Velominati Super Prestige: Women’s Elite Road Race 2013
Where: Montecatini Terme to Firenze, Italy
When: September 28
How: 140 km including 5 climbing laps in Firenze.
It will most likely be gruppo compatto all the way to Firenze. The bombs start going off on the first of five climbing circuits. The strongest will stay near the front, with each circuit the pretenders will fall away. Sprinters and time trialists should stay at home. What should be left are the cunning, strong and a good descender or two. The finish is after the descent of the 5th climbing circuit so a regrouping of the last hard women could happen. Or not, it could unfold in a completely different way. I can’t help you. The start list can help you. And to add some confusion, here is another start list link. Lady luck or a sacrifice to the correct god may help you. I lament the lack of a ladies Vuelta so we would really know who was going to be there in the end.
If teamwork is helpful here, Australia and Italy have the largest squads. This course should produce an exciting race so find a good streaming video or stand on the side of the road in Firenze and shout your brains out. Bon chance to all.
[vsp_results id=”27400″/]
VSP PICKS:
1. Marianne Vos
2. Emma Johansson
3. Van Der Breggen
4. Claudia Hausler
5. Tatiana Guderzo
VSP PICKS:
1. Van Dijk
2. Vos
3. Bronzini
4. Moolman
5. Abbott
VSP PICKS:
1. La Cannibelle – Vos
2. Bronzini
3. Mara Abbott
4. Emma Jo
5. Longo Borghini
Don’t let me down, Vos! I desperately need the points!
VSP PICKS:
1. Marianne Vos
2. Giorgia Bronzini
3. Emma Johansson
4. Ellen Van Dijk
5. Elisa Longo Borghini
hmmm….still lost.
VSP PICKS:
1. M. Vos
2. C. Hausler
3. E. Johansson
4. E. Stevens
5. T. Crom
Shrug. Rankings, zero real knowledge, always wrong anyways.
VSP PICKS:
1. Vos
2. Johansson
3. Van Dijk
4. Bronzini
5. Stevens
VSP PICKS:
1. Vos
2. Bronzini
3. Stevens
4. Armistead
5. Van Dijk
VSP PICKS:
1. Vos
2. Stevens
3. Bronzini
4. Johansson
5. Abbott
Watching some pirated French feed and it is gruppo compacto — all shot from a distance. This is why some people think the sport is boring. Attack!! Make interesting TV!!! (that last comment is for the producers).
@Erik
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/24303070
Does this link work for you, its the BBC with Boardman.
Smooth smooth roads for this race.
@norm
Thanks for the link. Sounds Iike it is starting to get interesting now and Vos, Armitstead and Johansson are all still present.
Stevens must fancy it – the Americans are setting a big tempo to try to shed riders.
No big names gone but it has sorted out wheat from chaff.
@ChrisO Not sure they’ve done themselves any favours though as they seem to only have managed to drop themselves.
Yeah TRIXI!!! Get some!
Stevens looking good though, and Johansson. Up against numbers from Italians and Dutch but they get an easy ride.
C’mon Stevens! Hold that wheel!
Vos! Vos! Vos!!!
Mariannacus!
That was a remarkable race! Terrific stuff! Sorry to see two of my top five stumble in the final selection, but Vos is just something else. And Rosella Ratto put in an incredible performance””methinks we’ll be seeing her name pop up more and more in next year’s VSP. And good on Johansson to hold on for second after doing the lion’s share of the work.
@ten B
+1. She properly Cancellared them on that last ramp!
Just got back from my daughter’s soccer game. Missed the ending. Gah! Looked like it turned into a great race. And I knew I would regret betting against Vos to repeat.
Ah well – Vos was awesome
Fuck ya! What a finish! Who was third through fifth? Anyone know?
1
Marianne Vos (Netherlands)
3:44:00
2
Emma Johansson (Sweden)
0:00:15
3
Rossella Ratto (Italy)
4
Anna Van Der Breggen (Netherlands)
0:00:33
5
Evelyn Stevens (United States of America)
0:00:46
Actually fourth and fifth. I know Ratto took the Bronze.
I’ve backed Ratto before
I’ve backed Ratto before and was seriously considering her this time. Damn!
@xyxax
@xyxax
Nice picks! 4 out of 5 and two in the right position! I am happy with my two in the right position but sad that dear old Trixi let me down.
@starclimber you did pretty good picking 3 out of 5 in the right spot. maybe you won this vsp.
@xyxax
My new strategy: soft pedal into the final kilometre, and wait for @xyxax to jump and enter his picks first. I can see a lot of Ronning going on. If you want to win, you can’t be afraid of losing…
@xyxax
Of course, what makes this all the more galling is that you scored at least twice as many points as I did with that…
Interesting that 3rd place Rossella Ratto is the sister of Daniele, who won stage 14 of la Vuelta this year.
@Buck Rogers
Missed the entire thing doing a WP cogal prep, including a trip up Bear Mtn. Can we cash in VSP points for watts?
@Steampunk
What if I want a tie? I am a Libra after all.
@xyxax
You were 20 minutes from my house and did not stop in for an espresso???? DAMN, Man! Missed you! But, how was the Mountain? I am such a DEAD man for the Cogal!!!
Who picked Vos? Brilliant. Read it and weep bitches.
Tobin wins it because he beat everyone to Vos.
@gianni Protest. I have Vos and Johannsen for 7+5 = 12. Can you check the spreadsheet?
@starclimber
NTS Bro, NTS
@xyxax
It seems a tie is very easily accomplished. Given your performance in general, I’d be very happy to settle for a tie.
@Buck Rogers
The mountain is in good shape, not too crowded, re-paved in parts. You ran 100 miles, and do taekwando on the side of rock walls. This’ll be liking climbing into your bathtub.
@xyxax
Buck in the bathtub, loofa in hand: that’s an image I didn’t need this evening…
@eightzero
Talk to the VSP generator, dispute department window, third one on the right. I don’t have the keys to the room with the Big Board.
@Gianni
I’d just like to protest the result (not possible with the dispute button). It seems to me that Claudia Hausler was supposed to finish second, Johansson third, Evelyn Stevens fourth, and Tiffany Cromwell fifth. Could you please correct that? Much obliged.
@Steampunk
Bad simile. I don’t think Colonels are of high enough rank to bathe. Or loof.
@xyxax
Simile? Bad? Surely you mean inaccurate imagery? Dr. Pedant: at your service!
@Gianni
Oh, I see it. Pretty hi-tech spreadsheet. Done. Apparently your excel version thinks I picked Cecile somebody, not Emma. Puh-pleeze.
@RedRanger
@Gianni
Looking for 5 for 5 tomorrow with the men. That would be ‘Vossome’.
@Steampunk
What the fuck is a loofa???
As for the Cogal, not too sure how a 100 mile run translates into cycling ability. In fact, I think it fucked me even more as my left ankle is still fucked over two months out. That is one thing I will not be doing again anytime soon.
@Buck Rogers
Oh God, this could go anywhere!
@Buck Rogers Loofa