Velominati Super Prestige: Le Tour de France, Stage 14

Plateau de Beille has a reputation. It’s long. It’s hard. It’s steep. It’s high. And, because it’s in the Pyrenees, it’s either really hot or really wet.

Although it has only been featured in the Tour four times (1998, 2002, 2004, 2007), it has quickly been placed high on the list of fabled Tour mountaintop finishes for the simple fact that every time the Tour has had a stage finish at the Plateau, the winner of the stage has gone on to win the Tour: Pantani, Amstrong, and Contador have all won here and gone on to win le Grand Boucle. (Of the past winners, Pantani is the only rider whose photo I’m willing to post on a VSP event.)

For those of us who are superstitious, we will, because of this track record, choose the rider whom we hopes will go on to win the Tour. Those of us who are more reasonable might engage in some prognosticating, while others still will inexplicably pick Mark Cavendish or Philbert.

While we traditionally kick off the first intermediate VSP for a Grand Tour on the first mountaintop finish, this time around we waited for this decisive day. The riders have played their cards close to their chest, but surely they will be laid out on the table tomorrow. Get your picks in by 5am Pacific tomorrow morning for the chance to win 3, 2, or 1 points for the podium spots, and 1 point for 4th and 5th places.  Good luck.

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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  • Sheeeit, I missed this intermediate VSP. Bollocks. Not sure when this went up, but then again I stayed away from the site all day yesterday since I was going to watch the rebroadcast at night and wanted to "go in fresh" as Frank Costanza would bellow. That's what I get for staying away too long. Enjoy your points, ya jerks! Is this the last intermediate VSP for Le Tour? I don't want to miss the next one.

    Well, not able to watch it live but I'm going to stay away from the site for the rest of the day and then watch the rebroadcast tonight.

    Am doing the first riding I've done in a week - out of town doing work but meeting up with a dude I "met" on a bike forum who lives here. We ride the same size bike & the dude is nice enough to let me ride one. How about that? First ride in a week, can't wait. He emailed last night to say I'll be riding...Campa and tubulars. How 'bout that!

    And wow, Thor's ride yesterday was awesome. Takes a brave man to wear white, but he sure rode like he's bad to the bone! Fucking awesome.

    Happy Saturday, happy Stage 14 to all!

  • Well, there you have it, a Belgian wins on a mountain top. Someone may have to back this up with actual research but that's perhaps the first time that's been done since Lucien Van Impe was slaying it in the 70's and 80's. It is a very good year to be a Belgian cycling fan. And how about that Tommy V-oeckler? Outstanding riding by him and Europcar today to protect the lead. Otherwise, not a shake-up by the big G.C. riders like most of us expected.

    [vsp_results id="8927"]
    [/vsp_results]

  • @Ron
    Damn! I'm beginning to think this is all part of the act"”because it's comedy gold.

    The intermediate VSP stages: the trick to winning the Tour de France.

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