Velominati Super Prestige: Paris-Nice 2012
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.
@Tartan1749
I believe the helmet concept is the same as what is being applied to a lot of tubes and others – it has a technical name which I can’t recall.
Basically the original idea of the aero helmets and tubes is that they’re shaped like aircraft wings to taper to a point.
The newer theory is that the aero effect is more to do with the front not the back – you get nearly the same effect if you just cut off the back and the weight saved more than compensates.
@Ron
Oh yeah, you know Tyler Phinney? i was a big fan of his dad Darvis back in the 80’s. He was one of my favorite american racers along with Craig Lemond and Randy Hampsten!
Haha.. I stand corrected… left off a very important “a”. Surprised it doesn’t happen more when I post from my iphone.
Couldn’t agree more about Boonen, he’s looking about the best he’s been this early in the season in a few years.
What is up with the Sky helmet covers? Aero or weather? Looks like what Cav had at Worlds, and not very bad looking.
Side note: Astana really stands out with their light/bright warmers vs. all the black.
@Ron
Just saying, I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, Boom Boom Boonen and his favourite lead out man, Gert Steegmans are back together … Steegmans spent a year or 2 with Katyusha, while Boonen went off the boil, and now he’s returned, Boonen’s back to being a monster. Sue me if I’m wrong.
@DerHoggz
I read that the helmet cover Cav used at the Worlds has been banned or is likely to be.
The UCI has said something like “helmets can’t have added on bits like a cover that makes them more aero”. So I reckon these are not covers, the helmets come like that and yes it’s all about aerodynamics. The Sky modus operandi is to use any possible tech advantage, no matter how small the effect.
@mouse
There have been some adverts in some of the British cycling press for the same thing. The wording of the ads suggests that it is a perfectly legal for of EPO (I don’t have it to hand at the moment). The fact that the ad is appearing at all in the the press also suggests that it is legitimate but I can’t help feeling it’s a bit suspect.
That said it could be just the thing I need to avoid being shat out the back on the keepers tour.
Evening Primrose Oil, perhaps?
@Oli
+1 nice one @Oli
@DerHoggz
There’s my two boys, Twiggo and Giant Tomato on the front, fucking nailing it – g’wan ma saans!!
Well folks, it’s official. Schleck Jnr has a sick note from his Mum and has been excused from Paris-Nice.
Taxi for Schleck!
@Fausto
You are joking……
Bit early in the season for 2012 Anti-V submissions, no?
I signed up to the Eurosport stream for £3.99 a month, I figured if Sean Kelly has the ability to crash this site on a whim I want to know when it’s gonna happen. It also means I might not go to work today, which will delay my ability to put a deposit on the Look 586 in the LBS.
BTW the stream is great and I can just about understand what Mr Kelly is saying, which is an improvement on the guys over on Sporza.
@Dr C
Sprained his neck.
@Dr C
If only I was. Apparently he did up-chuck on the bus on the way in this morning according to the P-N news feed. Bless.
I seem to remember Cav posting comments about throwing up during Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne – didn’t seem to slow him down much though.
L’equipe article on Andy here.
@King Clydesdale
You don’t need to be able to read french to pick up on the whining in that. I like the way that L’equipe follows up on the general lack of Rule V by pointing out that he was at the back and doing shit.
Do you think he really is ill or his domestiques said “Andy, give it up mate, you’re too much hard work?”
A note from his Mum. Nice.
I’m not the greatest Andy Schleck fan but he sure cops more than his fair share of vitriol around here. He’s still young, still learning. Obviously he’s a serious talent but self doubt can be crippling. He seems to have a serious case of the yips with his TT since TdF 2011. Check his records – although he lost the MJ on that ride it was comparable to his best Tour TT result. He just got beaten. In 2010 he lost 4 minutes to AC in the final TT. It can take years for talented guys to work out a way to win. He will.
Re: Der Hoggz photo/graphic. Although Andy’s bars are lower (both seem to have a similar saddle to bar drop) the difference seems to be attitude. Wiggo is really attacking the course, Andy has a death grip, hoping he doesn’t mess up.
@harminator
Don’t get me wrong, I quite like him and think he’ll come good. it’s the fact that he can be so good that gets peoples backs up when he isn’t.
@Chris
Yep. We want to like him but he needs to give us a bit more to work with….
@harminator
Speaking as one who doesn’t particularly want to like them/him, I’m very happy with what they’re giving us…
One of the big factors that changed me from neutral to dislike is that they chose to be ornamental features in a vanity team. Not only does that suck but it rarely works… they are reaping what they hath sown.
Uh Oh. Look who’s trying to do a Michael Jordan:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cipollini-wants-to-ride-giro-ditalia-as-lead-out-man-for-guardini
Think he still has it?
Wiggins just threw his yellow Gilet to the side of the road, a nice souvenir for someone!
How is TeeJay doing?
@RedRanger
They just looked at him I think, he’s out the back not looking good.
3km to go.
1 Valverde
2 Gerrans
Wow Gerrans came out of nowhere, if he was better positioned he would have had that no problem…
Meersman in 3rd
No-one got any time on Wiggins.
Sanchez in 4th or 5th
@RedRanger
He finished with the pack, still in 3rd.
I gonna end up with a goose who this round. I knew I had some off the wall picks though.
@Chris
Its just a BS add I think, everybody has EPO naturally. It probably just claims to boost your own EPO using some some herbal crap. It probably wouldnt work anyway. Not that I am going to try !
@RedRanger
@snoov
Tejay is 3rd in GC, 0:11 back
@snoov
was G in the sprint finishing group?
@King Clydesdale
The helicopter shot of him coming up was pretty amazing.
New Overall:
1. Wiggins
2. Leipheimer @ 6″
3. Van Garderen @ 11″
4. Chavanel @ 14″
5. Monfort @ 18″
6. Valverde @ 20″ (thanks to 10 second bonus for stage win)
7. Westra @ 22″
8. Rojas @ 29″
9. Spilak @ 36″
10. Kiserlovski @36″
Porte, Kloden, Martin, and Basso all lost time, among others…
@RedRanger
Sorry it might not have been TJ, as the King says, he’s still 11 seconds behind Wiggins. Boonen has lost time though.
I thought once they said or showed Tyler Phinney being dropped…
@snoov
It was another BMC rider, Phinney.
@snoov
Wait, you mean Kelly’s speaking English, not Dutch? (and as a Scot who gets the piss taken for my accent, I can say this!)
@wiscot
As a fellow Scot I understand you perfectly.
You mean Flemish though don’t you!
@Lepidopterist
It does say something about being natural, fuck that, synthetic is always the way to go. I’ve cobbled together some bits from a kid’s chemistry set and my old homebrew gear. As they say on Top Gear “How hard can it be?”
@harminator
Sorry, I don;’t buy the “he’s young and learning” line. Here’s his palmares for five seasons as a professional: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Schleck
By year five of a pro career, you’re a seasoned pro, not someone still learning his craft. Despite flashes of brilliance, he needs to get it together consistently IMHO.
In contrast, in FOUR seasons, Bernard Hinault won two Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Ghent-Wevelgem, two GP des Nations, two Tours de France, two Dauphine-Libere, one Vuelta and one world championship.
Maybe an unfair comparison, but Andy needs to unleash the talent he undoubtedly has, instead of looking over his shoulder to see if Frank’s there.
Is anyone else shocked to see that le Grimpette was the Luxembourg National TT champion? Can’t have been any competition.
@snoov
I wish they wouldn’t even compete in those competition.
I’m so over the Schleckwagen. He’s skinny so he goes uphill fast. No shit? All skinny people go uphill fast. But does he have “talent”? He can’t shift, he can’t descend, he can’t TT, he can’t beat Gilbert when it’s two against one, he sucks. But of course he gets paid to ride his bike and he gets flown all over the world to do so and I don’t so I guess in reality I suck.
@Cyclops
His shoulders are also very narrow which in my opinion reduces his ability to look fantastic.
@LA Dave
I really was confused, Dave. Wasn’t just fuckin’ with ya so glad you took it in stride & made a joke out of it – woah, Craig LeMan & Randy Hampsten? Those sound awesome. Nice work!
@snoov
Aye, Flemish, that’s whit ah meant tae say, no Dutch. My mishtake (as Sir Sean might say . . . .)
@Cyclops
Me too. I’m coming to terms with the fact that my real cycling season takes a hiatus at the end of April, and resumes in the fall. That’s when the real riders play. Or at least the ones I tend to admire more…
@xyxax
Ha! Nipple Lube!
@Chris
Too right. What could go wrong ? Another good idea is storing your own blood in your fridge, thats so got to be worth a try……oh wait a minute.