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

Quadzilla says:

Jun 28 2017 at 9:33 pm
Bardet tin, Pinot out.

not sure why I put Pinot in originally. Got my French favs mixed up.

VSP PICKS:
1. Richie "1 bad day" Porte
2. The faces of Nairo Quintana
3. Froomacil
4. Bardet
5. Valverde
Cary says:

Jun 28 2017 at 10:43 pm

question: has there ever been a grand tour team stacked deeper than Team Sky for this Tour? Froome's lieutenants would be team leaders elsewhere.
Pali65 says:

Jun 28 2017 at 11:34 pm

Froom will win it I guess.

My choice would be Valverde, but the reason I will watch le Tour is Sagan and his show & pursuit of another Green jersey.
Tristan Denton says:

Jun 29 2017 at 12:09 am
VSP PICKS:
1. Froome
2. Quintana
3. Martin
4. Aru
5. Bardet
Cary says:

Jun 29 2017 at 12:34 am

@Pali65

Froom will win it I guess. My choice would be Valverde, but the reason I will watch le Tour is Sagan and his show & pursuit of another Green jersey.

Sagan truly animates every event he participates.
RobSandy says:

Jun 29 2017 at 1:23 am

@Erik

Picks don’t show up. But they are mapped. So, just in case: Quintana Porte Contador Froome Pinot Richie’s jour sans will be Quintana’s saving grace. Contador podium is really just romance. Froome will gamely hang on but this won’t be his year. His fourth will come with a vengeance next year. And Pinot is just too good to be ignored.

0

That was almost a poem.
RobSandy says:

Jun 29 2017 at 1:28 am
I think Froome will pull his best form out of the hat to beat Bardet and Porte in the last week.

Quintana looked tired in the Giro and I don't see him racing fresher.

But what do I know?

VSP PICKS:
1. Froome
2. Bardet
3. Porte
4. Quintana
5. Contador
chris says:

Jun 29 2017 at 2:48 am
@RobSandy
I think Froome will pull his best form out of the hat to beat Bardet and Porte in the last week. Quintana looked tired in the Giro and I don’t see him racing fresher. But what do I know? VSP PICKS:
1. Froome
2. Bardet
3. Porte
4. Quintana
5. Contador
0
Given that the only difference between our picks is that you've gone for Froome over Bardet, I think you've probably nailed it.

Or fucked it up just slightly less horribly than I have.
chris says:

Jun 29 2017 at 2:52 am

@frahronk The v-site is broken, paragraphs don't work and it's infected with nasty little social media likey likey things. /newpara If we must have social media buttons, can we have a little "that's shite" turd button?
RobSandy says:

Jun 29 2017 at 2:55 am
@chris
@RobSandy
I think Froome will pull his best form out of the hat to beat Bardet and Porte in the last week. Quintana looked tired in the Giro and I don’t see him racing fresher. But what do I know? VSP PICKS:

Froome

Bardet

Porte

Quintana

Contador

0
Given that the only difference between our picks is that you’ve gone for Froome over Bardet, I think you’ve probably nailed it. Or fucked it up just slightly less horribly than I have.

0
I'd love it if Bardet won the Tour. But like I've said before, never bet on the guy you want to win.