With great reluctance a few of us have decided to move elsewhere. We have tried to keep this site going through the Northern Summer in the hope that we would see Articles being published once again but it now seems to be a forlorn hope. We have therefore reluctantly decided to move on and set up a new site (with a few new wrinkles) where we can, once more, publish weekly articles and exchange the usual good natured banter. We are children of the V and would welcome this site becoming active once more but in the interim, and pending that occurrence, we can be found at http://www.ontherivet.net – Please note the .net for us!

1

Next week I will run a Golden Rivet and Rusty Rivet for 2018 for a bit of end of year fun.  Just in case anyone is still here and wants to join us on the site above.  The spirit lives on while this place remains in stasis.

A reminder of the VSP Prizes……

First Rick

Second RobSandy

Third Sthilzy

1

Mate, thanks!

I was totally puzzled when the socks arrived in the post (I’ve been on holiday and away from the web in general) but they are AVVESOME!).

Cheers for doing this.

A reminder of the VSP Prizes……

First Rick

Second RobSandy

Third Sthilzy

@Teocalli

Thanks so much for your efforts! I’ll wear with so much pride! Chapue!

Chapeau

Chapeau

Chapeau

First Rick

Second RobSandy

Third Sthilzy

@mulebeatsdrums

I needed to beat @sthilzy in Lombardia to clinch a podium spot for the VSP Overall. I scored 0. I believe the only 0 I’ve scored all season (@Teocalli will correct me I’m sure). Ah well, to the victor go the spoils!

I’ve got you as 0 on Milan San Remo and Delgado on Amstel Gold. Hope I didn’t miss something!

Sounds right. I definitely Delgadoed something, and MSR was so long ago I can’t remember what the actual results were, let alone my picks!

Still with the Socks……

I’ll get the Prizes out later this week.  Will post pics here later.

@RobSandy

@RobSandy

1. Roglic

2. Bardet

3. Moscon

4. Bernal

5. Pinot

Doesn’t count for much, I know, but shouldn’t I get a point (or 2?) for Pinot?

Is this the right time to admit I’ve never had any idea how the VSP scoring works…

Yeah I missed that autofill stuck Porte in there. I’ll update a new final reckoning tomorrow.

Will that mean that I win?

@Teocalli

So pending any end of season protests that leaves the final standings as……and I get 1 point for 5th place! Scraped into 3 figures there too.

I should have stuck with my initial strategy: copy @RobSandy… but that felt like the wrong thing to do so I trusted my own instincts. Duh

You would have still have lost to Rick by over 20 points if you had.

@RobSandy

1. Roglic

2. Bardet

3. Moscon

4. Bernal

5. Pinot

Doesn’t count for much, I know, but shouldn’t I get a point (or 2?) for Pinot?

Is this the right time to admit I’ve never had any idea how the VSP scoring works…

Yeah I missed that autofill stuck Porte in there.  I’ll update a new final reckoning tomorrow.

I’ll check when I go back to my other machine.  Prolly a typo by me…….

It may also have earned a Red Card!

So pending any end of season protests that leaves the final standings as……and I get 1 point for 5th place! Scraped into 3 figures there too.

I should have stuck with my initial strategy: copy @RobSandy… but that felt like the wrong thing to do so I trusted my own instincts. Duh

1. Roglic

2. Bardet

3. Moscon

4. Bernal

5. Pinot

Doesn’t count for much, I know, but shouldn’t I get a point (or 2?) for Pinot?

Is this the right time to admit I’ve never had any idea how the VSP scoring works…

thanks for all your hard work this year.  VSP was a lot of fun.

yes, Thanks.

Thanks to all of you for a good time..

Thanks for keeping the VSP alive, and this site ticking over!

Thanks for all the work! Your efforts made the cycling season much more interesting.

I suppose next year’s will be On The Rivet.

Hope to see everyone there!

I needed to beat @sthilzy in Lombardia to clinch a podium spot for the VSP Overall. I scored 0. I believe the only 0 I’ve scored all season (@Teocalli will correct me I’m sure). Ah well, to the victor go the spoils!

I’ve got you as 0 on Milan San Remo and Delgado on Amstel Gold.  Hope I didn’t miss something!

Sorry for the late swaps. Change of heart.

Woods

Bardet

Fuglsang

Pinoit

Alaphilippe

You still have Alaphilippe?

Woods

Bardet

Fuglsang

Pinoit

Alaphilippe

@Cary @Wiscot @KogaLover @Sthilzy I think you need to swap out for Alaphilippe.

1 – Nibali (I admit this is a choice more with my heart than my head)

2 – Woods

3 – Bardet

4 – Roglic

5 – Pinot

Lombardia

1. Roglic

2. Alaphilippe

3. Valverde

4. Nibali

5. Moscon

Hard to leave out Bardet, I hope he does well.

OK, Bardet is back in for me.  Please swap out Alaphilippe and add Bardet in position #2.  Everyone else is the same.

Valverde

Pinot

Bardet

M Woods

Uran

Okay, Lombardia, a race I have never actually watched, so I never had any idea who to go for.

1. Romain Bardet (after his decent showing at the Worlds)
2. Egan Bernal
3. Primož Roglič
4. Michael Woods (after his decent showing in the Worlds
5. Julian Alaphilippe

I don’t think Valverde is going strike twice, which is a shame – I don’t like the man, but it’s always good seeing the rainbow bands take wins. I feel like Moscon could be up there, but I refuse to endorse such an unpleasant human being, even passively.

Alaphilippe’s a pre-race scratch, apparently, so throw Malmerde in there I guess.

@Teocalli Those are some interesting picks. The gents on the Cycling Podcast were rating Pinot and Woods.

2. Bardet

3. Moscon

4. Bernal

5. Pinot

Woods
Teuns
Roglic
Moscon
Pinot

Lombardia

Valverde

P. Gilbert

Egan Bernal

Barguil

Alaphillipe is out so keep my others as 1-4 and add Landa as #5 please..V for the win…

Allaphilippe

Benoot

Bardet

Valverde

Roglic

1. Valverde

2. Nibali

3. Bardet

4. Alaphilippe

5. Roglic

1)  Gilbert

2)  Alaphilippe

3)  Roglic

4)  Valverde

5)  Bardet

Alaphilippe

Valverde

P. Gilbert

Egan Bernal

Barguil

1. Roglic

2. Alaphilippe

3. Valverde

4. Nibali

5. Moscon

Hard to leave out Bardet, I hope he does well.

1. Romain Bardet (after his decent showing at the Worlds)
2. Egan Bernal
3. Primož Roglič
4. Michael Woods (after his decent showing in the Worlds
5. Julian Alaphilippe

I don’t think Valverde is going strike twice, which is a shame – I don’t like the man, but it’s always good seeing the rainbow bands take wins. I feel like Moscon could be up there, but I refuse to endorse such an unpleasant human being, even passively.

1. Valverde (yes people)

2. Moscon

3. Roglic

4. Alaphilippe

5. His Nibbles

….or perhaps RIDE by!

@Brett

Just let it go so we can burn this fucking thing to the ground.

What, you’ve still got keys to the V-Bunker so you can get back in to set the demolition charges?

Actually no, it’ll have to be a drive-by.

@Teocalli

Yeah I’ve never loaded Whatsap. I’ll look at maybe setting something up on my old web site from when I was freelance. Let’s finish the VSP here anyway. There is also the FB page I set up, though at least one of us Zombies is not on FB.

I’m not sure what the hurry is to shut the place down. I’m enjoying our little VSP season here, I don’t see how going to Whatsapp or whatever will be an improvement. Just the opposite, IMO.

a) Good to have an alternative in case we wake up and find the site has been padlocked.

b) I cringe a little every time I come here at the thought that we are still contributing to page impressions and advertising revenue.

Yes we will complete the VSP here as long as the site remains open to us.

 

Yeah I’ve never loaded Whatsap. I’ll look at maybe setting something up on my old web site from when I was freelance. Let’s finish the VSP here anyway. There is also the FB page I set up, though at least one of us Zombies is not on FB.

I’m not sure what the hurry is to shut the place down.  I’m enjoying our little VSP season here, I don’t see how going to Whatsapp or whatever will be an improvement.  Just the opposite, IMO.

@ChrisO

Yeah I’ve never loaded Whatsap. I’ll look at maybe setting something up on my old web site from when I was freelance. Let’s finish the VSP here anyway. There is also the FB page I set up, though at least one of us Zombies is not on FB.

WhatsApp is good for what this has devolved into, which is basically just a chat group for a small number of leftovers.

Web page or forum is better for a larger number or for longer content.

FB I’m not keen on –  it’s hopeless as a chat medium because the bloody FB advertising algorithms decide you should see something posted a day ago by someone you haven’t spoken to for 5 years, rather than a comment 2 minutes ago in a site you visit 10 times a day.

Yeah I’ve never loaded Whatsap.  I’ll look at maybe setting something up on my old web site from when I was freelance.  Let’s finish the VSP here anyway.  There is also the FB page I set up, though at least one of us Zombies is not on FB.

Just let it go so we can burn this fucking thing to the ground.

What, you’ve still got keys to the V-Bunker so you can get back in to set the demolition charges?

@ChrisO

@Brett

What are you ghouls doing still hanging around in here? Just let it go so we can burn this fucking thing to the ground.

It’s a fair point.

WhatsApp group anyone? Copy this link to join, or message me on +44 7983 300 951 and I’ll add you.

https://chat.whatsapp.com/ljEtesSstYg9bKjg4jsblL .

Does that only work from a phone – or the WhatsApp application?

Yeah would have to be on mobile and have WhatsApp. I have your number but you aren’t showing up in WhatsApp.

https://www.velonews.com/2018/10/commentary/roundtable-how-do-we-feel-about-valverdes-worlds-win_479605

Get over it. Move on. It’s not like he committed a capital offense.

What are you ghouls doing still hanging around in here? Just let it go so we can burn this fucking thing to the ground.

Ghouls? Please. We’ve the Velominati Zombies if you don’t mind. ;-) And yep, that’s an emoticon I’ve used.

And we’re hanging around ‘cos of Teocalli’s VSP and the fact that he actually comes through with the prizes.

@Brett

What are you ghouls doing still hanging around in here? Just let it go so we can burn this fucking thing to the ground.

It’s a fair point.

WhatsApp group anyone? Copy this link to join, or message me on +44 7983 300 951 and I’ll add you.

https://chat.whatsapp.com/ljEtesSstYg9bKjg4jsblL .

Does that only work from a phone – or the WhatsApp application?

What are you ghouls doing still hanging around in here? Just let it go so we can burn this fucking thing to the ground.

It’s a fair point.

WhatsApp group anyone? Copy this link to join, or message me on +44 7983 300 951 and I’ll add you.

https://chat.whatsapp.com/ljEtesSstYg9bKjg4jsblL .

@wiscot

Damn. Anyone but Valverde. Bardet in the bands would have been oh so sweet.

Agreed. It was a great race, but Unashamed Cheat in first and Unashamed Racist Hothead in fifth; not a great look for the sport.

On the flip-side, Van Der Breggen is the most deserving of winners! And chapeau to Amanda Spratt for that chase.

Watching Unashamed Cheat riding around in the bands is going to upset me all year.

But seeing AVD fucking B riding them will be a joy. What a badass.

Damn. Anyone but Valverde. Bardet in the bands would have been oh so sweet.

Agreed. It was a great race, but Unashamed Cheat in first and Unashamed Racist Hothead in fifth; not a great look for the sport.

On the flip-side, Van Der Breggen is the most deserving of winners! And chapeau to Amanda Spratt for that chase.

Damn. Anyone but Valverde. Bardet in the bands would have been oh so sweet.

Where were you Alaphilippe? I thought Pinot and Bardet were setting him up perfectly, and he could have challenged Valverde in the sprint…he just vanished.

Not the result I wanted but thrilling racing, I thought.

Wow, she got back on after the crash and set up the winning move for Van der Breggen with a broken knee.

I believe that is Rule #5 compliant!

Respect!

Last event is the Giro de Lombardia on the 13th Oct.  Open for picks any time.

Though I don’t think Nibali will feature unless he has been spoofing in his interviews…….

@wiscot

You seem to be missing 2 for the Women’s RR

I didn’t want to get RobSandy worried with some outstanding picks! ;-)

You seem to be missing 2 for the Women’s RR

Van Vleuten

Van der Breggen

Spratt

Change of Picks for Men’s RR

Alaphilippe

Simon Yates

Bardet

Roglic

Benoot

That young Belgian chap Evenepoel looks quite handy, doesn’t he?

I’ve clawed a massive 4 points back on Rick so far…

@RobSandy

Sweet. I think AVV might win the RR too. She’s an animal.

She definitely has it in her, but then so do AVDB and a couple others on the Dutch squad. I’m foreseeing a potential lack of cohesion and we’ll just see a repeat of the European Champs in Glasgow where they’d get one rider in the break, and the others leading the chase in the pack.

Definitely the strongest riders, but I’m not sure if that’ll definitely work in their favours…

Coppi and Bartali……..

WORLDS WOMEN’S RR:

1. Amanda SPRATT
2. Elisa LONGHO BORGHINI
3. Annamiek VAN VLEUTEN
4. Leah KIRCHMANN
5. Ashleigh MOOLMAN-PASIO

WORLDS MEN’S RR:

1. Julian ALAPHILIPPE
2. Alejandro VALVERDE
3. Jakob FUGLSANG
4. Primož ROGLIČ
5. Adam YATES

Sweet. I think AVV might win the RR too. She’s an animal.

She definitely has it in her, but then so do AVDB and a couple others on the Dutch squad. I’m foreseeing a potential lack of cohesion and we’ll just see a repeat of the European Champs in Glasgow where they’d get one rider in the break, and the others leading the chase in the pack.

Definitely the strongest riders, but I’m not sure if that’ll definitely work in their favours…

Sweet. I think AVV might win the RR too. She’s an animal.

ITT men

Tom Dumoulin

Tony Martin

Dennis

Quiet Cough Ski

Jungels

WORLD CHAMPS

Men’s ITT:

1. Jonathan CASTROVIEJO
2. Rohan DENNIS
3. Tom DUMOULIN
4. Bob JUNGELS
5. Vasil KIRYIENKA

There’s still no official startlist for the Road Races…?!?

I hope this site is not far out.

Mens TT

Dumoulin

Dennis

Castroviejo

Bodnar

Tony Martin

Men’s RR

Simon Yates

Julian Alaphillipe

Roman Bardet

Adam Yates

Tiesj Benoot

Men’s ITT:

1. Jonathan CASTROVIEJO
2. Rohan DENNIS
3. Tom DUMOULIN
4. Bob JUNGELS
5. Vasil KIRYIENKA

There’s still no official startlist for the Road Races…?!?

1. Annamiek Van Vleuten
2. Ellen Van Dijk
3. Anna Van Der Breggen
4. Trixi Worrack
5. Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig

Other picks TBD!

1. van Vleuten

2. Brand

3. van der Breggen

4. van Dijk

5. Spratt

Women’s RR

1. van der Breggen

2. Moolman

3. van Vleuten

4. Borghini

5. Spratt

Men’s ITT

1. Dumoulin

2. Dennis

3. Campenaerts

4. Tony Martin

5. Kwiatkowski

Men’s RR (pains me to not have Sags as #1)

1. Alaphilippe

2. Roglic

3. Sagan

4. Kwiatkowski

5. Bardet

Men

Women

ITT
RR
ITT
RR

1
Dumoulin
Alaphillippe
VV
VDB

2
Dennis
S Yates
VDB
VV

3
Jungels
Roglic
Brand
Spratt

4
Campanaerts
Kwiato
Brennauer
Moolman

5
Kung
Nibali
Simmonds
Niewiadoma

All my picks in one handy table.

@Teocalli

Let me know if you can’t read this. Looks fine to me!

Got it.

Van Vleuten

Van Dijk

Van der Breggen

Neben

Brand

Men’s ITT

Dumoulin

Dennis

Kirienka

Schachmann

T Martin

Women’s RR

Van der Breggen

Van Vleuten

Borghini

Van Dijk

Bronzini

Men’s RR

Alaphilippe

Valverde

S Yates

Roglic

A Yates

All my picks in one handy table.

@Teocalli

Let me know if you can’t read this. Looks fine to me!

1)  Dennis

2)  Dumoulin

3)  T Martin

4)  Roglic

5)  Campanaerts

1)  Sagan

2)  Alaphilippe

3)  Bardet

4)  Kwiatkowski

5)  Roglic