Velominati Super Prestige: Tour de France 2014

Marcel’s tan lines are crisp

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″/]

Gianni

Gianni has left the building.

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View Comments

PeakInTwoYears says:

Jul 9 2014 at 7:12 pm

@frank

Hinault fucking bitched about them but he fucking won Roubaix, too. And he knew he had to win it to lend credibility to his bitching.

This, this, and this. Only his badassedness and his massive firepower and willingness and ability to use it for effect on the cobbles justified his "connerie" remark.

But, yeah, I was so hoping to see a resurgent Spaniard or Sicilian take it to Froome over the course of the race. Someone with a decent tan, just because I'm prejudiced that way.
VirenqueForever says:

Jul 9 2014 at 7:56 pm

@Chris

@wiscot

Video is good, but sometimes stills are better. Check these pictures out for what an epic stage just happened. Look at the faces. The one of Porte and Thomas is especially great.

http://www.steephill.tv/2014/tour-de-france/photos/stage-05/

One more thing. Even if Froome had been 100%, I honestly think he'd have finished with Contador at best. Could he have stayed with Nibbles? Hell no. Look at how Thomas and Porte rode when given their freedom - even a fit Froome would have been an anchor in that scenario.

Right now, Prudhomme is thinking "hmmmm, cobbles ever year, I think that could be arranged . . ."

You've got to admit, this is only stage 5 and it's been a great tour so far! Sure beats past years when all the GC guys just rode together until the mountains or first TT.

Awesome day, i'm thinking TTT on cobbles next Year. That should shake things up
Beers says:

Jul 9 2014 at 8:17 pm

@Geraint

Epic stage, chapeau to Boom and especially Nibbles.

Sorry to see Froome go out, but now (as I suggested in the main VSP thread) Sky's team selection looks a bit daft, as Brailsford once again has a failed plan A and no realistic plan B. Is Porte really going to pull back 2mins on Nibbles AND hold a 40s lead over Contador, with all the mountains and a 54k ITT to come?

Yes, Wiggo might have crashed too - but he'd still have given Sky a bit more resilience. Faboo, Chava, Kittel, Fuglsang, Haussler, Van den Broeck (I think) all hit the deck, and there were plenty of others.

It seems Porte also hit the deck, looking at his left shoulder here
Beers says:

Jul 9 2014 at 8:28 pm

It was awesome to watch. A large number of crashes on corners on tarmac, I'm wondering if the slipperiness/rolliness of a tub at 60psi is easily handled in the dry, but makes for even more breakaway risk in the wet on the smooth stuff?
Mikael Liddy says:

Jul 9 2014 at 9:40 pm

@frank wanna know who'd have finished the stage, let alone the whole race? This guy...
Mikael Liddy says:

Jul 9 2014 at 9:46 pm

@Beers yup, have a look at the additional ventilation his bibs have in the photo above with Thomas...
il ciclista medio says:

Jul 9 2014 at 10:24 pm

@wilburrox

Strong performances ?!? Did Boom just race 250 some km in 3 hrs 18 minutes across wet cobbles? On a skating rink? I'm trying to comprehend what these cats just did today. Do I have the #s correct? Looney tunes. Simply looney tunes. I can't imagine.

At around 80K's an hour too! That would be crazy....Huge day, respect to all that finished
asyax says:

Jul 9 2014 at 10:44 pm

@Chris I only saw a V on the back, and didn't have the orange sleeves as per new jersey, so it was probably you. Coverage over here in Oz is fantastic!
Geraint says:

Jul 9 2014 at 11:05 pm

@Beers - He did, and so had Eisel, showing road rash in the discussion with Froome at the team car. And my mistake, it was Bak not VdB who cartwheeled over the bars into a ditch.

@il ciclista medio

@wilburrox

Strong performances ?!? Did Boom just race 250 some km in 3 hrs 18 minutes across wet cobbles? On a skating rink? I'm trying to comprehend what these cats just did today. Do I have the #s correct? Looney tunes. Simply looney tunes. I can't imagine.

At around 80K's an hour too! That would be crazy....Huge day, respect to all that finished

No chaps it wasn't the full P-R distance: 152.5km, 3:18:35, ~47km/h. But still fucking awesome.
LA Dave says:

Jul 9 2014 at 11:36 pm

Seeing Froomey sitting in that back seat with the window fogging up and a frenzied photographer shuttering away on the other side of the open door was heartbreaking, but it was also arguably the best possible example of the fragile beauty that this fine race projects. For no matter how hard you work, how efficiently you train, how meticulously you prepare or how financially supported you are this race and these roads can do with you as they please.

Hats off to Lars Boom for playing his cards perfectly and having the strength to pull his move off, but perhaps the ride of the day goes to The Shark for riding a masterful race in his own right and putting big time into the remaining competition for Maillot Jaune.