Velominati Super Prestige: Tour de France 2017

Favorites ascending. Photo: Gruber Images.

As many of you know, I write a monthly column for Cyclist Magazine where I answer Dear Abby-esque questions, and the most recent query pertained to whether I consider the Tour the best race of the year, or whether it’s an over-publicized circus. The question made me realize something about myself: I have a weariness around the Tour de France not unlike a romantic whose heart has been broken one too many times.

The fact is, as much as I prefer a race like Paris-Roubaix or the Giro d’Italia to the mid-summer shit show that is the Tour de France, nothing gets my anticipation going quite the way the Tour does, which is undeniably the pinnacle of the season; all the classifications and stages are prestigious enough that racers of all sorts are all arriving at the start in peak form. There is a promise of hard racing from day one, but the first week consists mostly of me worrying about the big favorites crashing out. As soon as we get through that mess, my heart is usually broken on the first day in the mountains, when the favorite takes a decisive lead and the rest of the race is most about stages than the GC.

At least, these are the dreads of a man who lived through the Indurain and Armstrong eras of racing.

Nevertheless, the Tour always manages to seduce me, and this year is no different. Maybe this year, she won’t be such a cruel lover. And, maybe this year, I won’t make horrible picks in the VSP. Just maybe, just maybe. You know the drill; get your picks in by the time the clock goes to zero, and you get some swap options on the rest day. Good luck!
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frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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Woody says:

Jul 4 2017 at 10:33 am

@Rick

According to the BBC Sagan is disqualified.
Buck Rogers says:

Jul 4 2017 at 11:39 am

Wow! Kicked out? Really?

I agree with relegation to last, fining him, taking away a shit load of points but DQ'ing him?

I don't agree with that. A bit BS if you ask me.

Those dudes are crazy with elbows and fighting for position, whatnot in the sprints. Not saying what he did was at all okay, but to throw him out ... too much in my opinion.
ChrisO says:

Jul 4 2017 at 11:41 am

I think Sagan was at fault but DQ is too harsh... relegation and loss of points would have been enough.

And I still want to see an overhead to look at Demare's move.
stooge says:

Jul 4 2017 at 11:53 am

They were both in the wrong, it seems to me. Sagan veered off his line, and Cav was going for something that wasn't there. He was going down either way, I reckon. DQ is too harsh.
stooge says:

Jul 4 2017 at 12:27 pm

Make of it what you will.
https://streamable.com/t/j7gqb

The whole bunch had veered to the right. It seems to me that Sagan feels Cav up on him, sticks the elbow out to protect himself / keep balance (Cav already going down).

Was he DQd for the elbow? That didn't cause the crash. Was it for the line? He was riding his line parallel with the rest of the bunch, more or less, who had all been veered right behind Demare. Whatever the reason or reasons, a DQ is BS.

Hope Cav isn't as banged up as he seems to be, and that tomorrow's drama is confined to an eventful GC battle.
Flying Crowbar says:

Jul 4 2017 at 1:03 pm

@stooge

That's an interesting video analysis.

The jury should have looked at Demare's line, too. He had a clear path to the finish line ahead of him and instead veered abruptly to his left.
ChrisO says:

Jul 4 2017 at 1:22 pm

@stooge

Make of it what you will.
https://streamable.com/t/j7gqb

The whole bunch had veered to the right. It seems to me that Sagan feels Cav up on him, sticks the elbow out to protect himself / keep balance (Cav already going down).

Was he DQd for the elbow? That didn’t cause the crash. Was it for the line? He was riding his line parallel with the rest of the bunch, more or less, who had all been veered right behind Demare. Whatever the reason or reasons, a DQ is BS.

Hope Cav isn’t as banged up as he seems to be, and that tomorrow’s drama is confined to an eventful GC battle.

0

It starts too late.

I agree it wasn't the elbow that sent him down but the video needs to start while they are under the shadow of the tree - that's when Cavendish is next to Sagan, who then moves across on him.

And Chris Boardman also made the point about Demare. How can you DQ Sagan and do nothing to Demare?
Pali65 says:

Jul 4 2017 at 2:07 pm

Interesting tweet from Greipel:

Sometimes I should watch images before I say something. Apologies to @petosagan as I think that decision of the judge is too hard.
Cary says:

Jul 4 2017 at 2:20 pm

does anybody else remember Sagan's shoulder check on the Kemmelberg a few months ago?

a DQ is maybe too harsh, today, but he's gotten away with his share of unnecessary physicality in the past. he's wearing a world champion jersey. people are going to notice him first.
Rick says:

Jul 4 2017 at 2:41 pm

It is now being reported that Cav is out with a broken shoulder.