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″/]
Right now with 2 swaps of my 1st and 2nd and leaving 3-5 I’m negative 7.
Ok this just either sucks or is really really fun! I choose the later and am betting that there will be lots more carnage to come so that we have not finished shuffling this peleton like a pack of cards…
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Porte
2. Van Garderen
3. Nibali
4. da Costa
5. Kwiatkowski
I’ll be honest, reading something like this makes it even more frustrating to see someone who’s healthy like Cancellara willingly pull himself out. Kinda feels like he’s taking the biggest race in the world for granted…
http://www.iamtedking.com/2014/07/6337/
Fack.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibbles
2. Porte
3. da Costa
4. Valverde
5. Tejay
Rest Day Picks! Rubbish I say. Who would not put Nibbles in now? @&#?!@?# FFS.
@Daccordi Rider
Frank has had a multi-day battle with the beast. Hopefully the beers went in Frank instead of the poxy server.
Rest Day Swaps..
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibali
2. Valverde
3. Rui Costa
4. Pinot
5. Mollema
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Vincenzo Nibali
2. Richie Porte
3. Tejay Van Garderen
4. Jurgen Van Den Broeck
5. Alejandro Valverde
Changing out the crashed riders. Nibbles was already chosen for third, and I don’t want to take another 5 point gamble.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Porte
2. Mollema
3. Nibali
4. Valverde
5. Talanski
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibali
2. Porte
3. Valverde
4. Pinot
5. Talansky
The VSP Rules page is down atm. I assume you get a bigger penalty for doing swaps on the 2nd rest day?
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Nibali
2. Porte
3. Romain Bardet
4. Valverde
5. Rui Costa
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Porte
2. Gallopin
3. Nibali
4. Talansky
5. Valverde
I thought I was playing it safe by picking Froome/Berto first and second at the start…until they both decided to play pick up sticks with their appendages. So now it’s time to throw caution to the wind and see if I can’t make myself relevant in this years VSP…as such I’m all in for Porte to make a Sky 3-peat and Valdirty gets my updated second vote.
This is most likely the VSP equivalent of one of Jensy’s ridiculous 90 km breakaways where every fan and his brother is screaming “SHUT UP LEGS” while they shoot a selfie as he rides by… regardless of the fact that he has a one in a million (5 million?) chance of making it stick.
So in honor of that kind of wonderful futility I say “SHUT UP BRAIN” as it tells me the smart money is on The Shark to gobble up more chum on those bloody French roads as his competition continues to fracture, sublux, concuss and excoriate their way out of the race.
A guy can dream can’t he?
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
1. Tie me kangaroo down Porte
2. Alejandro Vileverde
3. The Shark Nibbles
4. Rui Alberto Faria da Costa
5. Talansky from Miamsky
@The Grande Fondue yup, 10 spots per change & having made them today you can’t do it again on the second day…
@Gianni
Exactly.
Floridian’s Guide to Tour de France VSP picks:
1. Make VSP picks with giddy anticipation of child waiting for Santa
2. Become depressed and physically ill while watching VSP picks get body slammed all over roads of France for 6 days.
3. Beat helmet-less head against wall due to inability to use crashed web site to make rest day swaps.
4. Pray for miracles for 3 out of 5
5. Open another beer.
@Gianni
Gianni: JEEEEZHUS man, do you have naked posters of Sparty up in your place? The guy’s such a fuck’in wanker. I have tried to get behind him for years and then he whines about being marked in Flanders and Roubaix every fuck’in year, and then he whines this year that the pave’ have no place in the tour, of course only AFTER not winning the stage, and then he fuck’in pulls out so that he can prepare for the Worlds, showing no respect for the tour. Fuck’in Cuntador rode 10 k on a fuck’in broken leg and Talansky is still riding to finish the stage b/c he has appropiate honour and respect for the tdf. Fuck’in Sparty can stay home for the rest of his career for all I care. Guy’s a twatwaffle extraordinaire!
Rant over. Love ya’ Gianni!
@xyxax
Seconded. I agree with you on this one Gianni. Like shooting fish in a barrel. Have some self respect, people!
Argh. Talansky is toast. I forgot to do swaps yesterday. I might as well call this a loss. 2 picks confirmed DNF. One showing that he is a baller but will likely be out. A gamble on Horner and Valverde in the wrong spot.
Not a shining VSP moment. But what a race.
This Gallopin kid is for real. Though with a 58th place finish last year, it would be crazy ridiculous to think he finishes in the top 5.
If Talansky finishes within the time today, I will be forever impressed.
Totally burned on the VSP, with my top 2 out, and Porte slotted to 5th. Maybe a 2nd rest day swap if things don’t look completely hopeless. I still don’t think Nibali is a lock the way things have gone. Been a very interesting tour this year, but unfortunately the events with wheels pointing to the sky have mattered more than the ones with wheels on the road.
@Buck Rogers
Not going to rub anyone’s nuts here but there is a big difference when a rider is a top GC contender and one that is riding as support. And I will bet money Talansky drops the tour after his multitude of crashes.
Talansky is home inside the time limit. Awesome ride! I hope he gets some good rest in the next few hours. Chapeau!
@DCR
@Buck, you know I know what stuff you are made of and how you would be like the black knight in the Tour. “What missing a foot? One is good enough. What, no legs I’ll use my hands, no hands, I will get it done with my teeth – hey where are you going I’m not finished I’ll lick my bike across the line!
But you are a life or death man and these guys are Pros with contracts, goals and a very keen sense of where their strengths and weakness lie. Sparty may be pissing you off for some unthought out off the cuff stuff (subtext: he’s a bike rider they’re not all rocket scientists). I am with Gianni on this one and I’m not ashamed to admit to the poster hanging above the bed…
@DCR on the other hand I’d take you up on that bet. I see the kid pulling it out and having at least one good day of redemption or just finishing at the least.
@Rob :) When is your ride up here? Do you still have my personal email? Please send me a message so we can link up!
And for good measure, FUCK SPARTY and the fuck’in limping horse he rides on!
@Rob I would be happy to see him pull it out. From the stories I have heard of him I don’t doubt his resolve. I just fear injury, which in this tour seams to be running rampant. I am all for a friendly bet of a cycling cap! It’s the go to bet between friends of mine.
@wiscot
After sitting on the side of the road for four minutes, it would have been very easy just to climb into the car. He’s known for a couple of days that his GC chances are done.
They don’t call him the Pit Bull for nothing apparently. Even if he doesn’t take the start tomorrow, he finished the damn stage and didn’t quit in the middle. He rode deep in the pain cave, by himself, for hours and hours.
Whatever your thoughts on Talansky, that’s some serious fucking V right there.
1. Secret’s out: Tony Gallopin is a total stud.
2. I like this Lotto Belisol team. A lot. Tim Wellens is going to be terrific, too.
3. Best kit in the peloton to boot?
@Steampunk
Agreed, agreed, agreed. I love how riders are going for it – like Nibbles in Stage 2 or Gallopin today. A lot of riders, especially French ones, would have been happy with a day in yellow. That’s not enough for Gallopin. After munching down a whole buffet of pain sandwiches on Monday, he rests up and goes for it today.
You know, Froome and Contador are gone and that would have been a great match up, but we have what we have and you can only ride and win against those who take the start line. So let’s not have any “well, if XXX and XXX were still in the race, things would be different.” Of course they would be but they’re not. Let’s just sit back and enjoy the race – there’s plenty of talent and great stages to come. I think the winner this year will be a clean and worthy one.
The Lotto kit and the Giant Shimano kits are two of the best in years to grace the peloton.
To all the Talansky haters out there – shut it right now. What you saw today was pure V – when he remounted it wasn’t just to finish after everyone else, but to have to ride like hell just to make the time limit.
@Steampunk
I wondered after last year’s performance why Trek let him go instead of dropping the Schlecks. And now they are looking for a young GC contender? I. Don’t. Understand.
Tried to warn ya about picking Talansky. I just thought he’d crashed too hard more than once. (No dislike, I just thought he might be beat up.)
As for Gallopin. Oh boy! What a ride. When he crossed the line on Stage 10 a soigneur had to hold him up. That happens. But, then the soigneur took Gallopin’s leg and unclipped for him. Talk about leaving it all on the parcours.
And now I find out that quite cute gal kissing him after his Maillot Jaune ride was a podium presenter and… his gal! Jeez. Oh, and his “uncle” confidante was none other than Laurent Fignon. Imagine having him as a family friend and Sensei?! No wonder he knows a thing or two about going full gas to the line! Must have been pretty amazing to have that guy hanging around at BBQs when he was a kid. Guess he had first-hand knowledge of Rule #33 compliance.
@wiscot
Bang on. I feel a bit badly for Nibali, because history will always put an asterisk beside this win (assuming he can hold on). But you don’t fluke into a TdF win, and what’s all the more disappointing is that he’s got that look in his eye: Froome and Contador might have had real trouble with him.
GC aside, though, I’m really delighting in the renaissance of French cycling. Gallopin, Bardet (I really like this kid, too!), Pinot, Cocquard, Gautier, Kadri, Bouhanni, Démare, Elissonde, Jeannesson. And don’t forget the boys for spring: Ladagnous, Gaudet, Offredo. Fun stuff!
@Floridian
Make that 2 out of 5. Gritty ride by Talansky though. I’ve been knocked off a bike with back injuries and literally felt his pain watching him ride. Would be surprised to see him on the line tomorrow though, as it only gets harder from here.
Hmm, don’t you think Nibali’s ride on Stage 5 is worthy of preventing an “asterisk” making?
He smashed it hard, ahead of the Classics guys (minus Boom) and put serious time in Contador. Call it bad luck, but Froome crashed a lot in the first few stages, then he didn’t even make it to the cobbles. And some of the other riders, such an Greg V.A. and Jurgen VdB are saying Contador risked it all to move up one spot, a long way out.
Seems to me that Nibali is riding strongly, smartly, and making his luck. And seems that he’s being rewarded for being an all-arounder and riding tactically well.
I don’t know who’s calling the shots at Lotto but there’s some kind of crazed genius to their methodology: Bring a solid CG contender to the biggest race of the year and pretty much ignore him: Bring a top sprinter but forget the lead out. Then after a handful of nothing, let everyone off the leash. Greipel wins, Gallopin wins the MJ and a stage – Voila! Best Lotto tour for years! Shame about the Belgians…
@Steampunk
This might be a questionable option re the seemingly strong French resurgence, but, assholes like Tricky Dicky V aside, I think the French ran a lot cleaner than a lot of nationalities during the 90s and oughts. Maybe now that the playing field is a bit more level, French riders are starting to show up again in the higher placings. It just seems odd that a country who could produce such stellar talent for so long could suddenly have almost two decades in the wilderness. I for one, am thrilled to see the French riders make a comeback and would cheer a French tour winner.
I don’t think Nibbles will have an asterisk. Oscar Pereiro should have a huge one. That twat JJ Cobo should have a massive one too. Joop Zoetemelk doesn’t have one and had Hinault not had knee problems in the 1980 Tour would anyone really have doubted he would win? Zoetemelk had form and was a worthy winner – he made it to the end, Hinault didn’t. I doubt the Badger begrudges Joop’s win. Nibbles has won other GTs, he has form and should he win, he’ll be worthy.
Here’s a final bad analogy: NASCAR. If a driver gets taken out by a crash, that’s bad luck. Maybe he would have won, we don’t know. At the end of the day the driver with the skill and luck to cross the line first wins. Tour wins require skill and just as importantly, luck. Froome and Bertie had the former, but not the latter this year. Next year? Who knows.
@wiscot
No asterisk for me. Nibbles wasn’t just good on Stage 5 but he stated his intention from Stage 2. Everyone else has been chasing since then. That might have cause them to crash, it might not but Froome and Contrador’s departure doesn’t affect the overall achievement in the same way that it would had either of them been in yellow when they crashed out.
What an amazing image of Talansky grinding it across the line 50m ahead of la voiture balai, and only a just inside the limit. I’m. Fucking. Not. Giving. Up. Chapeau to you sir.
Chapeau to Gallopin as well. OK so it’s a bit of a proven formula attacking a group with Sagan in it with 2-3k or so to go, but you still need the balls to try, and the V to carry it off. And Gallopin has both. Not satisfied with wearing yellow on Bastille Day, he needed a stage win as well.
My VSP is shot to fuck, with top two DNF and my 5th place now well out of it, and I Delgado’d the rest day swaps. Never mind, the racing is epic. And, to be honest, if the current top 5 crash out then it would still be epic. There’s a certain unpredictability that comes from having a few favourites out – top ten contenders can fight for the podium, top five contenders can fight to win the whole bloody thing. ‘ave it.
The next few days will be epic. Temperatures are currently rising to around 40c in Southern France. It’s gonna be utter madness by the time Dutch Corner is reached. This is turning out to be one of the most memorable Tours in years.
@Steampunk
But let’s imagine Froome doesn’t crash and goes on to repeat as champion. Wouldn’t an asterisk also accompany such a victory? What with inhalergate and the recent Therapeutic Use Exemption fiasco? This is not to suggest Froome is a cheater, simply that there is a growing perception (in Europe, it would appear) that he is.
So how could Nibali’s potential victory warrant an asterisk? And let me just say, I understand you are not saying you believe it deserves an asterisk, just thinking out loud through the logic.
IF, Nibali wins he is a worthy victor, however the cynic in me worries what else was in the letter from Vino!
@Ron
Not only is she a presenter for Eurosport (and sometimes presenter of the Combativity prize), but she’s an ex French RR Champion herself and rides for Lotto Belisol Ladies.
http://www.procyclingstats.com/rider/Marion_Rousse
@Mikael Liddy Damn, you beat me to it. Was about to say she is a gun VMH in her own right. If those two have kids, heaven help anyone in the tour in 25 yrs time…
@Chris
@Chris
Bang on…French riders are finally not having to compete clean against dopers, and so now there clean talent is showing through. Great for the sport and for french cycling, who, for all those years, persisted with what appeared to be clean teams.
Traveling for work and Delgadoed rest day swaps. I’m screwed.
Three out of five out of the race or hopelessly out of GC contention. Next rest day may warrant some swaps, but I was already going backwards, so what the heck? You can’t go into negative points, can you?
If Talansky makes it to the line or better yet, through tomorrow, we should re-badge him as V-Lansky.
@il muro di manayunk
No.
Inhalergate and the TUE thing are nothing more than forum wanking. Inhalers don’t improve performance, and the TUE thing just shows the UCI couldn’t organise a snowfight in a blizzard (nothing new there!)
If you use that level of suspicion historically, there are only 2 winners of the TdF since 1980 who are above suspicion (Hinault and Sastre). There’s always sometime people can interpret as being suspicious.
Jeez, just when I thought this was a safe place. Please, for fucks sake, don’t put “-gate” after every single goddamn thing that happens in the world. Watergate. Big Fucking Deal. Some monkey humping a tennis ball and using an inhaler – NOT a big fucking deal, as 99% of the world’s population has no fucking clue it went down.
Teenage girls and talking heads on twenty-four hour news stations have a need to hyperbolize things. Don’t let that nonsense creep into the Followers.
Thank you.
Talansky has abandoned:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/talansky-abandons-the-tour-de-france
Sorry to see this, but it doesn’t take anything away from his massive Rule #5 ride yesterday. Chapeau and speedy recovery, fella.
@Geraint
Sorry to hear this. He may be out of the race, but he’s won himself a ton of fans and respect from his peers. To ride with the Broom wagon revving the motor behind you for 60kms cannot be fun – although in a perverse way it may have been motivating.
@wiscot Amen to that. Won’t forget this image in a hurry: