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.
@earnest
If I had been drinking a beer right now as I rightfully should be were it not for my race tomorrow, it would have been spat all over my screen.
Skype with a dog. Comedy gold.
VSP PICKS:
1. Frank schleck
2. Cuddles
3. Sanchez
4. Andy Schleck
5. Danielson
C’mon Tommy! You know you want eeeettttt
VSP PICKS:
1. Voekler
2. Voekler
3. Voekler
4. Voekler
5. Voekler
I’m basing my VSP on who has the most to gain.
Basso looks ominous. He will be looking to peg back lost time.
Contador will be climbing like a cut snake IF he’s been shadow boxing up till now.
Cuddles will be marking them closely, but will be strategic about how much time he can afford to lose.
F Schleck will come in with Cuddles.
Cunego will trail them by 15 seconds.
Voeckler will only just keep the Maillot Jaune.
VSP PICKS:
1. Basso
2. Contador
3. Cuddles
4. F Schleck
5. Cunego
As a hardened criminal I have no other choice but to put Good Cadel in at No.1
VSP PICKS:
1. Good Cadel
2. Frau Schleck
3. Turn up the Bass….O
4. Asleck
5. Sam San
I’m going to regret these choices. Sanchez (or someone else from Spain or Basque country) will pay back Alberto for his Giro gifts. That person, presumably Sammy, will take the stage. Frank will grow a pair and drop his little brother. Cadel will keep up. And Danielson will make time to make Garmin’s Tour even cooler.
I’d pick Danielson if Thor hadn’t won today. That would be too good to be true for Garmin.
VSP PICKS:
1. Sammy Sanchez
2. Contador
3. Frank Schleck
4. Cuddles
5. Danielson
Evans only wants to be in yellow on last day. Andy has done nothing so far so needs a big stage win for the sponsors. Sammy not quite there, AC riding into form and Frank works for Andy and tires.
Or not!
And yes us criminals in Oz are hard, we have to watch it overnight and then get up early to ride before all the wombats and wallabies come out after it gets light.
VSP PICKS:
1. A Schleck
2. C Evans
3. A Contador
4. F Schleck
5. S Sanchez
I am so glad to be able to watch this stage. 5 a.m. @ the coffee shop. Love it.
VSP PICKS:
1. Andy
2. Frank
3. Cadel
4. Albertito
5. Sammy
@frank
Back in my racing days I usually did better with a slight hangover. But that was when I was in my early/mid 20s. And on mostly flat crits. Probably from a desire to get the whole thing over with as early as possible.
VSP PICKS:
1. El Steakelero
2. Fran
3. dy
4. Cadel
5. Basstardo
VSP PICKS:
1. Cont
2. Basso
3. Cunego
4. Andy
5. Sanchez
VSP PICKS:
1. cunego go go go go
2. contraband
3. schleck can shift
4. sanchez
5. schleck can’t shift
I don’t see how a multiple GT-winner with more animal and racing instinct than the rest put together is willing to lose 15 seconds to convince everybody they’re not feeling good. If he was faking, lose 2 seconds and look like a thirsty dog, but any more is dangerous given how far back he already was. I think he’s genuinely struggling, which is probably the best news for everybody involved (except maybe Mr 60%).
Basso will just run down anybody in his way and work with Cadel to put Frandy in a double headlock. The Doublemint Twins will work together to limit Andy’s losses when his true lack of form shows up, costing Frank his best ever chance at a GT, and earning them 5th and 6th on the stage (and 3rd and 4th in Paris).
Cunego will just hang in and hang in and will have his best ever TdF – right up until the final ITT, anyway – but tonight, will finish a strong 4th.
VSP PICKS:
1. Ivan the Terrible (Liar)
2. The Dog Skyperer
3. The Steakhouse Express
4. The little prince
5. Franky Spanky
VSP PICKS:
1. evans
2. f schleck
3. basso
4. a schleck
5. sanchez
VSP PICKS:
1. Frank
Sorry – blinking double post…
VSP PICKS:
1. Frank
2. Sam Sanchez
3. Andy
4. Basso
5. Contadoor
double Frandy headlock sounds great!
Basso and Cadel working together is the only way the double punch will be neautalised but I like GluteCramp’s assessment
VSP PICKS:
1. Sanchez
2. Basso
3. Evans
4. Fränk Schleck
5. Andy Schleck
So after some modification here’s a shitty looking deal (but, having a steed is of the utmost importance):
I’m going to play it off next weekend like I’m Andy with the weight saving down tube shifter for front, STI rear. ‘Cept I’m not nearly as cool as the Haminator.
VSP PICKS:
1. cuddles
2. sir-basso-a lot
3. schleck the elder
4. schleck the younger
5. spanish steak
Cadelephantitus to emerge today and grimplette to lose time!
VSP PICKS:
1. Cadelephant
2. Basso
3. Clenbeutador
4. Grimpeur elder
5. Grimplett
VSP PICKS:
1. Frank
2. Basso
3. Cadel
4. Andy
5. Damiano
VSP PICKS:
1. Contador
2. F. Schleck
3. Evans
4. A. Schleck
5. Basso
Not what I want. Not what I think will happen. A pathetic mixture of the two. A bit like Frandy. Should be a cracker.
VSP PICKS:
1. Basso Profundo
2. Frankenshleck
3. Beefeater
4. Mrs Schleck’s Little Boy
5. Dogskype
VSP PICKS:
1. Contador
2. Sammy Sanchez
3. Andy
4. Cunego
5. Frank
VSP PICKS:
1. Basso
2. Frank
3. Andy
4. Sanchez
5. Cadel
This is the Plateau de Beielle. Anyone with GC pretentions is going to go for it today… therefore, my top 5 are the same as my (massively reshaped) GC Top 5… I think the Beefeater has to step up today… he has been aiming to peak today, and will have been targetting this stage all along. Basso is just looking mean right now, and will be the only person able to hold his wheel. The other three will lose some… but not much… time to El Chipolata, who no longer looks like he’s dancing on the pedals… he’s like a fish wriggling / writhing on a hook. If he doesn’t deliver today, his tour is over.
VSP PICKS:
1. Contador
2. Basso
3. Schleck, F
4. Evans
5. Schleck, A
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??
@Slash
He doesn’t like Armstrong or Contador.
He likes Pantani.
He also likes Ullrich and has been known to praise Virenque.
I don’t think it’s an objective assessment, just a reaction to percieved personality traits, and yeah, actually, style. Certainly with Armstrong, anyway.
The unfairness of lionising some from the epo era while hating on others has been covered before in these pages, and I don’t think Frank is talking along these lines, more opinion (although Frank has been known to smudge the line between fact and shouted, repeated opinion), passion, feeling, you know, cycling fan stuff.
@Slash
Interesting way to introduce yourself to the community. Must be a riot when you move to a new neighborhood. ‘Hey, cuntface, trim ya fucking hedge and paint ya fucking house – I don’t like them as they are’. Pure class.
But, you know, if there’s a website which YOU maintain, feel free to post pictures of what you like there.
VSP PICKS:
1. Basso Profundo
2. Frankenshleck
3. Beefeater
4. Mrs Schleck’s Little Boy
5. Dogskype
VSP PICKS:
1. A schleck
2. basso
3. f schleck
4. sanchez
5. contador
GO CUDDLES!
VSP PICKS:
1. A Schlecktacular
2. Cuddles
3. Cuntador
4. F Schlecktacular
5. Sanchez
VSP PICKS:
1. Frank
2. Andy
3. Cadel
4. Sammy Sanchez
5. Danielson
@Slash
Yeah, I remember the first time I drank one of my dad’s beers and got on the internet.
@G’phant
But what else would one expect from an ex-Guns n’ Roses member? Sweet Child of my ring piece….
@il ciclista medio
And ironically, a drug-addled over-rated one at that.
@ Slash:
Its the truth, see Rule V.
You have yours. Frank has his, I have mine. Its what and who we love.
WTF, Jens?!?!
Nice to see that Europeans still think mooning is still funny.
The maillot jaune on a Frenchman apparently transfigures into pure liquid V.
Cracking from Voeckler. I don’t buy this idea that Contador’s just sandbagging. what’s he waiting for? That well known HC on the Champs d’Elysee?
@ralasdair
Are we watching the same race?
@RedRanger
Cracking as in “great”? Maybe it’s more of a British English colloquialism…
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!
Must say that was a bit anti-climatic.
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.
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VSP be damned. I can only hope TV takes it all the way with riding like that.
@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.
How can I not have been last wtf???
@Oli
Is this pedantry or a dispute?
@Oli
Spend a week in Houston. You’ll know you can’t be at the bottom of the heap…
@Marko
I knew I shouldn’t have put Contador in there…