Velominati Super Prestige: Giro di Lombardia

No event of the year is more likely to provide piles of Rule #9 in the Five and Dime than il Giro di Lombardia. A hilly circuit around Lake Como ensures lots of climbing and that the bunch is blown to bits before the finish. Add to that its position as the last classic of the season, nestled in amongst the falling leaves of mid-October, and you’re nearly certain the weather will be terrible. The fact that it is being moved from October to September is distressing on several levels, not least that I’m certain the weather will be better. Good for the riders, bad for us; the way you hear some of the race organizers and the UCI talk, you’d almost thing they actually put the riders’ well-being before the amusement of the public. That can’t be right.

But most importantly, the Giro di Lombardia represents the final edition of this year’s VSP. The results are all but buttoned up for Nate, although both Marcus and G’Phant are in with a mathematical chance of taking over the win with a perfect score and Nate pulling a Delgado.

VSP G.C.
1. Nate (120 points)
2. Marcus (109 points)
3. G’phant (107 points)

(Antipodal VSP Podium. Interesting.)

You know the drill, get your picks in by 5am Pacific on Saturday. Depending on how things go, we may be late to post the final results as the race organizers and the UCI scheduled the event in conjunction with the Seattle Cogal. Oh, and if you don’t know what time 5am Pacific is and your Google Skills are not sufficient to elucidate that for you, I suggest you simply don’t cut it too close.

Good luck.

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174 Replies to “Velominati Super Prestige: Giro di Lombardia”

  1. @minion
    Let me guess- 4 more years until most Australians think too hard about rugby again?

    To get an idea of where rugby stands in the national psyche all you need to know is what the TV stations here pay for the telecast rights for the sport – compared to AFL, rugby league (for the Qld & NSW proletariat) cricket and soccer. Last by a looooong way.

    But felicitous congratulations to you – I know it’s a big thing for you people.

  2. Nup. When the Aussies beat us in the semifinal of the last world cup Aus won, after the final play of the game your halfback George Gregan yelled ‘four more years’ at a couple of players on the ground. We may be boring fuckers but we carry a good grudge.

    Whole stadium was chanting four more years last night during the last ten minutes.

  3. Utter arse! Just sat down to watch the Giro di Lombardi after a good but very non-bike weekend. Sky box produced a clip of Zog crossing the line, some adverts and then some fucking indoor ladies tennis! Epic fail!

    All Blacks were awesome today. Final some decent rugby this weekend! Watching the the Super 12/13/14? you could be forgiven for thinking the southern hemisphere had forgotten how to play up front but that was a properly committed performance from the forwards.

    Allez les Bleus! I’ll be digging out my ’99 vintage top and pouring myself a glass of rouge!

  4. @minion
    Wasn’t aware of that one. But I did used to admire Gregan’s play when I watched the odd game.

    In related news, the Australian Government announced today that over the last few months it has suspended dole payments to over 100,000 people for not turning up to job interviews. Do you think it was coincidental that they did this after you people won? I think not.

  5. Holy crap! I am ZAUGG!

    That is, I actually took the top step for this particular VSP.

    This made my day.

    Clearly, I need a ride really badly.

  6. @Marcus
    Kiwis can’t get the dole in Straya. If you’re out of work there you’re fucked.

    Do you find Julia slightly arousing? I do.

    Red hair and power. Just saying.

  7. @minion
    Really? I always thought Kiwis could get the dole here? They musta changed the rules at some stage?

    Joolia arousing?!? That is the simultaneously the dumbest and most offensive thing you have ever said. And that’s saying something.

    Have you seen the size of her Khyber Pass? Have you heard her speak? You do know she is one of God’s Clowns?

  8. @Marcus

    @minion
    Let me guess- 4 more years until most Australians think too hard about rugby again?
    To get an idea of where rugby stands in the national psyche all you need to know is what the TV stations here pay for the telecast rights for the sport – compared to AFL, rugby league (for the Qld & NSW proletariat) cricket and soccer. Last by a looooong way.
    But felicitous congratulations to you – I know it’s a big thing for you people.

    More like four more years before anyone gives it even a fleeting thought, let alone think hard about it. Having said that surely most Aussies would prefer the Kiwis to win than the French – might have been a tougher call if it was Wales.

    I used to quite like rugby but over the last 20 years or so it has become so dominated by technical rules that the aim seems to be mainly to not give away penalties and secondly to score tries. They show the Aussie rugby league here, which has more moments of skill and generally a greater emphasis on attacking play to score, not defensive or positional tactics.

    That’s the good thing about cycling – apart from very odd occasions involving Mark Cavendish, it’s almost always about who was hardest, fastest and strongest.

  9. @Marcus

    @minion

    Joolia arousing?!? That is the simultaneously the dumbest and most offensive thing you have ever said. And that’s saying something.

    Shoot for the stars is what I say.

  10. Am I the only one going through MASSIVE withdrawal right now? I am trying to get into following the CX season but it just doesn’t do it for me. All I can look forward to now is the most likely further November delay of the Cuntador case and the exciting news that the Landis hacking case is now going to trial. Man, it’s going to be a looonnngggg off season.

    (also can look forward to trying to figure out how to shut off the italics font as well, I guess.)

  11. @minion
    Hey, some folks (not me, I’d like to make perfectly clear) found Margaret Thatcher attractive. Must have been pathetic, submissive types who were not Rule #5 compliant.

  12. Finally catching up; great race and congrats to Nate on a well-deserved win. We’ll be making up the apron and getting it sent out. Cheers.

  13. @Pedale.Forchetta

    Hello guys, here Zaugg seconds after his win.
    I’ve really enjoyed the race.

    What a shot!! Perfect capture of the moment. The motion of the woman in the background as well. A masterpiece.

  14. So, while we wait in breathless antici

    pation for the VSP to begin again, has anyone started doing Fantasy Cycling ?

    Road.cc have an excellent and free game which has been updated for this season with a really good interface.

    I’m there already (Desert Dogs, under abudhabichris) but if other people want to join or are already in we could set up our own mini-league.

  15. @Buck Rogers

    @ChrisO

    Buck, I have contemplated your reply, wondering if it is some sort of ninja ultra-haiku from which I will divine not only your view on Fantasy Cycling but also the meaning of our existence.

    Clearly I am an unworthy grasshopper for I have utterly failed.

    As Confucius said… give us a hint ?

  16. @ChrisO

    Ninja haiku vs computer brain fart.

    I prefer your idea and will leave you with the following thought:

  17. @ChrisO

    So, while we wait in breathless antici
    pation for the VSP to begin again, has anyone started doing Fantasy Cycling ?
    Road.cc have an excellent and free game which has been updated for this season with a really good interface.
    I’m there already (Desert Dogs, under abudhabichris) but if other people want to join or are already in we could set up our own mini-league.

    Actually I had said that I had not heard of that site but was going to check it out.

    I also had asked if anyone had been playing the winter Monday Cycling Revealed trivia game? I have been and have been getting about mid pack. My name is Karl Hungus on that site.

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