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.

View Comments

  • @Oli
    It's actually 8.30 in the evening here. So what's the protocol? Do you wish someone a good ____________ depending on where they are or where you are? Not sure, you know, with globalization and the interwebs and all things get complicated.

  • @Ron
    Oooh Ooooh I had my first road ride on tubs yesterday too, despite being paranoid about punctures, and the spokes needing their spoke tension evened out, it is undoubtedly teh awesome. I just bought a cheap pair off the local ebay, cleaned the rims, glued up some old tubs, greased the hubs and glued them during the week. Takes 400grams off my training wheels, but climbing on them is rediculous. I'm off for another ride soon, can't wait.

  • @marko
    Put that down to mental fatigue from the long, hard stage last night - I wasn't thinking about time zones, just responding in kind. Good night, kind sir...

  • @Steampunk

    @OliSpend a week in Houston. You'll know you can't be at the bottom of the heap...

    Ah, yes. A little salt for my wounds. I should get a point for living here for 16 years. Oli, save yourself. Don't travel TO Houston, travel THROUGH Houston.

    I would like to point out I picked 3 of the top 5 finishers. Just none in the right places.

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