Velominati Community Profile Archive

Velominatus: skagitteam

Order: Level 4 Velominatus

@skagitteam's activity:

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...

@skagitteam's posts:

  1. Not very original, I realize. VSP PICKS: 1. Cancellara 2. Boom 3. Phinney 4. Hushovd 5. Stannard »

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...

@skagitteam's posts:

  1. VSP PICKS: 1. Vos 2. Johansson 3. Van dijk 4. Wild 5. Bronzini »

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...

@skagitteam's posts:

  1. VSP PICKS: 1. Sagan 2. Cancellara 3. Chavanel 4. Boonen 5. G Thomas »

This is the second round of the Women’s World Cup, the first being the Ronde van Drenthe. Laveno Mombello to Cittiglio, 120 km of racing in Italy. It is a very worthy course and we know who will be wearing the number 1 on her jersey. Enough already, I like Ms Vos as much as the next person but someone has to work her over on the climbs and ri...

@skagitteam's posts:

  1. VSP PICKS: 1. Vos 2. Johansson 3. Gunnewijk 4. Armistead 5. Bronzini »

Gent (Deinze)-Wevelgem, it starts with 130 km of cruising around Belgium and Northern France followed by a flurry of bergs and then a final 38 km of  flatter riding to the inevitable sprint finish. How hard can the climbing be if Super Mario got over them? Ask the riders from KT 2012, (the ones not in the following car) and they will tell you...

@skagitteam's posts:

  1. VSP PICKS: 1. Sagan 2. Cavendish 3. Cancellara 4. Boonen 5. Greipel »

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...

@skagitteam's posts:

  1. VSP PICKS: 1. Sagan 2. Cavendish 3. Goss 4. Cancellara 5. Pozzato »

Ok, so you guys and gals don’t miss a trick, but sometimes we do. In fact, we kind of specialize in it. @Bianchi Denti just texted me to point out, as others have done on site, that we have almost missed the next stop on the VVomen’s VSP calendar, the Ronde Van Drenthe. On International Women’s Day, of all things.All I can tell yo...

@skagitteam's posts:

  1. VSP PICKS: 1. Vos 2. Johansson 3. Gunnewijk 4. Van dijk 5. Stevens »

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...

@skagitteam's posts:

  1. Anyone remember 2010 Tour of Flanders?  I’m counting on that Cancellara showing up.  Not that I would bet on it. VSP PICKS: 1. Cancellara 2. Van Avermaet 3. Cadel 4. Sagan 5. Phinney »

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...

@skagitteam's posts:

  1. VSP PICKS: 1. Gunnewijk 2. Johansson 3. Armitstead 4. Teutenberg 5. Hosking »

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...

@skagitteam's posts:

  1. I wish I felt better about this. VSP PICKS: 1. Boonen 2. Hushovd 3. Pozzato 4. Phinney 5. Haussler »