Velominati Super Prestige

Velominati Super Prestige: Le Tour de France 2013

millar-lemond
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.

[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/frank@velominati.com/Veloforma/”/]

[vsp_results id=”24179″/]

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1,667 Replies to “Velominati Super Prestige: Le Tour de France 2013”

  1. @ped couple of things I’ve taken out of that.

    1. He’s nearly 10cm taller than me, yet weighs 15 kilos less than me at my lightest weight in 10 years…talk about feeling too fat to climb!

    2. Those FDJ Lapierres look bloody nice, one of the bike shops here had a team bike on display during the TDU, major Carbone!

    3. Is that a new kit for the TDF that he’s wearing at the end? If so, nice.

  2. @the Engine

    @meursault

    @the Engine It would be brave man who said irrecoveraby yes, but he does have a bike race to prepare for, rather than checking his emails.

    I felt it was a somewhat manufactured story

    They went it to a lot more detail about how & why they were ending their association with him on their own website. It stemmed from a campaign to have GT contenders be more transparent with their performance data during or after races.

    Clarification and update 27th June

    We have been accused by a minority of releasing the above statement simply for PR purposes and that Chris was singled out to release data. Therefore we would like to make some points and clarification on the issue. There are two parts to our statement, we had been attempting to get clarification of Chris’ alignment to Bike Pure since Dec 2012 and we also asked if he would be willing to produce data simply because he was our highest profile athlete and potential Tour de France winner.

    1. We received a phone call from Michelle Cound, Chris’ girlfriend on Wednesday 26th June. Michelle was clearly disappointed in us releasing a statement and she made it clear that information such as SRM data etc did not belong to Chris but to Team Sky.

    2. As Chris was our highest profile rider, grand tour podium finisher and potential Tour de France winner we felt it necessary to contact him to gain written clarification of his alignment to our organisation. We initially did this in December 2012. The email was sent in html format and was opened shortly after it was received. We received no response.

    3. Chris, as with many other professional cyclists, followed us on Twitter for a number of years. We made several attempts to contact him via direct message asking to confirm what we had asked in December 2012. We sent 3 direct messages between January and April of 2013. We had no response. Shortly after, Chris chose to unfollow us onTwitter.

    4. We felt the correct course of action was to contact his team regarding the issue and completed the contact form on the Team Sky website on two occasions asking for someone to contact us regards the issue. We received an automated reply saying our messages had been received, but we received no direct response from anyone within Team Sky until the call from Fran Millar on Thursday 20th June.

    5. We had waited 6 months for clarification and preferred the matter was resolved before the 2013 Tour de France, therefore we set a deadline of Friday 21st June for clarification. We received a call from Fran Millar at Team Sky on Thursday 20th June stating that we had threatened Chris and that Sky would not be releasing any data simply because other teams refuse to do so either. We simply asked for clarification on Chris’ alignment to Bike Pure and stated that a simple statement would resolve the issue. We received none either on the phone or in written email, therefore were left with the difficult decision to remove his bio from our website.

    http://bikepure.org/2013/06/transparency-grand-tour-contenders/

  5. @bugleboy21

    TJ Has quietly been honing his grand tour form this year, which he showed a little bit of in California. He is also demonstrated more maturity this year as a team cyclist. I look for him support Good Cadel in the first week and then be named team leader after Bad Cadel shows up on Stage 8.

    The Sky train will be consistent. However, all the teams know their tactics and they’ve been riding the same team for Froome/Wiggins this year. With all of the mountain opportunities for GC favorites, I expect Sky to eventually crack under the pressure of constant attack. Look for Purito or Clenbutador to ride the Polka Dot’s into the twilight of the Champs-Élysées

    With such a deep set of riders, Team Garmin-Sharp will clean up the Team Classification, but won’t hold a Yellow Jersey this year. I do expect that they will win a couple of summit finishes with a snappy Dan Martin or my White Jersey pick (by virtue of TJV’s Yellow), Andrew Talansky. We will see Farrar in the bunch sprint of all the flat stages, but will not be able to over come Peter Sagan or this year’s Green Jersey, Cavendish.

    good points, ‘cept Farrar aint in the squad.

  6. Please, oh please, oh please…

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Evans
    3. Froome
    4. R Hesjedal
    5. Contador

  7. @Cyclops

    @frank

    @Mikael Liddy

    Anyone seen the horrid paint schemes that Jens & Andy will be aboard????

    Seriously, WHAT.THE.FUCK?

    http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.539802932751115.1073741861.149819558416123&type=3

    Radiocrack must have momentarily though they were Astana.

    I think they are pretty badass looking (for Treks) but my question is how is the seat mast on the first bike that points to the left levitating an inch or so above the rest of the bike?

    fugly.

  8. @strathlubnaig

    @Cyclops

    @frank

    @Mikael Liddy

    Anyone seen the horrid paint schemes that Jens & Andy will be aboard????

     

    Seriously, WHAT.THE.FUCK?

    http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.539802932751115.1073741861.149819558416123&type=3

    Radiocrack must have momentarily though they were Astana.

    I think they are pretty badass looking (for Treks) but my question is how is the seat mast on the first bike that points to the left levitating an inch or so above the rest of the bike?

    fugly.

    Friggin SMURF-MOBIL’S

  9. VSP PICKS:

    1. Andy Schleck
    2. Alberto Contador
    3. Tejay Van Garderen
    4. Chris Froome
    5. Ryder Hesjedal

  10. After minutes of careful deliberation…..

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Contador
    2. Froome
    3. Teejay van Garderen
    4. Thibault Pinot
    5. Rui Costa

  11. VSP PICKS:

    1. Chris Froome
    2. Alberto Contador
    3. Cadel Evans
    4. Richie Porte
    5. Nairo Quintana

  14. VSP PICKS:

    1. Froome
    2. Contador
    3. van Garderen
    4. Hesjedal
    5. Rolland

  16. Please!!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Cadel Evans
    2. Chris Froome
    3. Teejay van Garderen
    4. Alberto Contador
    5. Andrew Talansky

  17. Froome & Contador go neck & neck, but the final GC gap is less than a minute.  Everyone else racing for 3rd place.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. C. Froome
    2. A. Contador
    3. T. van Garderen
    4. A. Schleck
    5. A. Valverde

  22. Kinda hoping Cav doesn’t spend much time in green, purely so we can see plenty of this.


    Say what you like about him, he can pull off a championship jersey!

  23. I’ll be interested to see how Sagan does

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Chris Froome
    2. Alberto Contador
    3. Richie Porte
    4. Cadel Evans
    5. Andy Schleck

  24. This from Ritchie Porte:

    While the Tour has been drawing closer, it doesn’t really change the way we train. We haven’t done a massive taper after the Dauphiné. Five of us from the Tour team went to Châtel, so we had a little bit of recon and generally tried to keep healthy. With a few last minute adjustments, everyone tries to lose a couple of kilos and now everyone’s turned up with new haircuts which makes you instantly look leaner.

    “a couple of kilos”?!?

    “haircuts”?!?

    Holy shit, whatever it takes huh? Love him though, the faithful lieutenant, will deliver his captain to the top step, and be right there beside him in Paris.

  25. Jens Voigt the very embodiment of Rule #5

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Froome
    2. Contador
    3. Rodriguez
    4. Van Garderen
    5. Quintana

  27. @piwakawaka

    This from Ritchie Porte:

    While the Tour has been drawing closer, it doesn’t really change the way we train. We haven’t done a massive taper after the Dauphiné. Five of us from the Tour team went to Châtel, so we had a little bit of recon and generally tried to keep healthy. With a few last minute adjustments, everyone tries to lose a couple of kilos and now everyone’s turned up with new haircuts which makes you instantly look leaner.

    “a couple of kilos”?!?

    “haircuts”?!?

    Holy shit, whatever it takes huh? Love him though, the faithful lieutenant, will deliver his captain to the top step, and be right there beside him in Paris.

    Either that or he will be upside down in a ditch with broken bones (from the lack of a couple of kilos of cushioning) with his hair in a mess on the descent off L’Alpe D’Huez!

  30. VSP PICKS:

    1. Chris Froome
    2. Alberto Contador
    3. Alejandro Valverde
    4. Richie Porte
    5. Ryder Hesjedal

  31. VSP PICKS:

    1. Chris Froome
    2. Alberto Contador
    3. Jurgen Van Den Broeck
    4. TJ van Garderen
    5. Alejandro Valverde

  32. @Deakus

    @Deakus

    @V-inden

    I really wanted to be bold and make interesting, left-field picks….but in the end I can’t get past the recent form of Port, the second coming of Evans and the possibility that Clenbutador has resumed his traditional pre-tour carnivorous diet.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Christopher Froome
    2. Richie Port
    3. Alberto Contador
    4. Cadel Evans
    5. Joaquim Rodriguez

    You could have forecast that Marianne Vos would replace the remaining Schleck and win outright on a Raleigh Chopper for the spotty Trek team?

    Now THAT is left-field! Although Vos is less likely to suffer  a schlecknical on account of her not riding with a schleckchute…

  33. @V-inden

    @Deakus

    @Deakus

    @V-inden

    I really wanted to be bold and make interesting, left-field picks….but in the end I can’t get past the recent form of Port, the second coming of Evans and the possibility that Clenbutador has resumed his traditional pre-tour carnivorous diet.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Christopher Froome
    2. Richie Port
    3. Alberto Contador
    4. Cadel Evans
    5. Joaquim Rodriguez

    You could have forecast that Marianne Vos would replace the remaining Schleck and win outright on a Raleigh Chopper for the spotty Trek team?

    Now THAT is left-field! Although Vos is less likely to suffer a schlecknical on account of her not riding with a schleckchute…

    I thought that was the remains of the hip he broke last year, it was the explanation for his struggling to find form again, he even seems to have stopped whingeing which definately tells me he is out of sorts.

  34. My personal suitcase of courage is only a carry on but I feel my line up will be pushing the pedals in anger and releasing cats into pigeon coops.  Very grippy indeed.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Froome
    2. Teejay
    3. Porte
    4. Contador
    5. Rodriguez

  35. Long shots. Here’s to Cuddles’ recovery and Hesjedal having a better tour than most will be expecting.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Froome
    2. Contador
    3. Evans
    4. Porte
    5. Hesjedal

  36. @brett Ha! Was tempted to pick Schleck for a laugh but now you’re giving stuff away..Course Now that I’ve said that he’ll get on the good drugs and win.

    What did the keepers decide in the event of ‘winners’ being busted and stripped of titles? No-one really cared when it was steak knives, but now there’s wheels, frames et al on the line the stakes have changed somewhat? PITI principal?

  37. Tactics. Wear yellow for at least one day, then disappear…

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Leo Saygan
    2. The Dish
    3. Gorilla Gripper
    4. Hello Kittel
    5. I’ll never Feillu

  39. @Deakus

    @V-inden

    @Deakus

    @Deakus

    @V-inden

    I really wanted to be bold and make interesting, left-field picks….but in the end I can’t get past the recent form of Port, the second coming of Evans and the possibility that Clenbutador has resumed his traditional pre-tour carnivorous diet.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Christopher Froome
    2. Richie Port
    3. Alberto Contador
    4. Cadel Evans
    5. Joaquim Rodriguez

    You could have forecast that Marianne Vos would replace the remaining Schleck and win outright on a Raleigh Chopper for the spotty Trek team?

    Now THAT is left-field! Although Vos is less likely to suffer a schlecknical on account of her not riding with a schleckchute…

    I thought that was the remains of the hip he broke last year, it was the explanation for his struggling to find form again, he even seems to have stopped whingeing which definately tells me he is out of sorts.

    Or has he had his banned brother surgically implanted a la Total Recall? Now they’ll always be together.

  45. @Chris

    @Deakus

    @V-inden

    @Deakus

    @Deakus

    @V-inden

    I really wanted to be bold and make interesting, left-field picks….but in the end I can’t get past the recent form of Port, the second coming of Evans and the possibility that Clenbutador has resumed his traditional pre-tour carnivorous diet.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Christopher Froome
    2. Richie Port
    3. Alberto Contador
    4. Cadel Evans
    5. Joaquim Rodriguez

    You could have forecast that Marianne Vos would replace the remaining Schleck and win outright on a Raleigh Chopper for the spotty Trek team?

    Now THAT is left-field! Although Vos is less likely to suffer a schlecknical on account of her not riding with a schleckchute…

    I thought that was the remains of the hip he broke last year, it was the explanation for his struggling to find form again, he even seems to have stopped whingeing which definately tells me he is out of sorts.

    Or has he had his banned brother surgically implanted a la Total Recall? Now they’ll always be together.

    Perhaps that’s why Faboo is staying away – he copped a eyeful of it in the team bus one time and hasn’t fully recovered.

  46. VSP PICKS:

    1. Chris Froome
    2. Alberto Contador
    3. Richie Porte
    4. Thomas De Gendt
    5. Andrew Talansky

  47. VSP PICKS:

    1. Froome
    2. Contador
    3. Porte
    4. van Garderen
    5. Van Den Broeck

  48. Going out on a limb, everyone picking Froome this is my only chance.  J-Rod has been in a super secret soviet training lab for the last 3 months

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Rodriguez
    2. Froome
    3. Contador
    4. Valverde
    5. Evans

  49. VSP PICKS:

    1. Froome
    2. Porte
    3. Contador
    4. Joaquin Rodriguez
    5. Quintana

  50. @minion

    What did the keepers decide in the event of ‘winners’ being busted and stripped of titles? No-one really cared when it was steak knives, but now there’s wheels, frames et al on the line the stakes have changed somewhat? Piti principal?

    This is a great question, and of course we’ll take this as it comes and make more realistic judgements should there be positive tests.

    In principle, however, the VSP is based on picking which riders will finish in what place, based on the information we have available prior to the race’s start. In that spirit, having someone test positive a few weeks or months after the Tour does not effect the spirit of our particular competition and we would therefor not change our results, despite the considerably higher stakes. In a way, winning a prize after the event is over would be akin to Schleck getting his yellow jersey a year later, stuffy sleeves and all. No one wants that.

    We may still issue a penalty-free swap should someone test positive during the race, though we again will reserve that decision until we see the circumstances of the specific incident.

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