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
I have to say this years Tour for me was pretty dull. The best day by far was the day when the wind decimated the field and the riders had to either grab the right wheel or suffer the consequences. By comparison the Giro and last years Vuelta were far better and the fact that the GC and Green Jersey were pretty much done and dusted in the first week left me a little flat. Funnily enough last years tour I found less then enlightening too...maybe big is not always best.
The Paris stuff in the twilight last night was awesome but nothing could take the shine off the fact that someone else has that Veloforma frame....I am not sure I will ever recover!
Looking forward to the Vuelta alot! Nibbles will be back to shake the shit out of everyone and Valverde looked pretty solid in the Tour, even JRod came good towards the end.
My suggestion for Prudholme next year.....remove the ITTs....they have a disproportionate effect on the GC. They did it when Indurain became too dominant and it's about time the removed them again. the TTT is fine because it is balanced out by the teams depths and strengths but the ITTs are boring TV and squew the results..
@frank
Why do I now have a mental image of a hugely pissed, mankini adorned @frank trying to realise his lifelong fantasy of dirty schleck love, humping Frandy's leg halfway up the Hautacam?
@Daccordi Rider @Skip @sthilzy ha bloody ha
@Chris
Need brain bleach to get that image out of my mind.
Congrats to the winners of the tour and the VSP and to dancollins for taking the VSP lead. I'm still on the podium, so I still have a shot at getting the lead back.
And thanks to the keepers for all their efforts.
Congrats to all: the prize winners, the Keepers and the sponsors. Made a very interesting tour even more so.
Congrats to Froome too. To go n as big favorite, win the race and win three stages (two mountain-top_) and race aggressively was a joy to see. Green jersey competition was dull as Sagan had it in the bag early. Other competitions were great. Night-time finale was spectacular.
Worries. Crowds on climbs are getting a bit crazy and not in a good way. I fear it is only a matter if time before a rider is taken out by a dickhead who ants to be on TV. Success is one thing, but when you have yahoos showing up who just want to party, nothing good will come of it.
Stage winner trophies? Worst. Trophies. Ever. Like Sevres would/couldn't have done something classy and appropriate if asked. They were ASO = Aesthetically Sucky Objects.
You got to love those dirty spaniards....Angliru is back on the Vuelta for 2013 and there are only 6 flat stages and 1 individual time trial....roll on August!
http://www.lavuelta.com/13/en/recorrido/vuelta.html
Big thanks to the keepers for putting on the VSP and letting a first-timer play with the same chances as everyone else. I'd given up winning anything pretty early on after Cadel and Van Garderen were dropped; crazy to have the penultimate stage jumble work out in my favor. I'm with everyone else on this tour being a much better one to watch than last year's and Froome being a class act.
I was fortunate to get to visit France and see the breakaway and peloton shoot by on stage 11 (something I've wanted to do for years now) and now you're giving me free kit because of some good luck. I'll be sure to sport it on the next Cogal in the mid-Atlantic area.
Thanks again fellas.
Also many thanks to DeFeet as well. Pretty much all my socks are DeFeet already, but you've got a lifetime customer now.
Thanks to everyone for supporting the VSP and congrats to the lucky prize winners! It's a pleasure to be able to give something back to the community who make this all worthwhile.
Here's something from the tour that you may not have noticed happening but is pretty rad...
And the original Dave Watson attempt here
So now we have 2 @Ron(s) and 2 @ChrisO(s)? That's gonna get confusioning.