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!
[vsp_results id=”104413″/]

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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View Comments

Buck Rogers says:

Jul 8 2017 at 9:37 am

@Teocalli

@37 mins at the finish……..

0

Wonder how many "sticky-bidons" he had today?
stooge says:

Jul 8 2017 at 1:03 pm

I fell asleep at 90 kilometers to go (it was around midnight here). Just watched a twenty minute highlights cut. Looked to be an exciting race. Now one minute and one second separating top ten in GC.

Seen this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZTOdHd_yTs

As a singer, he makes a fine bike rider.
eightzero says:

Jul 8 2017 at 8:48 pm

Correction: "...get your picks in by the time the clock goes to EIGHTzero.."

Can't do it. I lived through pharmsrong and qui tam Landis. They ripped out my heart, and tossed on the Champs. I have a rock on my desk that came from the famed final circuits. I can't do it anymore.

I was young and carefree.
Teocalli says:

Jul 9 2017 at 2:22 am

@eightzero

Correction: “…get your picks in by the time the clock goes to EIGHTzero..”

Can’t do it. I lived through pharmsrong and qui tam Landis. They ripped out my heart, and tossed on the Champs. I have a rock on my desk that came from the famed final circuits. I can’t do it anymore.

I was young and carefree.

0

Time to move on.
Buck Rogers says:

Jul 9 2017 at 3:35 am

@eightzero

Correction: “…get your picks in by the time the clock goes to EIGHTzero..”

Can’t do it. I lived through pharmsrong and qui tam Landis. They ripped out my heart, and tossed on the Champs. I have a rock on my desk that came from the famed final circuits. I can’t do it anymore.

I was young and carefree.

0

I feel your pain.

I've made the analogy before that being a cycling fan is like having a loved one that is addicted to heroin. You hate that aspect about them but you love them anyways. Sometimes you do just have to walk away from them forever but I have not yet reached that point. I think that there can be no doubt that there is still doping going on in some form, but I still love my dope-addicted sport.

And on the bright side, Demare(d) is already dropped on today's stage!
Teocalli says:

Jul 9 2017 at 4:20 am

Chapeau to Demare as he is struggling on today but looking like it could be the last as he is well out of the back well before the big climbs start.
Teocalli says:

Jul 9 2017 at 5:19 am

Wet descent after first climb. Thomas crashed. Movistar down another rider from crash / retirement at the same point in the breakaway. Froome delayed by Thomas crash by the looks of things and a little way back from Aru and main part of Sky train but all coming back together.
Teocalli says:

Jul 9 2017 at 5:22 am

Arada may be up and still in from Movistar. Thomas also reported to be moving again.
Randy C says:

Jul 9 2017 at 5:26 am

This is compelling racing today. Great descent for Bardet and also up front for AG2R. Heart break for Thomas. Dang…

Also, watching start of stage 8 yesterday and was discussion the on the barriers on sprint stages and in particular Greipel's thoughts on needing to prevent the spectators from hanging over the edges. Apparently he's been clipping spectators and discussion was need a buffer zone of sorts.

The bike/kit combo of AG2R is something I can grow to appreciate.

Cheers all
Teocalli says:

Jul 9 2017 at 5:28 am

Thomas out.