Velominati Super Prestige: Le Tour de France 2013

Robert Millar leads Greg LeMan on the road to l’Alpe d’Huez in 1984

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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[vsp_results id=”24179″/]

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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View Comments

Chris says:

Jul 19 2013 at 4:36 am

And Bad Cadel goes Pop before Cav.
Bianchi Denti says:

Jul 19 2013 at 5:11 am

@Mikael Liddy

@Barracuda Jeeee-Sus!!! Even if BD is elligible (and I suspect he is, methinks Brett is just trying to wind him up), you're possibly in for a sweet set of hoops off Dan_R!

I'm only 5 down on you guys, and if the Roman Cross swaps places with everyone's new favourite coke trafficker, a game of leapfrog may be played.

btw, I know you're southern based but do you get up to much riding up Adelaide way? Seems ridiculous to have a fellow Velominatus in the backyard without having met.

I'm 60% sure that I'm 100% eligible. It's just that Brett's about a foot taller than me, so would never get to ride the Veloforma if I win it.

But I think it's a moot point anyway. Saxoff appear to still be feeling frisky, so my points will be fucked by the end of this stage. They obviously have no idea what is really at stake here!

Get Roche away from the front of the peloton!
wiscot says:

Jul 19 2013 at 5:21 am

@RedRanger

WTF???

I believe it's the British Prime Minister David Cameron in disguise (according to cartoonist Steve Bell pf the Guardian."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cartoon/2013/jul/15/steve-bells-if-cameron-salmond-love
wiscot says:

Jul 19 2013 at 5:25 am

@Mike_P

How to sully a yellow jersey? It's easy....fail to accept that you are about to blow, bend the rules and send a team-mate back to the car for gels within no feed zone, rather than dealing with it, pushing yourself beyond the limit to deal with your opponents coming back to you. He had a buffer of 4.5 minutes FFS! I'm a little disappointed that Hinault didn't punch him and tell him to Harden The Fuck Up on the podium!

This is my opinion and by definition someone's opinion cannot be wrong as it is theirs and theirs alone. Feel free to disagree, but you know I'm right.

Maybe his computer doesn't have readings for really low blood sugar? Power, Yes. Wattage, yes? Cadence, yes? Wee icon that says the man with the hammer is on your wheel, apparently not.
Buck Rogers says:

Jul 19 2013 at 5:40 am

@Mike_P

How to sully a yellow jersey? It's easy....fail to accept that you are about to blow, bend the rules and send a team-mate back to the car for gels within no feed zone, rather than dealing with it, pushing yourself beyond the limit to deal with your opponents coming back to you. He had a buffer of 4.5 minutes FFS! I'm a little disappointed that Hinault didn't punch him and tell him to Harden The Fuck Up on the podium!

This is my opinion and by definition someone's opinion cannot be wrong as it is theirs and theirs alone. Feel free to disagree, but you know I'm right.

Hinault should have thrown his weak ass off the podium for that bullshit excuse. "Ohhh, it wasn't technically me" What a fuck?
Buck Rogers says:

Jul 19 2013 at 5:43 am

@wiscot

@Mike_P

How to sully a yellow jersey? It's easy....fail to accept that you are about to blow, bend the rules and send a team-mate back to the car for gels within no feed zone, rather than dealing with it, pushing yourself beyond the limit to deal with your opponents coming back to you. He had a buffer of 4.5 minutes FFS! I'm a little disappointed that Hinault didn't punch him and tell him to Harden The Fuck Up on the podium!

This is my opinion and by definition someone's opinion cannot be wrong as it is theirs and theirs alone. Feel free to disagree, but you know I'm right.

Maybe his computer doesn't have readings for really low blood sugar? Power, Yes. Wattage, yes? Cadence, yes? Wee icon that says the man with the hammer is on your wheel, apparently not.

Brilliant!
Tobin says:

Jul 19 2013 at 6:27 am

Obviously this idiot didn't fall hard enough...
Buck Rogers says:

Jul 19 2013 at 6:30 am

DAMN!!! I have to leave for Vermont now and will have questionable, possibly no, internet until Monday!!! Fuck my life!

Go J-Rod. Papa needs a new set of wheels!!!

Arrivederci, VSP! Hope to get a pleasant surprise on Monday!
Chris says:

Jul 19 2013 at 6:36 am

@Tobin Fantastic work by the lad in the blue shirt.

Did anyone see a drunk running fan get shoved out of the way by one of the moto cameramen at 5.7km to go? Exit stage right. Rapidly.
brett says:

Jul 19 2013 at 6:40 am

Froome is such a piece of shit. If, IF he is clean, then he is the greatest cyclist ever. EVER. But where is his freakish Vo2 like LeMond, his years coming through as a top junior like Cadel, or a pedigree as a Classics rider who miraculously became a GT rider like Pharmy? Nope, none of that, just a touch of some bug that held him back. Fuck off, this just reeks of bullshit.

And now Strickland is claiming he started the call for caps on the podium...FFS

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/cycling/tour-de-france-2013-a-cycling-scandal-to-cap-them-all--why-are-the-worlds-best-riders-refusing-to-wear-the-classic-headgear-8718136.html