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″/]
Sweet baby jesus that was a good day in front of the flat screen. What a race. When the smoke cleared Broome looked fine with no teammates. Berti and Valverde had their chance to attack but couldn’t. TJ, Andy, Cuddles are all riding for stage wins if they are lucky. Still, fantastic racing and that was Ryder putting that poor bugger down the hill? Bad form, I’ll lecture him when he gets back. And those sunnies? He looks nuts. And Voigt hung tough forever, he hard man.
I want Quintana to win stages. It was fun watching Broome having to chase him down repeatedly. Whew, I need a rest.
@Steampunk Speaking of quiet, nobody’s talking about the Dutch Belkin boys layin’ down the V and slipping into the top 5 on GC.
@freddy
True, but I don’t think they’ll get comfortable there. I’m not buying it…
@Steampunk
Looks good from my house! Nothing like quiet achievement, ITT I don’t know?
LTD yesterday.
http://app.strava.com/activities/65474349
Now that was a great afternoon on the couch and with the frige fully stocked i was set . In my opinion Froom adopted Movestar for the day and made them work like rented mules for shattering his own team early on.It sure made for excitement . Not to say that keeping that pace was easy for him he still proved to be a stronge rider.
@piwakawaka
Laurens’ strava post kinda’ puts in perspective for us regular cyclists doesn’t it?
@Gianni
He the man! And Jen’s is doing a daily write up from his point of view here;
http://bicycling.com/blogs/hardlyserious/2013/06/29/just-bananas/
@Steampunk
By the end of 3 weeks, the top 10 should be covered by a lot more than 2:45. But maybe you’re still right…
I reckon that Purito is just biding his time. He’s an experienced GT rider who knows not to blow his load in the first mountain stage (a la Crocodile Richie).
@San Tonio
I’ve got ’em both… Ouch.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Chris Froome
2. Alejandro Valverde
3. Alberto Contador
4. Joaquim Rodriguez
5. Dan Martin
@freddy
Lost a KOM to a local Pro at home on a winter break, I saw him out riding the same day as me, I managed to slip away from work for an hour and a quarter, he rode for 6:50, but interesting to follow LTD, he was riding the French Alps during the Giro so he has done the hard work.
Ok, better swap porte out as there is no way he was coming back.
Forgive me, but I think Schleck might make the top 5 yet….
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Chris Froome
2. Alberto Contador
3. Bauke Mollema
4. N Quintana
5. J Rodriguez
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. froome
2. valverde
3. contador
4. Evans
5. Dan Martin
Good Grief. These swaps are going to be the equivalent of being punched in both the testicles and the face at the same time.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Froome
2. Valverde
3. Contador
4. Evans
5. Hesjedal
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Froome
2. Contador
3. Valverde
4. evans
5. van garderen
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Chris Froome
2. Cuntador
3. Valverde
4. Mollema
5. Quintana
I loved the stage yesterday, I flicked on the TV at 10.45am thinking it might be a slow start and I’d be able to get a few things down round the house but I was glued to it until the end at around 3.30. Then I watched the tennis. I was exhausted by the end of that day of sport.
I think Froome did really well, he countered the attacks and at no point looked in trouble. They could of broken him if Valverde attacked after Quintana and then Contador attacked after him but neither of them hand anything to give. I think both Movistar and Saxo Tinkoff will be be regretting that today.
Porte also did well to get back within 1 minute of the Froome group riding mainly solo, but its understandable that he was told to sit up when the gap was stuck at 3 minutes. I’ve ditched Porte and replaced him with Valverde in my VSP.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Froome
2. Contador
3. Valverde
4. Quintana
5. J Rod
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Chris Froome
2. Joaquim Rodriguez
3. Alejandro Valverde
4. Alberto Contador
5. Cadel Evans
http://youtu.be/fAl1-mBhFpU
And a cameo by The Prophet, no less!
Seeing my numbers 3 and 4 picks holding hands whilst the chase pulled away from them broke my freaking heart. Out with my countrymen, in with the Spaniards.
In other news, my VMH figures that Brailsford pulled the plug on Porte in order to decrease the heat (and scrutiny) on Sky (which, incidentally, she now refers to as Team Death Star). It seems the post-stage reactions from the team were a bit suss in her opinion. I’m inclined to agree. Because I know what’s good for me.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Contador
2. Froome
3. Valverde
4. Rodriguez
5. Evans
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Froome
2. Contador
3. Valverde
4. Joaquin Rodriguez
5. N Quintana
Simply cannot stand the thought of putting Piti in there so it’ll be one young lieutenant in the place of another…
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Froominator
2. Bertie Beefsteak
3. Cuddles
4. Quintana
5. J-Rod
@minion
I am currently experiencing that “sick in the stomach” feeling as well.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Christopher Froome
2. Alejandro Valverde
3. Alberto Contador
4. Cadel Evans
5. Joaquim Rodriguez
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Contador
2. Froome
3. Evans
4. Valverde
5. Rodriguez
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Froome
2. Purito
3. Porte
4. Contador
5. Valverde
http://youtu.be/fAl1-mBhFpU
Trying to Embed this video
By the way, OGE Rock
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Froome
2. Valverde
3. Contador
4. Evans
5. Kreuziger
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Froome Dog
2. Vulvaverde
3. Good Cadel
4. J Rod
5. Clenbutador
Wrong one:
Changes required after Porte’s thermonuclear detonation. I thought it was only my legs that were capable of completely falling off; good to see a proper rider suffer from the same affliction.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Froomedog
2. Bertie Beefsteak
3. Valverde
4. Dan Martin
5. Purito
Showed Porte the door
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Froome
2. Valverde
3. Contadour
4. Quintana
5. Dan Martin
What the heel, I’ll make some changes. Big Jurgen’s awa’ and Dan Martin is looking good. Don’t see the Belkin boys lasting. It’s going to be an ace race, that’s for sure. The third week’s a real bastard.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Froome
2. Contador
3. Valverde
4. Rodriguez
5. Daniel Martiin
No further comment necessary, habibi.
@Gianni
Yes! – Loved the glasses on Ryder!
Another photo that caught my attention was of Tommy V – not for the tongue, but check out those GUNS!
Time to rethink the VSP and get my changes in before the end of the day ….
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Christopher Froome
2. Roman Kreuziger
3. Alejandro Valverde
4. Alberto Contador
5. Bauke Mollema
Right, then.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Froome
2. Valverde
3. Martin
4. Contador
5. Rolland
@Tartan1749
Those are similar in size and shape to the sunglasses my VMH wanted a ruling on before our departure for yesterday’s ride. I assured her that hers (Oakleys, black) were much less offensive than the ones Ryder borrowed from his mom.
So she wore them and kicked my ass.
Valv in for TJ
Mollema in for Porte
Quintana in for JVDB
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Froome
2. Contador
3. Valv
4. Mollema
5. Quintana
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Froome
2. Valverde
3. Clenbutador
4. Kreuziger
5. Mollema
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Froome
2. Valverde
3. Evans
4. Kreuziger
5. Quintana
Think I’m sticking with my original picks for now, saving my swaps for the second rest day seems like a good idea.
@Tartan1749
I posted about this in The Rules – POC definitely makes products that are sport specific, but still is the spirit of Rule #36 being broken here?
@VeloVita
Hmmmm, still not sure bout those glasses. Definitely not cool was the shitty Power Bar “”trophy” Danny M got yesterday. Seriously? That’s the trophy for the stage? Please tell me there’s something else. It looked like it was bought from a dollar store FFS. (Hopefully some tech-savvy Velominatus can post a pic.)
One minor change.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Froome
2. Contidor
3. Valverde
4. Ryder
5. Evans
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Froome
2. Contador
3. Valverde
4. J Rod
5. Kreuziger
@wiscot
It doesn’t look that bad, does it?
@wiscot
Here’s the best photo of the stage winner’s trophy I could find (from Letour.fr).
Hard to see at that angle, but basically a plexiglass tombstone type thing. It’s no cobblestone, but it seems the stage winner’s trophies haven’t been too pretty for a while. Here’s a photo of Pereiro back in 2005 with his stage win trophy. (from bbc.co.uk)
Nice article from Inrng on the subject if you’re interested. He says that the TDF stage winner’s trophy “doesn’t quite capture the significance of their win, it’s a tribute to the sponsor, not the sport.”
Porte out–Valverde in.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Froome
2. Contador
3. Valverde
4. Evans
5. Mollema
This doesn’t feel like a normal rest day, there have been no tour drug busts or arguments round here (yet).
Ryder’s glasses are a bit springbreak fratboy / hipster douchebag for my liking.
I suppose he’s just trying to get as much publicity as possible. I can imagine Vaughters on the bus ‘Martin, you ride for the win and if you get lucky we’ll pretend we planned it. Ryder your tour is over so take out a Sky rider and wear these daft sunnies’.
@motor city
They he turns to Talansky, “Grasshopper, if you can snatch this pebble form my hand…”
@Skip There’s one on Steephill tv that shows i in all its cheap-ass glory. I mean, it’s the 100th Tour, you’d think they might do something a bit special instead of some mass produced plastic shit advertizing Power Bars.