Velominati Super Prestige

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.

Related Posts

Velominati Super Prestige: Men’s World Championship Road Race 2017

Sep 21 2017

Velominati Super Prestige: Women’s World Championship Road Race 2017

Sep 21 2017

152 Replies to “Velominati Super Prestige: Le Tour de France, Stage 14”

  3. My first though is this.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Andy
    2. Conti
    3. Evans
    4. Basso
    5. Frank

  4. I need to look at the final climb in detail – seems like it has some pitch changes which wouldn’t suit Basso’s style…

    VSP PICKS:

    1. A. Schleck
    2. Basso
    3. Clentador
    4. F. Schleck
    5. Cuddles

  13. this is of course Cuntoders last hoorah for this Tour, since i didn’t pick him he will probably something spectacular

    VSP PICKS:

    1. schlick the older
    2. cuddles
    3. ivan the terrible asso-doper
    4. sammy da man sandwiches
    5. boy andy

  14. Cuddles is looking really great. I hope he pulls this one out. Lots of questions about Contador right now, perhaps too many questions.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Cuddles
    2. Canhego?
    3. Big Schleck
    4. Little Schleck
    5. Bass Ho

  16. VSP PICKS:

    1. basso
    2. cunego
    3. evans
    4. f. schleck
    5. a. schleck

  20. VSP PICKS:

    1. Andy Schleck
    2. Frank Schleck
    3. Cadel Evans
    4. Ivan Basso
    5. Alberto Contador

  21. Alberto “I never promised you fireworks” Contador

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Alberto
    2. Grimpy the Younger
    3. Cadel
    4. Basso
    5. JEROME F’IN COPPEL

  26. I reckon the Schleckies will finally realise they can 1-2 Alberto, and Andy’ll get the win to even out Fränk’s little attack the other day. Cheeky mention for Voeckler who will either stick with the group in epic fashion to keep his Jersey, or drop out the back like so much shit off a shovel.

    Thor’s interview’s just on the telly. Bless him, he’s crying. Is that pure V coming out of his tear ducts? I think so.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Grimplette
    2. Grimpleur the Elder
    3. Clenbutador
    4. Cadel
    5. Voeckler

  27. @Netraam

    Don’t ask me why, I just have this feeling Ivan wants to be good this day

    Didn’t he get second to Pharmy in 2004? Not bad prognostication.@Oli

    VSP PICKS:
    1. Armstrong
    2. Contador
    3. Pantani
    4. Ullrich
    5. Zulle

    I’d pay to watch that happen.

  28. Martin goes clear early on, then gets reeled in by a dueling Schleck tandem. Bertie is dropped by Evans and Basso taking turns, and Basso gets the better of Evans by a few seconds.

    I’ll up it a step and say les Freres Grimpeur take 42 seconds on everyone.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Grimplette
    2. Grimpelder
    3. Martin
    4. Basso
    5. Evans

  29. Well fooey on them.

    I will just have to be happy with my forthcoming Belgian flag Jawbones.

  31. Need a wild card to win. The big players will play out behind the polka dots. Hmmm. I’m thinking. But I’m also trying to work from the dining room while my daughter asks me questions from the kitchen. This day is challenging and this VSP is doing nothing to help me.

    I’ll be back after a ride and beer to figure this out.

  33. My subconscious has picked Cunego. I’m sure there’s some logic behind it….

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Cunego
    2. F Schleck
    3. Basso
    4. Cadel
    5. A Schleck

  34. Watching these five along with Cothodor on the Aubisque this morning, it’s pretty clear to that F Schleck, Cuddles and Basso have the best legs, Cunego’s got the fire, and Andy’s going to do his typical sit-in (yawn). But Alberto’s steak is cooked. Looking forward to tomorrow!

    Delenda Est Alberto

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Cuddles
    2. Grimpelder
    3. Basso
    4. Grimplette
    5. Cunego

  35. Conti will show up tomorrow and show the world why he’s the best stage racer in the world. He may not have the gas to take it to Paris but he’s going to go balls out on this one. Fran is trending better that dy right now (or is it Fr and andy or Fra and ndy?) Anyway, after them the other two usual suspects. Either that or some Basque or Frenchman will freelance that shit.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. El Steakelero
    2. Fran
    3. dy
    4. Cadel
    5. Basstardo

  36. VSP PICKS:

    1. Ivan Basso
    2. Frank Schleck
    3. Cadel Evans
    4. Andy Schleck
    5. Alberto Contador

  37. Tradition is killed on the Plateau this time.

    Conti takes 50 seconds back, but Cuddles cements yellow and The Count climbs onto the podium.

    The Useless Bros double team each other out of contention, with the Ashtray on a Motorbike attacking way too early and blowing up 6km from the top, while the Bottom Half of a Mermaid keeps looking around forlornly as his brother and the Maillot Jaune fade in the mirror.

    Can He Go doesn’t get mentioned until the last 200 metres, but he’s there…

    VSP PICKS:

    1. COTHOdor
    2. The Elephant Man
    3. Count Basso
    4. The Mermaid
    5. Cunny Lingers

  38. Part of me says it’s much too early to tell what’s going to happen. We haven’t really seen anyone play their hand.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Contador
    2. Poulidor
    3. Cuddles
    4. Sammy Sandwich
    5. Basso

  40. What the fuck is it with COTHO2? According to Graham Watson, Bruyneel was encouraging Kloden to stay in the race today. The video shows that when Kloden stopped to retire (at 10kms in) he could barely stand or unclip from the bike. A mechanic had to twist his foot to get it out of the pedal. Now I understand that Kloden is a tough guy and may have insisted on starting the state, but a good DS would have said “no way”. Add this to the disgraceful failure to pull Horner from the race and allowing him to ride 25kms with a serious concussion and you have to wonder if this bastard truly has his rider’s interests/welfare foremost in his mind. If I was a neo-pro, and given the age of their current squad and that the Shack have upped for two more years, they’re going to need a few, would I want to ride for Bruyneel? COTHO2? No, joint first place with the original COTHO.

  43. I, like Steampunk, believe it’s a bit too early to know who’s going to go for it and who is going to continue to watch the race unfold. I do know this: Frank S. has way better form right now than Andy S. and Contador is absolutely toast from the Giro. But he will not go down without fighting. As much as everyone here seems to love Evans, I’m simply not feeling him. True, he’s acting more like a leader and a winner, but I’m not convinced. It’s more than just legs that win’s this tour.

    Though my overall picks say otherwise, I really like F. Schleck to win Le Tour right now unless Contador destroys the field over the next couple of days. I’d say the likelihood of that happening is about as high as seeing Oli’s picks come in as he has predicted here.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. A. Contador
    2. F. Schleck
    3. C. Evans
    4. I. Basso
    5. A. Schleck

  45. Contador’s going to try to light something up with an impressive attak, but he’s going to remember his legs are still on the tarmac in Italy.

    Meanwhile, Basso’s got a little taste of glory on his lips filling his guns with some extra V powder, and Evans is going to ride an inspired shotgun as he’s probably having a great Skype session with his dog tonight. They will ride past, grimaces showing, as AC peters out.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. I. Basso
    2. C. Evans
    3. A. Contador
    4. A. Schleck
    5. F. Schleck

  46. I think it is too early in the tour for this stage to be really predictive of who will ride to glory in Paris

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Sammy Sanchez
    2. C. Evans
    3. Ivan Basso
    4. F. Schleck
    5. J. Hoogerland

  48. @wiscot
    Couldn’t agree more. Disgraceful stuff””and a disaster of a Tour for Radioshack.

    Word is Poulidor’s not racing””I still think he’ll finish second. But I’ll slot in A. Schleck. I’ll spot Contador more than a minute and the rest will come in together””not looking blasted, but scared shitless that the Spaniard dropped them so easily. This is the point, mind, where I think we’ll be sorry not to have Wiggins and VDB in the race. The latter, especially, seemed to show some nice acceleration on the climbs at the Dauphiné, and it would have been fun to see what he could manage here.

    I’d also dearly love to see another defiant version of this.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Contador
    2. A. Schleck
    3. Cuddles
    4. Sammy Sandwich
    5. Basso

  50. @drsoul

    As much as everyone here seems to love Evans, I’m simply not feeling him

    I’m with you, man. I’m not feeling him neither. Not his dog, either. Like the guy and wish him a good result, but it’s all those hardened criminals from Oz that talk him up like he’s the Third Coming.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.