Velominati Super Prestige: Vuelta a España 2012

Nibbles wins the 2010 edition of the Vuelta. Photo: Cyclesport Mag

One of the loveliest things about the Grand Tours is that you get a feel, by the nature of the route, of the country’s landscape and physical qualities. Italy is littered with mountains and coasts, France is bordered by mountains with large swaths of open landscape throughout, and Spain is like Tatooine; mostly desert with some rocky outcroppings. I might be oversimplifying here, but it seems like every edition of the Vuelta features a week or two of riders cutting through open desert on a freeway and then finishing it off with some climbs that require a buzz-saw gear to get up. Of the three Tours, this one is my least favorite, but it’s a bike race and I loves me a bike race.

The Vuelta also stands apart as being the event which generally decides the Velominati Super Prestige GC and the personalized Shop Apron that goes with it; in past editions, we’ve even had newcomers to the event debut at the Vuelta and win the overall, as was the case last year with @Nate’s performance. Unless I have that wrong, in which case I don’t really care. The important point here is that even though there is less interest in this event than others, it matters quite a bit to the year-long VSP, so you better be paying attention, corporal.

No fancy prizes on offer as we did at the Tour, but we do have our customary Symbol Pack up for grabs, in addition to second and third places winning a pair of Handlebar Cufflinks each when they come available in a few weeks. So, check the race details, get your picks in by the time the countdown clock goes to zero (5am Pacific time on Saturday), and buckle in for the ride. Regular GT VSP rules apply. Good luck.

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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View Comments

RedRanger says:

Sep 3 2012 at 10:38 am

I have the distinct honor of having just 1 point.
Gianni says:

Sep 3 2012 at 10:58 am

@Duende

So now De Gendt decides to show up!

Really, now that he is totally out of it he climbs like an angel. I squandered my #3 pick on him! The humanity, oooooooooo.
Duende says:

Sep 3 2012 at 11:44 am

@Gianni

@Duende

So now De Gendt decides to show up!

Really, now that he is totally out of it he climbs like an angel. I squandered my #3 pick on him! The humanity, oooooooooo.

I had him at #5 and, up until today's stage, had been wondering what happened to the form that he showed in winning the Giro stage on the Stelvio. Left it a tad late, I'd say! Still, great climb today.
gaswepass says:

Sep 3 2012 at 12:06 pm

@Gianni

I picked vanderbroken for 2nd. He just simply abandoned at some point after being well over an hour back. I feel your pain.
motor city says:

Sep 3 2012 at 1:58 pm

another beautiful / brutal vuelta stage today. i loved it.

@Fausto agreed - i really want j-rod to hold on and win this race now.
mxlmax says:

Sep 3 2012 at 2:46 pm

@motor city 813.8 km(s) and 5 race days remain.
Mikael Liddy says:

Sep 3 2012 at 5:21 pm

@gaswepass

@Gianni

I picked vanderbroken for 2nd. He just simply abandoned at some point after being well over an hour back. I feel your pain.

Hey, guess who are sitting pretty in my 4 & 5 spots?
gaswepass says:

Sep 3 2012 at 8:21 pm

@Mikael Liddy

@gaswepass

@Gianni

I picked vanderbroken for 2nd. He just simply abandoned at some point after being well over an hour back. I feel your pain.

Hey, guess who are sitting pretty in my 4 & 5 spots?

well we knew not to pick both of em, sheesh... Now someone get on gesink to get back up to 5th, what was he thinkin?
Dr C says:

Sep 4 2012 at 2:58 am

Is it okay yet, to say that COTHO is being brilliant to watch? - whatever we may think of him, he is surely the most exciting rider in the peleton for his bonkers vicious attacking style - only Gilbert last year compares with this - can we welcome him back? Clearly since he now has to get his meat from the High Street rather than the Back Street, he can't keep riding after he has attacked anymore, but he really is lighting this one up

Vuelta fast becoming unmissable viewing - ITV even showing it, though lost a lot without the two dusty old men commentating - Eurosport still King for histrionic commentating - love it!
Chris says:

Sep 4 2012 at 3:20 am

@Dr C Sounds awesome, some serious V being dished out. Haven't managed to watch much of it, three weeks without Eurosport or internet was a bit weird, race coverage cold turkey. Got the last few days of mountains on the Sky Box but that'll only rub salt into the wound that is my climbing speed.

To make matters worse, the power steering on my disco gave up on the way back from France. Combination of a heavy car and trailer has left me with a neck that hurts like hell and is not at all flexible so burying myself on the rollers is not even an option.

All good in the emerald Isle?