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
@Steampunk
Totally agree, solidarity with @Souleur notwithstanding. He's making a tough comeback and I suppose one thing I hadn't considered is he broke his hip in a TT last year, one might be a bit cautious in your first major TT back from that injury.
And thereby guaranteeing that he miss the record?
Has the polish doper's time been wiped yet? Is Sparty going after Boardman's or his record? I've lost the thread on that.
@VirenqueForever
If it hasn't been said before, good to see someone waving the flag for Dicky V. Douche he may be, I've always loved that little twat.
Note the excitement of the phat guy, and note that Trickie Dickie has the same look on his face in this photo as the one above.
I am 95% sure this is a picture of two dudes.
Heard that somebody threw piss on Cavendish as he waited for his start time. Pretty scummy. No matter where you stand on yesterday's crash there's no room for that. Pukes.
Late to the party on the Cav front but consider me a +n on Steampunk's comments.
Froome an animal in the TT, reminds me of the year Steak-a-dor beat le Grand Faboo around Lac Annecy. He's making everyone else look very normal. Once in a generation talent?
@wiscot
Spot on. How he can focus so much effort on the Tour without shoring up such a serious weakness is beyond me. Also, his descending. If he didn't want to improve his weaknesses he should have gone for a Giro win, or focused on stage wins in the mountains.
@frank
Can you tell me where I stand, because I haven't figured it out for myself yet. Thanks.
@frank
Schleckchute deployed...beautiful. If one should be working on their weaknesses, this fuck should be on his TT bike all the time. I'll never understand him.
@frank
Thanksfr the update @Frank. Welcome back.
Out if interest, did anyone pick Kwiatkowski? That guy is the revelation of this TdF, if not the whole of 2013 IMO. He can sprint, climb and TT. He had a great Classics camapaign too. I hope OPQS focus on retaining him before they look to buy a high-priced GT contender.
@Gianni it's not complicated: Schleck has fantastic genes, but a fragile psyche. He might well be the love child of Indurain and Lindsey Lohan.
@frank
This would all be moot if you'd pushed on the pedals a little harder last month. Little known secret: the faster you pedal, the faster you go. Going around in circles like that, it's not like the scenery should have distracted you.