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

Marcus says:

May 15 2011 at 6:58 am

@Ron
Sounds like u might have made a substitution at some point - two point penalty.

Got a bad feeling all the big boys are going to mark each other and do nothing today...
pakrat says:

May 15 2011 at 7:03 am

@CJ
Thanks, its coming in now. Sean Kelly loud and clear.
CJ says:

May 15 2011 at 7:08 am

@Marcus
Surely they have some sense of drama.
You're racing up an active volcano for Pete's sake! The only thing that could make it more awesome would be dinosaurs. It deserves a bit of dash.
Marcus says:

May 15 2011 at 7:15 am

For all you suckas having to watch the race via your computers- in Oz we have a choice of two tv channels covering tonights stage - eurosport (Harmon/kelly) or SBS (Oz commentators Keenan and mcgrory). Ha!
Ron says:

May 15 2011 at 7:19 am

Hmm, I might have made a slip up during the Giro and incurred a 2 point penalty, but I'm listed as -1 for the VSP GC. The last I checked, after the Classics, I was in the high 20s. I couldn't have fucked up that much.
ben says:

May 15 2011 at 7:28 am

Hmm... they are going to let these guys go! Bah!
pakrat says:

May 15 2011 at 7:30 am

Don't they know we have points on the line?
pakrat says:

May 15 2011 at 7:32 am

@Marcus
Hooked up the laptop to the tv, so I'm pretty happy, though the its definitely not HD.
Collin says:

May 15 2011 at 7:39 am

Cracked! The pink jersey will be changing.
pakrat says:

May 15 2011 at 7:40 am

On another note, woke to 2" of snow here at home in Lake Tahoe. Should make for an interesting start to the Tour of California today here in the mountains.