2,331 Replies to “Velominati Super Prestige”

1. I’m going to have a problem with the picks.  Given my track record so far this year  for all of my picks having at least one rider crash and burn do I go for who I want to/think will win or do I put the hex on those I don’t want to win by picking them?

2. @Teocalli

   I’m going to have a problem with the picks. Given my track record so far this year for all of my picks having at least one rider crash and burn do I go for who I want to/think will win or do I put the hex on those I don’t want to win by picking them?

   There’s always the pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey approach.  Having Delgado’d the Tour de Suisse through complete lack of interest, whoever I pick makes no difference to my Super Prestige standings, so I am feeling a weird sense of freedom.

3. I think it’s natural for Brits to want Brits in the Tour when it starts in Britain, because the average fan is more likely to go and watch the race when it’s in their own country, and they want people to cheer on. And by ‘average fan’ I’m not talking about the hardcore who will go to France (or wherever else) to see it.

   I for one have no problem with the Millar decision. I cheered him on the first lap in the National TT, and then he didn’t come back round. The sight of him and Dowsett touring back to base after abandoning the RR was really disappointing, and greeted with utter silence from the fans, who had been cheering everyone. It’s better that they don’t start at all than do that, in my view.

   Wiggo is a national treasure, our first Tour winner and quite a celebrity. He had a stellar year in ’12, followed by a really shit one in ’13, and he’s now on comeback and something of an underdog, having fallen foul of the politics at Sky but on good form if the ToC and National TTs are a guide. Brits love all that shit, and are understandably outraged that Sir Dave has discarded him and denied him a comeback ride. How very dare he.

   However, average fans are fickle, and all that will be forgotten if Cav fills his boots and takes the yellow jersey in Harrogate. And equally, as lukewarm as the support for Froome seems to be, he will be suitably lauded if he takes yellow to Paris.

   In the absence of Brits, the better informed fans will simply adopt the likes of Cancellara and Voigt.

4. @Geraint

   I think it’s natural for Brits to want Brits in the Tour when it starts in Britain, because the average fan is more likely to go and watch the race when it’s in their own country, and they want people to cheer on. And by ‘average fan’ I’m not talking about the hardcore who will go to France (or wherever else) to see it.

   I for one have no problem with the Millar decision. I cheered him on the first lap in the National TT, and then he didn’t come back round. The sight of him and Dowsett touring back to base after abandoning the RR was really disappointing, and greeted with utter silence from the fans, who had been cheering everyone. It’s better that they don’t start at all than do that, in my view.

   Wiggo is a national treasure, our first Tour winner and quite a celebrity. He had a stellar year in ’12, followed by a really shit one in ’13, and he’s now on comeback and something of an underdog, having fallen foul of the politics at Sky but on good form if the ToC and National TTs are a guide. Brits love all that shit, and are understandably outraged that Sir Dave has discarded him and denied him a comeback ride. How very dare he.

   However, average fans are fickle, and all that will be forgotten if Cav fills his boots and takes the yellow jersey in Harrogate. And equally, as lukewarm as the support for Froome seems to be, he will be suitably lauded if he takes yellow to Paris.

   In the absence of Brits, the better informed fans will simply adopt the likes of Cancellara and Voigt.

   I’m more of a Voeckler man myself…

5. How very British. Top favourites to take Yellow and Green but still finding something to complain about.

6. @Harminator

   How very British. Top favourites to take Yellow and Green but still finding something to complain about.

   Makes a change from discussing the weather?

7. @Teocalli

   @Harminator

   How very British. Top favourites to take Yellow and Green but still finding something to complain about.

   Makes a change from discussing the weather?

   Here’s the perfect British trifecta of “something to moan about’: Cav doesn’t win state 1, the weather while the Tour is in the UK is shitty, and Froome finishes 2nd to that dodgy Spanish chappie.

   Me? My picks will be down to their usual appalling standard. I want to complain about how little the pros have done on my behalf to get me that Veloforma frame FFS.

   Prediction: rampant dystentery throughout the peloton and Adam Hansen wins cause he’s the toughest dog in the fight. Jens is second.

8. I have neglected my picks for the VSP. Delgado’ed TdS and such. Time to thow in some odd picks for sake of getting back on track to a mid pack finish…

9. @wiscot

   @Teocalli

   I rather prefer the skinny boys all catch pneumonia from the atrocious weather in Yorkshire, then Voight wins, with Faboo a close second. I think that covers a moan about the weather, and a moan about a non-Brit winner. Quintessential English behaviour.

   Voight has been tweeting his dismay at Millar not attending. Bless him.

10. @Brits I thought the proper term was “whinging?”

11. @Nate

    @Brits I thought the proper term was “whinging?”

    Without wanting to be labelled a sexist, thats pretty much what my wife is doing about standing in Leeds from 8am this Saturday, and Keighley from 8am on Sunday. Men Moan. Women Whinge.

12. @VeloJello

    @wiscot

    @Teocalli

    I rather prefer the skinny boys all catch pneumonia from the atrocious weather in Yorkshire, then Voight wins, with Faboo a close second. I think that covers a moan about the weather, and a moan about a non-Brit winner. Quintessential English behaviour.

    Voight has been tweeting his dismay at Millar not attending. Bless him.

    I know cycling is a business and that, arguably, there’s no place for sentiment, but it’s sentiment that makes us human. To see Voight and Millar ride down the Champs giving each other a wee fist bump would have brought a tear to my eye. When the commissaires allow a rider outside the time limit to continue, that’s human. (although they were bastards towards Ted King last year). Voight knows what competing in a Tour means, as does Millar who’s not the daft young man he once was. Here’s hoping he gets a few more wins before he hangs up his wheels.

13. @Nate

    @Brits I thought the proper term was “whinging?”

    Ah, that’s according to the Oz ie “Whinging Pom”.  Unfortunately this is usually coined by a Whinging Ozzie.

14. Only 11 Aussies in the peloton, 9 Yanks. What’s going on England? Poor show chaps.

    I hope Bertie hits this one out of the park.

15. @Teocalli I have a feeling Froome will suffer some horrible luck and will not make it to Paris, if you pick him and it comes to pass we won’t know if it was your hoodoo or if I’m a cycling oracle. That said, my last feeling was that Tjarllingii would randomly kick ass at the Giro so it’d probably be safe to blame you.

16. Tech troubles?  I can’t post anything in either Giro Rosa or TDF VSP.  Is it me?  I also see no posts. Help!

17. And the VSP has just been blown apart.  I always thought Sky would fall apart on the road in this Tour but expected it to be because of the other teams giving them a kicking.  This is early.

18. @dyalander

    @Teocalli I have a feeling Froome will suffer some horrible luck and will not make it to Paris, if you pick him and it comes to pass we won’t know if it was your hoodoo or if I’m a cycling oracle. That said, my last feeling was that Tjarllingii would randomly kick ass at the Giro so it’d probably be safe to blame you.

    Damn I keep my 100% record.  Sorry Froomey.

19. As much as I’d love to claim to be a freaking oracle, you can’t argue with 100%.

20. So, my maths is awful. After rest day swaps last week , went down to zero points. Do we go into minus numbers?

21. Frank: Am I ever going to receive the apron for winning last year’s VSP or did you decide to frame it and hang it in the VSP Hall of Fame? My wife was looking forward to seeing me in an apron. On the other hand, she is a good sport so maybe I could get her to model it. Thanks. Dan

22. @dancollins

    Last I heard, the B sample still hadn’t come back.

    On that front, am I the only one who can’t see the current standings? I can only see 2010 results. It was a simpler time then: we were young and carefree…

23. @dancollins

    Dan, you will definitely get it; it has fallen off my priority list a bit per some other burning issues but I will try to get to it in the next week or so. It will be redesigned from previous years, so you have that to look forward to…

24. @dancollins

    Here’s a preview. Its on its way…

    

    @Steampunk

    @dancollins

    Last I heard, the B sample still hadn’t come back.

    On that front, am I the only one who can’t see the current standings? I can only see 2010 results. It was a simpler time then: we were young and carefree…

    I see the problemo but I will not have time to look into WTF is going on there for at least a week or two. Maddening, to say the least.

25. @frank very nice!

26. So here is one person who will have a real drive to do well in La Vuelta…with it being open season on contracts and Carlos open for offers he will need to go eyeballs out to jack his price up.  I am guessing he is delaying his decision on team till after La Vuelta because he is feeling strong?

    http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/transfers-betancur-to-leave-ag2r-at-the-end-of-the-season

27. @Deakus It could be quite to the contrary – he may be returning home.

28. @dancollins

    Lookie lookie what the cat done drug in.

    [dmalbum: path=”/velominati.com/wp-content/uploads/readers/frank/2014.08.11.17.21.37/1//”/]

29. So can we get to the Vuelta already? Gawd, I’m getting itchy, let’s go!

30. Vuelta, Vuelta, Vuelta!

    For the first time I am excited about following it. Not sure who’s on the start list, Niaro? Horner, will he be going great or what after his tour??

    Yea baby, bring it on!

31. @Rob

    For the first time I am excited about following it. Not sure who’s on the start list, Niaro? Horner, will he be going great or what after his tour??

    Yes, as co-leader of Movistar with Valverde. Plus Horner, Froome, Contador thinks he’s recovered enough to race, Rodriguez, Sagan, Boonen, Tony Martin, Uran, and on and on and on. No Costa or Cavendish, so far. This is going to be good.

32. Froome crashes in training for Vuelta TT…

    Too much of this perhaps – http://chrisfroomelookingatstems.tumblr.com/

33. What is up with Spartacus this year.  So far this season he has moaned about the cold in the Giro, the wet cobbles in TdF (that one really surprised me) and now he is ranting about the heat in La Vuelta!  WTF!  Has someone given him an attitude transplant…or is there some kind of dirty schleck love going on?

34. @Deakus I could almost forgive him until he  started moaning about people not wearing helmets… in the Netherlands.

    No coming back from that one.

35. I wonder if there should a new addition to the Lexicon – To Be “Schlecked” – To spend too much time in the same company or team as Frandy, thereby picking up bad habits an Anti V attitude….?

36. @Deakus

    I wonder if there should a new addition to the Lexicon – To Be “Schlecked” – To spend too much time in the same company or team as Frandy, thereby picking up bad habits an Anti-V attitude….?

    Schleckholm Syndrome?

    Not to be confused with BrianHolm Syndrome, which is the antidote.

37. Since I don’t even see it listed on the UCI site, I guess there was no Ladies Tour of Holland this year?  Needed reassurance that I didn’t Delgado this one like I did Sebastian.

38. @Floridian

    Since I don’t even see it listed on the UCI site, I guess there was no Ladies Tour of Holland this year? Needed reassurance that I didn’t Delgado this one like I did Sebastian.

    Was wondering about that. But sheez, I need all the VSP points I can get. Not that I have any more luck picking the Men’s or the Women’s results. Especially when frontrunners at Grand Tours keep falling off their bikes.

39. @frank Looks great. The address is 446 S. Garfield Ave., Janesville, WI 53545

40. @TheDon

    @Floridian

    Since I don’t even see it listed on the UCI site, I guess there was no Ladies Tour of Holland this year? Needed reassurance that I didn’t Delgado this one like I did Sebastian.

    Was wondering about that. But sheez, I need all the VSP points I can get. Not that I have any more luck picking the Men’s or the Women’s results. Especially when frontrunners at Grand Tours keep falling off their bikes.

    No worries, it never made it to our VSP. I should have crossed it out but didn’t. It might have happened under a different name but we didn’t contest it.

41. Well okay, so the World’s start tomorrow. Is there going to be a VSP?

42. @Minnesota Expat

    I think there will be but only for the two road races. The mens TT top 5 is pretty hard to guess wrong.

43. So far I haven’t got what I needed from the Vuelta or Worlds. Looks like 1 and 2 are sorted, but I can still picture myself in that kit.

    The weather could throw a curve ball for the TT and there’s lots of contenders for the RR, which could be a select bunch or a late break. Moreover, Teocalli’s curse may not just apply to Grand Tours.

    With only a couple of races to go, at the beginning of the season I figured it’d take 200 to take the bike. I didn’t count on Froome and Contador’s French follies, but even so our winner won’t be far off 200 – that’s some solid tipping – still plausible though, I don’t think we’ll need to check any b-samples or longitudinal tipping success rates.

44. @dyalander Oh Merckx, I’m doomed now.

45. @dyalander

    So far I haven’t got what I needed from the Vuelta or Worlds. Looks like 1 and 2 are sorted, but I can still picture myself in that kit.

    The weather could throw a curve ball for the TT and there’s lots of contenders for the RR, which could be a select bunch or a late break. Moreover, Teocalli’s curse may not just apply to Grand Tours.

    With only a couple of races to go, at the beginning of the season I figured it’d take 200 to take the bike. I didn’t count on Froome and Contador’s French follies, but even so our winner won’t be far off 200 – that’s some solid tipping – still plausible though, I don’t think we’ll need to check any b-samples or longitudinal tipping success rates.

    Hey they all stayed upright!  First time this year.  Second podium of the year.  Hot dang.

46. @il muro di manayunk sthilzy’s certainly making a run, but I still think you’re clear. Just don’t delgado. I’m going to need a RR miracle score to have an impact now.

    My LBL badge disappeared too – or was I stripped? I’ve been crying myself to sleep over it, but the keepers are busy enough so I’ll get over it and just try to get another one next season.

47. @dyalander did you change email addresses? Given the cog ratings seem to be attached to that, I’d assume the prize badges are too.

48. @dyalander The game theory at this stage in the contest is pretty interesting. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.

49. 2014 UCI Road World Championships virtual VSP
    1
    Marianne Vos
    2
    Emma Johansson
    3
    Tatyana Riabchenko
    4
    Annemiek Van Vleuten
    5
    Giorgia Bronzini

50. 

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