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!
I know as well as any of you that I've been checked out lately, kind…
Peter Sagan has undergone quite the transformation over the years; starting as a brash and…
The Women's road race has to be my favorite one-day road race after Paris-Roubaix and…
Holy fuckballs. I've never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I've missed…
This week we are currently in is the most boring week of the year. After…
I have memories of my life before Cycling, but as the years wear slowly on…
View Comments
@Omar
A masterpiece. I'm printing that and hanging it in the workshop beneath this picture:
@Joshua
Yeah, not boring. That whole Tour was not boring. It was epic. Totally rad.
@all
No change in the standings today, despite Alejet taking Green.
Hushovd on how he lost the lead:
And Pettacchi on 2003:
Two great quotes by two great champions. Loves 'em, the both of 'em.
Garmin will probably inadvertently do a pretty good job of that.
I must say I'm surprised they threw him out... (not seen the footage yet, waiting for the highlights)
I remember back in the early days of my education into the TdF that someone... McEwan I think, did something similar and didn't get chucked out, DQed from the sprint and docked points but not thrown out. I guess McEwan is/was a big enough name that if he got thrown out it would detract from the spectacle.
@frank
Thor joining a few breakaways in the next few stages to pick up sprints, methinks?
@Nathan Edwards
I haven't seen it either; it must have been bad. This is the first time I can remember this happening, getting thrown out. From what I've gathered, I think they were close to the barriers or there was some movement towards the barriers by Renshaw. McEwen/O'Grady were in the middle of the bunch, and I think they pretty much stayed on their lines as they beat at each other. But I haven't seen the footage. Besides, that was two Aussies, rather than a Assie and a Kiwi.
@Cyclops
Ouch.
@Kermitpunk
I think it's his only chance! He's said himself he's out-gunned and scared. There have been a lot of crashes in the bunch gallops this season, I can see why people might be easing off, especially the older guys who know a thing or two about self-preservation at this point. I wouldn't be surprised if Boonen stops doing the sprints, too, after his luck this year.
Is it just me, or does it seem like people are really taking risks, doesn't it? Sell-your-mother-for-the-win risks, like Cat4-5 crit racing-risks, not pro racing risks. I remember (vividly) one crash I was in once was in the middle of a crit where the whole bunch just went sprinting off for some reason and some idiot thought he'd win the race from 30 laps out by diving through a non-existence gap.
The crashes this year remind me of that. Of course, the stakes are higher, too, but...is it worth going into the barriers?
@frank @Nathan Edwards
its two infractions; the first is the headbutts, then prince harry pretty much pins tyler to the boards. I got the feeling from an interview with one of the commissaires that if it had been just one he'd have been relegated, but the fact there were two forced their hand to the DQ.
Dean isn't entirely innocent, he does intentionally start leaning on renshaw, which caused the headbutts.
First DQ for 13 years apparently too
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saPLJQZhQpk
Last 4km via Sporza - worth it for two reasons:
1. Sporza's awesome Flemish commentary soundtrack... ay-yoi-yoi-yoi-yoi! ney ney ney ney! when the peloton rounds the last corner. Love those guys, though they might as well be speaking Swedish Chef to me.
2. Check out Farrar at 5:30 giving the interview in Flemish! Sounds like Johnny American, but whatever - right after the finish, still winded, I could barely speak my own tongue, much less that stuff.
@Omar
You are wise. Outstanding theory Omar...Rule 5 concentrate. Purity of Essence. POE. Have any of you kids watched Dr. Strangelove? or am I the only old dude here?
Nice work. That is frame-worthy.
@frank "Besides, that was two Aussies, rather than a Assie and a Kiwi." Stolen my line. Damn.