Velominati Super Prestige: Tour de France 2014
Attention all Velominati. The Tour VSP is going on line and it should be a good one. Sure, between Froomy and Bertie a person could hedge their bets but Moviestar is all in for Valverde, BMC for TeeJay, Astana for the Shark and Garmin is finally committing to a team leader in Talansky. Some other teams (ahem…Trek Factory Racing for one) have resigned themselves to hunting stage wins. The Tour swings through the Yorkshire Dales, everyone but the riders can enjoy some excellent ales. As the Tour continues to Lille, Norther France and Belgium, the quality pints continue. Yes, it’s hot and the VSP generator has beer on its mind.
The route, the sprints, the climbing and even the final time trial should make this a decent Tour. Here is a start list. Everyone will have a vial in their jersey pocket, but don’t worry, it’s legal.
It is still not too late to win the overall 2014 VSP and we have made it worth your while.
- First place overall wins a Veloforma Strada iR Velominati Edition frame in addition to the customary VSP winner’s VVorkshop Apron
- Second place overall wins a set of hand built CR Wheelworks Arenberg wheelset in a custom Velominati paint scheme laced to orange Chris King hubs. (CR Wheelworks is Café Roubaix’s new wheel goods brand.)
- Third place overall wins a full Velominati V-Kit with accompanying custom orange Bont Vaypor+ road shoes.
Refer to the VSP page for details concerning scoring and rest day swaps. If you want to call yourself Pedro Delgado, you will only have yourself to blame. The VSP banner on the homepage has the countdown clock, refresh your browser and don’t be late. Good luck and good picking.
[vsp_results id=”30275″/]
Wow, what a Tour so far, and we haven’t even reached the first rest day.
Overshadowed by Contador’s fate today:
How fucking awesome is Tony Martin? He crushes yesterday’s stage for the win, and comes right back the next day to bury himself for Kwiatkowski…in the fucking mountains.
Holy Merckx! What a stage. Lots of VSP changes tomorrow I imagine. Tony Martin? Stud – won the stage yesterday then when he swung over today he was pedalling big squares. Nibbles? Stud. Scarponi? Stud. Contador? That frame is being taken to a very secure location to be carefully analyzed. Gallopin? Stud – gave 110% to keep the jersey but did it proud.
Still plenty to be sorted out but I think Proudhomme is looking at the Voges for future editions and maybe some cobbles too. Truly the most exciting first week in years!
Tony Martin made a strong case for the Rule V award this year, holy fuckballs.
Massive bummer about Contador, but Nibbles put on a show and a half.
From the Twitters, Cuntador was trying to pass Van den Broeck on the descent, hit a pothole and went over the handlebars… fractured tibia. And a DS says the bikes on the Tinkoff-Saxo team car got tangled with those on Belkin’s team car on the way to the crash site somehow.
CAMPAGNOLO Vince
Gutted for Contador, but new found respect for Scarponi after he cartwheeled over that haybale, dusted himself off, caught back on, then drove the pace for his team leader, Nibali, to set up the attack. That’s a V ride!
@unversio
Imagine looking back under your arm and seeing that. I would literally shit my chammy.
@wiscot
He was begging for money for a new iPhone after his last one was confiscated by Prudhomme. I think it may be Ms Cound, yes. They say her modelling career has gone off the rails. We now know why.
@Teocalli
They already do that. All bikes are randomly weighed, including spares. That’s why Faustino Muñoz – and by now, I guess, every team leader’s mechanic – carried around spreadsheets with the number of links of chain and grams of weight on every one of Contador’s bikes.
Screw this. It’s just going to come down to the fastest domestique.
@andrew
And this from Nibali:
@tessar
The sarcastic bit didn’t come over. I was referring to last year when they announced a weight check and mysteriously a few of the climbers changed bikes just before the finish.
@andrew
I heard Van Den Broeck was singing his name to the tune of Thunderstruck as he rode off into the mist “Jur’gen… VAN DEN BROEK!”
I want one of Tony Martin’s Panzerwagen caps! That has just set a new standard that relegated all ballcaps to the bin. C’mon Nibbles, you know you need to wear a real cap.
Gutted for Bertie and the rest of our viewing pleasure. Can Richie take the fight to Nibbles? I hope so and want him to do well, but it’s almost impossible for an Aussie to cheer for Sky. It’s like an Aussie is captain of the English cricket team, you’re pleased for him but still want to see the team beaten, very conflicting. And who would deny Nibbles his place in the sun, races are always a bit more animated when he shows up.
I’m basically pissing in the wind here…
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Thibaut Pinot
2. Vince Nibbles
3. Richard Porte
4. DJ Van Garden
5. Kwiatkowski
Am in the middle of sodding nowhere so this update may be harder than an actual stage in the TdF
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Froomey
2. C*ntador
3. Nibbles
4. Malmerde
5. Talansky
With Contador out, I think Costa and Horner will work together for 4th and 5th respectively. I don’t see them overtaking the BMC sqauad though
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibali
2. Porte
3. Van Gaarderen
4. Rui Costa
5. Horner
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibali
2. Porte
3. Van Gaarderen
4. Rui Costa
5. Horner
Might as well make big changes, the cost is high, but when your #1 & 2 are finished, what are you going to do?
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Vincenzo Nibali
2. Alejandro Valverde
3. Ritchie Porte
4. Tejay Van Garderen
5. Rui Costa
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibali
2. Porte
3. Valverde
4. Pinot
5. Rodriguez
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. nibali
2. porte
3. Jurgen Van Den Broeck
4. Tejay van Garderen
5. Romain Bardet
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibali
2. Porte
3. Valverde
4. Pinot
5. Talansky
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibali
2. Valverde
3. Nibali
4. Froome
5. Costa
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Porte
2. Nibali
3. Talansky
4. Bardet
5. Valverde
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Van Garderen
2. Valverde
3. Nibali
4. Froome
5. Costa
Screwed the first one up
I’m happy the site is back up and running to get these swaps in although now likely to finish with a negative score.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Vincenzo Nibali
2. Richie Porte
3. Alejandro Valverde
4. Juergen Van Den Broeck
5. Andrew Talansky
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibali
2. Froome
3. Valverde
4. Pinot
5. Mollema
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. NIBALI Vincenzo
2. GALLOPIN Tony
3. PORTE Richie
4. VALVERDE Alejandro
5. VAN DEN BROECK Jurgen
massacre of a picking…
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibali
2. Valverde
3. van Garderen
4. Porte
5. Costa
Revised for the rest day.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Vincenzo Nibali
2. Richie Porte
3. Alejandro Valverde
4. Bauke Mollema
5. Tejay Van Garderen
Might as well. Nibali goes from 3rd to 1st, Froome is out, Porte slides in to 3rd because I assume we can’t leave a spot blank. 2nd-5th are still wide open, so no real sense in taking the penalty to swap out Contador for a crap shot at this point.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibali
2. Contador
3. Porte
4. Valverde
5. Talansky
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibbles
2. Richie Porte
3. Valverde
4. Rui costa
5. Mollema
Couple swaps, lord knows who will be left by the next rest day !
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Porte
2. Bardet
3. Nibali
4. Kwiatkowski
5. Mollema
@the Engine nice picks for Stage 1
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Vincenzo Nibali
2. Richie Porte
3. Andrew Talansky
4. Alejandro VALVERDE
5. Rui Costa
I got to say that Fab Candelabra has really gone down in this minions opinion, his anti-cobbles rant and now quitting the tour for Septembers’ worlds, wtf, if he knew he was going to need a 2 month rest he should have stayed home and let someone else have a spot.
Great race so far
Fuckity fuck fuck…
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. vincenzo nibali
2. Richie Porte
3. Alejandro Valverde
4. T Van Garderen
5. Thibaut Pinot
Fortunately, I was always rooting against Froome. Unfortunately, my picks still suck.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Valmerde
2. Rui Costa
3. Porte
4. Nibbles
5. Mollema
.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. nibali
2. porte
3. valverde
4. mollema
5. talansky
Roll of the dice-here we go
\m/ >< \m/
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibali
2. Porte
3. Valverde
4. Kwiatkowski
5. Talansky
Holy. Fucking. Shit. What a first half to the tour, just unbelieveable. My VSP picks may be in tatters, but frankly I don’t care as it’s been great to watch, and I’m developing a serious man-crush on Tony Martin; fantastic solo win, so much burning and turning himself inside out on many stages and then when he finally went pop yesterday he fell apart like a clown car to show us mere mortals that even the boys at the top can still go up hills pedalling squares like it’s the back end of your first sportive. Beautiful. My new picks are a lottery, but frankly it doesn’t seem to matter this year!
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibbles
2. Porte
3. TJ Hooker
4. Rui Costa
5. Piti
Hey you’re back! I hope………..
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. nibbles
2. porte
3. valverde
4. talansky
5. da costa
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibali
2. Porte
3. Valverde
4. Van den Broeck
5. Teejay Van Garderen
@strathlubnaig
This. I’m really looking forward to Tony Martin kicking the crap out of him at the Worlds.
Rest day
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibali, Vincenzo
2. Porte, Richie
3. Bardet, Romain
4. Valverde, Alejandro
5. Mollema, Bauke
I’m only going to do a single swap. It does look like Nibali will win it this year at this point though. I will admit I’m rooting for Chris Horner to get into the top 10 to help motivate old guys like me.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Porte
2. Van Garderen
3. Nibali
4. Valverde
5. Contador