The inaugural Velominati Super Prestige continues the with Tour de France edition, on Saturday July 3rd in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, just kilometers from the start of the Giro d’Italia in Amsterdam (Dutchland is a small country). This will be the second Grand Tour of the series, and at this stage the Grand Tour rules and regulations are fairly well-defined, so take a moment to review them on the VSP Page.
The Tour is, of course, a major event. My personal preference lies with the Giro, but there is no denying the magnitude of the Tour and the appeal it holds. For three weeks, the world pays attention to our sport, and – provided the Tour doesn’t coincide with the World Cup football matches – this is the biggest sporting event during this time of the year. (An interesting observation: the last time these events coincided, the winner was eventually stripped of his title.)
Having run the VSP Giro edition where we tested the ruleset for Grand Tours, we’ve managed to set up a scoring system that seems fair and helps to close down the competition to afford newcomers the ability to catch up with some good picks; the Giro proved that lineup switches and the associated penalties kept the point gains pretty small while allowing strategy to play an interesting role. There is a full overview of the rules and standing at the VSP Schedule, Rules, & Results page, but here is the ten-second overview:
Every contestant is to choose their top five General Classification picks of the race. The final podium of le Grande Boucle is worth 15 points to the winner, 10 points for second, 5 points for third, 3 points for fourth, and 2 point for fifth. Given the effect crashes can have on a tour, we’ve set up some guidelines around making changes to your lineup during the race: you’re allowed to change your lineup if any rider in your pick list drops out for any reason without any penalty; rest days will allow contestants to make changes to their lineup, however those changes will come at a point penalty. (Visit the VSP Schedule, Rules, & Results page for a complete breakdown of these points.)
Every day, the leader in the points standings will have the honor of wearing the Yellow Jersey when posting on the site; the overall winner will wear the Yellow Jersey for the remainder of the season and will also earn an “Obey the Rules” bumper sticker. All reader’s points qualify towards the final prize of the free Velominati Shop Apron. As always, if you are inclined to enter, simply post your predictions for the top five placings.
New to the Tour de France edition is the addition of naming the winner of the Green and Polka-dot jerseys for the Tour. There will be no points awarded towards these two jerseys, but the leader of the competition of these jerseys will have the honor of commenting with a Green or Polka-dot jersey badge throughout the competition and the winner will earn the right to comment with that badge until next year’s Tour. The contestant who picks both the final Green and Polka jersey winners correctly will win a Velominati Logo bumper sticker. Tie-breakers will go to the first contestant who posts their entire lineup (all 5 GC picks plus Green and Polka-dot jersey winners). Given that this sub-competition has no points, pick substitutions will only be granted under the DNF regulations of the VSP; no rest-day substitutions are allowed.
Sub-competitions will be conducted while the Tour is underway for specific stages. These stages will be chosen a few days prior to the stage being held and will be selected based on the current race conditions with the aim of choosing the most decisive and exciting stages of the race, so check back often to make sure you don’t miss out. Sub-competitions will be held in separate editions.
Good luck!
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View Comments
@brett
I like this word, "plonker", please provide a definition.
@david
Agreed. Basso is good shit.
From Wikipedia:
Plonker is a slang term of British or Australian origin whose meaning has evolved over time. Partridge in the third edition of his A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English in 1949 recorded the term as "low" slang for penis, "since ca. 1917". The term remains in recent use with that meaning.
By 1966, the term had also acquired the meaning of a man who let his girlfriend sleep with his male friends,[1] and in the 1980s had a new meaning of a stupid or inept person. This meaning gained very wide circulation through its frequent use in Only Fools and Horses, and has entered common usage.[2]
But aside from the intellectuals... it is broadly interchangeable with wanker, dick, twat, pratt, knob, Contador, Armstrong, and fuckwit (although, I really do like the word 'fuckwit')
Basso is really coming out of left field. Who'd've guessed, huh?
@roadslave
thanks for the definition. My views are as follows:
In terms of this website, douche is probably a more pejorative term than plonker. I think of douche as implying some sort of evil or nasty trait - think of Cavendouche or Armstrong.
But a plonker, as you say, is more stupid/inept than mean, and is invariably overweight, but almost a little lovable - ergo the term "Fat English Plonker" (close to a tautology) to describe the Pommy tourist with a handkerchief on his head.
As far as cycling and the Velominati go, a Plonker may well be seen to be a Rules-Unaware very slow and ordinary cyclist (but quite possibly a nice fellow), eg. I passed this fat (probably English) plonker on the road today. He had a fucking flag on the back of his bike and almost brought me down with his weaving about on the road. But he greeted me with a cheery hello, unaware of the uncertainty behind him, so I felt compelled to give him a cursory nod.
In terms of pro cyclists, I would say that Plonkers are probably few and far between. An early season Ulle might have qualified (see what I mean about lovable?), eg. "Ulle ate so much black forest gateaux in the off season that when he turned up at Paris-Nice we mistook him for an fat English plonker on a cyclo-tour.
Of today's riders, the fat plonkers are harder to find, but maybe, just maybe, Hincrappie could be described as riding like a plonker when he underwhelms in the classics - this almost makes him lovable.
Not sure if this helps or hinders. For the record I am currently riding like a plonker with an expected peak of 2.5 months from now.
@Marcus
Likewise, in New Zealand "plonker" connotes eminently forgiveable inadequacy of a probably embarrassing but not otherwise material kind. Your ageing father forgets to get changed out of his slippers before heading out the door to the opera? You say "Dad, you plonker, put your shoes on". Your son leaves his shoes outside so they get rained on? You say "Oi, son, you plonker, your shoes are wet." But some leering pissed oaf tries to stick his hand up your missus' dress? You don't say "Hey, don't be such a plonker". Some arsehole in a red Porsche deliberately cuts you off and leaves you risking your new 404's in the gutter? You don't say "Gosh, what a plonker". Down this way, "plonker" is a substitute for "twit", "dork" and "wally" - not for "wanker", "fuckwit", "arsehole", "COTHO" or "whimpering house eunuch".
1. Contador
2. Evans
3. Schleck A
4. Phamastrong
5. Wiggins
@frank - thanks. my first foray into Tumblr - despite the fact that I am web developer, I am also at the stage in my life where hold dear my time and love a good out-of-the-box solution. Tumblr has some hella nice RSS import gadgets...
@Marko
Velogames is buggy, unreliable and slow to update- but the only game in town when it comes to cycling fantasy leagues - the developer in me says "you could totally write something better than that!" but the new father in me says "beer. couch. no thoughts. no freelance."
I love his wacky scoring system! You get points for breakaways and intermediate sprints and jerseys and "assists". And yes, I am registered and I am hosting a mini-league - everyone is free to join: http://bit.ly/buqxAX
Re cycling fantasy leagues, for those keen to spend even more time this July thinking about TdF see below copy of post from Crossy - comment 226 (?) to TdeS VSP. (Me, I'm gonna be hard pressed to keep up with the race itself and Velominati. If I start signing up for fantasy leagues as well I may as well tell 'er indoors to file the divorce papers now. And knowing my lucjk I;d end up playing against Frank and so getting smoked twice. But best of to those who do sign up.)
"On another topic. Not sure if any of you lot caught up with this TdF Fantasy game last year http://sbs.com.au/tdf/fantasy
I have set up a mini-league, happy for all and sundry to join.
Go to the game http://sbs.com.au/tdf/fantasy ,pick your team then use the 'mini-league admin' option to join my mini-league.
The details you need are:
League Name: Super Domestique
League password: jens01
It doesn't cost anything - plus there are some great prizes to win!"
Weatherbug. 40% chance of drizzle for Stage 2 in the area around Lille. There's a chance the cobbles will be wet on Stage 3. Outstanding. But, so as not to leave anything to chance, let us pray . . .
Great, almighty cycling gods, we come before you humbly asking for a deluge of rain on Tuesday, July 6 in Northern France. We promise to ride double our weekly miles--after the Tour is over--if you would bless us our request. In His name, Amen.
Greg Lemond, today in an article posted at Cyclingnews: "My Lance Armstrong prediction? Either he will not start or he will pull out just before the race enters France. I have a feeling the world of cycling is about to change for the better."
WTF. Greg's as loopy as Landis.
@david
"In His name, A-Merckx"
slight fix to an otherwise +1 post.
Now can we get a Halleluja from the cogregation!?!?!