Velominati Super Prestige: Tour de Suisse 2014
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?
- First place overall wins a Veloforma Strada iR Velominati Edition frame in addition to the customary VSP winner’s VVorkshop Apron
- Second place overall wins a set of hand built CR Wheelworks Arenberg wheelset in a custom Velominati paint scheme laced to orange Chris King hubs. (CR Wheelworks is Café Roubaix’s new wheel goods brand.)
- Third place overall wins a full Velominati V-Kit with accompanying custom orange Bont Vaypor+ road shoes.
[vsp_results id=”30094″/]
Ok, one more time to make sure it is going through.
VSP PICKS:
1. Kreuzegir
2. Wiggo
3. Slagter
4. Monfort
5. Pinot
VSP PICKS:
1. Costa
2. Wiggo
3. Kreuziger
4. Pozzovivo
5. Mollema
VSP PICKS:
1. Wiggins
2. Bauke Mollema
3. Cadel Evans
4. Roman Kreuziger
5. Carlos Betancur
Crap shoot time I got no fucking clue at all the Giro seemed pretty straight forward but these one weekers aint easy
VSP PICKS:
1. Wiggo
2. Molemma
3. Kruezinger
4. costa
5. Denniis
I have to bet against the favorite, it’s my brand.
VSP PICKS:
1. rui costa
2. Bauke Mollema
3. Eros Capecchi
4. Thomas Danielson
5. Oliver Zaugg
VSP PICKS:
1. Bradley Wiggins
2. Roman Kreuziger
3. Michael Albasini
4. Bauke Mollema
5. Tom Jelte Slagter
VSP PICKS:
1. Rui
2. Beaker
3. Bauke
4. Pozzovivo
5. Kreuziger
VSP PICKS:
1. Wiggins
2. Mollema
3. Frank
4. Kreuziger
5. Costa
Delgado’d with 5 hours til picks close?
Wiggins,
Costa,
Kreuzinger
Albasini,
Mollema
The closing time of the VSP seemed to move this morning. I logged on at 0830 BST(GMT+1) and was told I had 5 hours to pick. This changed while I was browsing the start list. Any idea what happened?
Like wise
Wiggans
Pozzovivo
Kreuziger
Slagter
Henao
@Steampunk
Oh sure, it starts with hobbit doors and the next thing you know, only small cogs and short-reach brakes allowed. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it thrice, that way lies MADNESS!
Yeah – 5 hours to go on the header yet closed?
Wiggo
Costa
Mollema
Pozzovivo
Pinot
Is there something wrong here? The counter is saying 1d 7h to go but the picks are apparently closed – with no posts submitted…
On the off chance I need to get them in, mine are: Wiggo, Roman Kreuziger, Betancur (if he gets his shit together in time), Rui Costa and Bauke Mollema.
Never mind the Tour de Suisse, what a bloody stage finish in the Dauphiné — Westra stuffs up the sprint yesterday and only comes back today to chase down the leaders, both Katusha no less, to catch them 200m before the finish and take the stage, and Bertie attacks Froome one-and-a-half km from the line, drops him, and takes the leader’s jersey. And that after Froome had five Sky riders for company at the bottom of the climb. Bring on le Tour, this could be brilliant.
But Clenbutador, Asthmagate… I think I could be even more conflicted following this than half-heartedly following the World Cup, with it’s play-acting and corruption.
@andrew if Contador has 98% of Froome’s form at the tour I reckon he can close the gap with racing savvy and mind game.
@delgados you weren’t counting on the keepers to accurately determine when the race started were you ?
@Nate
Today’s strong finish by Contador (building on his strong spring) really does change the TdF calculations. Daymn. More pressure to add Wiggins to the TdF squad?
Then Wiggins loses 32 seconds in the TT on today’s Stage One?! What is up with that?! He badly needed that time, with a strong TT on Friday, to be in the yellow jersey next Sunday.
Is there a rest day? I want to make a change to my VSP picks.
VSP Picks:
1.B. Mollema
2. R Kreuziger
3. B. Wiggins
4.L. Ten Dam
5. T.J. Slagter
@xyxax
I heard Frank’s currently penning a piece on the (newfound) virtues of riding a compact and/or triple. Of course, he’s also riding a 52 these days, so he still fits through the hobbit door. This place’s gone to hell.
@Steampunk
What’s wrong with 52 !? It goes with 42.
@Minnesota Expat
No one is saying how slow Twiggo was in the opening prologue but it is always an indicator of form and that is not good for all the people who chose him for the VSP. Sagan did very well. Fabs can descend on a TT bike like a bastard.
@taon24
@piwakawaka
@Tobin
Hmmmm, no idea. The timer is closed at midnight Pacific Coast Time regardless of the actual start time of a race, any race. I would bet you had not refreshed your screen, I have delgadoed myself on more than one occasion doing that. If there was some software fuck up, the jury may have pity on you, but there is no evidence of that yet.
@Steampunk
Fine, fine, fine. There, I’ve said it thricely. But I’ll defend my head tube length to the death (or old age whichever comes first)
why oh why am I such a techno-dope?
@xyxax
“Fucking up the comments section since 2010.” I’m so proud.
Wow, the Dauphiné… Andrew Talansky and Garmin-Sharp — hell of a race and great to see. Big ride from Ryder, too.
@andrew
Alberto broke Froome today. I’ll be very interested to see how Sky plays this one.
@Steampunk
More tramadol to ease the pain, an inhaler to assist with anxiety decreasing deep breathing, and another trip to the edges of the rule book to find more marginal pharmaceutical gains.
I demand a refund, I took my 2nd wedding anniversary (which is June 17th!) a week early and went to the mtns. and missed this, so we could be in town…for New Belgium’s Tour de Fat cycle festival on next weekend.
I demand a refund on my VSP entr….
Ah shite! Sorry I missed this. But, I’ll watch this week, and I’m still gunning for a podium come July.
Thanks, Keepers, for Keepin’ up this Awesomeness! You guys are boSS.
@Fausto
Mine the same even if I refresh?
Wiggins
Mollema
Costa
Dennis
Kreuziger
This one could get very interesting. There is an ITT which will suit Martin. But there are several days in the mountains around that. Anyone know if Martin can hang for a day or two in the mountains?
So, Sir Brad rolled in 2 minutes + down today. So much for making a good case for the Sky Tour team.
@Erik
If he does, he’ll be on his own as OPQS brought the sprinter squad to Suisse.
Did anyone notice that Pozzovivo wretched his way out of the race within hours of finishing 5th in the opening time trial? Me thinks my standings are fucked – no substitution for me this time. I am going into the end of the week with the roster I posted come hell or high water…..or further withdrawals. Damn.
Finally, I bet against the favorite and it goes my way. Oh Twiggo, what went wrong? And Froomy suffering like a dog in the Dauphiné, it all will make a more interesting TDF. The contrast between Contador and Froome as they ride hard, on aesthetics alone, Bertie wins.
Magnus said Fabs hit 116 km/hr on the descent yesterday. Mofo. That’s hauling ass.
Damn, Cav looked good today. Straight, drag-out sprint and he won it clear. Looks like OPQS might be getting their train sorted for the Tour. Tommeke buried himself in the 2nd-to-last kilometer too – another reason why I like him – a superstar who doesn’t shirk domestique duties when required. Where will the Schlecks ride next year? I can’t imagine Trek will keep them.
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.