The Big Blue Hat Strikes Again

by Jen See on Feb 28, 2011 1:02 PM EST in News

The Big Blue Hat has returned! Ivan Basso won the GP Lugano over the weekend. And look! There! On the podium, he wore The Big Blue Hat. Is this going to be a great season or what? Also, you knew this would happen eventually. And now it has.

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That just made my day :D

by ston_ar on Feb 28, 2011 1:08 PM EST reply actions

He wore it to dinnar, too.

by Sui Juris on Feb 28, 2011 1:14 PM EST reply actions

He also go to sleep in it.

Dos cervezas por favor!

by Albertina on Feb 28, 2011 6:59 PM EST up reply actions

Is this going to be a great season or what?

Think I’m too biased about this to answer the question :p

by YoMarques on Feb 28, 2011 1:19 PM EST reply actions

Oh big blue hat

how I’ve missed you.

by Katiek on Feb 28, 2011 1:23 PM EST reply actions

+1

moo

by Willj on Feb 28, 2011 1:44 PM EST up reply actions

seriously

it’s so good to see it back :)

by Jen See on Feb 28, 2011 4:13 PM EST up reply actions

Look who I spotted in a slightly smushed version of it:

by JustJoshinYa on Feb 28, 2011 1:27 PM EST reply actions

"deeplinking is not allowed" …

(it’s Sagan with a blue hat, I found out when I opened the image in a new tab)

by tedvdw on Feb 28, 2011 2:19 PM EST up reply actions

re deeplinking....

I just click “view image” to get the url for it and drop it in the little insert photo box. Is it better to just pop a link to the url instead of insert it as a pic? Thanks – no ill intention meant at all.

by JustJoshinYa on Feb 28, 2011 3:44 PM EST up reply actions

No you did what works most of the time

and a link would have had the same effect, I fear, because then, too, an external referrer is attached to the request (leading to them blocking it). The only solution for using pics from such a website is to first save the image to your disk, upload it elsewhere and then link from there.. Bit of a bore, really.

It’s understandable to disallow deeplinking because it generates traffic without pageviews (=ad revenue) but in the end it may be counterproductive, people avoiding the website all together.

by tedvdw on Feb 28, 2011 3:58 PM EST up reply actions

OMIGOD

It’s taken over Ivan Basso’s head!! Won’t anyone do something to stop the Big Blue Hat?!?

If cobble delusions are wrong, who wants to be right? -JFS PGH

by Chris Fontecchio on Feb 28, 2011 2:14 PM EST reply actions

It does look

like it’s growing, doesn’t it. Scary times!

by Jen See on Feb 28, 2011 4:14 PM EST up reply actions

How do you stop a hat?

How do you even find out what it wants?

I yearn for the cobbles--Edvald Boasson Hagen

by majope on Feb 28, 2011 5:34 PM EST up reply actions

These are very important questions.

Maybe I could interview the Big Blue Hat?

by Jen See on Feb 28, 2011 6:02 PM EST up reply actions

If you can get through its PR people.

I yearn for the cobbles--Edvald Boasson Hagen

by majope on Feb 28, 2011 9:35 PM EST up reply actions

Yesss

This sounds difficult, actually.

by Jen See on Feb 28, 2011 9:38 PM EST up reply actions

It would only require one crayon

by Odette on Mar 1, 2011 9:19 PM EST up reply actions

If I win VDS

I also will wear the big blue hat – and not before. If Ivan wins the PdC world tour, I think you really should change the avatar for the day.

by platypus on Feb 28, 2011 3:26 PM EST reply actions

Oh My! Basso won a one day race!

No wonder hat looks taller and sort of bluer!

"I love bike races warm up, warm down, cobbles mountains or flats."
perezbike

by holmovka on Feb 28, 2011 6:38 PM EST reply actions

He won a sprint!

Can you believe it?!

Okay, he beat Visconti. But still…

by Jen See on Feb 28, 2011 6:45 PM EST up reply actions

I chose him on my VDS team...at the expense of Klodi :(

So I’m extra happy and I too will wear a big blue hat if he wins big…

"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'

by Seahorse on Feb 28, 2011 6:47 PM EST up reply actions

When I saw a viddy linked saying 'final sprint' I almost fell off my chair

Dos cervezas por favor!

by Albertina on Feb 28, 2011 7:00 PM EST up reply actions

Did he start the sprint

with a 5" lead? That would make more sense.

If cobble delusions are wrong, who wants to be right? -JFS PGH

by Chris Fontecchio on Feb 28, 2011 7:06 PM EST up reply actions

I guess it was just s l o w m o t i o n

Makes you wonder though don’t it?!

Dos cervezas por favor!

by Albertina on Feb 28, 2011 7:08 PM EST up reply actions

There is a torrent

make sure to pick the GP di Lugano and not the Insubria.

by tedvdw on Feb 28, 2011 7:10 PM EST up reply actions

I suspect it looked something very much like when I sprint...

…fast twitch muscle, not so much.

by Ed K on Feb 28, 2011 10:40 PM EST up reply actions

I wondering, if he sprints with same silent killer’s smile, as when he climbs.

"I love bike races warm up, warm down, cobbles mountains or flats."
perezbike

by holmovka on Feb 28, 2011 7:44 PM EST up reply actions

Reminds me of the heady days...

… of Zombie Maurice Garin.

St. Hubbins / Blutarsky 2012

by crashdan on Feb 28, 2011 6:53 PM EST reply actions

ZMG

is going to be a force this year.

If cobble delusions are wrong, who wants to be right? -JFS PGH

by Chris Fontecchio on Feb 28, 2011 7:06 PM EST up reply actions

What's up with the name change?

(oh, and I like the Belgian Ales banner at the top too)

by JustJoshinYa on Feb 28, 2011 7:39 PM EST up reply actions

not that it was an actual name change...I meant subtracting the dots...oh forget me!

by JustJoshinYa on Feb 28, 2011 7:40 PM EST up reply actions

He felt that Chrisdot

was insufficiently dignified for the proprietor of this fine establishment.

by Jen See on Feb 28, 2011 7:41 PM EST up reply actions

He's getting ready for the IPO

Time to build some backdoors into the VDS website.

by tedvdw on Feb 28, 2011 7:48 PM EST up reply actions

Fine

How much do you want?

If cobble delusions are wrong, who wants to be right? -JFS PGH

by Chris Fontecchio on Feb 28, 2011 7:52 PM EST up reply actions

by Willj on Mar 2, 2011 12:02 PM EST up reply actions

by TheFigurehead on Mar 1, 2011 2:45 PM EST reply actions

2009 version is available here:

http://www.ridebikeprogear.com/cyclinggear/cyclinggearproducts.aspx?pid=1064

I find it odd that Cannondale doesn’t have much for sale (or the team shop as you’ve indicated).
Found this via google shopping search (doesn’t look tall enough though): http://www.bikemania.biz/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=Liquigas_Winter_Cap

by JustJoshinYa on Mar 1, 2011 3:05 PM EST up reply actions