For the simple reason that the Cobbled and Ardennes Classics are behind us, I have not alternative but to get back on my soap box about the Giro being the best of the three Grand Tours. Well, usually, at least. Last year’s race sucked the big one (even if it was supremely Rule #9), but for the most part it is the race that is the most closely contested of the three. There are mountains everywhere Italy meaning there are less bunch sprints, the weather is completely unreliable, and the slightly lower calibre of rider seems hungrier. Or maybe the reduced pressure means riders aren’t quite as stressed out and are able to funnel that extra energy into the race.
My favorite Giro is a hard one to pick out, but its either the 1988 Giro when Andy Hampsten took the win after freezing himself stiff with Erik Breukink on the Gavia or when Pantani took his in 1998. I’ve been watching the ’98 Giro during my morning turbo sessions and Merckx-oh-me, that was an All-Drugs Olympics nail-biter. ’98 is also an interesting contrast to ’88; in just a decade, the technology had changed so much but more than that, the doping atmosphere in the sport transformed completely. From Hampsten’s Giro, EPO went from just being dabbled with on the fringes to being abused by leaders and domestiques alike by the time Pantani won. Hampsten wrote a nice piece about racing against dopers in Tyler Hamilton’s book, The Secret Race. He described the various side-effects that the popular drugs of his era had, such as bloating and a tendency to make the user over-estimate their abilities. Amphetamine made the riders do stupid things, cortisone made them retain water, and steroids made them heavy; a clean rider could use those factors to their advantage. A far cry from the rocket fuel that allowed humble domestiques to big ring up major alpine passes.
Why am I talking about drugs? There’s a race starting in a few days, people! This is our first Grand Tour, and the picks are worth more points, not to mention that strategy starts to play into things with the chance to swap your picks out on either of the rest days – at a certain point penalty. Remember that points are not accumulated; the standings on the last day of the race are what kinds, so keep the long game in mind.
Any points you win count towards the overall prizes plus the winner of this event also gets to post for the rest of the year in the pink jersey badge. So check the start list, review the VSP Grand Tour Scoring Guidelines and get your picks in by the time the countdown clock goes to zero at midnight PDT on Friday, May 9th. If you think we mapped one of your picks wrong, use the dispute system and we’ll review it. Also remember to be precise enough in your description so we know which rider you mean; in other words, if you enter “Martin”, we will use our discretion (read: wild guess) to decide if you mean Tony or Dan – and that choice will not be negotiable once the the countdown clock goes to zero. There has also been a recent scourge of people putting a rider in more than one place. Two words: Piti Principle, people! Don’t make me do a bunch of extra programming to keep you from being allowed to submit such an obviously unsportsmanlike set of picks. We will mercilessly clear out all your entries should we find you have attempted this.
Also don’t forget we’ve got three major prizes for the season-long VSP:
Good luck, have fun with it, and don’t lose your Rule #43 spirit.
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View Comments
@ChrisO
I can verify that. Something about flags on motos? Maybe if the DSs had heard it too, we wouldn't have the current controversy.
Seeing as how it was Cima Coppi day today: I did a little digging and came up with a good translation of Dino Buzzati's article of Coppi's famous 200k solo breakaway in 1949.
"And yet in that instant on this stretch of road came to pass what the Ancients used to call "Destiny." "
http://49giro.blogspot.de/2009/06/part-23-bartali-and-coppi-finally-do.html
That was disgraceful. I've never seen so many Rule #82 violations. And one fucker wearing knee-high socks! (Ok, leg warmers rolled down, but still...) Style died today in Italy.
Stunning ride by Quintana on a brutal stage. Chapeau. I don't know how he pulled 2mins on the Uran group when they were together over the top of the Stelvio, but he still found another 2mins on the final climb.
Hesjedal could be heading for the podium, there are half a dozen riders ahead of him by less than a minute, and he kicked all their arses today.
@Steampunk
Truly appreciate the 5 days of racing that remain... 5 days... 5 days... 5 days...
@Steampunk Yeah I wouldn't mind either, forgot to swap out the Spaniard yesterday. I did't see Nairo taking pink today I thought he would win the stage but holly shit
@brett
I saw that legwarmer thing too and thought "surely not . . ." Wouldn't rolling them down run the risk of the one on the right leg getting caught on the front chainwheel?
@Geraint
Quintana got that time because he and Big R were really drilling it. The Uran group just didn't have the same fire to them I thought.
@wiscot
I could go along with steampunk on calling the VSP right now. I see storms ahead, let's protect the VSP podium...
Great stage today! Love seeing Ryder do so well after his off-ride last year. Also, did anyone else see the happy as Columbian fan get a photo op out of Quintana, right as Nairo pulled off his poofy jacket to head to the podium? How pumped was that guy! Draped in the national flag and getting a photo with his hero. Talk about worth the wait on the mtn. top.
For bike month we're having a Giro viewing party tomorrow at a local restaurant. Good lord, I never want to go near another bit torrent again in my life. But, it should be fun to watch today's stage tomorrow with non-PRO peloton folks. We're having a local PRO cycling journalist I know call the stage, explain what is going on, etc. A way to get new folks to appreciate the sport. And have some post-ride recovery ales!
Seeing these guys interviewed after the Stages also makes you realize how fucking hard they just worked. Even guys in their mid-20s look old, worn out and beaten up, drawn faces, bags under their eyes. Damn, talk about four seasons in one stage today!