semroc

Is that the highest finish this year? 3rd?

diphthong

change rosters for coppi sabatini nowww...it goes off early tomorrow (thursday)!! super quick turnaround.

in the final act of the interminable play. fortunately, little blood and few daggers-so far. number nine number nine races left. a faint glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

diphthong

another win in hand for canam73! team the bounty takes the gp de wallonie! slcbob and team X Merckx the Spot garners the second podium step whilst yours truly trudges in thirdly.

slcbob

@semroc continues to show up present & correct for these races. His strong second place in today's stage and his healthy gap look very promising for the league win.

I did the math to see if I had a chance to pull him back. My Superclasico equivalent of 10k / minute was 352 points per race after Wallonie. I was pretty darn lucky but only closed 2/3 of that, so he's looking safe from me absent an uncharacteristic off-day or stage DNS from him.

@canam73 finally took a break from wiping the floor with the rest of us. His Coppa Sabatini mojo was low, but he's still breathing down everyone's necks and has shown he's able to put up big numbers. I'm not doing the math looking over my shoulder. Eyes on the prize. Gotta be willing to lose it to win it. And I'm nothing if not a willing loser.

We may be in the last act, but it's not a short act. This Superclasic is like being forced to watch Yentil on VCR.

diphthong

slcbob and team X Merckx the Spot captures Coppa Sabatini! Semroc/team Semroc stays steady in placing second while yours truly forces multiple frame pumps into multiple front wheels to team cinzano show.

diphthong

optimus primus classic is mañana the 17th! don’t forget to change rosters!

diphthong

ooof! guessing it wouldn’t be better on betamax or laser disc…

slcbob

An errant mouse click took me to post 1 of this thread. My oh my, you have been busy, ooga-booga . That is an extraordinary display of enthusiasm / compulsiveness. Chapeau, sir.

I have to admit needing to Google my way through the VDB award and still feeling the depths of reference eluding me. I'm sure there's depth and deep tracks. This is the way.

After reviewing the results to date, I can almost feel a little Tommy Voeckler award shaping up for GrainBrain for the most days in yellow without winning it. Unless, of course, semroc dismounts the top step and makes a race for that classification. Perhaps an early storm in Lombardy and an errant snjowdrijft.

diphthong

it is more of a super nova/shooting star appreciation of vdb's 1995-1999 palmares as well as a realization of the humanity/brutal realism of the sport and an attempted conciliation of the two. what is and what should never be (sorry, page/plant). a "dark side" award. it could have been the sean kelly award
but professional cycling, like life, is rarely neat and orderly (and easily understood). it is often fussy and unkempt and occasionally marked by tragedy-whether self-inflicted or otherwise. the award is borne from a love and realization of the imperfect. were i disposed enuff to moderate next year's
(and beyond) superclasico, would probably change that award to another rider yearly.

slcbob

The Jungian thing.

Primus on!

semroc

Tough Primus race today. That wreck with about 2k to go was a total bummer. Looks like some riders were pretty angry after working so hard. World's next. I'll take Warren Barguil, and France to retain the jersey.

diphthong

slcbob and team X Merckx the Spot makes it two in a row in capturing the primus classic! yours truly hobbles across the line carrying the bike after pavement surfing in the last 50m for second place. Semroc completes the podium triumvirate with a fairly close third.

a biggie is up next. the worlds road race on the 25! rosters should be avail by the 22nd at the latest. with all the last second changes in the past few years, it would behoove the assembled fantasy warriors to review selections again the night before or super early on the 25th.

slcbob

Words of wisdom about the behooving there. I could've used a start list check for Primus.

@semroc continues to bleed his substantial lead at far less than 30sec/5k. Looking strong.

GrainBrain 's Primus picks showed up with Craddock's Oz Visa. Lo siento.

May the end game be more sporting, less weird than one could envision.

diphthong

rosters are up for the worlds! go get 'em!

slcbob

2+ days to perseverate! That provides an exquisite opportunity to maximize the Angst to Results ratio.

Many tough choices will need to be made. Doubted. Revisited. Un-made. Etc.

GrainBrain

Phew back into it - worlds team locked in with minimal clever picks. Went with one big fav after initially picking then snubbing Sagan.

I don't know what was going on with Craddock and his visa. Sweenson got the late callup from his gravelly trade. Much the same with me and my chasing of the last of the dusty summer riding. Unlike missing the flight by 20 minutes I feel pretty confident a good 20hrs from the event start.

Forget you Australian visa czars

slcbob

Since Sunday's race is going on Down Under, it's going down in a little more than 2 hours.

VG rosters lock at 8 eastern.

Saturday night's all right for racing. Get a little action in.

GrainBrain

MvdP got after some kids in his hotel, spent the night at a police station!!?? Now he's DNF Oh Australia. Seriously, forget you. Seriously.


Scott McGill in the break!!

slcbob

Crikey. You sure can pick 'em, mate.

GrainBrain

I knew I should've gone with van baarle. He's had a great season. That's what it's like in the land down under. Women champs blow elbows and men blunder.

diphthong

easy there, elton bob...

diphthong

even w/o mvdp, you've got solid chances.

diphthong

that is one helluva breakaway with a minute over the peloton and ruffly 56 kms left. daunting and unlikely but still...some deadly serious firepower. france, belgium, the local boyz and italy bringing it.

diphthong

25 guys now in the break (lost 10 guys in the span of a few mins). pace is high. peloton now 2 mins back with < 50 kms to go.
more than a few well known names present but one that everyone and their mother's brother will be marking and especially reluctant to let fly...

diphthong

oh snap...with 30 kms to go and the peloton 2+ mins back, the two most dangerous riders bounced from the break went off the front together. bye-bye...