Velominati Super Prestige: Vuelta a España 2015

Meanwhile in Spain...

This is the best Cycling photo in the history of time. If you’re wondering why, then we’re probably not looking at the same photo. I am pretty sure the guy playing guitar is the Dos Equis guy.

Anyway, nothing that cool will happen during this year’s Vuelta, although we’ll get to watch more lightbulb-humping, if that’s any consolation (it isn’t). But we do get to treat ourselves to the third and final Grand Tour of 2015 which is exactly as depressing as it is exciting. I’m also not going to remind anyone that I don’t really like the Vuelta because the last two times I said that, the race turned out to be terrific.

The VSP keeps on keepin’ on as well, with big points on offer for the Jaegher frame, Café Roubaix wheelset, or V-Kit. Anything can happen, and in past years we’ve seen the Vuelta be the deciding factor in winning the overall VSP; @Minnesota Expat holds a solid lead over @dancollins, a past winner. @Steampunk holds third over a tight field behind him and here’s hoping our Aussie Keeper @brett can finally put a point on the board as well, which would see him hoist himself out of the Lanterne Rouge. (I actually had to do some coding to give him his Keeper’s badge back, which is something I hadn’t anticipated when I designed the system, needless to say.)

So, study the start list, put in your picks by the time the clock goes to zero, and good luck.

Teaser shots of the Jaegher frame:

Teaser shots of the CR Wheelworks Arenbergs:

[vsp_results id=”33481″/]

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

Ron says:

Aug 30 2015 at 8:37 am

As if we needed any proof that the men in the thin Lycra are tough as fuck:

"Saturday’s stage winner, Jasper Stuyven (Trek Factory Racing), was also forced to withdraw after he claimed his first grand-tour victory despite breaking a bone in his wrist."

I guess he must have been caught up in one of the crashes but still managed to wind up that excellent sprint? Jeez.

Sagan is gone and Boeckman's is in an induced coma. Gosh.
piwakawaka says:

Aug 30 2015 at 3:43 pm

Big Tommy D!
wilburrox says:

Aug 30 2015 at 5:00 pm

@piwakawaka

Big Tommy D!

Big ?? I kept hearing who is the big guy and what's he doing smashing it on the climb? He's only 71kg ? That's BIG in the pro peloton I guess. Dang. But, what a great ride for him today. Imagine having buried yourself on an attack only to look over your shoulder at 150m and seeing the Froomantula on your wheel and then him counter attacking? And yet Mr D still digs deep to hit 'em back ! Yowza. That was uber cool.
Oli says:

Aug 30 2015 at 6:12 pm

Haha, I thought you were talking about Tom Danielson at first! I was all like what the shit??
piwakawaka says:

Aug 30 2015 at 11:37 pm

@wilburrox

@piwakawaka

Big Tommy D!

Big ?? I kept hearing who is the big guy and what’s he doing smashing it on the climb? He’s only 71kg ? That’s BIG in the pro peloton I guess. Dang. But, what a great ride for him today. Imagine having buried yourself on an attack only to look over your shoulder at 150m and seeing the Froomantula on your wheel and then him counter attacking? And yet Mr D still digs deep to hit ’em back ! Yowza. That was uber cool.

Wiki has Froome and Dumoulin at 186cm but Froome at 67.5 kg, it's crazy but losing those last kilos is exponentially harder as you go down but man, I'm 185cm and 75-6kg when I get to 72kg race weight, boom it 'aint no easier but it's way faster!

Maybe he wants to apply liberal doses of manorexia and get all skinny like the Froomantula , imagine if he was 3.5kg lighter yesterday?
Mikael Liddy says:

Aug 30 2015 at 11:46 pm

Shattered for the smiley Colombian, but can't argue with the effort from Dumoulin to overhaul the lightbulb humping monkey.
osbk67 says:

Aug 31 2015 at 1:17 am

I hesitate to find humour in any crash but Sean Kelly's Eurosport co-commentator on Sagan's rant to the race doctor after being neutral supported out of the Vuelta "have you got anything for a sulk?" was priceless...
Geraint says:

Aug 31 2015 at 2:26 am

via Mick Rogers on twitter
KogaLover says:

Aug 31 2015 at 2:53 am

@Mikael Liddy

Tommeke, move over! Time for Tom Dumoulin to be the new Tommeke and be added to the Awesome Dutch Guys list.
oldensteel says:

Aug 31 2015 at 6:54 pm

Rest day swaps are in. I have no idea how this will turn out, so here goes nothing.

VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):

Quintana
Froome
Chaves
Aru
Pozzovivo