Velominati Super Prestige: Tour de Suisse 2012
This is an exciting time of year. The Giro is in the books, the Tour is firmly in everyone’s sights, and those of us with the vaguest idea of how the big race will unfold are prognosticating the loudest as we use races that are proven to reveal fuck-all about what will happen at the Tour to predict what will happen at the Tour.
With the Dauphiné underway we look to the start of the Tour de Suisse to peer deeper into the murk to see who is riding well. As far as I’m concerned, I might as well lay out all the rider’s names in a random pattern and blow snot-rockets at the floor to make my picks this year because I honestly haven’t the foggiest idea who will take it; the biggest race of the year is spinning up to be the biggest enigma of the year.
All this babbling serves to demonstrate another important point, and the reason why the Dauphiné wasn’t in the VSP: these stage races are little more than preparation races for the big names, and a chance for the smaller one’s to take center stage. So why did the Tour de Suisse get a VSP while the Dauphiné didn’t? For starters, the latter feels less like a dress rehearsal for the Tour, but mostly its because there is a mountain pass that has cobbles all the way up it in Switzerland (though I’m not sure if they’re riding it this year). How cool is that? I can get on board with any country who values labor costs little enough to pave an entire mountain road one cobble at a time. Yes, we’re that scientific here in the Velominati Boardroom.
When this race is over, we’ll have even less of a clue as to who will win in July (well, everyone except @Marcus, who needs neither evidence nor results in order to be sure Cuddles will win) and we’ll be able to distract ourselves with the various National Championships which will take place in the week leading up the Tour’s start and guessing wether Bruyneel has the nerve to cut either or both Schlecks from his Tour team.
So, dust off your monkey’s bones and 12-sided die, time to make your predictions for the 2012 Tour de Suisse. Check the Tour de Suisse site for the latest route and roster info and remember that since this is a stage race, (not a Grand Tour), points on offer are 10 for first place, 8 for second, 7 for third, 5 for fourth, and 3 for fifth – all based on the final General Classification; plus two bonus points per rider in the top five regardless of the rider’s placing. Get your picks in by the time the countdown clock goes to zero, and pray for an intervention. Make sure you check the mappings of your picks before the race ends so you get the points you deserve, and use the dispute mechanism to alert us of any issues. Note that the dispute mechanism is the official means by which to raise concerns about your picks; questions about your mappings or disputes raised in the posts will be largely ignored.
Good luck.
This is hands down my favorite stage race that’s not a Grand Tour. Gonna need to put some real thought into this one.
If the weather cooperates I shall ride the ol’ steel rig this afternoon, seeing as it has the same Cinelli stem (the 1A?) as half the bikes in the photo.
Cobbles. I loved how many streets & sidewalks were cobbled in the Czech Republic. Seems as if each little neighborhood within the city had it’s own crew of a few men to constant, though slowly, replace them. Our crew like to take beer breaks at 8:30 in the morning, as I was heading to catch the tram. Yikes!
Hmm, I haven’t even seen how Cancellara did in his first race back last weekend. Must find some results for that.
Link to riders needs fixing,
i have this one
riders tour de suisse
Again… I have honestly no idea who’s good, just voting for names I know of. *sigh*
VSP PICKS:
1. sagan
2. boonen
3. horner
4. hushovd
5. hoogerland
Schleks bound not to win….;)
VSP PICKS:
1. Damiano Cunego
2. Andy Schlek
3. Frank Schlek
4. Tejay van Garderen
5. Juan Mauricio Soler
About the only thing I’m sure of is that if Cadel’s not there, it ain’t going to be a BMC…
VSP PICKS:
1. Cunego
2. Danielson
3. Leipheimer
4. Fuglsang
5. Valverde
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Horner
3. Cunego
4. Leipheimer
5. Fofonov
VSP PICKS:
1. levi leipheimer
2. Robert Gesink
3. Michele Scarponi
4. Igor Anton
5. Johnny Hoogerland
The little prince showed some spectacular form in this one last year & I reckon he’s a real shot, assuming Gesink can stay rubber side up I think he’ll like the lumpy bits, Fuglsang will want to show Bruneeyl he has a real option of leaving the whingeing brothers home in July, Tommy D (tm Phil & Paul) will want to be the argyle leader in France & Non is only there cos I don’t think Sagan will be able to get over that many HC climbs.
VSP PICKS:
1. Can he go?
2. Bobby Guessing
3. Bird Song
4. Tommy D
5. Non Gadret
The best part about that climb is it’s name, the St Gotthard Pass, a perfect description of The Climbone one feels when considering it.
I made a list of 20 guys who could podium here. Total crap shoot, not even sure who will lead some of these teams (Schleck vs Horner vs Kloeden?). I may need to make some modifications to this.
VSP PICKS:
1. Gesink
2. Cunego
3. Levi
4. Danielson
5. Horner
Fire in the hole…should be interesting!!
VSP PICKS:
1. Cunego
2. Gaysink
3. Eggtimer
4. Piti
5. Tom Danielson
I’m quite certain that I’m not certain at all.
VSP PICKS:
1. Danielson
2. Gesink
3. Valverde
4. Kreuziger
5. Roche
Of course, I got Lucky # 13 for my VSP picks.
VSP PICKS:
1. CANCELLARA
2. BOONEN
3. SAGAN
4. KREUZIGER
5. FREIRE GOMEZ
@Jeff in PetroMetro
Changed weeks of research 1 hour ago. KREUZIGER 4th and you picked Kreuziger as well. We are gonna take 4th — together!!
@Jeff in PetroMetro
better get Frank to turn it upside down for you.
Bullshit logic as follows:
1. Radeopard Datsun has to win this, cos they will go home empty-handed from le Tour. It will also get Jakob a good contract back with Riis next year in the rumoured Saxo-gas hybrid team.
2. Gesink has form, and has a strong team.
3. Capecchi is strong, has a strong team, and is racing for a 2013 contract.
4. Weening is building form as Australia’s other big hope for le Tour.
5. Nordhaug will go well as Sky tests themselves ahead of guiding Wiggo to 2nd in France.
Or Kessiakoff will win, because he’s from Astana and they are surpsrisingly good this year.
VSP PICKS:
1. Fuglsang
2. Gesink
3. Capecchi
4. Weening
5. Nordhaug
VSP PICKS:
1. All Balls ALBASINI
2. The Kitchen GESINK
3. Effing SCHLECK
4. Loony LEIPHEIMER
5. There You Go CUNEGO
Here goes…
VSP PICKS:
1. Keepme Gesink
2. Canhego?
3. Eggtimer
4. Horn(i)er
5. Sagan
Tour de Suisse is pretty tough one to call given the quality of the field. Almost all the GC contenders are polishing their guns at Dauphine and what we have here are “outsiders.” I will be lucky if end up getting any VSP points from this race.
VSP PICKS:
1. Fuglsang
2. Cunego
3. Valverde
4. Danielson
5. LP Nordhaug
This one’s got The Keepers written all over it…
VSP PICKS:
1. FRANK Schleck
2. BRETT Bookwalter
3. MARKO Marcato
4. GIANNI Meersman
5. JIM Casper
VSP PICKS:
1. Levi Leipheimer
2. Damiano Cunego
3. Spartacus
4. Roman Kreuziger
5. Alejandro Valverde
I have no clue but here goes, no Schleck is the only thing I am sure of, I think.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Gesink
3. Valverde
4. Van Summeren
5. Kreuzinger
I love the mindset that makes people think Spartacus can get enough time in a prologue & a 57k TT to counterbalance the fact that there are something like 5 or 6 HC climbs to haul himself over…
VSP PICKS:
1. Cunego
2. Sagan
3. Gesink
4. Boonen
5. Kreuzinger
@Mikael Liddy
Which is why I don’t think he’ll win it this year but he’ll be on the podium. Probably.
VSP PICKS:
1. Faboo
2. Levi
3. Boonen
4. Konovalovas
5. Kreuziger
@brett
I like your thinking but your podium choices are mixed up you ditch bitch.
Frank has something to prove, but it won’t be enough to get on the podium. I like Faboo on his home turf.
VSP PICKS:
1. Spartacus
2. Sagan
3. Cunego
4. Levi
5. Schleck
As my first entry into one of these, I decided to literally pick 5 random teams with a random number generator. Think of this as the Control Pick against which you can rank your informed efforts.
VSP PICKS:
1. Martin Elmiger
2. Igor Anton
3. Levi Leipheimer
4. Enrico Gasparotto
5. Kris Beekmans
@ralph
Welcome. Brilliant entry, picking a footballer and all that. At least, thats the only plausible Kris Beekmans the Google can conjure up for me…
Time to break into the scoring column! Although wasn’t there some report that Fuglsang was too fat to climb not that long ago? Whatever I have him on the podium. I think the too fat part was like up 1.5kg……man that’s depressing!
VSP PICKS:
1. sagan
2. fuglsang
3. gesink
4. kreuzinger
5. cunego
I just remember Cunegos descending at last years race.
VSP PICKS:
1. Little Prince
2. Gesink
3. Fugalsang
4. Sagan
5. Roman K
I think I’m on to something.
VSP PICKS:
1. I’m stuck in Fulsang prison.
2. Sing Sing Sagan
3. Levi Leavenworthenheimer
4. Al(catraz) Pettachi
5. Matt(ica) Busche
Loving the Spidertech inclusion; hoping they can animate the race.
VSP PICKS:
1. Jakob Fuglsang
2. Roman Kreuziger
3. Damiano Cunego
4. Robert Gesink
5. Thomas Lövkvist
@Bianchi Denti
Can’t get much more bullshit than that! Weening is as Aussie as apple strudel and clogs.
VSP PICKS:
1. CUNEGO Damiano
2. SCARPONI Michele
3. HOOGERLAND Johnny
4. TXURRUKA Amets
5. GESINK Robert
@Cyclops
Nice.
@brett
I dunno. Like the keepers concept, and always thought of you as the crass voice of keeper reason. But this schleck pick makes me think youve gone off the reservation. Heres to hoping sanity prevails and you change that! Is there not another frank who is an actual contender somewhere in the peloton? Somewhere someone? Oy.
Roman in for Sagan.
VSP PICKS:
1. Keepme Gesink
2. Canhego?
3. Eggtimer
4. Horn(i)er
5. Kreuziger
@gaswepass
Mathias Frank?
I’m just thinking last year’s tour had all kinds of guesswork going too. It’s a bike race. Not something predictable, you know, like a dope test or an election.`
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Scarponi
3. Hoogerland
4. Gesink
5. Valverde
@brett
Like that Great German rider Heinrich Haussler? Where’s that interview from when he was on Gerolsteiner?
@gaswepass
Well, as all the other picks aren’t actual contenders either, why not go for zero points?
@the keepers , & kt participnts ; drove 100 km(antwerp) tonight to go check out the “on the road” movie based on the jack kerouac novel , who do i run into: non other than jesse willems also going to check out the same movie
@minion
Ja!
VSP PICKS:
1. Rom Kruez
2. Albaseeinyou
3. I Hernandez
4. Canhego this time?
5. Friar Gomez
That cracks me up every time.
Off to interview Pozzato then….
@minion
Yeah, what a slapper!