Velominati Super Prestige: Tour de France 2014

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• OK, might as well chuck up a first provisional standing. @slideorama takes the lead and I'm shocked to see myself in the top ten. First time this year, I think!

  Provisional Race Results

  1. NIBALI Vincenzo

  2. SAGAN Peter

  3. ALBASINI Michael

  4. VAN AVERMAET Greg

  5. CONTADOR VELASCO Alberto

  Provisional VSP Standings

  1. slideorama (23 points)

  2. Two Ball Billy (23 points)

  3. Dave R (23 points)

  4. oldensteel (23 points)

  5. BaltoSteve (23 points)

  6. frank (20 points)

  7. Deakus (8 points)

  8. Lukas (8 points)

  9. norm (8 points)

  10. Bikemeister2000 (6 points)

  ...

  162. minion (0 points)

• @Chris

  @Mikael Liddy Er, no. It's a V-Orange Road ID.

  There isn't a specific rule on the subject but everyone should have one.

  I saw a keepers tour t shirt being worn by someone in the park and Harrogate but even I don't have enough brass neck to say, "who the fuck are you then" to someone I don't know. And you never know it might have been a try hard wanker who printed his own.

  lesson to self, say hi to complete strangers more often, don't tell your kids that though.

• @Chris

  @Mikael Liddy Er, no. It's a V-Orange Road ID.

  There isn't a specific rule on the subject but everyone should have one.

  I saw a keepers tour t shirt being worn by someone in the park and Harrogate but even I don't have enough brass neck to say, "who the fuck are you then" to someone I don't know. And you never know it might have been a try hard wanker who printed his own.

  lesson to self, say hi to complete strangers more often, don't tell your kids that though.

  @wiscot

  @Teocalli Sorry, my warped sense of humor didn't come across. The girl in the green dress was a commoner from Buckinghamshire who got lucky at St Andrew's Uni and married into a very wealthy and powerful (but highly disfunctional) family by the name of Windsor. Nowadays, Kate is more properly referred to as HRH the Duchess of Cambridge. Apparently, she has lost her sense of fun and doesn't care to come into close contact with the hoi polloi let alone give Euro-style kisses to Germans. Kind of ironic given the strong German heritage in her husband's family - well, that and the Greek stuff too. Fortunately, the professional podium girls are back on the job and HRH can go back to doing whatever she does . . . whatever that might be.

  Maybe the Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie should become podium girls - maybe for the spotty jumper - Merckx knows they are usually the worst outfits and B and E have no fashion sense so it would be a good fit.

  I think it detracts from the awesomeness of the riders when they have someone "famous" presenting them their prizes, did those fuckin leeches ride all those km did they fuck, hence only Sir Bernard of Hinault should be allowed to put the hallowed shirts on the winners, and then promptly fuck off out of the way so the current heroes get the kudos they deserve.

• @wiscot

  @Teocalli

  @wiscot

  @Teocalli Sorry, my warped sense of humor didn't come across. The girl in the green dress was a commoner from Buckinghamshire who got lucky at St Andrew's Uni and married into a very wealthy and powerful (but highly disfunctional) family by the name of Windsor. Nowadays, Kate is more properly referred to as HRH the Duchess of Cambridge. Apparently, she has lost her sense of fun and doesn't care to come into close contact with the hoi polloi let alone give Euro-style kisses to Germans. Kind of ironic given the strong German heritage in her husband's family - well, that and the Greek stuff too. Fortunately, the professional podium girls are back on the job and HRH can go back to doing whatever she does . . . whatever that might be.

  Maybe the Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie should become podium girls - maybe for the spotty jumper - Merckx knows they are usually the worst outfits and B and E have no fashion sense so it would be a good fit.

  ah! would have helped if I'd watched the end of the presentations to see it was not the normal set up! My comments still hold about us as what originate oop noorth. Taken VMH and myself near 10 years to get used to hugging our 'Merican friends when we go to Colorado in the winter.

  I hear you. Growing up in Scotland, hugging was not quite the done thing. After being in the States for almost 25 years, I'm a hugger! Hell, you can't beat 'em, just join in!

  What the fucks wrong with a nod of the head and a quick, "aye". What has the world come to, fuck I don't even shake hands unless there's no other option. Next thing you'll be saying you do a full on wave when you pass a fellow cyclist instead of said nod, or AT MOST, a single raised finger.

• This from Spartacus. Finally, someone says it right. I'm sick of the skinny boys complaining of stages like tomorrow. You think Fabs, Kittel and Greipel like the damn mountains? Take the rough with the smooth.

  "I hope nobody crashes and loses a chance of winning the Tour de France because of what happens on the pavé. But it's racing. Roubaix is Roubaix. We all know what it's like."

  "I've already been asked if I'll ask for the stage to be neutralised if it rains but this is different. I know that it's not a nice stage for Froome, Contador, Nibali and even our GC riders. But my reply is: so why not take out the climbs to make it easier for us? That never happens, so it's only right we race on the cobbles. It's a risk for everyone, including me, but we've got to live with it and calculate the risks involved."

• @Deakus Thanks and best of luck.

• @wiscot

  This from Spartacus. Finally, someone says it right. I'm sick of the skinny boys complaining of stages like tomorrow. You think Fabs, Kittel and Greipel like the damn mountains? Take the rough with the smooth.

  "I hope nobody crashes and loses a chance of winning the Tour de France because of what happens on the pavé. But it's racing. Roubaix is Roubaix. We all know what it's like."

  "I've already been asked if I'll ask for the stage to be neutralised if it rains but this is different. I know that it's not a nice stage for Froome, Contador, Nibali and even our GC riders. But my reply is: so why not take out the climbs to make it easier for us? That never happens, so it's only right we race on the cobbles. It's a risk for everyone, including me, but we've got to live with it and calculate the risks involved."

  Spot on. Faboo is damn right.

• @Floridian

  @LeoTea

  And Abandy has abandoned. Looks like he has a hurty knee from the fall caused by that absolute pillock with a camera standing in the road......

  Expected that as soon as I saw he had crashed yesterday. Remember years ago when his brother was telling us to wait and see how good Andy was going to be when he turned pro? And he was, for a little while. Now his brother is looking more resilient and may have a longer career. Andy may have gone the way of Beloki after that bad crash a while back.

  I kinda feel sorry for Andy. Let's face it, who is going to sign him next year? Fragile in both psyche and body. Doesn't finish much. Not a great domestique. Retirement at the end of the season?

• @Harminator Eloquent and enticing. Thanks for this. And, more please.

• @wiscot Love that, about time someone told them to stop whining and just get on with it.