Velominati Super Prestige: Le Tour de France 2013
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.
[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/frank@velominati.com/Veloforma/”/]
[vsp_results id=”24179″/]
@ChrisO yeah there’s TJ, or then those who have the likes of Cav & Sagan in their top 5.
@Mikael Liddy
As has been said…..there is still a long way to go but cadel certainly showed tj who is boss and Bertie I think will ride himself in to form and is still within 2 mins….tomorrow will be really interesting!
@ChrisO
I represent that remark.
30 minutes of fireworks followed by 2 weeks of predictability. KOM is shaping up to be a good race though. Maybe Froome will go all Contador and blow the race up for fun. Not holding my breath though.
@Deakus I’m actually hoping for the same from Cuddles, he didn’t race at all between the Giro & the Tour so I’d expect his race legs might be a little rusty on the first climb…
On cycling news they made this comparison:
16:40:40 CEST
Hmmmmmm….
Evans came in behind Schleck. Despite showing TJVG who is captain by tromping him, he still came in behind Schleck. My VSP will be scattered moments of breakaway brilliance, caught in the end and then destroyed.
@paolo
Via @TheRaceRadio on the twitters: “Best times up Ax-3-Domaines 1. Laiseka 2001 22:57 2. Armstrong 22:59 2001 3. Froome 23:14 2013”
@Mikael Liddy
I hope they catch the bastards. But then I guess at some point that will mean Sir Brad will end up being just Brad.
It pissed me off a bit last year when people made those kind of comparisons that implied Sky were not clean. Now I think I was being naieve.
@Mikael Liddy He was doing 6.3W/kg which is very good but not extra-terrestrial.
That Armstrong time was 2001 and Froome was still slower. How many other sports would not have improved on a time in 12 years ?
I’m not saying people shouldn’t be suspicious but it’s not an inevitable conclusion.
And BTW, David Millar’s take on it:
“Well, @TeamSky rode a perfect race, and for the record, I believe they are clean and they deserve respect and admiration for it.”
“Just saying, because I don’t think they deserve to have mud thrown at them when they work so hard to do it right. It doesn’t seem fair.”
OK I know his sister works for Sky, but on the other hand if anyone would be careful about sticking up for someone they thought was doping it would be Millar. He doesn’t have to say that stuff.
@ChrisO
It maybe shows that even with the marginal gains thing drugs are still better!
i sincerely hope they are clean or it could be the death of pro cycling, again! They would be stupid to risk it, No?
It’s all about the sleep, just ask this years Maglia Rosa
Sky soigneurs strip down the hotel beds every night for consistent sleep s the riders can rest their weary heads on a $150 pillow
@Gianni Any chance of an update? Seeing as I have both Froome and Porte this might be my only chance to look Pro! Big stage coming up 4 1st Cat climbs, 5 climbs back to back and a flat out down hill finale.
@ChrisO
Indeed. We have no idea of what “natural progression due to better training methods” would look like, because Pharmstrong etc have completely warped our perception. We know that Sky especially are using better training methods, more structured, more focused. The authorities are much better at continuously testing out of competition, and are randomly stopping and searching team vehicles every day.
If thy’re doping, I’ll be angry. If they’re doping, Brailsford wll fear for his life, such will be the public anger in the UK. At the danger of sounding like an Armstrong supporter, i want to believe they’re clean.
It helps that Froome is clearly not as much of a massive arsehole as Armstrong. Doubt we’ll see him shutting down a harmless breakaway out of spite.
Sorry for the delay. I had to watch the stage without knowing the results. Fantastic riding by Broome, Porte and Quintana. Schleck, Cadel, TJ, Gesink, and Contador all look suspect, he said politely. Sky and Movistar looks super, Garmin and BMC, not so much. But it is early, plenty of time for things to go to hell.
Here is the top forty. FFS, this is close. After Stage 8 finish.
Aussie SBS Cycling Central viewers…….
Thrrrrrrrrrrrr! Wine spat out! Did I just see Tomo Rule #33 compliant at the TdF?
He was at the end of a Bates/Keenan interview and Tomo was comic relief at the end kicking back on a chair with said legs resting up on a table wearing a beret?!!!!
I blithely said to wifey, “that’s it all over bar the shouting” to which she replied “hell no, there’s still two weeks to go yet”, as they say, out of the mouths of babes and sucklings.
i hadn’t twigged until now just how little they are doing in the Pyrenees. Noob factor 12.
lots of climbing left to go, ‘mon Purito!
If anyone can, get to a telecast now. Stage is going nuts with 120k & three cat 1 climbs to go!
Cracking stage already today…
@Mikael Liddy
+1. Contador pulling in favours from his fellow countrymen to grind down an isolated Froome. This tour is far from over.
Gonna be spectacular today…
So much stage to go, but Froome really being knocked about by Movistar at the moment…
Hoo-Weeee!
the Shit is hitting the fan. Team Sky domination, blah, blah, blah.
At a race today listening to armchair critics talk about how Froome and Porte are on the juice, etc.
You’ve no idea how happy I am to see the other teams start throwing fucking hand grenades.
gonna be hard to sleep tonight…
Go Clarkie!
If Froome survives today and goes on to win then nobody can say he doesn’t deserve it.
Everything is being thrown at him.
@mouse
On the juice? My arse.
Great stage
Feeling for Porte after yesterday’s effort
Movistar with six riders against an isolated Froome on the last stage, but couldn’t muster more than three abortive jabs by Quintana. Exhausted from earlier in the stage, or couldn’t attack, or didn’t know how?
Giant ride by Froome, though.
@JohnB
Yes I think that’s been settled.
Damn that was a great stage. Andy was even looking pretty good today. May have to take a hit and take Porte out of my picks tomorrow.
Cracking stage win and perfect timing from Danny Boy today ! Porte must have forgot to eat his Wheaties this morning though.
Movistar had it all set up to put Froome on the rack & apparently let him get away with it…wonder if Quintana was being pulled back by radio because Valverde couldn’t go with?
Wonder how much of an effect Ryder bringing Kennaugh down early on had?
@andrew
I think Movistar failed tactically today, they left it too press but they did some great work on the front. Cadel is looking comfortable and Bertie needs to ride himself in to form for the alpes. Trouble is they will probably both lose a little more time on the time trials….
@Deakus
Yes, just difficult to see Cuddles or Bertie putting time into Froome unless they have lieutenants to help them punch and counter-punch. BMC doesn’t seem capable, and Saxo-Tinkoff might have missed a trick today, but Movistar had climbers in numbers on that final hill. Still, exciting stuff and good to see Garmin throwing down.
Yesterday will really hurt Cuddles, he’d have always been planning on riding in to form after not racing between the Giro & here but may not have expected the pace to be so hot yesterday.
@Deakus
Agreed. Movistar may have blown their best chance. By the time hostilities resume Sky will have regrouped on flat and transition stages and Froome will have put time into both Valverde and Contador in the ITT.
They had them on the ropes but didn’t land a killer punch.
I’m not sure Contador or Valverde had it today (no counter-attack from Valverde after Quintana tried to soften up Froome), but this is heartening. Porte can’t do all the work for Sky, and Movistar and Saxo-Tinkoff will be able to play a numbers game going forward. I think they have a good sense of what they need to do and I expect Contador and Valverde will get stronger as the Tour progresses.
Terrific riding from Bardet today””I like this guy.
Only just realized that Kiriyenka didn’t make the time cut. That’s a big blow to the Sky train…
@Steampunk
More imporatantly, it’s a blow to all of us who picked Porte in our top 5! Who else is now running detailed analysis to find a name to swap in tonight?
@sthilzy
He’s a member of Sydney Uni Velo Club, actually (as well as our patron). The upside is that you get to witness people taking the piss out of him on a regular basis on our FB page. But at least he’s a good enough sport to play along.
@Bianchi Denti
and all of us with Van Gardern in our top 5 as well
@Bianchi Denti
I really wasn’t buying the Porte koolaid. The Sky train was much stronger last year with Rogers, Porte, and Froome. The way Porte blew up at the end of the Dauphiné told me there was no way he’d be able to sustain that workload for three weeks, and against stronger opposition.
8 points!! Well I’m pleased!
@Steampunk
Heeeeeeeeyuuuuuuuuge. So much for thinking he was more than human, in a good way. Gonna miss him.
Presumably none of us think that Ryder’s de-Kennaugh-stration was intentional, but I gotta say, that guy plays fucking hardball. Pushing it near the front of the first 3 climbs with a broken rib? Chancing that ditch plunge with Kennaugh? Nails, people, nails.
I saw Sky at their worst and most other teams at their best – result? No change. I would say that is a silver lining for Sky.
@Steampunk
I bought a jumbo bottle of that Koolaid, and picked him to finish 3rd overall. Porte can’t afford a day like yesterday if he wants to win the 2014 Giro. With Kiriyenka dropping out, he has major pressure on him to just support Froome rather than indulging any learning opportunities for the future.
However, I bet he doesn’t get dropped again, and his ITT ability will drag him back into the top 10.
@itburns
I dunno: I don’t think Valverde or Contador had it today. Teams at their best: yes. Leaders: will get stronger.
@Bianchi Denti
I suspect picking up 15 minutes in the ITT is a bit of a tall order.
My top five are still in play, but they’re currently in the wrong order. And is it just me, or has Purito been conspicuously quiet. Out of form or just biding his time?