Velominati Super Prestige: Le Tour de France Stage 19
After such an epic and, frankly, shocking (as in stunning, stupendifying and surprising) stage to the Galibier last night, it’s going to take more than a few hours to recover and get back on track for tonight’s VSP stage to the mythical L’Alpe d’Huez.
I think the semantics of Stage 18 have been covered brilliantly by the Community here, and there’s nothing left for me to say about it except, wow.
So without further ado, and with the maximum time for you to get your tips in, we present the VSP for Stage 19, the Queen of the climbs, L’Alpe d’Huez. Sit back and enjoy the spectacle, because if you though that was good, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!
You know the drill. Good luck!
@scaler911
@Buck Rogers
@wiscot
@Netraam
At least here, if you don’t make the time cut, we don’t penalise you 20 points!
C’mon TV!!!
Will someone please push the clean bottle guy down the mountain?
@brett
GOLD!!
@brett, @G’phant
You lads are up early!
Anyone else think it might be a smarter move for Voekler to drop back and try to conserve something?
@brett
You probably should. I f’n suck at picking the podium. Much better at picking my ass.
@seemunkee
+1
My French ancestry is coming to the surface
Go Tommy you little beauty
@frank
I was thinking the same thing. I don’t know that he can ride in that style though.
@frank
Yes – he needs to save it or he will fail on the Alpe d’Huez
@frank
Yes. And Hincrappy is doing what looks like not a g’damn thing for cuddles. Liquigas should just stick to the Giro and Vuelta.
Holy Merckx! Can’t Europecar send someone up the road to help TV?? Is Rolland that shot? Their DS really needs to make a decision…
They showed the Green Hornet from the Isle of Man a wee bit ago. Not looking like a happy chappie at all.
TV almost stalled, then. Ouch.
Peleton assumes the position… Behind Cadel. GC guys saying “Race? Nothing to do with me, mate.”
Basso in the hurt locker. That’s sad.
Well…I have this really lame thing called work to go to. lame shit for sure that I am going to miss this.
Aaah – the Lemon Turd we’ve been expecting for so long now. Thanks Tommy – It’s been a blast.
Cadel is going to descend like a maniac and latch onto the Little Swivel…
@redranger
Just hope is heart doesn’t explode trying to keep the jersey today. He didn’t look like he had anything left in him after yesterday.
Bassososlow! What happened to you?
@Blah
Who else is going to help? If he wants to win this Tour, he’s going to have to take control. Just like he’s been doing. Personally, seeing him on the front like that, taking control just makes me like him more.
Andy looking like he’s out for a Sunday spin.
@frank
Uh-oh, now we will have a “Brake-Gate” instead of last year’s “Chain-Gate”. “They should have waited for him!!!” At least it will give us something to argue about on the site for months to come! ;)
TV cooked? Or the kind of cooked that sees him juuuuuuuuust able to hang on in second wheel for kay after kay?
Best Tour since 1990 with Lemond/Fignon? Amazing.
@frank
Or looking like he’s ready to crack – he only has one look – ppp poker face.
@frank
Merckx Damn! Cuddles is THE MAN of this Tour, no matter what Andy or Bertie do.
Errr ’89.
I made the mistake last week of not checking in and missing an intermediate VSP. When Le Tour is going full steam, you need to up your V intake and check the site constantly. Sleep is not needed during these three weeks.
Wow, I’m at work but got the video on French t.v. via steephill to work. Nice! Can’t wait to watch it later on a screen bigger than 5×5 cm. How they hell do people watch shit on their phones? I’d go bonkers.
This racing is awesome, can’t wait to watch tonight on my buddy’s enormous t.v.
@frank
Late. If the kids come and jump in the bed at 6am I will not be understanding – this stage won’t finish until 4am, and it’ll take me at least an hour to calm down enough to sleep after racing like this.
Cadiesel unhitching the train again..
@frank
I was gonna post that, but didn’t wanna jinx him. If he cracks, we’re holding you responsible.
Come together on the descent?
@pakrat
Better tour than Lemond/Fignon.
Evans pulls this back and I’m gonna shotgun a Fosters.
I know that these mountain stages have been on a Thursday and Friday and that we haven’t seen L’Alpe yet, but does anyone else think the crowds in the mountains have been smaller than in previous years?
Fuckin’ cuddle sROCKS! I’ve never been completely in his camp, but today, I am a complete convert!
Sorry, should be Cuddles ROCKS! Getting excited here at the clinic!
So the math for Andy is that if he stays with and works with Happy Jack he doesn’t lose any time to him, but he does put time into Cadel, etc. correct?
Don’t ride too close to a climbing Voekler. You’ll get a head in the gut.
Cadelelephant, yet another Trojan ride. 34 seconds!!
Evans always looks so awesomely menacing in the background. That shot of Sanchez w/Evan coming up behind was great.
@pakrat
Suicide? Fosters is shithouse, mate. Get a Coopers or a Boags.
But yeh, bad arse Cuddles.
I hope TV fights with dignity and takes his lose well. He’s been too much fun to watch to see him get all pissy now.
@wiscot
It seems that way to me, but yesterday the talking heads said all the camper vans of Europe were on the slopes of the Galibier.
This will definitely be the most important descent of Grimplette’s career so far.
@frank
Agreed. If he has the legs, he could crush L’Alpe.
Danielson and Hesjedal in there – what riding!
@frank
So relaxed he’s just picked up a news paper to read on the next climb?!
@Chris
Hee hee!
@pakrat
Mate, at least make it a decent Aussie beer, not that camel piss! Say a Boag instead