Categories: Velominati Super Prestige

Velominati Super Prestige: Le Tour de France, Stage 20

Reach for your recovery drink of choice, grab a little massage if you can, load up on carbs tonight, and get ready for the ultimate showdown for final Tour glory tomorrow to be contested in 41 kilometers contra la montre. I’m talking about the fans, not the riders, obviously. Because these last two days have nearly killed us.

This is anyone’s time trial. At 41km, it’s just long enough for Cadel to pull one out, and it’s just short and hilly enough for Andy to retain enough of his lead. Sure, Evans will certainly beat the Grimplette, but by how much? In last year’s final ITT, Andy almost pulled out the upset, until the wind kicked up and the youngster’s sit up and beg TT position had him more sail that sailor. It’s hilly enough to give the climbers a chance of staying in it, and the long descent to the finish will play to the fastmen against the clock.

Will his new Maillot Juane play Redbull to Andy and give him wings? Or will the scent of Yellow drag the Cadelamonster to his prize? Both Andy and Cadel know what it’s like to stand on the second step of the podium. Neither wants to stand there again. And both riders are different men than they were the last time it happened. Both have been hardened by the bitter taste of defeat that lingers long on the tongue.

I, for one, can hardly take it any more. Vive le Tour.

You know the drill, get your picks in by 5am Pacific tomorrow morning. Good luck.

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

Marcus says:

Jul 23 2011 at 2:57 am

@Leroy
Sorry - forgot to say thanks. You have amused me.

One other thing - all this talk of "racing style" is garbage. You race to win. You use your skills as best you can. If u wish for style (and subjective measures thereof) then maybe the new sport u are after could be diving, figure skating or gymnastics.

VSP PICKS:

1. Fabian
2. Tony martin
3. Cadel
4. Leipheimer
5. Contador
CJ says:

Jul 23 2011 at 3:19 am

VSP PICKS:

1. Millar
2. Cancellara
3. Martin
4. Evans
5. Boassen-Hagen
Leroy says:

Jul 23 2011 at 3:37 am

@Marcus
Seriously, internet badasses like you are a joke. Whatever you might think of my knowlege or opinions, that you would respond to any cycling fan by telling them to find a new sport makes you a world class douchebag... period, end of story. Dickneck fucks like you are the reason people think roadies are all elitist assholes. Although I do can see how someone who uses "u" and "you" interchangeably could be easily put off by talk of education so apologies for that at least.

It's clear at this point that you just want to be dick and this isn't at all about Cadel vs. Andy so rather than continuing to corrupt an excellent site with this thrilling banter... I'll tell you what, I'm in San Diego... we have gorgeous weather & women and even better roads. You get your sorry ass out here and we can settle this on the asphalt like some real men. My email is badbadleroybrowning@yahoo.com, get at me whenever you're ready to ante up. Until then, good luck with the whole drooling on yourself while trying to bite your own ear thing you fucking retard.
Alpin says:

Jul 23 2011 at 3:49 am

Pictures. No Words. Not a fan.

Grenoble, this morning.
Leroy says:

Jul 23 2011 at 3:51 am

@Oli

Leroy, your understanding of bike racing is matched only by your understanding of bike positioning, although both viewpoints are certainly enhanced by your robust debating style and impressive tangential reading comprehension. Obviously your Yale education is a classic example of the old adage "A little learning is a dangerous thing"...

I'm glad you brought that up again actually... Although I think you mean our rule 20 discussion... as I'll be the first to admit I know very litte beyond the basics in terms of bike fitting and would generally accept your, and a number of others, knowledge on that. On the rule 20 discussion though, I forwarded the text of the rule to the head of orthopaedic surgery at my brother's hospital in Florida, a surgeon for over 30 years who frequently works on athletes from the NFL & NBA among others, and he responded that the calves part wasn't accurate but that it was otherwise "fairly sound thinking and accurate in terms of the muscular engagement involved". He did go on to say he hadn't ridden a bike since he was a teenager and hadn't had to htfu since med school but I think the point remains the same. I wasn't going to bring up old shit just to say I'm right but, since you brought it up...
Oli says:

Jul 23 2011 at 3:59 am

Ah well, now that you've brought it up. I was chatting with Stephen Hawking the other day over coffee and just happened to drop our little debate into the old convo - after thinking about it for a nano-second he vocoded that I may not know my orthopaedics, but that my knowledge of the physics of bike positioning was entirely sound. He is drawing up a scientific paper as we speak to reiterate my point that moving forward on the saddle recruits the quads and moving back the glutes and hamstrings. I trust this puts your doubts to rest, my good man.

VSP PICKS:

1. Evans
2. Martin
3. Cancellara
4. Millar
Alpin says:

Jul 23 2011 at 4:03 am

Is anybody here in need of Free Fresh Beer and Friendly Police ? ))

the 2011 TDF is so successful here that all the stands, Buses and training camps are closed to the BIG general public..and as that wasn't the case with the DauphinÃ© i didn't bother to reclaim some accreditations, so..i'm pretty f*cked right now... nevertheless, i'll try now to ride to the mountains to get some live shots in the wild ... we'll see!
Ron says:

Jul 23 2011 at 4:10 am

VSP PICKS:

1. Cancellara
2. Martin
3. Evans
4. Millar
5. Leipheimer
Ron says:

Jul 23 2011 at 4:13 am

Alpin, awesome photos. So cool to see those! Thanks.

Someone needs to look at the pictures, smile, take a deep breath and enjoy the racing. Calm down, dude.
Blah says:

Jul 23 2011 at 4:33 am

@Ron

Alpin, awesome photos. So cool to see those! Thanks.
Someone needs to look at the pictures, smile, take a deep breath and enjoy the racing. Calm down, dude.

But... But... I have to win the Internet. I MUST win the Internet!