Velominati Super Prestige

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.

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411 Replies to “Velominati Super Prestige: Vuelta a España 2012”

  2. I’m going to throw the kiddo Talansky in there. Nothing to lose, but a lot to gain by being aggressive. Cobo? One hit wonder. Tommy DeG? Keeping his powder dry since the Giro. Will be looking for a good ride to fulfill promise and raise his value. Froome? free to go and ride without looking over his shoulder like Frandy. Contador? Up for a good showing but not enough racing in his legs to win. Rodriguez? Spanish in Spain, nuff said

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Froome
    2. Contador
    3. De Gendt
    4. Rodriguez
    5. Talansky

  3. VSP PICKS:

    1. well contador. duh
    2. van der broek
    3. j rod
    4. ok, froome, for old times sake
    5. gesink

  4. Bertie has this in the bag.  Froome will be up there unti the last mountain stage where he cracks and holds onto the podium.  J-Rod will win a couple of stages which will secure him second place.  Talanski and De Gendt will battle between each other for the final top five places.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Contador
    2. J-Rod
    3. Froome
    4. Talanski
    5. De Gendt

  6. VSP PICKS:

    1. Vroome
    2. Contador
    3. van Den Broeck
    4. Rodriquez
    5. Gesink

  8. I (honestly) would probably get more points by not entering. I have watched the Vuelta in previous years aghast as favourites don’t even figure in the standings, basically I have no idea, and as such have ruthelssly plagiarised the form cards of others – kind of like wheelsucking on the VSP.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Vroome
    2. Gesink
    3. Rodriguez
    4. Contador
    5. Van den Broek.

  9. VSP PICKS:

    1. Cuntador
    2. Froome
    3. Juaquim Rodriguez
    4. Cobo
    5. Anto

  10. VSP PICKS:

    1. Contador
    2. Froome
    3. Joaquim Rodriguez
    4. Gesink
    5. Cobo

  11. Bertie to win. I’m really looking forward to seeing him back and on the attack. Tom DG was great in the Giro and rested up. Gilbert as an outside bet to get me the jersey. I’m putting Froome in without confidence, I reckon he may run out of puff, then again without having to hold Wiggos hand who knows?

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Bertie
    2. Froome
    3. De gendt
    4. Anton
    5. Gilbert

  12. At this point I’m just trying to nip into the top 30 overall for my rookie year. Lessons learned, a good recovery and solid base training this winter will lead me to glory next year.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. J-Rod
    2. Contador
    3. Froome
    4. De Gendt
    5. igor anton

  13. Bertie for the win. I’m really looking forward to having him back and on the attack. Froome without confidence, he will probably run out of puff, then again if he does not have to hold Wiggos hand….. Tommy DG was great in the Giro and should be rested up. Anton, just coz he has to come good. Gilbert as my smokey to get me the jersery. Form is turning around and he will want something out of the year (besides the Worlds and Lombardia). Who is this Cobo you speak of?

  14. At this point I’m just trying to nip into the top 30 in my rookie year.

  19. VSP PICKS:

    1. Alberto Contador
    2. Chris Froome
    3. Joaquim Rodriguez
    4. Nairo Quintana
    5. Thomas De Gendt

  22. More consideration and Anton out, J Rod in, meant to have him there in  the first place and Tdg down a spot. I may toss Froome yet, he must be tired.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Bertie
    2. Froome
    3. J rod
    4. De gendt
    5. Gilbert

  23. VSP PICKS:

    1. thero thero thero….thinko
    2. thomas (Stelvio) De Gendt
    3. boom boom Froome
    4. Lars (tree) Boom
    5. Jurgen cantfindmy Van den Broeck

  25. VSP PICKS:

    1. Joaquim Rodriguez
    2. Igor Anton
    3. Chris Froome
    4. Van den Broeck
    5. Alberto Contador

  26. If, indeed, Froome was the strongest rider in le Tour then he’s got some dry powder left. It certainly didn’t look to me like he shot his wad – in fact – it didn’t really look like anybody at SKy shot their wad. Marginal gains. That’s why Sky is going to steamroll this race too. Which will be boring. What will be fun to watch is Contador lighting shit up when it gets steep and winning rests primarily on his shoulders with a weaker team than Froome. Like him or not, Bertie’s gonna hurt some people. The question is whether or not it’ll be enough to win. I say almost but not quite.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Vroome Vroome
    2. Angry Stomach
    3. JoRo
    4. De Gunt – it’s like a FRUP
    5. Purito

  29. I almost didn’t make this VSP, it’s been a long season. The introduction of the women’s races has meant I’ve sometimes had to think of two things at once and that’s been tough.  Here we go again:

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Froome
    2. De Gent
    3. Contador
    4. Anton Hernandez
    5. Kessiakoff

  30. VSP PICKS:

    1. Froome
    2. De Gendt
    3. Contador
    4. Anton Hernandez
    5. Kessiakoff

  34. @Marko

    Yeah: it’s interesting how things can change. A couple of years ago, you absolutely nailed the general tenor of indifference toward Contador. It became easy to dislike him after his total dominance and subsequent doping ban. But I think this past Tour might serve as a “careful what you wish for” warning. Nobody, but nobody, was able or willing to challenge the Sky train. You can bet, though, that Contador would have attacked and attacked again. The Vuelta could actually be a nice preview of the 2013 season: Contador vs. the Sky train. But, then again, pick your poison: Contador’s 2011 Giro victory or Wiggins’s 2012 Tour? Both were processions, but damn: Contador was impressive in blowing everyone out of the water…

    VSP PICKS:

    1. A. Contador
    2. C. Froome
    3. J. Rodriguez
    4. I. Anton
    5. R. Uran

  35. VSP PICKS:

    1. Contador
    2. Froome
    3. J. Rodriguez
    4. Gesink
    5. C. Meyer

  39. VSP PICKS:

    1. Froome
    2. Contador
    3. Rodriguez
    4. Van den Broeck
    5. Kessiakoff

  41. This is going to be one hell of a race. Froome vs Contador vs J-Rod for the honours, all three have a punch going up hill and two ave something to prove (Froome that he can win and contador that he is still top dog). Getting nationlistic i hope that froome has got it and that contador needs to long to get back into it. Hopefully lots of attacking in the first week and froome will have the better of contador in the TTT and ITT, both will put a lot of time into j-rod too.

    Can.Not.Wait.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Froome-dog
    2. Contador
    3. J-Rod
    4. Igor Anton
    5. Uran

  42. There is always something about the ‘lesser’ Grand Tours that attract me, the Giro is awesome, and the Vuelta is sage for the season.  I love them too, because the promise to break legs, and take names

    note: no cuntador in this pick, froome will hand it to him

    VSP PICKS:

    1. zoom zoom Froome
    2. jurgen VDB
    3. DeGent
    4. Cobo
    5. Valverde

  45. … But it’s a bike race, and I loves me a bike race…
     
    Well said, that man

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Froo-Froo
    2. De Gendt
    3. El Beefeater
    4. J-Rod
    5. VdB

  46. … But it’s a bike race, and I loves me a bike race…
     
    Well said, that man

  48. I have a desire to return to Gadret as another dark horse, but I like Monfort.  I’d have to pull Anton.  Of course, Anton always blows it.  So, yeah, I’ll go for it.  He sure ain’t riding for Nico Roche.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Froome
    2. Purito
    3. Contador
    4. Gadret
    5. Maxime Monfort

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