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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Rick says:

Jul 10 2017 at 1:01 pm

@wiscot

@Buck Rogers

@wiscot

Crazy times, crazy race. I’m hoping Dan Martin will recover today and show that he has podium form. He has nothing to lose at this point but to attack. Maybe he and Aru can go for it? Quintana could surprise and Bertie has nothing to lose but his pride in what looks like he last Tour. The Fat Lady is still in her dressing room and is just getting warmed up!

0

So hoping that Danny Boy makes back his 1:15 loss. He would be in 3rd if he finished with the lead group and not with Quintana’s group. Really warmed to Martin this year. He’s probably my most liked rider right now.

0

And I think Dan M is also smart enough to know that with Froome and Sky’s depth and ability, waiting for them to have an off day is not a reasonable strategy. Sure Quintana, Aru, Bertie and even Bardet would be willing accomplices in an adventure?

0

Also, Uran is also likely to be hungry like a wolf to gain time. The interview with Vaughters was interesting. He said that Riggo was putting up huge power numbers coming into the Tour. He also said that surprise is a good weapon. Uran unlikely to surprise again but according to Vuaghters it is no fluke that Rigoberto is currently less than a minute back.
stooge says:

Jul 10 2017 at 5:51 pm

@dancollins

Frank: Some of us Porte fans are hoping for rest day swaps??

0

Doesn't look like it's going to happen. Fingers crossed for second rest day swaps, I guess.
Canucklehead says:

Jul 10 2017 at 7:05 pm

@stooge

@dancollins

Frank: Some of us Porte fans are hoping for rest day swaps??

0

Doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. Fingers crossed for second rest day swaps, I guess.

1

Do we just post our swaps and hope they get updated?
Mikael Liddy says:

Jul 10 2017 at 10:21 pm

'lil shout out for The Hardmen in stage 9's Backstage Pass
stooge says:

Jul 10 2017 at 11:06 pm

@Mikael Liddy

‘lil shout out for The Hardmen in stage 9’s Backstage Pass

0

Great inclusion - that Paris-Roubaix win was the epitome of Hard (not to mention the other decade and a half of bossing it around the globe).
stooge says:

Jul 10 2017 at 11:10 pm

@Canucklehead

@stooge

@dancollins

Frank: Some of us Porte fans are hoping for rest day swaps??

0

Doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. Fingers crossed for second rest day swaps, I guess.

1

Do we just post our swaps and hope they get updated?

0

Picks won't be recorded anywhere whilst modification is closed, and nobody is going to do it manually. It looks like the best we can hope for is for 2nd rest day swaps to be open when the time comes.

Maybe someone could get the word the Keepers...
RobSandy says:

Jul 11 2017 at 1:09 am

@Rick

@Teocalli

I didn’t see anyone actually stop. However, if they did it would impact the race in other ways. It is a fallacy to believe events would play out exactly as they did if the variables change.

I still stand by my original point that neutralizing part of a steep climb generally benefits the leader.

0

The neutralisation probably also benefited anyone in that group who was blowing at the time, and on form that wasn't Froome.
RobSandy says:

Jul 11 2017 at 1:11 am

@Rick

@VbyV

0

This is situational. Your initial question was “Why didn’t everyone sit on Froome’s wheel?” The answer is two fold: Many were looking for the stage win and Froome had no incentive to chase alone.

My comment regarding sitting on Aru’s wheel was offered in support of my stance that Froome had no incentive to pull the entire group along. When everyone was working together Froome took his pulls. His incentive was to get a few seconds in time bonuses and increase his lead, which he achieved. That is a significantly differnt situation than if the other riders all sucked his wheel.

One thing Froome has shown is that he is a real racer. Phil said yesterday’s stage reminded him of 1989 when LeMond, Fignon, along with the other leading contenders sprinted for the line. Kudos to the bunch of them.

0

My reading of the situation was Froome said something to Aru along the lines if 'if Bardet stays away that's your 2nd place gone'.

But it would have been smarter by Astana to get Fuglsang to join in the rotation and have Aru sitting at the back to jump as soon as they caught Bardet.

Froome may also have said that he wasn't worried about Bardet, hinted that he was happy to let him go.

It's chess played at high speed....
RobSandy says:

Jul 11 2017 at 1:12 am

@stooge

Picks won’t be recorded anywhere whilst modification is closed, and nobody is going to do it manually. It looks like the best we can hope for is for 2nd rest day swaps to be open when the time comes.

Maybe someone could get the word the Keepers…

0

You could just not worry about it. Rest Day Swaps wont win you the TDF or the VSP.
Harminator says:

Jul 11 2017 at 5:30 am

Offredo is a maniac but I'm liking it! Maybe the only thing crazier than getting in a 2 man break with the Panzerwagon is with a neo pro...