Velominati Super Prestige:
Giro D'Italia 2013
Velominati Community Profile Archive

Velominatus: imakecircles

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@imakecircles's activity:

Velominati Super Prestige: Giro d’Italia 2013, Stage 10

Day 5 of the Six Days of the Giro continues with an impromptu VSP event.Lets have a look at where we are in the 2013 Giro. Wiggins must have spent time training in Luxembourg because he’s been descending like a Schleck when things get dodgy before disappearing into the team van to have a cry about it. Hesjedal has put in some good moves and...

@imakecircles's posts:

  1. VSP PICKS: 1. Sanchez 2. Evans 3. Nibbles 4. Santabrogio 5. Wiggs »

Velominati Super Prestige: Giro D’Italia 2013

Twiggo is dreaming of a Giro-Tour double. He has sent out mixed messages about his Tour ambitions. Will he use the Giro as the ultimate Tour preparation or will be burn all his matches in May and hope he can find another pack for July? He has abandoned his successful 2012 Tour run-up strategy of winning every stage race he entered the previous spri...

@imakecircles's posts:

  1. @Deakus Likely that Sky wanted him to finish ahead of Cuddles and Ryder (which he did), mopping up any bonus seconds on offer.  I love that they’ve reintroduced the stage bonifications, makes for exciting and tactical racing by the main protagonists and … »

  2. Hesjedal looked strong attacking yesterday and apparently garnered some media criticism for taking the incentive so early.  His response, “I’m not worried about what other people might think [of the tactic]. Everyone said I couldn’t win the Giro last year… »

  3. VSP PICKS: 1. The Wigginator 2. Hope of a Nation Hesjedel 3. Nibbles 4. Henao 5. Scarponi »

Velominati Super Prestige: La Flèche Wallone 2013

We came tantalizingly close to adding a foray up the Mur de Huy during our excursion to Liege-Bastogne-Liege during this year’s Keepers Tour. But good sense and The Anti-V prevailed, as they are wont to do, and only two of us were left wanting a dig at the most notorious finishing climb in the Classics season.I write this, then, woefully igno...

@imakecircles's posts:

  1. VSP PICKS: 1. Contador 2. Gilbert 3. Sagan 4. Valverde 5. Rodriguez »

Velominati Super Prestige: La Flèche Wallone Féminine 2013

Last year we saw Evelyn Stevens out-last Marianne Vos at the top of the Mur de Huy. The take home message is don’t start one’s charge too early. Vos should know this finish, having won it four times already. It’s hard to know who is on form in the professional women field as the races are too far apart to infer much from the last...

@imakecircles's posts:

  1. VSP PICKS: 1. Vos 2. Johannsson 3. Van Vleuten 4. Van Dijk 5. Longo Borghini »

Velominati Super Prestige: Amstel Gold 2013

Yes it is a race named after a barely drinkable Dutch beer. I have enjoyed Amstel beer, brought to our table by a nice waitress, sitting outside in the Dutch spring. Atmosphere is everything. Do the Dutch brew awesome beer? I drank some good stuff in Amsterdam last spring but I’m pretty sure it was Belgian.Now we begin the Ardennes three race...

@imakecircles's posts:

  1. VSP PICKS: 1. Sagan 2. Gilbert 3. Valverde 4. Voeckler 5. Van Avermaet »

Velominati Super Prestige: Paris-Roubaix 2013

It looks so easy on the television. Well, no, actually it looks pretty bloody hard. We think we have some understanding of how they suffer, how their bodies can take the continual beating. But we don’t really know. Not even by riding these abominations they call roads twice in the space of a few days can we understand the scale of the thing...

@imakecircles's posts:

  1. VSP PICKS: 1. Cancellara 2. Phinney 3. Chavanel, Sylvain 4. Turgot, Seb 5. Hushovd »

Velominati Super Prestige: Ronde van Vlaanderen Féminine 2013

Marianne Vos has never won this? She who wins everything all the time has never won this? Is it not hilly and tough enough? This seems like a tear in the time-space continuum. Someone is going to be wanting to add this to her palmarés. Weather sounds like a cold but dry day for racing. This is a big one, maybe worth two bumper stickers, so ponder...

@imakecircles's posts:

  1. VSP PICKS: 1. Voss 2. Teutenberg 3. Johansson 4. Armistead 5. Stevens »

Velominati Super Prestige: Ronde van Vlaanderen 2013

Imagine a world without the little things we take for granted; a house without a roof, a pub with no beer, a Keepers Tour without any clothes. The last one is a reality for me at the moment, five days in and still no trace of where the hell between Wellington and Paris my bag (filled with V-Kit, shoes, helmet, everything) is. The other thing that h...

@imakecircles's posts:

  1. VSP PICKS: 1. Cancellara 2. Sagan 3. Chavanel, Sylvain 4. Boassan-Hagen 5. Haussler »

Velominati Super Prestige: Milan-Sanremo 2013

Finally, we have Milan-Sanremo. I hope pedale.forcetta is ready to shoot some pictures, especially black and white because it will be cold and possibly wet. Throw in a little wind and a race of this distance will weed out the less hardy. Recently, but not too recently, this race would be won out of a decent size field sprint. And yet, besides Fabs...

@imakecircles's posts:

  1. Sagan takes it from a 4 man break containing the usual suspects.  Boonen takes the sprint from the reduced by atrocious conditions peloton. VSP PICKS: 1. Sagan 2. Cancellara 3. Chavanel, Sylvain 4. Nibbles 5. Boonen »

Velominati Super Prestige: L’Eroica/Strade Bianche 2013

Until the 70′s it was common to race on gravel roads, but the Paving of the Planet has led to nearly every road being graced by smooth, black tarmac. As is the case with most things, once we are shown the easy path, it is difficult to return to more arduous ways. So it is with gravel roads; we take measures to avoid unpaved roads and in doi...

@imakecircles's posts:

  1. VSP PICKS: 1. Sagan 2. Cancellara 3. Cuddles 4. Lars Boom 5. Kessiakoff »

Velominati Super Prestige: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Women 2013

Finally, some cold nasty Belgian one day racing. Oman, Qatar, does anyone brag about winning those stage races? Yes, they might but really, it’s a tune up for the real season which finally begins this Saturday. Will racing in China or Oman grow the sport? Will there be a new wave of inspired young racers from these countries. Does professiona...

@imakecircles's posts:

  1. VSP PICKS: 1. Emma Johansson 2. Marijn De Vries 3. Elena Kuchinskaya 4. Ina Teutenberg 5. Carolien Haers »

Velominati Super Prestige: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2013

Outside my window, its pouring rain. My bike is leaning agains the wall in my office, covered in grim and grit from the ride in, which was characterized by equal parts cold, wind, and rain. The spot in the locker room where I changed before my shower was marked by sand and mud, and when I walked to the shower, I left a trail of dirty footprints.It...

@imakecircles's posts:

  1. Yay!  Bike racing! VSP PICKS: 1. Sylvain Chavanel 2. Juan Antonio Flecha 3. Jurgen Roelandts 4. Tommeke Boonen 5. Sep VanMarcke »

La Vie Velominatus: Flemish Tan Lines

Clouds hang heavy in the sky, plump with a rain which contemplates the opportunity to hurl itself towards the Earth below. I get the sense that we wait for each other, the Rain and I; the rain relishes the opportunity to soak my clothes and skin, seeking to corrode my resolve while I cherish the opportunity to prove to myself that it will not be s...

@imakecircles's posts:

  1. Somewhat off topic, but I found this to be hil-freaking-larious and thought this community might appreciate it. http://www.steephill.tv/players/youtube3/?title=Shit+Cyclists+Say/+Expressions+commonly+used+to+annoy+ride+partners&dashboard=&id=GM… »

Velominati Super Prestige: Paris Tours 2012

The final race of the 2012 Velominati Super Prestige season is upon us. It’s not the most inspiring race, supposedly a race for the sprinters. The long straight final run in to the finish line begs for a mass sprint. It should be called Châteauneuf-en-Thymerais-Tours. The route is 235.5 km of small rollers through the French countryside. The...

@imakecircles's posts:

  1. Lotta unfamiliar names and smaller teams.  Going with a predominately French theme. VSP PICKS: 1. BONNET William 2. CHAVANEL Sylvain 3. BOOM Lars 4. DUMOULIN Samuel 5. THOMAS Geraint »

Velominati Super Prestige: Giro di Lombardia 2012

Il Grillo gives it some stick in 06. Photo: actionplus sports images[/caption]Lombardia is a beautiful race. Taking in the majestic shoreline of Lake Como and climbing past the shrine to the Madonna del Ghisallo, its stunning Italian-ness bookends the Monuments along with Milan-San Remo which started them way back in March. And it’s a coming...

@imakecircles's posts:

  1. Just saw that Europcar wasn’t invited, no Tommy V.  JRod in his stead. VSP PICKS: 1. Nibbles 2. Giblets 3. J Rod 4. Contador 5. Uran »

  2. Valverde forfait.  http://www.lequipe.fr/Cyclisme-sur-route/Actualites/Valverde-forfait/316150#xtor=RSS-1 You’re welcome. »

  3. VSP PICKS: 1. Nibbles 2. Giblets 3. Tommy V 4. Contador 5. Uran »

Velominati Super Prestige: Women’s Road Championship 2012

It seems like just weeks ago that Cav won his rainbow stripes, things were said, umbrage was taken. Luckily we have found more umbrage so we are good to go. This course is not like last year. It’s not exactly a sprinters finish. It’s a 128 km rumble in Valkenberg and the Dutch team is there for Marianne Vos. She has finished second in...

@imakecircles's posts:

  1. VSP PICKS: 1. vos 2. arndt 3. stevens 4. bronzini 5. pooley »

Velominati Super Prestige: Mens World Championship Road Race 2012

I’m quite upset about it, actually, all this racing that’s been going on in perfectly good weather. Vlaanderen, dry. Roubaix, dry. We were nearly guaranteed shit weather with the Olympics in London, but even then, only the women got to get all Rule #9 on our asses – and only for one race. Damnit, I want Epic, and if we keep insis...

@imakecircles's posts:

  1. VSP PICKS: 1. Tommeke 2. Sagan 3. Nibbles 4. Chav 5. Phil Gil »

Guest Article: Ride 542 – the Mt. Baker Hill Climb

@eightzero is throwing down the sweaty gauntlet here. He has a vision of a V-kitted, Rule compliant freight train of pain. Normally this post would be directly slotted into the Cogal section but it technically is not a Cogal: it has an entry fee, it’s too organized and people will not get lost. We have, however, included it on the Cogal Calen...

@imakecircles's posts:

  1. Great to meet you @peakintwoyears and hang out again @eightzero.  Looking forward to the next COGAL. »

Climbing Weight

When it comes to weight and body dysmorphia, we cyclists can go toe-to-toe with any thirteen year old tween who has done their time flipping through the pages of Vogue and Sixteen. However fit and thin we might be, at some point it dawns on us that we’re not as light as we could be. The obvious solution is to buy lighter parts for our bikes,...

@imakecircles's posts:

  1. Speaking of Climbing weight, are any Velominati from the Seattle Area planning on going up to the Mt Baker hillclimb on Sep 9th?  I am planning on driving up the morning of and could take one other, or contribute gas/beer $ to someone with a vehicle large… »

  2. @mcsqueak: “I’m not setting any speed records when compared to others” The only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday.  - some Buddhist proverb (I think). »

  3. I’ve always been a skinny bastard, and right now, I’m about 1 pound heavier than my high school/college weight at 41 years on.  I’m at 64.4 kg and 1.83 m, which puts me at a ratio of 1.97 lbs/in.  So it seems I should be able to out climb Alberto Contador… »

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