Which bold rider has this stage circled in their tour bible? Wednesday July 18th, Stage 16, 197 km. The day after a the final rest day. A climbing day with two HC climbs followed by two Category 1 climbs and a serious descent toward the finish. The Aubisque, Tourmalet, Aspin and Peyresourde: you better be a fearless climber and a good descender, but a better climber. This is not a stage for Sagan or Fränkie Schleck (sorry Frank). If Wiggo was going to have a bad day, this would be a special one to have it on. And this follows a rest day? Could the weather finally make a difference? Will the mad tacker return? Will climbers just try to survive this stage to perform on the fearsome Stage 17? More questions than answers in the Velominati Super-Bunker.
All VSP bettors better give an extra shake of the monkey bones before casting them down. Study them well. There is much at stake: Fizik R3s for the winner, 2 pair of DeFeet socks for first loser. The rules are the same as for the first single stage VSP. Points are awarded for correct place only. Delgado might have enjoyed this stage but don’t be like him.
I know as well as any of you that I've been checked out lately, kind…
Peter Sagan has undergone quite the transformation over the years; starting as a brash and…
The Women's road race has to be my favorite one-day road race after Paris-Roubaix and…
Holy fuckballs. I've never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I've missed…
This week we are currently in is the most boring week of the year. After…
I have memories of my life before Cycling, but as the years wear slowly on…
View Comments
I have relied on the French apothecary, Nostradamus' book Les Propheties (appeared 1555) to predict the outcomes of cycle racing (stage 16). Nostradamus was keen on foretelling of the nobility of Eddy Merckx -- and road race cycling. He was obsessed with becoming an esthete of the "pro" etiquette. He also sketched many early race framesets.
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibbles
2. Cuddles
3. JVDB
4. Rolland
5. The Froome Dog
VSP PICKS:
1. T-shirt van Garderen
2. Rolland down the river
3. Pinot Noir
4. Froome to move
5. Cuddles
VSP PICKS:
1. JVDB
2. Nibbles
3. Froome
4. Evans
5. Wiggens
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Evans
3. JVDB
4. TJVG
5. Turbo Pinot
VSP PICKS:
1. Rolland
2. Nibali
3. Froome
4. Voeckler
5. Wiggine
Oooh boy, I needed that rest day today to get something done during the morning; tomorrow will be back to a massive deduction in my work levels. Darnit, I need to move to Europe and take advantage of those lengthy summer vacations. Or just worm my way into a professorship already!
VSP PICKS:
1. Rolland
2. Nibali
3. Evans
4. Wiggins
5. Froome
VSP PICKS:
1. Froome
2. Pinot
3. Rolland
4. Sanchez
5. Kessiakoff
VSP PICKS:
1. Horner
2. Nibali
3. Evans
4. Pinot
5. Froome
VSP PICKS:
1. P. Rolland
2. A. Valverde
3. E. Martinez
4. LL Cool
5. CA Sorensen