The Tour de Suisse can be everyone’s warm-up for the Tour de France, including all you VSP dreamers. The big show seems to be the Critérium de Dauphanié this year, as far as Tour de France contenders go but the Tour de Suisse still has some big guns showing up. Twiggo is here, not for a Tour warm up, unless people are worried about Richie Porte’s lack of form. If Wiggins was drafted, we would have the potential for another Stephen Roche-Roberto Visentini affair. That would be the best but I’m getting ahead of myself.
The Swiss tour is a proper mix of time trialing and climbing but one might lose more time in the climbing than the time trialing. Rui Costa, the defending champion, has the need to win in his new white kit. Twiggo may have a need to win just to make Sky management sleep badly between now and July. Cancellara has won his home tour but he would need some special mojo to win this one. The racing may well be more interesting than the Critérium de Dauphiné as the eventual winner most likely won’t be decided on the very first day.
As always, look to the countdown timer to avoid a Delgado situation. Here is a start list.
Prizes, we remember the prizes don’t we?
[vsp_results id=”30094″/]
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
Yep, I caught that finish wiscot. Cavendish sure did look pretty darn good.
Sagan made it look easy yesterday, Cavendish did today. Do those guys have a pretty impressive historical races:wins ratio? It seems like most times they line up (in a race/stage where they have a shot) they win or are right there.
With how hotly contested every cm of road is, pretty impressive how smooth and easy those two make it look. And yes, awesome to see Boonen at the front that late, track-peeking behind him to see what was up. We've been talking other sports lately - can't imagine an established star later on in his career being that willing to work that hard for another's win.
@Ron
That's what I love about Boonen: superstar and team player. What goes around comes around it seems. He's benefited from many a teammate over the years in classics and short stage races and he's not too stuck up not to return the favors when called upon.
I still want him to get PR #5.
wiggo is out and so are a lot of peoples picks on this race. I hate to say that I feel like he dropped out not only due to injury but because he was showing very poor form.
@DCR
DANG -- DANG -- DANG -- DANG -- DANG -- DANG -- DANG -- DANG
@DCR
any chance Wiggo is just thumbing his nose at Sky?
For my Tour VSP picks, I'm seriously printing out the start list and throwing darts at it. My picks really can't be any worse.
That was a crazy, dangerous run in today. WAY too twisty for a flat stage finish.
No way Wiggo will ride the Tour now. I really want to like the guy because he's incredibly talented and has a personality too, but I'm just ambivalent about him at this point. Whether he rides the Tour or not, I just don't care. I'm more bummed that Boonen is staying home as I'd have loved to see him give it laldy on the cobbles.
@DCR
It's a giant conspiracy...
@The Engine
Like I said last week....
What I'm finding increasingly interesting to ponder is the psychology of sport. Obviously, mental attitude and confidence are critical at all levels of sport. You need physical AND mental fitness to win; if one is lacking or missing, you're in trouble. Wiggins, it seems, had to be 100% mentally right to stay engaged. If not, the game's a bogey and he's off. The Schlecks seem to be very dependent on mood/motivation. Cav, I think, is mentally tough - he takes a beating but comes back for more. Of course, the best example is the Divine Ms Vos. She could give her male counterparts a few lessons in mental toughness, attitude and class.
@wiscot Yes, yes, yes. Cavendish knows it's his job to remain in bad-ass mode regardless. He saves his tears for after the finish -- especially when he wins without crashing.