Velominati Super Prestige: Le Tour de France 2013, Stage 19
Since it appears that the descents are where the action is in this year’s Tour de France, we thought we’d forgo our usual Mountain-Top Finish for the Stage VSP and instead go for what I’m guessing might be a real cracker of a stage into Le Grand Bornand. In 2009, the Schleck Tandem hadn’t yet discovered their collective drag chutes and did a stage-winning riding with Bertie pointlessly attacking to drop his own teammate on the run up the final climb.
This year features a bumpy profile which includes two of what I personally have found to be the hardest climbs in the Alps: the Glandon and the Madeleine. They’re going up the easier side of the Glandon (which shares the road with the Col de la Croix de Fer from this side) and then down to the steep side of the Madeleine. Then its over the camel’s back to the Col de la Croix Fry before diving into the valley for the finish.
In my review of that stage in ’09, I was airing my Dirty Schlecky Love on the laundry line, but there is little risk of that happening again this time around, unless Le Petite Schleck finds his patrones between now and then. And lets not forget that Contador is descending like a witch on a broomstick and putting Froome on the ropes in the process. Not to mention, Nairo’s horrible lines on the way down could mean we see a major shuffle on the GC.
Be that as it may, the stage itself will surely go to a breakaway and that’s what we’re here for. So get your picks in by midnight Friday for a chance to win a pair of Bont shoes; the winner will be assisted in selecting the size and will also be helped through the molding process. VSP Points go towards the overall VSP, not the Le Tour VSP. Finally, as this is a Stage VSP, points only go to getting the places right, no bonus points for getting the right rider in the wrong place. Good luck.
[vsp_results id=”24469″/]
@TBONE
I know that I am in the vast minority here (does that make sense? vast minority?) but I am loving the sunglasses on Tejay. Rocking it old style!
@PeakInTwoYears
yes.
Some changes after the events on L’Alpe. After watching Evans implode again I just can’t put him in my top 5… not even for a stage as suited to him as tomorrow’s is.
VSP PICKS:
1. Mikel Nieve
2. Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa
3. Pierre Rolland
4. JRod
5. Dirty Valverde
VSP PICKS:
1. Valverde
2. Rodriguez
3. Fuglsang
4. Contador
5. Froome
VSP PICKS:
1. Da Costa
2. Dan Martin
3. Quintana
4. J Rod
5. Froome
VSP PICKS:
1. Nieve
2. Navarro
3. Voeckler
4. Anton
5. Talansky
VSP PICKS:
1. Valverde
2. dan martin
3. JRod
4. nieve
5. quintana
VSP PICKS:
1. Talansky
2. Quintana
3. J Rod
4. Valverde
5. Froome
Swaps before the VSP closes, got to try something to score some points. Tough day ahead but the big climbs are relatively early on. Names out of a hat
VSP PICKS:
1. Ryder Hesjedal
2. Joaquin Rodriguez
3. Mikel Nieve Iturralde
4. Andrew Talansky
5. Peter Kennaugh
slight changes to picks
VSP PICKS:
1. Froomestrong
2. Quintana
3. J Rod
4. Moser
5. Moreno
VSP PICKS:
1. J Rod
2. Contador
3. Nairo Q
4. Hejdal
5. Valverde
Cant believe I won on the wrong day.
VSP PICKS:
1. Dan Martin
2. Nieve
3. Chava
4. Quintana
5. Purito
J-rod getting stronger & Contador getting desperate. Porte will lead Froome off the mountain…
VSP PICKS:
1. Rodriguez
2. Contador
3. Kwiatkowski
4. Kreuziger
5. Porte
It’s a redemption day, no one cares about the break & Sky don’t bother chasing lest Froomey gets hungry again.
VSP PICKS:
1. Talansky
2. Chavanel
3. Bad Cadel
4. Valverde
5. Schleck the Younger
VSP PICKS:
1. Geniez
2. De Clerq
3. Quintana
4. Porte
5. Froome
Evans sandbagging/resting up today, gonna have a go in the break tomorrow now that he’s WAY out of the GC. Especially since teammate TVG didn’t finish it off today and BMC doesn’t have much to show so far this tour.
VSP PICKS:
1. Evans
2. Voeckler
3. Hesjedel
4. Purito
5. Contador
My first VSP this year. Need shoes.
VSP PICKS:
1. Bryce Feillu
2. Jens Fucking Voigt
3. Non Gadret
4. Simon Clarke
5. Damiano Cunego
VSP PICKS:
1. Nairo Quintana Rojas
2. Joaquin “Purito” Rodriguez
3. Mikel Nieve
4. Ugh, Alberto Contador
5. Michal Kwiatkowski
VSP PICKS:
1. Purito
2. Porte
3. Froome
4. Quintana
5. Contador
Pick 5 nearly men.
VSP PICKS:
1. Talansky
2. Anton
3. Geniez
4. Gadret
5. Fedrigo
VSP PICKS:
1. Quintana
2. Valverde
3. Contador
4. Froomage
5. Porte
VSP PICKS:
1. martin
2. valverde
3. rodriguez
4. contador
5. froome
VSP PICKS:
1. Hesjedal
2. Cuddles
3. Gerrans
4. Dan Martin
5. Rolland
VSP PICKS:
1. Jrod
2. Quintana
3. Valverde
4. Froome
5. Contador
VSP PICKS:
1. JRod
2. Contador
3. Evans
4. Quintana
5. Froome
I’ve come to the conclusion that I know fuck all at this stage.
Whatever – go Berite on the descents, and come on you little dynamo Colombian.
Need J-Rod to do something good to salvage my overall picks, since Mollema packed it in.
VSP PICKS:
1. contador
2. quintana
3. froome
4. porte
5. purito
VSP PICKS:
1. De Marchi, Alessandro
2. Voeckler, Thomas
3. Rodriguez, Joaquim
4. Quintana, Nairo
5. Froome, Xtopher
VSP PICKS:
1. Rodriguez
2. Quintana
3. Froome
4. Contador
5. Kreuziger
VSP PICKS:
1. Quintana
2. Rodriguez
3. Fuglsang
4. Martin
5. Talansky
Gonna be a fun damn Friday morning!
VSP PICKS:
1. Rodriguez. J
2. Quintana
3. Contador
4. Froome
5. Fuglsang
Broome lets Porte ride away from the group to win the stage. Daddy need some new shoes.
VSP PICKS:
1. Porte
2. nieve
3. froome
4. jrod
5. kreuziger
The last place contestant in the super prestige must wear one of these jerseys, sleeveless of course.
http://www.swimbikemom.com/
VSP PICKS:
1. Rodrigues
2. Nieve
3. Quintana
4. Froome
5. Contador
@TBONE
An entertaining video. Apparently by two brothers who are apparently from Colorado and Nevada.
Perhaps I can be of assistance. When I sat down just now, I was enjoying the work of a band from Vancouver that you may have heard of.
Total crapshoot, but who can resist the allure of new cycling shoes? A small break stays away, and the GC group rounds out the final two slots.
VSP PICKS:
1. Johnny Hoogerland
2. Cadel Evans
3. Sylvain Chavanel
4. Nairo Quintana
5. JoaquÃm RodrÃguez
Total crap shoot. Remnants of the break fight for the win and the contenders come in together after movistar and katusha have tried to tear the race to pieces.
I think there will be a lot of zeroes on this one, myself included…
VSP PICKS:
1. rolland
2. riblon
3. rodriguez
4. froome
5. quintana
It’s not the Croix de Fer it’s the Croix Fry, different pass.
Come on Ryder and Rolland! Baby needs new shoes! Actually, baby doesn’t even exist, and I like my Sidis, but seeing as I’m sitting on zero for the Tour VSP, I’ll take just about anything.
What’s with Ryder’s glasses? Off the bike, perhaps (in another colour), certainly not whilst on the bike
And there goes Ryder. Not sure if he is slowing or if Rolland just has ants in his pants but he is leaving Ryder in his dust.
Bye bye Ryder. It was fun while it lasted.
@Buck Rogers
Bugger. And it looks like Bad Cadel is being paced by Cav and the Autobus Gang.
So… when does the Vuelta VSP start?
not much the keepers could have done about it but it would appear that they’ve selected one of the most boring stages of the tour for a mini-vsp…
@Mikael Liddy
Um, no, not the Keepers. Hence I posted the results for the Alpe d’Huez stage yesterday, believing the VSP was for the Queen stage…
Fuckity fuck fuck – totally Delgado’d this one.
@Mikael Liddy
On the other hand, had it not been a VSP stage, (and had I not had a couple of riders in the break) I would have called it an early night. Kept it from being completely meh.
So does Buck win the shoes for being first in line with a zero score or did someone pick anyone from the first five in the right spot?
I picked Da Costa for the win….
@motor city
I had him second…Doh!