Velominati Super Prestige: Vuelta a España 2017

Contador in the Red in 2014

Holy fuckballs. I’ve never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I’ve missed them entirely – which is another kind of incompetence entirely – but I’m shocked at how quickly this week blew by me. I think I have whiplash.

Be that as it may, the Vuelta is on our doorstep, and before you panic, I’ll leave the picks open until Monday so we have enough time to screw up our picks despite knowing who crashes out in the first few days.

This is actually exciting stuff. We have some serious grudge-matching going on here for the Vuelta. Chris Froome is double-talking, Bardet is trash-talking, and Contador is exit-talking. This could be interesting.

On the subject of Bardet, he is my new Schleck. I love how he looks on the bike, and he’s got a fighting spirit. And he rides a white bike, which is the color bike I’m obsessed with. And I’m equally sure he will never win a major bike race, on account that I fancy him. (Roman, if you are reading this, I ask your forgiveness.)

Alright, I’ll stop faffing about. Check the start list, get your picks in, and let’s get this party started.

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

LeoTea says:

Aug 19 2017 at 1:15 am
VSP PICKS:
1. Froome
2. Nibbles
3. Zakarin
4. Kruijswijk
5. Aru
CapVimes says:

Aug 19 2017 at 1:31 am
Contador to have a bad crash on the first few days and then hunt for stage wins from then on.

VSP PICKS:
1. Froome
2. Nibbles
3. Poels
4. A. Yates
5. Zakarin
Teocalli says:

Aug 19 2017 at 2:01 am
VSP PICKS:
1. Froome
2. Chavez
3. Aru
4. A Yates
5. Krashwick
Teocalli says:

Aug 19 2017 at 2:14 am
VSP PICKS:
1. Froome
2. Chavez
3. Aru
4. A Yates
5. Bardet
mulebeatsdrums says:

Aug 19 2017 at 2:42 am
Thanks for setting this up @frank! Any chance you could calculate the results for the Tour and San Sebastian when you get a moment? I think I did quite well in them and I want me some prizes*!

*Sod's Law dictates that now I've said that, I will have done badly and I will look like a tool.

VSP PICKS:
1. Froome
2. Aru
3. Zakarin
4. A Yates
5. Nibali
Quadzilla says:

Aug 19 2017 at 3:05 am
Who knows really!

VSP PICKS:
1. Chaves
2. Bardet
3. Froomacil
4. Simon Yates
5. Contador
wiscot says:

Aug 19 2017 at 4:46 am
VSP PICKS:
1. Froome
2. Bardet
3. Kruijswijk
4. Chaves
5. Nibali
tout à droite says:

Aug 19 2017 at 5:54 am
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Froome
3. Contador
4. Aru
5. Chaves
Cary says:

Aug 19 2017 at 6:26 am

weirdly, i'm actually rooting for Froome to win it.
hhbiker says:

Aug 19 2017 at 7:55 am
My attempt to pick who would crash out at the Tour went badly wrong (not just for me), so I give up, and just the usual dice roll. No crashes please.

VSP PICKS:
1. Froome
2. Chaves
3. Nibali
4. Bardet
5. A Yates