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Velominati Super Prestige: 2011 La Vuelta a España

Photo: REUTERS / Miguel Vidal

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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635 Replies to “Velominati Super Prestige: 2011 La Vuelta a España”

  1. @Dr C
    this is one of the more dignified images of wiggo, indeed. his shoes are certainly proper, and the only material of a garment with a higher sartorial rating than red velvet, is black.

    it’s time to break out the green army overcoats, play my generation at 11, grab one of these (hopefully she’s spanish), and get down to business.

  3. @Dr C
    Lovin’ the pink in the jersey. Pink is for real men. Chapeau.

    @Buck Rogers
    Brother, I am soooo sorry. I agree. This site provides a lot more than just bike nerdness. I think of y’all as best buds. Buck, I hope to see you in Texas soon for a couple of good Hill Country rides. Hang in there.

    @seemunkee
    Buena Suerte! Get back to the road soon.

    @heath
    Ooooohhh yeah. I neeeeed that velvet jacket. Mod Wiggo. I should have put him on the podium just for the haircut, the french cuffs, and the ascot.

  5. @heath
    Just as I was typing, The Jam popped up on my iPod. “Slow Down” from In the City. The Mod Gods smiled down on me. I may have to change my VSP picks.

  9. @heath
    Oooooh, that gave me goosebumps. I already rode today. I may have to go ride again. So cool.

  10. That’s my forecast

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Scarponi
    2. Nibali
    3. Wiggins
    4. Anton
    5. J Rodriguez

  12. Whelp, back from vacation and I have no idea who’s competing actually.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Anton
    2. Scarponi
    3. Nibali
    4. J Rod
    5. Kruiswijk

  13. I have no idea who will win. I think Anton will win, but if he doesn’t Menchov will.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Anton
    2. Scarponi
    3. Menchov
    4. J Rod
    5. Nibali

  14. @Nate

    Also, I hesitate to say this, but how can it be a country song without any woman-trouble?

    :) Thanks all for the thoughts. Yeah, fortunately the wife and dog and truck are all okay (actually I do not have a dog or truck, but you kno what I mean.)

    It’s all good. We’re just rolliung with the punches and enjoying life while we all can.

    I’ll be back in Texas tomorrow, JiPM. We need to ride together this fall without a doubt!!!

  15. @buckrogers… Commiserations on many fronts… No one deserves that… But welcome back for the Vuelta VSP… Big heart to you and yours

    @Brett: you were spot on with your TdF predictions, but you are sadly off with your Vuelta “chat”… Sangria? Fuck that… The Spanish killer whale, mate : Rioja (ri-Orca, if you’re going to make me spell it out)… Just had a lovely bottle of Muga Gran Riserva 2003 to get me in the mood (it probably shows)… And it is fightin’ wine….

    I have to go with Twiggo.. The rest, who knows? If my TdF pedigree is anything to go by, they’ll all be in a pile of carbon dust and Snapped collar bones / femurs / skulls (can you snap a skull? Whatever, what Horner did)… But here goes…

    (btw, as an aside: this parcours is INSANE… It’s almost as if they are encouraging recovery techniques that are, errr, illegal… Wtf?)

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Twiggo
    2. VdB
    3. Denis M
    4. J-Rod
    5. Nibali

  17. I’d still pick Hoogerland for all 5 spots if he was in the race.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Wiggo
    3. Menchov
    4. J Rod
    5. Nibali

  18. @Buck Rogers
    Commiserations, Mate. Not a good run. But, just like 22% ramps, bad runs never last. Hang in there.

    As to picks – anyone know how to say ‘crap shoot’ in Spanish? Am going into this one with just Norfolk ‘n I, Dear.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Frankenstein’s Basque Assistant
    2. Sicilian Shark
    3. Purito
    4. Scarpepperoni
    5. Kjrjujiswjicjk

  19. VSP PICKS:

    1. Igor Anton
    2. Braddly Wiggo
    3. Kloden
    4. JVDB
    5. Niboli

  21. @G’phant
    Sign of the end of the week: it took me quite a few seconds to work out who your first pick was. Of course, I’d like to raise an objection to your picking the same podium as me; makes it very difficult to gain any ground.

    And a general question: has Scarponi ever won anything outside of Italy?

  23. Not sure how my tips will play out here.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Nibbles
    2. Anton
    3. Scarface scarponi
    4. Twiggins
    5. Martin

  24. Call me crazy…

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Kloden
    2. Nibali
    3. Scarponi
    4. Anton
    5. Purito

  25. Call me crazier! I need some bizzarro picks to come good so I can gain ground on the leaders.

    “To win, you must be prepared to lose”.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Kloden
    2. Nibali
    3. Kruijswijk
    4. Kessiakoff
    5. Le Mevel

  28. Just because The Jam were so fucking awesome…

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Jolly Naughty Weller
    2. Nibbles
    3. Get your Ant on
    4. Anybody’s Rodri-guess
    5. Scarper!

  30. @Dr C
    Nice thought. Sadly, it may be awhile. There’s a good chance I’ll be in England this fall, but likely won’t make it over to Ireland.

  31. Go spagna!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Anton
    2. Nibali
    3. J Rodriguez
    4. Scarponi
    5. Dan Martin

  36. Hump? What hump?

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Nibali
    2. Anton
    3. Scarponi
    4. Menchov
    5. Rodriguez

  38. Changed already, anyway. Looks like I get to ride the Vuelta as well. (At least in last name….#165)

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Nibali
    2. Scarponi
    3. Wiggo
    4. Menchov
    5. Anton

  42. Alright then.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Nibali
    2. Anton
    3. J-Rod
    4. JVdB
    5. Scarponi

  44. I’ve been traveling for the past 15 hours, so I’m probably wrong. But, I had to get my picks in before falling over.

    I’m also probably wrong because I’m always mostly wrong.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Menchov
    2. Wiggins
    3. Nibali
    4. Rodriguez
    5. Anton

  45. fingers crossed!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Igor Anton
    2. Nibali
    3. Wiggo
    4. MeScarponi
    5. JRod

  48. No idea really…

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Wiggins
    2. Nibali
    3. Anton
    4. J. Rodriguez
    5. Scarponi

  49. I’m getting on Wiggins. Everyone was putting Cadel into the “almost good enough but not a winner, always in the mix” pre-Tour. He’s a chance so why not.
    I still know nuthin’ and can’t say I’m too fussed by this GT either.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Wiggins
    2. Nibali
    3. Anton
    4. Menchov
    5. Rodriguez

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