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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LeoTea says:

Jul 20 2017 at 2:57 am

Anyone watching the La Course stage? Queen Lizzie looking regal on the front with 6km to go.
RobSandy says:

Jul 20 2017 at 3:13 am

@LeoTea

Anyone watching the La Course stage? Queen Lizzie looking regal on the front with 6km to go.

0

Following the live text. Lizzie and Van Vleuten smashing it.
ChrisO says:

Jul 20 2017 at 3:21 am

Great result for AVV after the Olympics. Lizzie was looking good on tempo but just couldn't make the acceleration.
Randy C says:

Jul 20 2017 at 4:59 am

@RobSandy

@Rick

@wiscot

If only the Lotto Jumbo kit was as cool as the Bianchi bikes they ride . . . awful looking kit.

Damn, wouldn’t it be fine to see Uran and Drapac-Cannondale win?

0

I like these better than the yellow kits of years past. The only reason is the black jerseys make it easy to pick out the GC leader’s yellow jersey again.

I think it would be great to see Uran and C-D win. For what it is worth, they have my favorite kit in the peloton.

0

I don’t think Uran has done enough to deservingly win. Bardet accused him of sitting in the wheels yesterday, and I think he had a point. Uran certainly didn’t deny it.

I’d personally be very pleased to see Bardet win. I think him and Dan Martin have been the most aggressive riders so far.

I almost felt sorry for Aru yesterday, each time he bridged back up to the lead group Bardet or Martin had another pop off the front and dropped him again.

0

Contrast Froome's race this year vs last ? What a difference. Talk about deserving a win man last year was a hoot to watch. Attacking with Sagan? Attacking over the top? This year is just such a different vibe. Uran may be playing his cards very well. Today's gonna be fun.

And Van Vleuten may just be the most animating bike racer today. She's always up front and smashing it. Love to watch her race. At least would love to watch more of her race if could.

Cheers
RobSandy says:

Jul 20 2017 at 5:08 am

@Randy C

Contrast Froome’s race this year vs last ? What a difference. Talk about deserving a win man last year was a hoot to watch. Attacking with Sagan? Attacking over the top? This year is just such a different vibe. Uran may be playing his cards very well. Today’s gonna be fun.

Yeah, totally agree. He didn't seem to have his mountain legs on in Week 1 - he just about hung on. He's looking as strong as the rest of the GC group but not stronger. It's partially why I'm rooting for Bardet.

Far less dominance than before. I think he could be attacked and be put under a lot of pressure today.

OR, he's been saving it for this stage and is going to go for the win. I can't see him being satisfied with doing 'just enough' to win via the TT on Saturday, I think he'd like to put the race to be today.

We shall see very soon!
wiscot says:

Jul 20 2017 at 6:51 am

Boring versus not boring. Enough. Can I just give a shout out to Thomas de Gent an Tiesj Benoot? These guys have been working their asses of in break after break. Chapeau to both.

Oh, and all the "Froome will win on Friday in the TT." talk. Tony Martin might take exception to that as he's not been doing nearly as much work at Froome the past few days. Of course, I'm well aware that it's not about who wins the stage but the time gaps. Mind you, 24kms is pretty stingy . . .
MangoDave says:

Jul 20 2017 at 10:44 am

@wiscot

Oh, and all the “Froome will win on Friday in the TT.” talk. Tony Martin might take exception to that as he’s not been doing nearly as much work at Froome the past few days. Of course, I’m well aware that it’s not about who wins the stage but the time gaps. Mind you, 24kms is pretty stingy . . .

0

I took that comment by @RobSandy to suggest Froome would win the overall on TT day, not take the stage win. Lucky for us, the time gaps of the leaders is pretty small, otherwise 24km wouldn't be very interesting. I would love to see Tony Martin crush everyone, regardless of the podium fight.
wiscot says:

Jul 20 2017 at 11:25 am

@MangoDave

@wiscot

Oh, and all the “Froome will win on Friday in the TT.” talk. Tony Martin might take exception to that as he’s not been doing nearly as much work at Froome the past few days. Of course, I’m well aware that it’s not about who wins the stage but the time gaps. Mind you, 24kms is pretty stingy . . .

0

I took that comment by @RobSandy to suggest Froome would win the overall on TT day, not take the stage win. Lucky for us, the time gaps of the leaders is pretty small, otherwise 24km wouldn’t be very interesting. I would love to see Tony Martin crush everyone, regardless of the podium fight.

0

I know, but Froome will certainly be trying to win as he hasn't won a stage of this Tour - yet and that's his last, best opportunity.

Yup, the see the Whale Shark in full flight would bea marvelous sight to see, but 24kms is hardly enough to really start drooling.
RobSandy says:

Jul 21 2017 at 1:55 am

@wiscot

@MangoDave

@wiscot

0

I took that comment by @RobSandy to suggest Froome would win the overall on TT day, not take the stage win. Lucky for us, the time gaps of the leaders is pretty small, otherwise 24km wouldn’t be very interesting. I would love to see Tony Martin crush everyone, regardless of the podium fight.

0

I know, but Froome will certainly be trying to win as he hasn’t won a stage of this Tour – yet and that’s his last, best opportunity.

0

Yep, I meant that Froome would try and go for the stage win yesterday on D'Izoard.

Chapeau to Uran for closing that gap, Froome was flying. And further chapeau to Uran for likely finishing 2nd in the Tour, potentially winning the thing, without putting in a single attack that wasn't in the last 10m of a stage.

On a more positive note, I was thrilled for Warren Barguil yesterday, what a ride.
wiscot says:

Jul 21 2017 at 7:31 am

@RobSandy

@wiscot

@MangoDave

@wiscot

0

I took that comment by @RobSandy to suggest Froome would win the overall on TT day, not take the stage win. Lucky for us, the time gaps of the leaders is pretty small, otherwise 24km wouldn’t be very interesting. I would love to see Tony Martin crush everyone, regardless of the podium fight.

0

I know, but Froome will certainly be trying to win as he hasn’t won a stage of this Tour – yet and that’s his last, best opportunity.

0

Yep, I meant that Froome would try and go for the stage win yesterday on D’Izoard.

Chapeau to Uran for closing that gap, Froome was flying. And further chapeau to Uran for likely finishing 2nd in the Tour, potentially winning the thing, without putting in a single attack that wasn’t in the last 10m of a stage.

On a more positive note, I was thrilled for Warren Barguil yesterday, what a ride.

0

I have to say I'm very happy that Bardet and Barguil are doing so well. They both ride in a positive way and I think in Bardet, the French actually have a potential Tour winner. AG2R have ridden a fine race. Sunweb have to be happy campers too: A giro win and two of the Tour's main classifications in one season. Uran? Maybe a bit more aggressive would have been nice, but a GT podium finish is a GT podium finish.