Switzerland's Gotthard Pass
We are opening the rolling metal door to the VSP generator and warming it up for this weekend’s start of the Tour de Suisse. As usual, the big hitters of the Tour are riding the Dauphine; I should be more excited about that race but, yawn, not so much. The Swiss tour is longer, more climbing, generally a more awesome race and with any luck they will climb the Passo San Gottardo. The Swiss don’t fool around with their roads, tunnels or cows. Here is your start list.
OK, everyone knows the drill here. Delgado-ing is right out, this starts on Saturday, you have been warned. Prizes, rules, go to the VSP pages for the specifics.
[vsp_results id=”47525″/]
I know as well as any of you that I've been checked out lately, kind…
Peter Sagan has undergone quite the transformation over the years; starting as a brash and…
The Women's road race has to be my favorite one-day road race after Paris-Roubaix and…
Holy fuckballs. I've never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I've missed…
This week we are currently in is the most boring week of the year. After…
I have memories of my life before Cycling, but as the years wear slowly on…
View Comments
@Randy C
Ha! This is great!
Sounds like a proper Rule 9 day at the Swisse.
Abandonments gauche et droite!
wiscot - Ha, good additional points!
Okay. I'm going to pretend I never saw that photo of Gilbert.
Treat needs to pull something huge if he wants to be BMC TdF captain come July. But, based on Phil Gil's head gear, I think BMC implodes here and in July.
@Teocalli
I just did some deep web research. Gilbert is wearing the yet-to-be-released Giro "Armadillo" helmet. Flexible and tough, though only available in gray.
@wiscot
That, or a knit tea cosy.
@ErikdR
Aye, that's likely. Maybe he didn't want to upset his mother:
"Where are you riding this week, Phillipe?"
"Switzerland, mother. I'm riding the Tour of Switzerland."
"Ooh, it gets cold there. They have snow and mountains. I hope you don't catch cold. I'll knit you a nice little hat to keep your head warm. The doctor says you lose a lot of heat through your noggin."
"I'll be fine mother, honestly. The team give me caps and helmets."
"You can't be too careful dear (she says while furiously knitting up a storm). Here, wear this, it'll keep you warm."
"No, really mother, I'll be fine."
"Do as I fucking tell you Phillipe. There's a good boy."
"Yes mother."
. . . and the rest is history.
@wiscot
Ha! Yep - you nailed it, methinks. (Chuckling into my Danish lager here... For the record: Neither Carlsberg nor Tuborg - although there's nothing wrong with either)
@wiscot
He must have chosen the one with the built in ear muffs too.
@Teocalli
You can be damn sure no Etixx QS rider would wear that abomination. Their riders know that good headwear looks like. Did you see the "cap" Froome was wearing at the end of the Dauphine? It had his name on the side but looked five sizes too big.