Categories: 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.

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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ChrisO says:

Jul 17 2011 at 4:02 am

I'm slightly bemused by many of the write-ups and tweets about yesterday's stage on two points.

1. Amazement that Voeckler is in yellow ? He kept yellow on the same stage previously against the 'extra-terrestrial' efforts of Armstrong and Basso. I had left him in my Fantasy team, as had a lot of other people. Chances are he would make a supreme effort to hold on as he has done in the past. It's what he's quite good at.

2. People having a go at the leading GC contenders for not making all-out repeated attacks. These are often the same people who bemoan doping. Surely there is a contradiction between thinking that these guys should ride up an HC mountain at 20km/h while relentlessly attacking each other, and arguing that they should never resort to performance-enhancing drugs.
One of the effects of a clean peloton is going to be a levelling of the playing field and reduction of the margins, so it seems odd to complain about the cause AND the effect.
G'phant says:

Jul 17 2011 at 4:27 am

@Jeff in PetroMetro
Nanci Griffith ('Woman of the Phoenix') sings of Houston looking 'like Cleveland with the colour removed'. Not a ringing endorsement. But sometimes I think it must be nice not to have hills. Generally I think this at the end of a ride when I am reminded I live at the top of one.
Alex says:

Jul 17 2011 at 4:36 am

@ChrisO

I'm slightly bemused by many of the write-ups and tweets about yesterday's stage on two points.
1. Amazement that Voeckler is in yellow ? He kept yellow on the same stage previously against the 'extra-terrestrial' efforts of Armstrong and Basso. I had left him in my Fantasy team, as had a lot of other people. Chances are he would make a supreme effort to hold on as he has done in the past. It's what he's quite good at.
2. People having a go at the leading GC contenders for not making all-out repeated attacks. These are often the same people who bemoan doping. Surely there is a contradiction between thinking that these guys should ride up an HC mountain at 20km/h while relentlessly attacking each other, and arguing that they should never resort to performance-enhancing drugs.
One of the effects of a clean peloton is going to be a levelling of the playing field and reduction of the margins, so it seems odd to complain about the cause AND the effect.

right on ChrisO.
I'm also tired of Shergitt constantly saying he's riding above his abilities. They give no credit to the actual awesome riding he's doing at the maximum of his abilities. He's been one of the winningest riders this year behind Gilbert.
Credit where credit due methinks.
Steampunk says:

Jul 17 2011 at 5:54 am

@Jeff in PetroMetro
Apologies: that was an uncalled for and totally inappropriate blindside. Not my finest hour"”don't know what came over me. But I feel constrained to point out that while you might deserve some sympathy, sixteen years would suggest a level of gluttony for punishment that, fronkly, shouldn't be encouraged. (No, I'm not at all still jealous about the Look"”damn! I wish that flight had been earlier in the day...)
frank says:

Jul 17 2011 at 9:13 am

@Slash

Frank, you douchebag . . .
" 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.)"
Freakin' self-indulgent, drug abusing Pantani, and you are going stand the line on the claim that somehow, Pantani, was what??? Clearner? No. Stronger? No. More stylish on a bike? No. What then, you douche bag??

No, cooler.

@CJ

Frank has been known to smudge the line between fact and shouted, repeated opinion), passion, feeling, you know, cycling fan stuff.

I generally don't shout. Which proves comprehensively that I'm not a douchebag because douchebags shout.

I would argue, though, that I make it pretty clear in my writing where facts end and opinions start.
frank says:

Jul 17 2011 at 9:28 am

@ChrisO

2. People having a go at the leading GC contenders for not making all-out repeated attacks. These are often the same people who bemoan doping. Surely there is a contradiction between thinking that these guys should ride up an HC mountain at 20km/h while relentlessly attacking each other, and arguing that they should never resort to performance-enhancing drugs.
One of the effects of a clean peloton is going to be a levelling of the playing field and reduction of the margins, so it seems odd to complain about the cause AND the effect.

Brilliant observation.
Erik says:

Jul 17 2011 at 12:48 pm

Is anyone else annoyed that the Schlecks are saying that everyone else wasn't aggressive enough? What?
RedRanger says:

Jul 17 2011 at 12:52 pm

@Erik
I'm not a racer, have never been in a race and I am only watching my 2nd Tour ever. But yeah that makes little to no sense to me.
Minion says:

Jul 17 2011 at 1:28 pm

@Erik

Is anyone else annoyed that the Schlecks are saying that everyone else wasn't aggressive enough? What?

Maybe they'd got into their dad's viagra and wanted a little, y'know, privacy.
Eightzero says:

Jul 17 2011 at 1:53 pm

Two words: Ten Dam. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/photos/ten-dam-continues-in-the-tour-de-france/183045