Velominati Super Prestige: Giro Stage 9, Mt. Etna

There will be fireworks

There will be fireworks. It’s a phrase we often use, and one we rarely take literally. But this photo shows Mount Etna. Actually erupting. Recently. There is a non-zero chance that it will erupt tomorrow, when the Giro d’Italia riders over this brute twice.

Tomorrow’s stage will be the first real battleground for this year’s Giro, and we expect there to be fireworks. Possibly literally. And figuratively. Get your picks in by 5am Pacific time tomorrow for a chance to grab a few extra points in the VSP.

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

il ciclista medio says:

May 15 2011 at 5:32 am

Oli Brooke-White:
Picks are just guesses, anyway.

Guesses?! I'll have you know that several chickens have given their gizzards to confirm that my selections are absolutely on the mark.
(NB - no chickens were harmed while showing me their bits)
Alex says:

May 15 2011 at 5:34 am

@Oli Brooke-White
haha he'd be riding better!
pakrat says:

May 15 2011 at 6:09 am

@Ron
What did you say to piss Frank off?
pakrat says:

May 15 2011 at 6:14 am

Anyone have an english speaking video link? My usual is spitting out Italian at the moment.
Alex says:

May 15 2011 at 6:26 am

@pakrat
http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/livestream
Steampunk says:

May 15 2011 at 6:32 am

@Ron @pakrat
-1 for not just reading the instructions more carefully? Reading through the picks, there does seem to be a breach of Rule 65.
Cyclops says:

May 15 2011 at 6:37 am

Speaking of podiums...
I got my first top five finish yesterday. I saw a team move to the front as we turned into a big crosswind so I jumped into their rotation and we got a ten man break going with about 40k to go. I finished fourth about a bike length out of first. What was really satistfying though was after the race when most of the guys in the break thanked me for working so hard to make the break stick.

Even with the crosswind/headwind for over half the race we did the 52 miles (if my calculations are correct that's about 83k) in 2:06. Our break passed the first Cat 5 class in front of us and a big group of Cat 4's. Not bad for a fat guy that turns 50 in a couple of months, eh?
ben says:

May 15 2011 at 6:39 am

Here we see a BMC rider checking out the Italian version of Highlights:
pakrat says:

May 15 2011 at 6:44 am

@Alex
Thanks Alex , unfortunately my region is blocked.
CJ says:

May 15 2011 at 6:51 am

@pakrat
Eurosport UK has just got it's shit together...