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
@gaswepass
Perhaps he prefers to struggle and claw his way up?
@versio
He just lost his composure and was yelling and and freakin as I recall (the decompensation was a mid-stage live action event that just was not pretty- terribly unfortunate and very public). Wasn't pretty or very PRO looking. Now, easy to cast stones when being so far removed from such a dramatic incident (can't recall the last time I was in the lead of one of the most difficult competitions in the world), but leadership, class and composure are what they are and matter at those times more, not less.
Congrats for winning yourself a sweet pair of R3's, Daccordi Rider. The only peep to pick The Tongue. Just like the great breakaway rider he is, it's a big risk but the payoff is huge. Send me your sizing and shipping information and I'll contact our boy at fizik to get you hooked up. I highly recommend, and request, that you are sure of your size as making any exchanges is going to be difficult, time consuming, and costly at best as these babies will be coming from some old Italian cobbler's shop to your feet. Not that we couldn't exchange but it'll get you riding in their sweetness sooner if you dial your size in. Most people agree that they do run a half size large.
Same goes for you Bianchi Denti although I'm guessing your sock size is already hammered out so just email me your shipping info.
I hate to speak for frank, but DerHoggz, you'll need to contact the big guy yerself.
marko@velominati.com
Thanks everyone for playing and big congrats to our winners.
@Mikael Liddy
Shut up you stupid wanker, go toss a table.
Wait, who am I supposed to contact? Why?
Chapeau to Tommy V. Sure he may mug it up a bit but he's French and there's little likihood of them winning the GC anytime soon. At least he wins with panache, and for me that counts for a lot.
@frank
Loved it!
OK, I don't see anything obvious that makes me question the results. Marking these as final. Congrats to the podium!
[vsp_results id="20326"]
[/vsp_results]
@DerHoggz
About a V-Shirt size, which you won by taking third.
Congratulations to the winners. Daccordi Rider, those are definitely some sweet shoes.
Voeckler rode a very strong race. But, I have to say, I found the stage to be quite a let down. As I'm sure many others agree, I would really have liked to see some action in the GC standings produced by an attack from the likes of Nibali or Van den Broeck, as opposed to by Cadel falling off the pace as he did.