Velominati Super Prestige: Trofeo Alfredo Binda 2016

What's got two thumbs and makes grown women weep? This chick!

There are a couple things you need to know about the Women’s Racing Scene. First of all, they’ve been racing the fuck out of Belgium and Italy, and staying well clear of the warmer climes. They are also busy kicking off their first-ever WorldTour. No surprise in who the current leader is; Lizzy Armitstead has gobbled up every race of value so far on the calendar, resplendent in her very Rule Compliant Rainbow jersey and black bibs. What’s not to love about her?

Well, she was forced to wear white bibs with her leaders’ jersey, so there’s that, I suppose. I remember when Tom Boonen was leading the WorldTour when riding in the rainbow bands, he petitioned the UCI to let him wear a hybrid jersey because he felt the bands were more valuable than the stale while WT leaders jersey. I’m not sure if Lizzy is thinking anything similar, but at least the jersey is a beautiful one.

The Trofeo Alfredo Binda kicks off on Sunday, and it is a nasty, hilly little bugger and will be sure to see the usual womens fireworks, which is another way of saying these girls race aggressively as shit. But how do you beat a hardwoman who can climb and sprint? Spoiler alert: you don’t. My money’s on Queen Lizzie.

Remember people, there is a Don Walker on offer. It might even get displayed at the best bike show in North America: NAHBS. And if you are the first loser, you’ll get a set of Café Roubaix CR Wheelworks wheels. Which might also be at NAHBS. Epic. Bragging. Rights.

So start prognosticating on your picks and check the scoring guidelines. Don’t wait too long as these are early VSPs and there have been some glitches in the systems on the MSR event; I don’t want to hear any complaining about Delgado’ing the event because something went catywampus at the last minute.

Check the start list, read the preview, and then pray to whatever you think will help make a difference. Personally, I’m rubbing my lucky Kapelmuur cobble.

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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

Minnesota Expat says:

Mar 20 2016 at 5:56 pm

@xyxax

@Minnesota Expat

Sorry I didn’t mean to imply shallow analysis on your part. Wasn’t thinking properly.

No worries. I didn't take it that way at all. Past performance in a race or on a course is my first consideration, then current wins and fitness. But I was impressed with Blaaks recent wins, now I'm just annoyed with her (insert frowning red faced emoji here) !
piwakawaka says:

Mar 21 2016 at 1:36 am

Lizzie seems to be such a complete rider, attack from the chasing group to the lone leader, coach her through the last 3 km's, and offer up a one on one sprint for the win, and smoke it home, very classy.
Ron says:

Mar 21 2016 at 10:02 am

Ouch. Someone needs to spread the word to the women's podium folks. No hat, just shades. Head band. X-Games-esq ball cap. Wow...
emerson says:

Mar 21 2016 at 10:52 am

@Ron

You're really quite the woman Ron.
wiscot says:

Mar 21 2016 at 11:11 am

@Ron

Ouch. Someone needs to spread the word to the women’s podium folks. No hat, just shades. Head band. X-Games-esq ball cap. Wow…

That Schibli hat is beyond awful. I'd accept it as a parody of the ubiquitous baseball cap but I fear it's not. It's like the monstrosity Bling Matthews was wearing at the weekend. Thankfully Etixx know how to present themselves on a podium which, in hindsight, make Gaviria's crash all the more unfortunate. I think he would have been good for a podium spot and would therefore have put at least one proper cycling cap on view.
piwakawaka says:

Mar 21 2016 at 9:11 pm

@wiscot

@Ron

Ouch. Someone needs to spread the word to the women’s podium folks. No hat, just shades. Head band. X-Games-esq ball cap. Wow…

That Schibli hat is beyond awful. I’d accept it as a parody of the ubiquitous baseball cap but I fear it’s not. It’s like the monstrosity Bling Matthews was wearing at the weekend. Thankfully Etixx know how to present themselves on a podium which, in hindsight, make Gaviria’s crash all the more unfortunate. I think he would have been good for a podium spot and would therefore have put at least one proper cycling cap on view.

No, no no no no no, Gaviria is no doubt a future star, but it's called bike racing, not bike winning, he has a lot to learn yet. Great to see him contesting the finale of such a long race, on his debut.
Minnesota Expat says:

Mar 28 2016 at 8:23 am

@xyxax

@Minnesota Expat

@xyxax

And where is Blaak? Were three podiums with two firsts enough for one year? Did she stop for an espresso and gelato?

Weird about Blaak; I went back to previous TB races and she never placed high so laid off.

God forbid we’s actually see results outside of twitter feeds. The “live” coverage by UCI was a joke.

Encouraged that my 3-4-5 picks finished 4-5-6, in that order. Time to up the drug dosage.

WTF!? You see who won the women's GW?! None other than Chantel Blaak. So now she has four podiums in 2016 with three first place finishes. And she decides to take day off and finishes 12th at TFB, totally trashing my TFB VSP picks? Grrrrrrrrr.....
frank says:

Mar 28 2016 at 9:30 am

@Minnesota Expat

@xyxax

@Minnesota Expat

@xyxax

And where is Blaak? Were three podiums with two firsts enough for one year? Did she stop for an espresso and gelato?

Weird about Blaak; I went back to previous TB races and she never placed high so laid off.

God forbid we’s actually see results outside of twitter feeds. The “live” coverage by UCI was a joke.

Encouraged that my 3-4-5 picks finished 4-5-6, in that order. Time to up the drug dosage.

WTF!? You see who won the women’s GW?! None other than Chantel Blaak. So now she has four podiums in 2016 with three first place finishes. And she decides to take day off and finishes 12th at TFB, totally trashing my TFB VSP picks? Grrrrrrrrr…..

Grrrrr...Why didn't we know there was a women's Gent? It is so fucking hard to find out information on Women's Cycling, it is a disgrace.
xyxax says:

Mar 28 2016 at 2:48 pm

@Minnesota Expat

@xyxax

@Minnesota Expat

@xyxax

And where is Blaak? Were three podiums with two firsts enough for one year? Did she stop for an espresso and gelato?

Weird about Blaak; I went back to previous TB races and she never placed high so laid off.

God forbid we’s actually see results outside of twitter feeds. The “live” coverage by UCI was a joke.

Encouraged that my 3-4-5 picks finished 4-5-6, in that order. Time to up the drug dosage.

WTF!? You see who won the women’s GW?! None other than Chantel Blaak. So now she has four podiums in 2016 with three first place finishes. And she decides to take day off and finishes 12th at TFB, totally trashing my TFB VSP picks? Grrrrrrrrr…..

Paint it, paint it, paint it ...Blaak.

It's clearly gotten personal and she checks the website before signing in on the day.
Minnesota Expat says:

Mar 29 2016 at 8:50 am

@frank

@Minnesota Expat

@xyxax

@Minnesota Expat

@xyxax

And where is Blaak? Were three podiums with two firsts enough for one year? Did she stop for an espresso and gelato?

Weird about Blaak; I went back to previous TB races and she never placed high so laid off.

God forbid we’s actually see results outside of twitter feeds. The “live” coverage by UCI was a joke.

Encouraged that my 3-4-5 picks finished 4-5-6, in that order. Time to up the drug dosage.

WTF!? You see who won the women’s GW?! None other than Chantel Blaak. So now she has four podiums in 2016 with three first place finishes. And she decides to take day off and finishes 12th at TFB, totally trashing my TFB VSP picks? Grrrrrrrrr…..

Grrrrr…Why didn’t we know there was a women’s Gent? It is so fucking hard to find out information on Women’s Cycling, it is a disgrace.

Yes. That too.