Spain is an awesome country. It has amazing scenery, culture, cities and chicas… oh, the chicas. Its football competition features the world’s best players, their national team are the reigning World Cup holders, and they boast world champions in tennis, Moto GP, Superbikes and Formula 1. They regularly kick the collective asses of France and Italy, and a lot of other European countries when it comes to bicycle racing, although most of their recent heroes have somewhat of a cloud hanging over them. So why does their Grand Tour hardly raise an eyebrow when compared to the other two big tours, and why the fuck do they still allow cowards on horses armed with poison darts to taunt and kill a beast as noble as el toro for ‘entertainment’?
I can’t really answer the last one, but the fact that La Vuelta is treated like the road racing equivalent of a red-headed stepchild is about as fair as the Corrida itself. To me, and to many pros, it is seen as a tour of redemption. Those who, for one reason or another, either due to bad luck, bad management or bad form suffered a less-than-stellar Tour de France, now get a chance to make something of their season and add a ‘major’ to their palmares. Riders like Jan Ullrich, who in 1999 took the amarillo jersey after sitting out Le Tour with a dicky knee. 2008 saw Contador make amends after his Astana team was prevented from starting le Grande Boucle under a doping cloud. In fact, La Vuelta and doping have more than a passing aquaintance, with Valverde winning while under a pending hearing in 2009, and of course little Robbie Heras getting stripped of his 05 title after an EPO positive. Last year wasn’t without its own scandal, with a positive for 2nd place ‘sensation’ Ezequiel Mosquera dragging La Vuelta’s name through the red dust again. It could well be the dirtiest tour of them all, a race that itself seeks atonement as much as those who race it.
This year’s edition has the same sense of redemption written all over it, with some of Le Tour’s unfortunates having a crack at it. There’s Wiggo, who was in the self-proclaimed form of his life before snapping his twig-like collarbone early on. Can he show us what he had promised on the roads of France in the Dauphine, or will the Spanish heat and steep, long climbs be too much for him? How about Jurgen Van den Broeck, also looking great before his own clavicle calamity ended his July. Invisible Denis will also be there, his Geox team considered not good enough for the Tour, out to show that he’s still a force and add to his two Spanish victories. Other battered old warhorses who will never give up easily are Andreas Klöden and Carlos Sastre, but father time may have finally taken its toll on this duo.
In reality, it’ll probably come down to the younger brigade made up of last year’s winner Vinnie Nibali, J-Rod, Scarponi, and Anton. It could be a blow-out, or one of the best races of the year. We may even get another drug controversy to keep up the status quo of years gone by. Whatever happens is anybody’s guess, which is why this race is one of the hardest to pick for VSP contenders, and one that might even be as exciting, vibrant and colourful as the country it traverses for three hot weeks.
So pour yourself a glass of Sangria, give the start list a long or glancing look, and post your picks before 5am Pacific time (yeah, I don’t know when the hell that is either…) and if you have any doubts, confusion or questions, head to the VSP page for clarification, rules and/or rebuttals. No horsing around, no bullshit.
Buena suerte!
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@all Re: DNF Swaps
The reason you're allowed to change all five picks is because we need to account for the scenario that the top favorite could DNF due to a crash, meaning that all four of your remaining picks would slide up a postion. If we allow DNF swaps at all, we need to allow for an ad-hoc swapping, also accounting for the major upset of balance to the top five if a top favorite DNF's.
This is why the DNF picks are governed by the Piti Principle; if you swap out riders just to try to gain points, you're violating the principle. If you changed multiple riders, you need to provide a justification, otherwise we reserve the right to penalize you as we see fit. Please provide your explanations today; we'll start penalizing tomorrow. It's in the VSP rules, fucktards, and your DNF Swap screen even reminds you that the Piti Priniciple applies.
For additional clarity to my previously iPhone auto-corrected mess of a question: The question is whether we should allow for DNF swaps at all, or if we limit ourselves entirely to Rest-Day swaps (understanding from the above that if there are DNF swaps, you technically have to be able to swap them all, provided you explain yourself.)
The case of Scarponi is a great justification of why to eliminate it, the first week of the Tour is a great justification for why it's handy.
The alternative being that The Keepers just go ahead and use our discretion as to wether to allow for a DNF swap; if it's a douchey move like Scarps then no, if it's a sitch like Wiggo busting up his collarbone in a crash he didn't cause then yes.
@scaler911
You didn't have Scaponi in your picks, that's why you couldn't make changes to your lineup.
@frank
Totally agree that multiple swaps require serious justification. In my defence re the Scarponi swap, I was merely predicting Fulsgang's departure from the top five (or ten or whatever).
In the event that it might still be considered an inappropriate move, I'll go and climb a big hill tomorrow
Good God almighty, I'm knackered, think I'll have to go to bed early - almost glad we only saw Wiggo start to crack, would have been to painful to watch anymore of that 20+% stuff - that's gotto be one of the nastiest climbs of the year - fair play to Cobo, looks like he got the gearing right, but how come everyone else was completely spannered, yet he looked like he was on a training ride? Everyone was doing squares and zig zags and he just powered up the middle of the track - Contador maybe, but an unknown..... (just feeling a bit sorry for Brad I guess...)
@frank
too complicated with all the swapping stuff - should only be for crash induced withdrawals, coz that's hardcore - pulling out with sore legs or a headcold shouldn't count - a hole in your ballbag would be cause for consideration mind you!!
@frank
Frank: As per swaps, my feel is no swaps under ANY circumstance. If you're riding and a horse jumps out of the side of the road and ruins your race, it sucks to be you, HTFU (like Museeuw in Ghent-Wevelgem).
And as for why I switched out Anton for JiPM, I REALLY think JiPM is about to peak. :)
And gooooo Moncout! In the climbers jersey!
That's natural justice. I made blatant points-grabbing changes at the first rest day, and now I have no one scoring anything.
I support the zero change movement - you pays your money (metaphorically speaking) and you takes your chances.
Go Kloedi!!
@Dr C
Is that your professional opinion Doc ?
@ChrisO
Wonder if Cyclingnews agrees: "It paved the way for Cobo, who eased through the remnants of the leading group as if they were standing still. It was also Riis-esque, with Wiggins only able to mount a valiant challenge for few hundred meters."
The pics of Twiggo on today's stage show a man holding onto his bike for dear life. He also looks like a British grandma when he's on his limit. FACT.