Velominati Super Prestige: Tour de Suisse

A big man playing where little men frolic. Photo: Sirotti

The Tour de Suisse is the last warm-up race prior to the Tour, and the last chance to test your form. As far as Tour rivalries go, we typically see one rival choose the Dauphiné and one la Suisse; it’s unpleasant to ruffle your feathers too much with a pre-Tour head-to-head, you see.

While the Dauphiné has the benefit of previewing some of the Tour’s stages in a race situation, the Tour de Suisse has the benefit of including the only thing more sinister than cobbled bergs: a cobbled mountain pass. This road also holds the distinction of being the only one where I feel more sympathy for the road layers than I do the riders.

Aside from rivals and masochism, the key factors determining which race to ride have to do with the timing of the peak: this race features a full week later in the calendar than does the Dauphiné, and based on the Tour’s parcours and rhythm of the rider’s season, this race may have better timing. But in any case, as with the Critérium, the effort is a dangerous gamble: ride too hard and you could fire off the Guns enter the Tour with little more than starter pistols. Balance, balance.

So, as the Dauphiné winds down, it’s time to start thinking about Suisse, our last VSP before le Tour. Get your picks in by 5am Pacific on Saturday morning. Same drill as usual: Being a week-long stage race, the points on offer are 7 for first, 5 for second, 4 for third, 3 for fourth, 2 for fifth, with the usual allotment of bonus points for getting the rider right but the place wrong.  Also, there are no rest days, so no rest day swaps, but we will have our usual approach for riders who drop out. Piti Principle applies as always. Also review the guide, being careful to note that the rules have changed a bit this year, and we may not have completely updated the guide yet, so if there’s a question, ask.

May Merckx be with you all.

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227 Replies to “Velominati Super Prestige: Tour de Suisse”

  1. @Dr C
    Missed all but the last 15km of the ride yesterday, what’s wrong the Schleck the Younger?
    Is he still huffing and spitting over his mechanical in the TT?

    When was he dropped? I’m starting to worry he may turn up a week late for the tour, but then maybe Fronk is going to be Team Leader this year? Hats of to Fuckslang too, that guy fairly flogs the donkeys for the brothers – he’s my man of the season so far – has he actually been allowed on the podium this year anywhere?

    Also chapeau to the mechanic in the prologue for sticking his fingers in the blender when Andy’s chain came off – I presume those guys end up with fingerless hands after a few tours – nice work!

  2. Do I get to change my picks seeing as Kreuziger didn’t enter? I swear I read an article about the favourites and he was mentioned in it – it wasn’t the right article to read, I just wanted to join in :)

  3. Just read about earthquakes in Christchurch again this morning. How are our Kiwis? Families and all ok?

  4. @snoov
    I’ll tell you my secret for picking riders: wait until after Buck Rogers, ScubaSteve, Steampunk, and Marcus put up their picks. Pick your five from those guys.

    Oh, and show up on time. I Delgado’d the Giro. Then no-showed the Dauphine. My season’s ruined. Now I’m playing for a bumper sticker. And maybe a colorful jersey icon. And bragging rights. And some self-esteem. And a reason to live.

  5. @Marko
    Yesterday I should say. Jeebus, I’m outta the loop with house building and baby growing. I just watched yesterday’s stage thinking it was live.

  6. The little prince has grown some balls. sure would like to see him do something good.

  7. @RedRanger, @Jeff in PetroMetro
    A+1

    Man, I do love to watch me a Schleck climbin’. Cunego is doing what he does best: going after stage wins and one-day races.

    It was great watching Di Luca yesterday, by the way. I just can’t help but like that guy.

  8. Man, that really balled up our points. Sam takes the lead with a whopping 2 points.

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  9. @frank
    And going down. that was proper racing by Cunego. My VSP is shot but wow getting to watch that was worth it. Andy put in a lot of work for his team, just wish Frank was able to take advantage of it.

  10. The Dutch commentator just got riled up about how big that chunk of cheese is they gave Sagan; “I don’t know why they gave him such a big chunk of cheese. That’s much too much cheese, and cheese really isn’t good for a cyclist.”

    Funny.

  11. Jeff in PetroMetro :
    @snoov I’ll tell you my secret for picking riders: wait until after Buck Rogers, ScubaSteve, Steampunk, and Marcus put up their picks. Pick your five from those guys.
    Oh, and show up on time. I Delgado’d the Giro. Then no-showed the Dauphine. My season’s ruined. Now I’m playing for a bumper sticker. And maybe a colorful jersey icon. And bragging rights. And some self-esteem. And a reason to live.

    Ha! Not this time or the Dauphine’! Damn Klode and CVV!

  12. frank :
    @RedRanger, @Jeff in PetroMetroA+1
    Man, I do love to watch me a Schleck climbin’. Cunego is doing what he does best: going after stage wins and one-day races.
    It was great watching Di Luca yesterday, by the way. I just can’t help but like that guy.

    I LOVED Di Luca until he came up positive after his Giro 2nd place to Menchov. Sucked the life out of me and really disillusioned me (guess I should not have been so niave). Still have not forgiven him for the time.

    But I do love the Little Prince and would love to see him win it all, even if he is not on my VSP list!

  13. From today on I have live television coverage. Any idea how hard it is to find a stream if you normally just turn on the TV?

  14. frank:
    The Dutch commentator just got riled up about how big that chunk of cheese is they gave Sagan; “I don’t know why they gave him such a big chunk of cheese. That’s much too much cheese, and cheese really isn’t good for a cyclist.”
    Funny.

    Just think what it would look like if Cunego was holding it up. I didnt realize he was so little.

    xyxax:
    @RedRanger,@frank
    Great stage.
    Look at this way, RR: you’re tied for third.

    I’m so not worried about my VSP any more. This is my first time ever watching most of these races and that’s what makes it fun for me.

  15. First post with the preview function. Kind of liked the old system, forced you to self-edit, or beware of flubs.

    Today’s racing was awesomeness!

    I know he’s far better than I’ll ever be, but Leipheimer just doesn’t look PRO. I don’t know what it is, but he just doesn’t look that great on a bike. The photo of him & Horner crossing the line at the ToC made me cringe. Too skinny, dorky looking white dudes.

    Steampunk – ha, just caught that. I’m planning on going on a ride in a half hour, as soon as I finish sweeping the house!

    Minion, Frank, Oli – Campagnolo cablesets ordered. Two sets, figure I’ll do my LOOK and my Casati at once. $51 from a UK dealer for white housings. As soon as I ordered I realized the sets with black housings were $31. Ouch, being a Velominatus hurts my wallet some days.

  16. RedRanger – the Lil’ Prince is indeed little; I’m taller than him! Got him by a good two cms.

    Yeah, while the VSP is awesome in itself and I am doing all I can to win the apron, playing along really does make the races more exciting and better to follow.

    One of my riding pals interviewed Sagan last week at the Philly race. He said he was able to put together one sentence from a five minute conversation. I guess his Slovak and Italian are much better than his English.

  17. Damn, that was one of the scariest descents I’ve seen – defo one to get clear of the field for

    Awesome Cunego, but maybe Fugleschlonger might be the man yet

    Can’t believe how brave/ nuts the guys on the back of the camera bikes are – certifiable – love it – won’t be able to sleep tonight without rolling out of bed

  18. @all
    No changes to the GC or the VSP standings today. Thor, violating us with his white bibs, finally took a win. His first of the year, was it?

    I’m just glad it wasn’t raining.

  19. @xyxax
    I didn’t see the race today. Could it be youthful inexperience thinking he had the jump only to find Thor the aged experienced God of Asunder pipping him? Like I said, I didn’t see the race.

  20. Is it just me or was that the least exciting group sprint for some time? All seemed to unfold in slow motion. Maybe it was because I could only get Dutch commentary and don’t speak Dutch.

  21. Good to see the elder statesmen of leopard-trek going for it at the end. Sagan is amazing. Only 21?

  22. G’phant:
    Is it just me or was that the least exciting group sprint for some time? All seemed to unfold in slow motion. Maybe it was because I could only get Dutch commentary and don’t speak Dutch.

    It was real boring! It looked like they just rolled across the line lackadaisically. Meh.

  23. @ramenvelo

    G’phant:
    Is it just me or was that the least exciting group sprint for some time? All seemed to unfold in slow motion. Maybe it was because I could only get Dutch commentary and don’t speak Dutch.

    It was real boring! It looked like they just rolled across the line lackadaisically. Meh.

    In great contrast to today. That was AWESOME!!!! Chapeau to Boonen for going for it when his team fucked up and he landed on the front with a KILOMETER to go. Bozic, it appears, could not believe his luck! Awesome finish!

  24. Well, that was a bit more exciting…

    I was wondering how long Boonen could hang on for. Looked like Freire stopped pedaling before he hit the line. Nice win, Borut!

  25. @frank
    Definitely better finish today than yesterday, although I think tomorrow’s finish will top them both!

  26. @frank
    Yeah, that was a lot more like it. Great slo-mo of Borut doing an H2 when he realized what he’d done.

  27. Soler dropped off his bicycle again. I guess you could’ve seen that coming.

  28. @Marcus

    WTF is going on with A Schleck losing another 17 seconds today? Another Schleckanical? I can only presume that was the case. I mean, Cav beat him by 17 seconds?!?!

    Guy’s a poof! Slummin’ it here at the td Suisse. Must be “saving himself” for the tour. Definintely a bummer on my picks, though!

  29. I’m starting to think that riders on SRAM should start investing in chain catchers. Sucks for Danielson.

  30. @frank
    I have hears horrible things about SRAM products but great things about their customer service.

  31. The Dutch commentators have a certain Johan Museeuw helping them out. Not as cool as Sean Kelly, mind you, but pretty cool!

    Les Freres Grimpeur have some work to do in terms of climbing if they’re going to be competitive at the Tour, n’est pas?

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