Velominati Super Prestige: Tour de Suisse 2013

Descending the Nufenenpass photo:(KEYSTONE/Jean-Christophe Bott)

The mighty VSP generator has been switched on once again. The mil-spec hydraulic fluid has been changed since the Giro. A new power take-off belt has also been installed. And the punch card reader has been refurbished.

Broome and Berti are already riding the Critérium du Dauphiné. The top contenders prefer the Dauphiné for the decent recovery allowed between it and the Tour. The Tour de Suisse provides a chance for everyone else to prove they are worthy to make their Tour team or they are lieutenants who actually would like to win this Swiss tour before they have to work for their Tour de France team leader, who will falter and then they will assume the leadership, the understudy, as it were. No, did I say Cadel’s name? I did not.

Fabian Cancellara is in, he is a past winner of the Tour de Suisse, like Francesco Moser is a past winner of the Giro. Two Passitas if there ever were, winning mountainous stage races of their home countries. Vlad Karpets won the Tour de Suisse in 2007! What does this mean? It means picking the winner of this race could put you in a spot of bother is what it means. Some are riding to gain fitness, some are not riding too hard to keep fitness and some are racing to win because they have no chance of winning the Big One just weeks later. Clarity on this issue is only achievable from the correct reading of chicken bones stirred with monkey paw, or a life of purity.

This race begins on Saturday so don’t mess around. The provisional start list is here. This is a stage race but not a grand tour so the winner’s prize is not as grand, but the bragging rights are.

[vsp_results id=”23918″/]

Gianni

Gianni has left the building.

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View Comments

Mikael Liddy says:

Jun 8 2013 at 1:59 am

@brett

VSP PICKS:

1. Vor gone off
2. Kangert
3. Wilco
4. Kochhead
5. Kreder Klearwater Revival

want a bed sheet & burning cross with those picks?
brett says:

Jun 8 2013 at 2:57 am

@Mikael Liddy

Sorted, thanks.

@Chris

Beer and wine. Get in that spa now.
sthilzy says:

Jun 8 2013 at 3:10 am

@harminator

VSP PICKS:

1. Cameron Meyer
2. Ryder
3. Costa
4. Tejay
5. S Spilak

Huge call! I have Meyer in my top 5. Go you good thing!
Ron says:

Jun 8 2013 at 3:46 am

Well damn, nothing like waking up at 6:00 on a Saturday and realizing you've Delgado'ed.

I might totally go off the rails and even skip a ride this morning in favor of some futbol. I've reached a new low.
Steampunk says:

Jun 8 2013 at 6:51 am

@Ron

I'm sorry to see you fall off the wagon again. Oh well, it was a good run...
harminator says:

Jun 8 2013 at 7:26 am

@sthilzy

Mate. We both know he's a class act. TdF 2016. You saw it here first. Forget the thanks, just send beer.

This week? Well... the big mountain stage and the ITT are a day apart...

Is Ryder going to pull for Rat Pack? I'd have thought the reverse would be in order after the LBL deal.
el gato says:

Jun 8 2013 at 7:55 am

No puedo creerlo, Delgado'd. A la gran p$@&!! My picks for Le Tour are going to have to be spot on.
frank says:

Jun 8 2013 at 10:22 am

Again, I'm amazed that on the first stage, someone already has 10 points. @harminator, you'll need to provide a sample, I'm afraid.

Provisional Race Results
1. MEYER Cameron

2. TERPSTRA Niki

3. HAUSSLER Heinrich

4. RASMUSSEN Alex

5. VERDUGO MARCOTEGUI Gorka

Provisional VSP Standings
1. harminator (10 points)

2. sthilzy (2 points)

3. HeinrichHausslersHairstyle (2 points)

4. RedRanger (2 points)

5. oneninefiveninesix (2 points)

6. efguerrero (0 points)

7. TBONE (0 points)

8. unversio (0 points)

9. Steampunk (0 points)

10. the Engine (0 points)

11. razmaspaz (0 points)

12. Bianchi Denti (0 points)

13. Buck Rogers (0 points)

14. mlambert1us (0 points)

15. pakrat (0 points)

16. strathlubnaig (0 points)

17. taon24 (0 points)

18. chrismurphy92 (0 points)

19. Mikael Liddy (0 points)

20. Two Ball Billy (0 points)

21. CanuckChuck (0 points)

22. asyax (0 points)

23. Fins (0 points)

24. scaler911 (0 points)

25. LA Dave (0 points)

26. San Tonio (0 points)

27. niksch (0 points)

28. gino (0 points)

29. Nero (0 points)

30. TOM.NELS2120 (0 points)

31. Daccordi Rider (0 points)

32. piwakawaka (0 points)

33. torrefie (0 points)

34. Simon (0 points)

35. Bat Chainpullet (0 points)

36. Dr C (0 points)

37. anotherdownunder (0 points)

38. Sauterelle (0 points)

39. coquito (0 points)

40. Adrian (0 points)

41. Giles (0 points)

42. V-olcano (0 points)

43. Yannersan (0 points)

44. jeyrod (0 points)

45. napolinige (0 points)

46. seemunkee (0 points)

47. mouse (0 points)

48. eenies (0 points)

49. il ciclista medio (0 points)

50. VeloVita (0 points)

51. freddy (0 points)

52. Deakus (0 points)

53. TomC (0 points)

54. erik (0 points)

55. gladoe (0 points)

56. Don Amedo (0 points)

57. snoov (0 points)

58. mbarston (0 points)

59. Duende (0 points)

60. Mike_P (0 points)

61. Tobin (0 points)

62. MJ Moquin (0 points)

63. Rigid (0 points)

64. JohnB (0 points)

65. tony macaroni (0 points)

66. Smithers (0 points)

67. Skip (0 points)

68. Facetious_Jesus (0 points)

69. Lukas (0 points)

70. SimonH (0 points)

71. Nate (0 points)

72. simonsaunders (0 points)

73. sprider (0 points)

74. motor city (0 points)

75. Dan_R (0 points)

76. V-inden (0 points)

77. wiscot (0 points)

78. Chica (0 points)

79. dancollins (0 points)

80. Jay (0 points)

81. xyxax (0 points)

82. VirenqueForever (0 points)

83. Smithers (0 points)

84. leadout (0 points)

85. eightzero (0 points)

86. ramenvelo (0 points)

87. Heihachi (0 points)

88. NoTubes (0 points)

89. starclimber (0 points)

90. ChrisO (0 points)

91. brett (0 points)
Dan_R says:

Jun 8 2013 at 11:35 am

Bottom third with 0. Just like almost every race in my palmares.
Deakus says:

Jun 8 2013 at 12:15 pm

@frank With only 5 people scoring I am putting this down to early nerves in the peloton....my boys will come good!