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
@frank now you have me curious how much mine weighs. not sure what the leg hair penalty will be tho...
@Bianchi Denti
I would have thought that this would apply in some unquantified manner to every rider in the professional peloton. I figured it's why they were picked to become pros and why I play correspondence chess. Whether or not they excel as juniors, the numbers are there and they're measured and prepared for further exertion on the bike. No matter how much I ride or how much I train properly, I suspect that my VO2 max is very, very average and that's a limiter. (Not to turn this into a doping comment, but it irks me that lower level pros complain about lost wages to dirty riders; frankly, their numbers were typically never good enough to get into that top echelon in the first place).
If/When I get to see the Tour, there is no way I am going to spend the short amount of time that the riders are going past making a complete ass of myself wearing some silly ass costume, jumping in front of riders, or waving to what may or may not be the camera that is being used for the feed at that time. It's not Let's Make a Deal or The Price is Right, it's a fucking bike race that you had to spend effort to get out to see. And totally sick of the Borat's wannabes. The lamest one was the guy I saw yesterday who was wearing boxers under the thong.
I think they need cars leading the riders that have old style steam engine cattle catchers that adjust to the width of the road.
@seemunkee
Yep. But these are OK in my book:
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@scaler911
@ChrisO
@scaler911
@unversio
@frank
Jesus, if you don't like doping talk, then you're following the wrong fucking sport. Keep burying your head in the sand, it might go away. Yeah right.
As for the racing being exciting, yeah there's been some good stages and great performances from the non-contenders, but the GC was over after Ax3 Domaines. If Froome (the greatest athlete ever in the history of the world that you all seem to believe he is) wasn't there, imagine what a truly great race for the overall it could have been.
@brett
I'm just tired of having it be the topic of discussion every day. And I feel about Froome tha same as I do (did) about Wiggo (and in years past Big Mig): meh. Just not that exciting to watch. Porte is fun because of his unrelenting perseverance. Clenbutador has had moments like when he kept attacking Monday. But that's just me..........
@VirenqueForever
Another reason why Jens is awesome! Which I spoke French so I could understand completely him telling the story.
@scaler911
How often are P1/P2 saying, "And Porte is back" or "Porte is back on the front" or "Porte is towing Froome again"??
@PeakInTwoYears
Phil reminds me of my grandfather in his later years. It would take him a couple of trys before he would get any of our names right.