The early eighties saw the tide change in the European Peloton. Components were taking on a new, curvy shape as they left their boxy forms behind. The glint of toe clips in the sun would become a rarer sight as the move towards clipless pedals would take hold in 1985. English speakers were winning the big races classically won by continental Pros.
The 1984 Tour could be my favorite edition of the race. In 1983, the rookie Laurent Fignon had won in the absence of Le Patron, Bernard Hinault. The 1984 race saw the two go head-to-head, with Fignon becoming the one and only person in history to have laughed at Hinault and lived. He did more than live, he won. The new guard was here, and they were making their presence known.
This photo is from the stage to l’Alpe d’Huez. LeMond was riding in support of Fignon, and Robert Millar, in his second Tour, was leading the King of the Mountains competition, which he would eventually win. Millar wrote an account of this stage in Issue 13 of Rouleur, which everyone should make an effort to find a copy of. He describes the attacks that come fast and furious on the penultimate climb in such vivid detail, it makes my guns ache. But worse than that is his and LeMonds effort to hold on to Fignon and Hinault’s wheels in the ride through the valley to Le Bourg d’Oisans and the base of the final climb. It is the perfect description of the suffering of the Cyclist. LeMond, in service to his leader, is on the front one moment as he reels Hinault in after an attack, before being cast into the gutter and the back wheel a moment later when the next attack comes.
Just as 1984 was a watershed moment in the Pro peloton, 2013 is a watershed year for the VSP. This year we are offering five amazing prizes from five amazing partners.
Prizes
First prize is a Veloforma Strada iR road frame, painted in an exclusive Velominati color scheme with the newly-designed Velominati Super Prestige logo. Please note that this is a brand-spankin’ new frame for Veloforma. The geometry can be reviewed here.
Second prize is a pair of Café Roubaix carbon tubular wheels. The winner of this prize will be given the choice between the sub-1000g Haleakala wheels or a road version of my beloved Arenberg wheelset. As an additional incentive, anyone who enters their picks in the Tour VSP will get a $200 discount on any wheelset at Café Roubaix.
Third prize is a pair of Bont cycling shoes. The winner of this prize will be assisted in selecting the size, color, and model of shoe.
Fourth prize is a Flandrian Best kit from DeFeet consisting of a wool U-D-Shirt, Arm Skins, Kneekers, Slipstreams, and a pair of V-Socks.
Fifth prize is a wool jersey from our Keepers Tour tour partners, Pavé Cycling Classics.
Many thanks to each of our sponsors for providing such exciting prizes.
Rules
Enter your picks for the top five riders on G.C. by the time the countdown clock goes to zero; Grand Tour scoring rules apply. Check the mapping of your picks by the end of Stage 1 and use the dispute system should it be mapped incorrectly.
We will be enforcing Piti Principle rules much more closely. We will be accepting pick disputes through the start of Stage 2. After that, it will be at The Keepers’ discretion as to whether or not we allow the dispute. If your pick is ambiguous and we map them to the wrong rider, make sure you check your disputes before the deadline; we may reject the dispute after that time. For example, should both Tony and Dan Martin take the start and you enter “Martin” as your pick, we will pick one for you and you will have to live with it if you forget to dispute it before the deadline.
Good luck, and Merckxspeed.
Update: This is the same paint scheme that the winner will have, except the VSP Winner’s Badge will be replacing the V-Lion.
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View Comments
@scaler911
Now that makes solid sense. I recently drove through on my way home from Santa Cruz, 900 miles in one push with The Pixies in the earbuds and saw, again, the tears of Shasta sheen. North of the Bay and south of Roseburg, there's a lot of powerful magic. And I don't even smoke much anymore.
@Nate
Fucking solid gold.
@mcsqueak
OK, guys - we're not talking about Mathematics here...we're talking fucking ARITHMETIC. The shit we learned in first and second grade.
If Potential Score - Penalty > Score w Existing Pick, then it might be a good deal. If not, don't swap.
The tricky bit is only in that if you swap riders, you're getting a penalty on both riders. The only time the swap really makes sense is when you're substituting a rider in.
And yes, we designed it so swapping riders isn't a no-brainer. You have to make really calculated moves for it to be a good idea.
Going dark for tomorrow...both of us can't help our work schedules to watch it in the AM so we're waiting until after work. FUCK. I'm staying off-line all day.
My productivity at work will go unmatched, mark your calendars.
@PeakInTwoYears
Evidently you can take a Jeffersonian out of Jefferson, but you can't take the Jefferson out of a Jeffersonian.
@frank
I guess you. Ever heard of Sir Isaac Newton either Fronk. Why am I not surprised.
But I am surprised at what my iPad did to that post....
Lets not forget to mention Boole Cayley and Whithead. Kinda like saying name a good Belgian cyclist and some idiot saying ooohhh solid gold..just saying matey.....research your shit before you talk shite.
@frank
I'm not usually one to stick up for the Poms, but seriously mate, if you haven't heard of Turing, it says more about you as a ones and zeroes guy than it does about them (as a mostly zeroes country).
@ten B
American revisionist history would make even the North Koreans blush. Frank and Nate probably think Steve Jobs and Bill Gates invented the internet whilst Harrison Ford and Mark Hamil captured and decoded the Enigma machine.