It’s right around this time of year when the little voice in my head that spurs me on in cold, wet, Rule #9 conditions starts getting overpowered by all my other personalities who at this stage are gathering stones and crowbars and getting ready to enforce their will on him regarding their preference for riding in nice, warm, sunny conditions. I feel bad for the little guy, too, since he helps me a lot in a climate like the Pacific Northwest; but truth be told, my fingers still haven’t regained their feeling from last week’s ride and I admit it would be nice to arrive home after a ride triumphant and warm instead of frozen and soaked like a wet rat.
It appears I’m not the only one ready for some warmer weather, and Paris-Nice traditionally holds a place of honor as “The Race to the Sun” for its timing is such that the race often starts in the French interior with rain (and possibly snow), and arrives on the sunny Cote d’Azur in Nice in balmy conditions.
With that we start our first stage race of the season, along with an opportunity to expose more bugs and logical faults in the VSP software. But never mind that; the same basic rules apply as do with one-day races, expect the stakes are a bit higher with 10 points for first place, 8 for second, 7 for third, 5 for fourth, and 3 for fifth plus two bonus points per rider in the top five regardless of the rider’s placing. Should the race be exciting enough to merit its inclusion, The Keepers may elect to include a bonus round on the VSP for one of the stages along the way. Watch this space for news in that arena.
Check the start list and watch the countdown timer as picks close at 5am Pacific on Sunday; up for grabs is the personalized Velominati Shop Apron to the contestent who wins the season-long competition. Check the Main VSP page for scoring guidelines and rules. Seeing as this is the first stage race, I strongly encourage you to enter your picks early, knowing that you can make changes all the way up until the VSP closes. If you notice something behaving strangely, please let us know and we’ll have time to resolve the issue.
Good luck.
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@frank
Yes, perfecto !!
@RedRanger
Is he the ultimate brick layer of the V? Average speed of 52.64kph over 9.3km. When he is at the front of a group (aka his past monument wins and this year's Strade Bianche), he'll ride the wheels off anyone, bar none. As the old CN quote a friend forwarded goes:
"Yet it's still hard to be critical of a rider who was essentially riding as a one-man team. The CN staff joked about letting him ride the TTT at this year's Tour de France by himself this July. We stopped laughing once we realised he could actually win." - Cyclingnews after Cancellara's 2011 2nd and 3rd placings at Paris-Roubaix and Tour of Flanders respectively.
@frank
Or maybe just EP-Bo Burger?
@Tartan1749
If Tomeke or anyone gives him a bike length, it's game over (although I am still upset over the 2010 P-R where Sparty made his move while Tomeke was at the back and then no one, NO ONE, was willing to work with Boonen to try to bring him back. They all stated that they were riding for second. Still say that was the biggest nancy moment of the year).
@Buck Rogers
EP-Bo
Was it just me or did Kreuziger look really bad on his bike? I mean, he just couldn't sit still in the saddle.
Reminds me of the other time I saw that, which was ALSO Astana: Contador on the 2010 TDF.
A short research brought me to this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sYUfzHzYaU
Is this bullshit or has Kreuziger lost his touch?
Quite simply put: Before 2008 Kreuziger was great in Time Trials. That video is from halfway 2010. Kreuziger is mentioned as one of the cyclists who adapted this style. This style sucks when you need to ride a Time Trial.
Or does someone know a reason why this should be a better style?