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

ash says:

Jul 23 2011 at 8:05 am

get ur umbrella's ready.. there will be tears at the presentation! :D

Go Son!!
Blah says:

Jul 23 2011 at 8:05 am

@scaler911
Hehehe. Nice.
Erik says:

Jul 23 2011 at 8:05 am

Well, they TT better than Rasmussen.
JPA says:

Jul 23 2011 at 8:06 am

Cuddles is just kickin ass! If you lose the Tour 2years in a row on the TT, do you think there's something you might want to work on?
marko says:

Jul 23 2011 at 8:06 am

We may not have seen a ton of panache from Cuddles but we've seen a fuckton of grinta and that's what wins stage races.
ash says:

Jul 23 2011 at 8:06 am

@frank

You know what the problem is with the Schlecks? No V in their names. Cadelephant has a V in his name. Nuff said.

+1
Collin says:

Jul 23 2011 at 8:07 am

I think there is some type of strange quantum entanglement between the Swivelnecks. Their time gaps are the same. They both can't ride their bikes downhill. They both swivel. They might be the same rider in some highly unlikely way.
LA Dave says:

Jul 23 2011 at 8:07 am

Great ride for Voeckler again!
Blah says:

Jul 23 2011 at 8:08 am

@Erik

Well, they TT better than Rasmussen.

That one TdF TT is worth watching with the Benny Hill theme music playing. Good fun, if not good clean fun.
il ciclista medio says:

Jul 23 2011 at 8:08 am

Fucking legend