Velominati Super Prestige: Tour de France Stage 8
The inaugural Velominati Super Prestige makes it’s first VSP Sub-Competition with Stage 8 of the Tour de France. The competition will allow contestants the opportunity to win bonus points in the VSP Tour de France by choosing the top three finishers of the stage for a chance to win 3 points for first place, 2 for second, and 1 for third.
We are expecting fireworks on the bumpy stage from Station des Rousses to Morzine-Avoriaz so it’s going to be a tough one to call, given that a breakaway can go up the road while the GC contenders watch eachother and wait for the last hill. That said, some GC hopes are farther behind (or not far enough a head of) Alberto Contador to be able to afford to wait until the last hill; will the stage show a Pantaniesque ride from a rider like Sastre or Armstrong?
Make your picks by the time tomorrow’s stage starts, regular VSP Rules apply. Good luck!
1. Nicolas Roche
2. Jurgen Van Den Broeck
3. Johan Van Summeren
Damn! I was going to pip Eros Capecchi for this, but he went hard today and got very little for his efforts. Tomorrow will be a day for Brice Feillu, but he’s not racing, so instead:
1. Cyril Gautier
2. Jean Gadret
3. Damiano Hesnotgoinganywherebuthecouldgo
This is a really tough one. It’s wide-open as to what could happen. I’m going to throw a hail-Mary and predict that some GC favorites are going to throw a hail-Mary of their own. What I really need is a Prognosticator Octopus, but I don’t have one handy. Where’s the lucky rabbit foot?
Here we go, I’m guessing Sastre and Armstrong team up for a day-long Kamakazi. It’s unexpected and unlikely, but it’s as good as anything else. An opportunist will come with them, and as such, I’m going to guess that Canhego was testing the waters today and has decided that yes, he Caninfactgoandwilltry. Winning the sprint, it will be:
1. Canindeedgo
2. Armstrong
3. Sastre
Even as I press “submit”, I know I’ll gain no points with this one.
@frank
Ha! Was wondering about the same thing. But Sastre felt pretty slighted by Armstrong’s comments after the 2008 Tour, so I don’t see him working with the American on anything. Probably the wrong strategy, but Contador will be tracking everything Armstrong does and won’t let him go.
Oh my: Armstrong not only downplays his form – but also invokes the 2003 tour in this article: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/armstrong-keeps-his-cool-despite-heat-saddle-sore
KOM Crapshoot tomorrow, with Pineau’s grind today and Chavanel in yellow…
1. J-ROD from the ROKKIT SKWAD
2. Egoi Martinez
3. Gesink
Perfect stage for someone to do a Heinrich manouevre…
Come-and-Go; he’s been talking it up, let’s see him deliver.
Easy Ryder; could find himself in yella, and may be let go by Big Balls Evans so he won’t have to defend it himself so early…
De La Fuente; almost Lantern Rouge, and has been known to crab his way along on a long breakaway.
@Kermitpunk
I don’t think Cunty will be too worried about tracking Pharmy. It could be fatal to do that, the old fella might find things a bit tough. Cunty should be more worried about Big Balls, the Gimp and even Veino (shit, he could be a chance today too).
I’m still in shock from seeing the BBox team actually acting like a team and riding at the front. One of the seven signs of the Apocalypse. Chavanel will lose the jersey again tomorrow. Maybe Veino will be allowed to sneak away for a win? Is Gesink still racing with a broken arm? What is going on?
I got nothin’.
1. Veino
2. Gerant Thomas
3. durty Sanchez
1. Little Tommy Steal-a-Stage Voeckler
2. Wee Matty Lloyd
3. Big Bad J-Rod
However – though this is not my pick – if for some reason the GC guys decide to get it on, then it will be (i) Pistolero (ii) Remaining Grimpeur (iii) Clovenchin Cadelephant.
ok finally made my mind up (its taken a while)
1. Brajkovic – only guy in the SHACK who has beaten bertie (and the only guy in the SHACK whois capable of beating him)
2. Matty Lloyd – tested out the guns yesterday, didn’t find them wanting (i really should have picked this guy for KoM overall)
3. Contador – after getting bored of marking a grimpeur and pharmstrong, he accelerates, blows them both to pieces and goes into yellow. the only guy capable of following him is good cadelephant
1. Contador
2. Vino
3. Armstrong
So glad to read that the asshole from Austin has cracked and shown his pedestrial (for riders of that caliber) talents. He had one good showing in a mountain stage all spring, and he’s only been mediocre in the time trials. And people thought he had a chance to win?
I honestly did think he had a chance to win, especially after his podium finish last year. This year he’s been very unlucky. I’ve looked up to Lance since I was a kid, so in all likelihood, I probably have a personal bias.
It was nice, though, to see Schleck drop Cunt-Odor like that. I wonder if he’ll be able to out-kick him again in the Pyrenees? And good on Cadelephant hangin’ in there today.
@all
HOW BOUT MY BOY ANDY! YEAH! Droppin’ the Cunny! Yea-aaah!!
@frank
That one was for the bro. Outstanding stage and great result for Grimpeur Junior. (Carping cricism: what was with that victory salute? Never thought Pistolero could be out-gauched, but too much more of Grimpeur’s “C’mon baby, do the Locomotion” hand-waving and I may have to revise that view.)
Why did Radioshack decide to hold back Brazkovic and let Eggtimer go up the road with Fingerbang? Do they want to be successful with Fuckhead or completely unsuccessful?
Good grief I hope Lance goes to jail.
Y’know: from a sporting standpoint, I actually felt rather badly for Lance today. I’ve never been a fan of his””rider or personality””but for the most part he’s handled himself reasonably given the pressure and scrutiny surrounding him. Some bad luck on Stage 3 with the puncture, but he showed a lot of grinta in trying to get back in the race. I’m sure the demons were already creeping in and losing a whole minute to Contador was tantamount to surrendering the race. And then today. You can call it bad luck that he crashed, not once, not twice, but three times, but I suspect he would even confess that he just doesn’t have it anymore. I mean: I don’t even remember him getting caught up in trouble in previous Tours””certainly not like this.
Much of it was his own doing, I know, but it was either winning in Paris or failure. He knew going in there was a handful of young legs that could simply out-climb him and if he stayed in contention, it would be through skill and hard work. I’m sure the work ethic is there””and I hope he finishes the Tour””but wiliness isn’t going to get the job done.
At the same time, in losing, he’s gone up mightily in my estimation. The dust-caked rider who slogged across the cobbles last week was a real warrior and an impressive one. It’s a shame that that won’t be a part of his legacy.
@Kermitpunk
A+1
Yay do I get a point or something for Gesink? J-ROD from the ROKKIT SKWAD almost got away with it, too, if it wasn’t for those damned kids…
Janez had to be gnashing his teeth as he was breathing through his nose with his mouth closed pacing Armnotasstrong…
@Geof
Thanks. I kinda expected to feel as though the great villain had been vanquished, but it really didn’t go down that way for me. We got plenty of shots of Lance suffering and all I saw was one tough customer who belonged on a bike. Stayed on too long? Maybe. But he could sure teach a number of members of the peloton a thing or two about Rule #5.
@Kermitpunk
Absolutely. You could see in his face how much he hated what had happened. It wasn’t the pain, it was the lost chance that really hurt him. Gotta respect that – as well as his awesome ride on tehe cobbles. Just a shame he’s now gotta support Eggtimer instead of someone fresh and new and exciting and, er, fast like Brakethebitch (the name I propose to call him by once he smokes Bertie in a climb one day again soon …).
If you ever doubted who called the shots on the RadioShack team:
From Chris Horner’s diary for Stage 8:
http://blog.oregonlive.com/horner/2010/07/tour_de_france_stage_8_chris_h.html
@ben
Dude, you totally get a point. You’re a fucking stud!! Gesink! Flying the Dutch flag! I missed it when I did the tallies, but God help me, I was also watching my heart get broken by Dutchland at the Football World Cup, so I get a winger on that one. But you totally fucking got a bonus point, and good on fucking you. Cheers, mate. Tomorrow, it will be noted.
@Kermitpunk, @Geof
We shit all over Lemond and Armstrong at the Velominati, and good on us for that, because this here is the tree of trust, right?
But in ’91, when Lemond was at his prime and thought he could win the Tour and he lost, he fucking fought tooth to nail to the last minute. He fucking broke away on the run-in to Paris. That was balls. That was a man. He’s a fucking douche now, but that’s how you loose like a man. You fucking attack to the last second.
Armstrong today, despite his bad luck, well…it was…well…shit. Lance, I tell you this – and I’m sorry to say it, truly: “Pain is temporary, quitting is forever.” You got dealt a bad blow today, but you didn’t need to loose 12 minutes and be a big looser. I am sorry to tell you, you will remember this day, the day you quit, forever.
@frank
I disagree Frank – Lance at 13+ minutes back has a lot more strategic value for Radioshack than Lance at say 3-5 minutes back – both in terms of riding as support for Eggtimer and/or for getting himself in a break. Indeed, as soon as it became clear his overall prospects had fallen behind the Egg, he may well have been somewhat duty-bound to let himself drop way down in GC – just to open up the potential for “manouevrability” later in the race.
Whilst it might be very unlikely that he gets in a break that sticks (methinks half the bunch would want to be on his wheel if he tried) he has a lot more chance when he is miles back.
And I say there is no benefit in Lance finishing 10th-15th versus finishing 50th.
Ahhh crap. Was out of net coverage and couldn’t tip.
Wouldn’t have picked it right anyway! Would only have grabbed a Grimp point.
Great stage though. Couple of hitters are riding for pride, not the podium now. Twiggo for one – may not even top 10. Ouch.
I can’t imagine Lance being allowed up the road, even if he was an hour down.
Really annoyed I missed this… would have tipped Grimpeur too… :S
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