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″/]
Total crapshoot… almost don’t want to pick favorites since they seem to be dropping like flies.
I always feel a little dirty picking Piti. Like I’ve done something very very wrong, and am about to be punished.
I heard that the only reason Tony Martin cracked was that his eyeballs were so far out that he ran over them. I believe Jensy in looking for a successor in retirement has passed the baton on.
As for the rest of you lot…..VSP rest day changes? Meh! Would Jensy and Tony capitulate to this sort of shilly shallying…..No I say…No!
In fact the Mark Renshaw was telling a journo that when Tony Martin took a 30m lead yesterday, they were laughing and joking that he was going to win the stage again. I love that he dragged Kwiat so hard, he cracked pretty soon after he was dropped off to finish the job. All in all Nibbles does look a class above the rest of the field though…..I am just burning a virgin and smothering myself in Dumonde Tech in the vain hope that TeejaytheDJ can utilise his team and destroy Astana in the mountains….and not bloody fall off!!
rest day swaps.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibali
2. Froome
3. Valverde
4. Port
5. talansky
Crashes force changes. Now firmly the VSP Grupetto with a very good chance of not making the cut.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibali
2. Valverde
3. Porte
4. Mollema
5. van Garderen
Has the mobile site been down? Tried to get on multiple times in the last few days, with little luck.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibali
2. Porte
3. VanGarderen
4. Costa
5. Valverde
Gotta try and salvage something!
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibali
2. Valverde
3. Porte
4. van Garderen
5. Mollema
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Porte
2. Froome
3. Nibali
4. Valverde
5. Van Garderen
This Tour is mint – unlike my VSP choices…3 race day swaps FFS!?!
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibali
2. Porte
3. Valverde
4. Van den Broeck
5. Gallopin
Not sure the mains and desert can match that entrée. Although the Vuelta might be more interesting than usual.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. V. Nibali
2. R. Porte
3. A. Valverde
4. T. Van Garderen
5. B. Molema
Completely going for broke on this one I am truly screwed.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Richie Porte
2. Tejay Van Garderen
3. Vincenzo Nibali
4. Alejandro Valverde
5. Andrew Talansky
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibali
2. Contador
3. Porte
4. Valverde
5. Rui Costa
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibali
2. Valverde
3. Porte
4. Vangarderen
5. Talansky
After the carnage of the first week I was tempted to wait until the second rest day to see the fallout of another week racing, but here goes…
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Tejay van Garderen
2. Richard Porte
3. Michal Kwiatkowski
4. Vincenzo Nibali
5. Alejandro Valverde
When you have nothing to lose, risk everything.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. nibali
2. porte
3. thibout pinot
4. rui costa
5. valverde
I think anyone presuming the racing is simply going to settle down after the first 10 stages is bonkers. I see a sustained insanity to this edition.
I’d also be curious as to exactly how Bertie sheered his shoe/cleat. Did he break his cleat off in the pedal when he went over de bars? Did he grind it off on the road? Saw a photo of the thing and it’s scuffed on the sides, plus missing half his cleat. Seems pretty hard to grind that thing down that fast.
And stop fucking picking Talansky. He’s young. He’s crashed hard. He rode by a team bus looking for an apology and got none. Rookie mistake. You don’t ask for apologies, you demand them. Anything else is a waste of energy. Get on with your shower, massage, and Fanta.
@Ron Terrible…
25. Frank SCHLECK, Trek Factory Racing, at 11:51
26. Andrew TALANSKY, Garmin-Sharp, at 14:44
Oh Well. I guess the consolation is that every one else is doing the Rest Day Shuffle…
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibbles
2. Valverde
3. Porte
4. Van Garderen
5. Bardet
@unversio
Funny thing is, that’s a great result for Schleck and a terrible result for Talansky. Tells you everything you need to know about this tour.
Hmm… been having problems with the site lately, and not sure this worked the first time…
Rest day swaps. Froome and Bertie out, Piti and DJ Tejay in.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Vincenzo Nibali
2. Alejandro Valverde
3. Tejay van Garderen
4. Bauke Mollema
5. Andrew Talansky
I wish Pinot the best, but going downhill in your backyard hills is entirely different than the high Alps.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibali
2. Porte
3. Valverde
4. TeeJ
5. Pinot
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibali
2. Porte
3. Talansky
4. Valverde
5. Kwiatkowski
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. V. Nibali
2. R. Porte
3. J. Van den Broeck
4. A. Valverde
5. R. Bardet
Merckx, I hope I haven’t just jinxed Nibbles.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibali
2. Froome
3. Valverde
4. Porte
5. Roland
@Minnesota Expat
You just said a mouthful. Talansky is a tough bastard and that will help him as the race goes on. Schleck just lost Cancellara, the only guy who was helping him and the only guy who refuses to give him a Luxembourg Wedgie back at the hotel, after dinner, because Frandy is a weak pussy.
And wee Ritchie Porte is heading for 2nd place over all. Good for him.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibali
2. Porte
3. Valverde
4. van Garderen
5. Mollema
Holy fack…I want to know more about the execution of a Luxembourg Wedgie!
Do you need a soigneur or rouleur to help you execute this, or is it a one man job!
@Ron
It’s always better if a soigneur helps, strong hands and all. It’s a team building exercise.
@Mike_P
True that. Merckx knows I love the Sparty, but Tony Panzerwagen will be top step at the worlds no matter how much Fabs and Wiggo rest up. Tony’s the wee boy!
@sthilzy
You do know Froome’s out, oui?
@Ccos
No, but picking Froome just jinxed you! He’s away hame tae his mammy, remember?
Almost as much carnage in the VSP as the actual race! Hate to put Valmerde in there but the bastard just won’t fuck off and die. Ol’ man Horner will grind away to 5th. TJ will redeem himself. Porte will try, try and try again to beat Nibbles, but there will be no Sky three-peat. Nibbles, barring accidents, will ride triumphant up the Champs. Tony Panzerwagen will win the TT and Mar-gel Kittel will win the final stage. A couple more stages for the Frenchies. Me? I’ll continue posting pish so no change there.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibali
2. Porte
3. Van Garderen
4. Valverde
5. Horner
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
@wiscot
If Fabs defense, I don’t think we even wanted to ride the Tour to begin with. It’s not like he took another person’s spot on the team either if fucking Abandy was given a spot. They would have tapped someone from Axel’s farm team to come up.
The PanzerWagon is so cool. I want to read an interview with the poor Cannondale guy who got worked so badly trying to ride with Tony in the two man break, that was beautiful TV.
Trying again – curse this newfangled technology!
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibali
2. Porte
3. Valverde
4. van Garderen
5. van den Broeck
Loving seeing the French with some genuine chances up there, while I wouldn’t normally wish harm on any cyclist…there’ll be no tears if Malmerde befalls the contender’s curse.
Also seriously unhappy with Faboo’s effort, if you toe up to the start line at a GT, you stay there til you physically cannot.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Neeeeeeebali
2. Lonely Roomie
3. Brigitte Bardet
4. The Rainbow Goat
5. Talansky
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nonaligned
2. Froome
3. Nibali
4. Horner
5. Talansky
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nonaligned
2. Valve red
3. Nibali
4. Horner
5. Talansky
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Contador
2. Porte
3. Nibali
4. Valverde
5. Van Garderen
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Invalid
2. Valve red
3. Porte
4. Horner
5. Talansky
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibali
2. Valverde
3. Porte
4. Horner
5. Van garderen
The site seems to be running again. Gianni must’ve been dispatched to pour beer into it again. Good work!
May this be the end of the carnage
What a great tour so far, the chalks have scratched and it is time to hit the mountains. Cheers
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibale
2. Valverde
3. Van Garderen
4. Van Den Broeck
5. Costa
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibali
2. Valverde
3. Rui Costa
4. Talansky
5. Mollema
Rest day swap of TJ for AC.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibali
2. Van Garderen
3. Valverde
4. van den Broeck
5. Mollema
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibali
2. Porte
3. Van Garderen
4. Valverde
5. Mollema
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Porte
2. Valverde
3. Nibali
4. Froome
5. Costa
Keep changing my mind.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Porte
2. Valverde
3. Nibali
4. Van Garderen
5. Costa
No Veloforma for me…
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibbles
2. Porte
3. Kwiatowski
4. Bardet
5. J VdB