSP PICKS (2nd Rest Day Swaps):
1. QUINTANA Nairo
2. NIBALI Vincenzo
3. PINOT Thibaut
4. THOMAs Geraint
5. MOLLEMA Bauke
Heusdens says:

May 7 2017 at 7:01 pm
VSP PICKS (2nd Rest Day Swaps):
1. Quintana
2. Nabali
3. Landa
4. Pinot
5. Yates, A