Velominati Super Prestige: Le Tour de France 2013, Stage 19

Dirty Schlecky Love
Dirty Schlecky Love

Since it appears that the descents are where the action is in this year’s Tour de France, we thought we’d forgo our usual Mountain-Top Finish for the Stage VSP and instead go for what I’m guessing might be a real cracker of a stage into Le Grand Bornand. In 2009, the Schleck Tandem hadn’t yet discovered their collective drag chutes and did a stage-winning riding with Bertie pointlessly attacking to drop his own teammate on the run up the final climb.

This year features a bumpy profile which includes two of what I personally have found to be the hardest climbs in the Alps: the Glandon and the Madeleine. They’re going up the easier side of the Glandon (which shares the road with the Col de la Croix de Fer from this side) and then down to the steep side of the Madeleine. Then its over the camel’s back to the Col de la Croix Fry before diving into the valley for the finish.

In my review of that stage in ’09, I was airing my Dirty Schlecky Love on the laundry line, but there is little risk of that happening again this time around, unless Le Petite Schleck finds his patrones between now and then. And lets not forget that Contador is descending like a witch on a broomstick and putting Froome on the ropes in the process. Not to mention, Nairo’s horrible lines on the way down could mean we see a major shuffle on the GC.

Be that as it may, the stage itself will surely go to a breakaway and that’s what we’re here for. So get your picks in by midnight Friday for a chance to win a pair of Bont shoes; the winner will be assisted in selecting the size and will also be helped through the molding process. VSP Points go towards the overall VSP, not the Le Tour VSP. Finally, as this is a Stage VSP, points only go to getting the places right, no bonus points for getting the right rider in the wrong place. Good luck.

[vsp_results id=”24469″/]

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156 Replies to “Velominati Super Prestige: Le Tour de France 2013, Stage 19”

  1. I’m guessing that a break with some big names without GC hopes gets away, while the top 10, shattered after Stage 18, just keep tabs on each other. And I’m also guessing that I’ll be totally wrong.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Hesjedal
    2. Cuddles
    3. Gerrans
    4. Martin
    5. Rolland

  2. VSP PICKS:

    1. quintana
    2. CONTADOR
    3. FROOME
    4. fuglsang and danced
    5. porte

  3. With little to no clue (see Tour VSP picks for confirmation) I am going with the current rankings in the KOM standings.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. froome chris
    2. QUINTANA ROJAS Nairo Alexander
    3. NIEVE ITURRALDE Mikel
    4. ROLLAND Pierre
    5. RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joaquin

  4. I’m so tempted to tip Gilbert. That final climb might just be a touch much though.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Cuddles
    2. Contador
    3. JRod
    4. Valverde
    5. Kreuziger

  5. VSP PICKS:

    1. Dan Martin
    2. Froome
    3. Clentador
    4. Kreuziger
    5. Porte

  6. Well, you know, in a perfect world.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Strack
    2. Kennedy
    3. Andrews
    4. Carlson
    5. Thomson

  7. VSP PICKS:

    1. contador
    2. Hesjedal
    3. valverde
    4. quintana
    5. Rodriguez

  8. shot in the dark. go the breaks. go the french!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. jerome coppel
    2. arnold jeannesson
    3. cameron meyer
    4. thomas voeckler
    5. joaquin rodriguez

  9. VSP PICKS:

    1. Cadel Evans
    2. Alberto contador
    3. Chris froome
    4. Rodriguez
    5. Quintana

  10. I gave a feeling Bertie will unhitched Froomey on the descents, I just can’t bring myself to put him as #1 pick.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Froome
    2. Quintana
    3. J-Rod
    4. Mollema
    5. Bertie Beefsteak

  11. VSP PICKS:

    1. Mikel Nieve
    2. Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa
    3. Cadel’s last gasp
    4. Pierre Rolland
    5. TJVG

  12. Hmmm, Mollema and Rodriguez might need this one

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Dan Martin
    2. Chavanel
    3. Froome
    4. Quintana
    5. Contador

  13. Pick a card, any card…

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Froome
    2. Contador
    3. Chavanel
    4. Kreutziger
    5. Rodriguez

  14. VSP PICKS:

    1. Froome
    2. Rodriguez
    3. Contador
    4. Quintana
    5. Kreuziger

  15. TBone – Yeah, nice bike, nice kit, cool photo!

    Question for ya – did you grow up playing other sports? Your physique looks more ball sport/muscle build than lifelong endurance athlete. Not in any way trying to be insulting, just curious. I played a lot of other sports, including years of lifting as training for them and even after a few solid years of Following, I still have a lot more shoulder, arm, and upper body mass than a lifelong cyclist or other folks who ran in college or something like that and now ride bikes. I’m kind of curious if my build will ever totally change.

  16. VSP PICKS:

    1. Froome
    2. Quintana
    3. Dan Martin
    4. Rodriguez
    5. Contador

  17. VSP PICKS:

    1. QUINTANA ROJAS Nairo Alexander
    2. TEN DAM Laurens
    3. CONTADOR Alberto
    4. VALVERDE Alejandro
    5. FROOME Christopher

  18. Big decents ?? A hard one to call, I’m gonna change.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Contador
    2. Froome
    3. Nieve
    4. Quintana
    5. J-Rod

  19. VSP PICKS:

    1. Pierre Rolland
    2. Spanish Steak
    3. Froome
    4. Quintana
    5. J-Rod

  20. @frank

    @TBONE

    Nice bike setup, apart from that pile of stack. Like the blue bars with white saddle. Very Pantani.

    I’d slam that stem, but for every year I inch towards senility I add a 1mm spacer. Stupid back issues. I’ve since gone to black tape, secured with my V cuff links.

  21. VSP PICKS:

    1. Tom Danielson
    2. Pierre Rolland
    3. Alejandro Valverde
    4. Jakob Fuglsang
    5. Joaquim Rodriguez

  22. Provisional Race Results
    1. RIBLON Christophe
    2. VAN GARDEREN Tejay
    3. MOSER Moreno
    4. QUINTANA ROJAS, Nairo Alexander
    5. RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joaquin
    Provisional VSP Results
    1. trenchfoot (3 points)
    2. GogglesPizano (3 points)
    3. SimonH (3 points)
    4. Tobin (3 points)
    5. JCM (2 points)
    6. Bianchi Denti (2 points)
    7. roger (2 points)
    8. Two Ball Billy (2 points)
    9. minion (2 points)
    10. simonsaunders (2 points)
    75. bigfudge (0 points)
  23. @TBONE

    All you haters suck my balls

    -Hesjedal

    I wish him joy of his sponsorship, but is that really a very Canadian thing to say?

  24. @brett

    Provisional Race Results
    1. RIBLON Christophe
    2. VAN GARDEREN Tejay
    3. MOSER Moreno
    4. QUINTANA ROJAS, Nairo Alexander
    5. RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joaquin

     

    Provisional VSP Results
    1. trenchfoot (3 points)
    2. GogglesPizano (3 points)
    3. SimonH (3 points)
    4. Tobin (3 points)
    5. JCM (2 points)
    6. Bianchi Denti (2 points)
    7. roger (2 points)
    8. Two Ball Billy (2 points)
    9. minion (2 points)
    10. simonsaunders (2 points)
    75. bigfudge (0 points)

    @RedRanger

    @brett this is for tomorrows stage mate

     

    I hear that The Keepers keep him around for the humour aspect of it all.

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