Velominati Super Prestige: 2011 La Vuelta a España
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!
Hell, I’ll throw Wiggo in for Scarponi if it is legal.
@ChrisO
Absolutely. Can you imagine that feeling … riding guys like that off your wheel? Hell, I’d love to be able to stay with them for a few k’s, say nothing about dropping them ON A CLIMB, no less.
@Netraam
@frank
If that’s the case can I have fulsgang too, please
I’m smelling massive Piti Principle here, but Scarponi does under our current rules merit a swap. He was already out of it, but rules are rules. May make a switch for next season that dnfs only count for riders in contention. Feedback welcomed.
Get your swaps in by 5am Pacific tomorrow.
@frank
Out of interest, what is the punishment dished out to those falling foul of the Piti Principle?
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Wiggins
3. J Rodriguez
4. Jurgen VDB
5. Fulsang
@frank
Yeah, Fuck it, even the swap out rule is lame.
As someone said earlier, Dance with the one that you brought!
HTFU and long live Scarponi and Anton!!!
Original picks should be maintained throughout in my opinion, no matter what happens.
VSP PICKS:
1. J-Rod
2. Menchov
3. JVDB
4. Anton
5. Scarponi
@Dr C
It’s worse than that, I’ve been here for a couple of weeks so I probably could have made it to one of the stages last week if I’d bundled the family up for a week for the opportunity to drive for a few hours, watch the race go by (potentially in one great big group lasting all of ten seconds as it did a few years ago near Tarbes on a stage of the TDF) then put them all back in the car for a nice long ride home. On top of that, we had friends with us. I decided to go for a ride in the morning, take in the horse show at the Royal Jerez School of Equestrianism (superb btw) and then spend the afternoon on the beach.
We maybe need to organise a Velominati (Europe) raid on le tour or one of the classics next year.
VSP PICKS:
1. wiggo
2. nibbo
3. fulsgang
4. rodders
5. saggers
@Buck Rogers
I derive such joy dropping anyone on a climb. If I dropped an actual climber, the marvel would be overwhelming.
Scarponi OUT!
Fugglesong IN
…and a massive shakeup all ’round
VSP PICKS:
1. Wiggo
2. Nibali
3. Cousin Bauke
4. Kaptain Kenya
5. Fuglsang
i’m all for ditching the “full swaps” thing, despite my utilizing that currently to the full effect. Play the game, playa’.
Wait, I can switch ALL RIDERS b/c one of them dropped out? Yeah, that seems REALLLLYYYY lame.
VSP PICKS:
1. Wiggo
2. Mollema
3. Fuglsang
4. Froome
5. Nibali
Go Wiggo go!!
@ frank, I’m good with switching a rider who DNF’s even if not in contention, but one shouldn’t be able to change their whole slate because of it.
That said, I hope Anton drops out so I can switch everyone!
VSP PICKS:
1. Wiggo
2. Nibali
3. Mollema
4. J-Rod
5. JvDB
I think that Jeff will take me on the final real stage into Vitoria! :)
VSP PICKS:
1. J-Rod
2. Menchov
3. JVDB
4. JiPM
5. Buck Rogers
VSP PICKS:
1. Wiggo
2. Nibbles
3. JVDB
4. Froom
5. Fuglsang
VSP PICKS:
1. Fuglsang
2. Wiggins
3. Nibali
4. Mollema
5. J Rod
Jesus… Great stage today…. Just seen the highlights… But that monster they have to climb tomorrow: the Angliru… It is inhuman… 10% average… 23% max… J-Rod and Nibali taking a breather today in preparation for tomorrow, or were they really not on it? Can’t wait
My VSP Picks won’t let me change anything. But, as Buck Rogers said, “I’m going to dance with who I came with”……….and wind up going home alone…………
Mollema in for Scarponi. Direct substitution, so no infringement of Piti Principle.
VSP PICKS:
1. Jolly Naughty Twiggy
2. Sicilian Shark
3. Purito
4. Molly
5. Buglesong
@Roadslave
Tomorrow will truly be wild. Nibali has been talking about the Angliru all week. I believe he is focused there, so your idea seems plausible. No doubt a 10% average favors J-Rod, as the little man bursts when most crumble.
J-Rod is a strange rider, though. He’s a specialist climber even beyond simply being a climber. If the road isn’t steep enough, he can’t keep up, like today. When gradients turn to the dire, he leaves a trail of destruction.
Slap Wiggo in there now. Hopefully he’s leapfrogged by someone.
VSP PICKS:
1. Anton
2. Wiggo
3. Nibbles
4. Jaws (Dan Martin)
5. J-Rod
Mollema direct for Scarpers.
Sorry to see the old fella run out of gas. Giro next year?
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Mollema
3. Wiggins
4. Brajkovic
5. Purito
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Anton
3. Mollema
4. van den broke
5. Wiggo
I doubt anyone would “take a breather” – it’s a big gamble to think you can lose a minute and a half, then get it back and more. I doubt Nibali and Rodriguez are that confident in their ability to do so that they’d willingly concede time. Looked to me like they were just plain dropped…
Straight swap of Mollema for Scarponi.
And I would also agree – no swaps other than for DNF’s, I swapped out Anton the other day, never done that before and felt “dirty” for doing it…….
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. J Rodriquez
3. Mollema
4. Jakob Fuglsang
5. Wiggins
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Mollema
3. Monfort
4. Fulsang
5. Wiggo
The Balky Mule in for a Scarred Pony.
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Wiggins
3. Mollema
4. Sweet Janez
5. Rodriguez
Probably should spell WiggIns correctly
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibbles
2. Eager Anton
3. Wiggins
4. J-Rod
5. Mensch
Annoyingly I had Scarponi as my winner, so while I would dearly love to shake the whole thing up I’ve just done a straight swap for Mollema.
Wish Anton would bow to the inevitable too – maybe he’s been saving himself for the Angliru but it didn’t look like it.
VSP PICKS:
1. Mollema
2. Nibali
3. Anton
4. Wiggins
5. Kruijswijk
@Chris
Tour to the Classics sounds a belter, and was my plan – until the Trans Pyrenees appeared, so I suspect the Spring will be mountain training in Spain for me – maybe we can sort something for the Paris Roubaix though
Right now, brace yourselves for some serious destruction today – gonna be nasty!
@Dr C
Paris Roubaix sounds good, may have to try to slip that one into the diary. What do you reckon would be the best way? Get to Paris the day before, ride out to a point midway, stay overnight, ride some more before watching the race, retire to a nearby bar with the correct TV channels to watch the finish then ride back to Paris and return home (or maybe a second night near the aforementioned bar before riding back to Paris)?
@Chris
I’ve been trying to figure a way to get to P-R next Spring and also ride the cyclosportif the day before. Problem is that the kids school is in full swing so we might not get to France until June or July. Would love to see Le TDF but then again, I have 5 kids and trying to travel around with them all and the circus of the tour would be tough. Still trying to find a way to make P-R and ride the cyclo. Anyone have any ideas on how to get into the bloody thing?!?!?!
FUCK ME!!! Man, it is ON in Spain. What a stage!!!
The Moncout takes the points and now the CRAZY-ASS climb is startintg!
100% unsurprised Sastre went from the bottom. He’s gets caught 2km from the top I think.
That’ll teach me. I was off by 5km. Thought he had more of a gap there.
Also, it looked like Barredo was wearing shorts not bibs.
Cobo’s looking good. This could get real interesting…
Nibali off the back again? There go my VSP hopes.
24%? What is the opposite of a climbone?
Wiggins is going to have to pick it up. That gap is getting real big.
The steep angle of the hill looks almost looks fake when they pull back and show level – long distance shots of the riders going up.
Whether he wins or loses, Wiggo’s sock length is Merckx-awful. With those string bean legs he looks like an old man in braces
@VeloVita
There is no opposite of Climbone. Climbone just is. Climbone can be mixed with terror. 24% is such a Climbone.
@Collin
I was being a bit sarcastic, though in truth I’m sure I sure I wouldn’t feel much climbone while I was riding it – just before and after
This is incredible…. Wiggins and Froom cracking!!!!
Oft overused, but this is indeed ‘epic’! Wiggins, Froome, ouch!
Dear God this climb is wonderful. What madness. The fog. Just when I was thinking that must be it, 2km more!