Velominati Super Prestige: Vuelta a España 2014

Socks, shorts, jersey, spot on. Peter Kennaugh will be there. photo-Cycling Weekly

Did everyone got tired of seeing a nearly naked Marcel Kittel on the massage table for the Tour’s VSP page? I know I didn’t. Young Kennaugh will be sporting his British road race jersey and his proper shoe/sock pairing in this Vuelta. Get used to it.

Ladies and gentleman we have a race. We have some Giro winners, we have some Tour de France winners and we have some Vuelta winners all lining up for the 2014 edition.

Quintana won the Giro but wants to prove he is the real deal. Is Malmerde working for him? Froome, he has been training in Sonoma, California. Talansky lives there, maybe they have both been training with egg timer. I think we can count out Horner to repeat or Bertie to do anything other than put some points in his jersey pocket. Carlos Alberto Betancur is here to lose some weight. David Millar is in to show he really deserved to ride the Tour de France. Boonen is here to train for the World Championships. Maybe everybody is here because their boss said get your skinny (or fat, in Betancur’s case) ass to Spain and ride the damn Vuelta.

No matter, the reason you, dear readers are here, is to show your total domination in the VSP. Stare at the start list until olive oil pops out of your tear ducts and stigmata appear on your palms. Redemption, points, the Worlds, spite or orders from the boss are all equally good reasons to get riders on the start list. How many people picked Chris Horner to win last year? Just a moment, I’ll query the VSP generator for archived results.

“Fuck off, I’m full”

The VSP generator is channeling Mr Creosote, that’s not a good sign. The point is, if there is one, this season’s VSP* is hanging in the balance on the Vuelta. Don’t consult the professional odds makers, that is like doping. Who is motivated? Who has a great team? Who does not make too many kit transgressions? Who looks fantastic on the bike? These are the questions.

Who has the answers?

*Prizes are as follows:

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=”30805″/]

Gianni

Gianni has left the building.

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View Comments

wiscot says:

Sep 8 2014 at 2:43 pm

@Harminator

@wiscot They both got ejected it seems. Rovny from Tinkoff and Brambilla from OPQS.

Totally justified. Its this kind of stuff that muddies cycling's clean image.

Agreed x 2. I should read things before reaction to things on here! This kind of thing really sucks as it's just "soundbitey" enough to fit into news/sports broadcasts and make people laugh at two skinny boys throwing punches. Interestingly, they apparently let Rovny do his job for Bertie THEN told him to quit.

Seriously pissed that Tommeke didn't win the other day . . .
Nate says:

Sep 8 2014 at 2:50 pm

This is shaping up nicely for me to Cobo-swap Contador in for Nairo.
Gianni says:

Sep 8 2014 at 4:14 pm

@Nate

This is shaping up nicely for me to Cobo-swap Contador in for Nairo.

Oh No You Dinnnint!
Nate says:

Sep 8 2014 at 4:36 pm

@Gianni

@Nate

This is shaping up nicely for me to Cobo-swap Contador in for Nairo.

Oh No You Dinnnint!

I dinnnint. But i'm fixn ta.
Mike_P says:

Sep 9 2014 at 2:20 am

I think the best thing about yesterday's stage was the sound of King Kelly on Eurosport clearly trying not to piss himself laughing when he was talking about the handbags at dawn moment. Classic.

As for Bertie. Sorry, not normal IMHO.
The Grande Fondue says:

Sep 9 2014 at 2:47 am

@Deakus

@Geraint

@Daccordi Rider

@Gianni

I love it when even other Spaniards bitch about how the spanish cyclists refuse to work together. Berti was miffed they wouldn't work together to bury Froome. Ha!

Spaniards are hilarious, its like they don't all speak the same language the way they get confused and blame each other for not racing. Damn Froome is a tough bugger, ugly on a bike but will not give up. Bertie hit him with everything, then Purito put in an attack and he just ground his way back. Bring on more hills!

Agreed, what a fighting performance he's putting in. Three weeks deep in the pain cave just staring at that power meter. It's definitely not pretty but it certainly is impressive

I think the press are over egging the Spaniards not working together thing. After all they completely robbed Robert Miller of a Vuelta. This was more about tactics, Malmerde was not going to work for Bertie and JRod the same. In the end Bertie was left to work but that is cycling and looking at the interview and the leading question that was put to him he pretty much shrugged it off as race tactics.

I can't find a link, but I read that Contador and Valverde had a falling out at the 2013 TdF.

The story is that Contador had been trying to bully Quintana into helping him more against Froome, and Valverde got upset about it. There was a yelling match behind the buses, and then Valverde recruited JRod to help protect Quintana and in return Movistar helped him attack Contador and make it onto the podium.
Deakus says:

Sep 9 2014 at 3:45 am

@The Grande Fondue

@Deakus

@Geraint

@Daccordi Rider

@Gianni

I love it when even other Spaniards bitch about how the spanish cyclists refuse to work together. Berti was miffed they wouldn't work together to bury Froome. Ha!

Spaniards are hilarious, its like they don't all speak the same language the way they get confused and blame each other for not racing. Damn Froome is a tough bugger, ugly on a bike but will not give up. Bertie hit him with everything, then Purito put in an attack and he just ground his way back. Bring on more hills!

Agreed, what a fighting performance he's putting in. Three weeks deep in the pain cave just staring at that power meter. It's definitely not pretty but it certainly is impressive

I think the press are over egging the Spaniards not working together thing. After all they completely robbed Robert Miller of a Vuelta. This was more about tactics, Malmerde was not going to work for Bertie and JRod the same. In the end Bertie was left to work but that is cycling and looking at the interview and the leading question that was put to him he pretty much shrugged it off as race tactics.

I can't find a link, but I read that Contador and Valverde had a falling out at the 2013 TdF.

The story is that Contador had been trying to bully Quintana into helping him more against Froome, and Valverde got upset about it. There was a yelling match behind the buses, and then Valverde recruited JRod to help protect Quintana and in return Movistar helped him attack Contador and make it onto the podium.

Aah that puts a slightly different perspective on it, it also explains why yesterday he was happy to go away with Froome and is always complimenting him post stage...he did it again yesterday...shadows within shadows!
Deakus says:

Sep 9 2014 at 3:48 am

So I have 4 of the top 5 all in the wrong order and to swap in Aru will cost heavily with no guarantee of him staying there....looks like I will stick with what I have and hope for a reshuffle!
Teocalli says:

Sep 9 2014 at 4:23 am

@Deakus

So I have 4 of the top 5 all in the wrong order and to swap in Aru will cost heavily with no guarantee of him staying there....looks like I will stick with what I have and hope for a reshuffle!

Well I'm so down the pan I'll just stay there!
Mike_P says:

Sep 9 2014 at 5:03 am

Blimey, it's all been kicking off for days out in Spain!

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/deignan-says-he-was-punched-full-in-the-face-by-rodriguez