Velominati Super Prestige: Giro Stage 9, Mt. Etna
There will be fireworks. It’s a phrase we often use, and one we rarely take literally. But this photo shows Mount Etna. Actually erupting. Recently. There is a non-zero chance that it will erupt tomorrow, when the Giro d’Italia riders over this brute twice.
Tomorrow’s stage will be the first real battleground for this year’s Giro, and we expect there to be fireworks. Possibly literally. And figuratively. Get your picks in by 5am Pacific time tomorrow for a chance to grab a few extra points in the VSP.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cuntador
2. Nibali
3. Scarponi
4. Garzelli
5. RoMAN K.
VSP PICKS:
1. Pretend pistol finger
2. Nibbles
3. Wack een Rodriguez
4. Anton
5. Sella
VSP PICKS:
1. Contador
2. Nibali
3. Scarponi
4. Kreziger
5. Menchov
Should be a great stage. Hopefully Nibbles will gun it from the top of Etna to… the top of Etna… Probably a little short, too early in the race and not quite hard enough for Sastre, but I’m still top 5-ing him. Just because.
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Garzelli
3. The Steak Defence
4. Sastre
5. Le Mevel
VSP PICKS:
1. Contador
2. Jaochim Rodriguez
3. Nibali
4. Sella
5. Menchov
VSP PICKS:
1. J-Rod
2. Nibbles
3. Clentador
4. Kreuzinger
5. Scarpers
VSP PICKS:
1. Clemenador
2. Scarponi
3. Nibali
4. Rodriguez J
5. Kreuzinger (The Kruize Missile)
I think its amusing that people are tipping a non-CERA’d Sella, he’s just not the rider he once was (this might prove to be an embarrassing statement but I’ll stand by it).
Nibbles will go hard but I think LeCont will match and pip on the line al la Tourmalet last year but roles reversed. The two will ride away from the field and the rest are racing for 3rd.
Fireworks indeed!!!
VSP PICKS:
1. Contador
2. Nibali
3. Scarponi
4. Rogriguez
5. Kreuziger
VSP PICKS:
1. Rodriguez
2. Contador
3. Scarponi
4. Nibali
5. Anton
Every time I read John Gadret I think Inspector Gadget.
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Contador
3. Joaquim Rodriguez
4. Kreuziger
5. Scarponi
One that the Aussies will appreciate – Colnago have been doing banner ads on Cycling News for their M10 which includes something about lamination technology.
As the banners revolve I often just catch them out of the corner of my eye and I keep seeing it as lamington technology. It’s weirding me out.
Nibali will just go mental and pip Contador on the line. Will be a ripper stage. Going to bed to wake up at midnight to catch some of it
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Contador
3. J-Rod
4. Anton
5. Sastre
Who says Sella isn’t on the juice? Picks are just guesses, anyway.
These are my etna pups eh? How do we make our rest day swaps? Gotta drop di Doper.
VSP PICKS:
1. scarponi
2. nibbles
3. contador
4. arroyo
5. j-rod
Oh and @heath. Hubba hubba.
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibbles
2. Clenbutador
3. Scarponi
4. J-Rod
5. Sella
OK, so #5 is a wildcard, but this year the VSP has been blown apart by wildcards… I keep catching signt of Kennaugh in the ‘nearly’ bunch a the top of climbs in the Giro, and I like the fact he’s way, way, way below the radar screen… Maybe he’ll wake up and feel good tomorrow. Anyhow, can’t wait for the stage.
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Sella
3. Clenbutador
4. Scarponi
5. Peter Kennaugh
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Cuntador
3. Scarponi
4. Garzelli
5. Weening
Hmm, I have La Lantern Rouge? And I’m listed at -1 for the VSP GC? Last I checked I think I was in the top 10 for GC.
A bug? Something I said? Was is the request for a knife blade in multi-tools? Did I miss the footnote that such a thought would cost me all my points, plus one?
5 Sicilian’s in the peloton today. Big break today with one of Nibalis’s guys. enjoy the race.
Guesses?! I’ll have you know that several chickens have given their gizzards to confirm that my selections are absolutely on the mark.
(NB – no chickens were harmed while showing me their bits)
@Oli Brooke-White
haha he’d be riding better!
@Ron
What did you say to piss Frank off?
Anyone have an english speaking video link? My usual is spitting out Italian at the moment.
@pakrat
http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/livestream
@Ron @pakrat
-1 for not just reading the instructions more carefully? Reading through the picks, there does seem to be a breach of Rule #65.
Speaking of podiums…
I got my first top five finish yesterday. I saw a team move to the front as we turned into a big crosswind so I jumped into their rotation and we got a ten man break going with about 40k to go. I finished fourth about a bike length out of first. What was really satistfying though was after the race when most of the guys in the break thanked me for working so hard to make the break stick.
Even with the crosswind/headwind for over half the race we did the 52 miles (if my calculations are correct that’s about 83k) in 2:06. Our break passed the first Cat 5 class in front of us and a big group of Cat 4’s. Not bad for a fat guy that turns 50 in a couple of months, eh?
Here we see a BMC rider checking out the Italian version of Highlights:
@Alex
Thanks Alex , unfortunately my region is blocked.
@pakrat
Eurosport UK has just got it’s shit together…
@Ron
Sounds like u might have made a substitution at some point – two point penalty.
Got a bad feeling all the big boys are going to mark each other and do nothing today…
@CJ
Thanks, its coming in now. Sean Kelly loud and clear.
@Marcus
Surely they have some sense of drama.
You’re racing up an active volcano for Pete’s sake! The only thing that could make it more awesome would be dinosaurs. It deserves a bit of dash.
For all you suckas having to watch the race via your computers- in Oz we have a choice of two tv channels covering tonights stage – eurosport (Harmon/kelly) or SBS (Oz commentators Keenan and mcgrory). Ha!
Hmm, I might have made a slip up during the Giro and incurred a 2 point penalty, but I’m listed as -1 for the VSP GC. The last I checked, after the Classics, I was in the high 20s. I couldn’t have fucked up that much.
Hmm… they are going to let these guys go! Bah!
Don’t they know we have points on the line?
@Marcus
Hooked up the laptop to the tv, so I’m pretty happy, though the its definitely not HD.
Cracked! The pink jersey will be changing.
On another note, woke to 2″ of snow here at home in Lake Tahoe. Should make for an interesting start to the Tour of California today here in the mountains.
Cracked again! Buh-bye Scarponi. But Nibbles didn’t do ANYTHING to respond. Come on mna, this is your mountain.
A little red meat seems to go a long way.
I may have to change my opinion of Contador… he does show some guts, rather than sitting and waiting.
Great stage!
The photo of the BMC dude checking out the ladies is awesome!
I went to Italy to play soccer when I was younger and we dedicated a significant portion of the trip to buying racy magazines in as many shops as we could find. In the U.S. we’d have been kicked out of the store; in Italy they didn’t bat an eye. My love for Italy was forged then and there.
Damn!! missed getting picks in.
Well, well. Frandy have to be sitting somewhere watching this today saying, “Ach. Sheiße.”
@Cyclops
Nice cyclops! Not too much longer until we get a podium out of you, methinks.
@Cyclops
Very well done! Congratulations!
@pakrat
Indeed, worth getting up really early for. Too bad I could only get the Italian feed to work. The video quality was pretty good, but I would have liked to understand the commentary!
@all
Please don’t dispute your picks until I’ve posted the results. There is a bug, and I’m working on it, so settle down, have a glass of warm milk, and relax.