Velominati Super Prestige: Tour de France 2012
We are proud to announce a change to the Velominati Super Prestige moving forward: sponsorship. We are delighted (if a little surprised) at the interest our partners showed in this endeavor, despite the short notice we gave them. Four sponsors will be gracing the sides of our team bus for this year’s race: fi’zi:k is our Super Domestique Sponsor (think Big George without the shoe covers because who’d want to cover those beauties up), while the leadout train is being rounded out by DeFeet, Pavé Cycling Classics, and Malteni Beer. As we all know, fizik gets a lot of love around here as the Contact Point Supplier, and for good reason. So we thought now is as good a time as any to announce that DeFeet has agreed to come on board as Flandrian Best Supplier, the Pavé boys, our trusted guides over the stones and bergs, and Malteni Biere which fills our bidon and keeps us making bad decisions like teaming up with the Pavé boys.
So what does Super Domestique Sponsor mean? Free shoes to the winners – that’s what it means, dillwhips. Free R3’s, yup the Aristocrats, to the three winners of the VSP: TdF GC Winner and the two Stage VSP’s. As you watch this year’s race, look for the likes of Jeremy Roy and Richie Porte riding the R3’s in complete Rule Compliance. As Leadout Sponsor, Defeet is providing a full Flandrian Best Kit including a base layer, Armskins, Kneekers, and Slipstream Belgian booties for the VSP: Tdf GC second place as well plus two pairs of D-Logo socks to each runner-up of the Stage VSP’s. The Pavé boys (also Leadout Sponsors) are putting up a limited Pavé Cycling Classics wool jersey awarded to third place. We can’t ship Malteni (also Leadout Sponsors) legally, so you’ll just have to wait until you’re in Belgium to guzzle some of that lovely nectar or join the Pavé boys for their Worlds Weekend tour with Johan Museeuw where they’ll get you stupid(er) on the stuff.
Gianni’s Ruminations
Finally, the date has arrived. We have all done our training through the winter, contested the Spring Classics, The Ardennes Races, Romandie, Oh the Giro, The Dauphine, Tour de Swiss. Not all were in the VSP schedule but I know most of you wrote down your picks for the others and tucked them under your pillows. It’s training. There has been time to taper down before Saturday’s prologue start in Liége, Belgium. A young neo-pro, The Fish, is leading in points. The hardened veterans have seen these youth come and go, the season is long. A touch of wheels, a moment of youthful idealism, Vladimir Karpets is picked to podium, The Fish goes down, he panics and by the time he is back up he will never see the front again. Or he will continue to mock us all with his astute choices and lead all the way to Lombardy.
I have staked my claim on the yellow kit ownership some time ago and still see this as an epic Cadel-Wiggo battle to the death and if not death, until one of them sits up. But this year might be the time the youth start to fill up the other three places in the top five.
The Shack’s team car has been crashing into every static object all spring and now Bruyneel has been yanked out of the driver’s seat. The ride can only get smoother but with the reluctant leader Frank Schleck staring at over 100km of prologue and time trialing, as was said in the bunker, they are going stage hunting. I could go on for hours about the 2012 TdF but we have other Keepers who need to vent.
Please check the VSP page for the rules, keep an eye on the awesome VSP countdown timer, don’t Delgado your picks. Here is the start list.
I have to give a shout out to a brave group of Velominati who are heading to the Vermont/Canadian border to draft behind a massive dump truck full of Awesome all the way to the Massachusetts state line. It’s a Cogal only deranged people would attempt and as luck would have it, we supply them here. I hope they get their picks in soon as they may be in no kind of shape on Friday to think about such important things.
Brett’s Misconceptions
It’s all about Fränk. It’s perfect. All the pressure’s off. No lil bro to hold him back. Deliberately sucking all year so far, crashing and quitting, a hint of form, Bruyneel slinks off to deflect attention (and suspicion), Fränk suddenly can time trial and a couple of Pharmy style attacks later he wins in Paris by two minutes, taking the sprint on the Champs Elysees for good measure. Maybe not the last bit. Fränk will, however, finish in lil bro’s favourite position. Or suddenly leave with a stomach bug.
Cadel will take this. It’s perfect. All the pressure’s off. No lil bro to worry about in the mountains. Deliberately almost sucking so far, but not. Hints of form, staying low, deflecting attention. Look after the time trials and command the mountains. Safe, not exciting. Or he’ll step on someone else’s dog, breaking his elbow and decapitating the dog.
Wiggo could take this. It’s perfect. A lot of form. A lot of km’s against the clock. Not too many big hills. Too tall socks. Cav left to fight alone. One bad day is waiting there though, the sort of bad day that not even winning the final TT by 2 minutes can alleviate. Or he’ll crash in the first week, breaking both elbows after getting a sideburn caught in his crazy bio pace chainrings.
Sagan will win the first twelve stages, then leave with a stomach bug. Gossy will gratefully step into the vacant green in the greatest heist since Gerro won San Remo. And the Rug Salesman will be all spotty, due to getting in a long break and not sucking as much as even he expected. That’ll help him to 5th and Zubeldia level evanescence.
None of this may actually come close to happening, but whatever does I hope it’s an exciting race. Good luck to those battling hard for three weeks in the VSP race too, it could just turn out to be the main point of interest a couple of weeks from now.
Marko’s Reckoning
The Fish loses two spots on the G.C. but manages to eek out a pair of R3s in a sub-VSP as G’phant peaks in le Grande Boucle and walks away with le Grande Bouprize. Sad thing is, G’phant is legend but nobody remembers him because he only shows for races, not group rides anymore. Fausto rides a calculated, if not boring, race to move up a spot but just misses out. Gianni gets a glimpse of the podium going into the 16th stage and the Tourmalet but drowns in a lactic acid and caffeine soaked bath in that stage’s VSP. Marko Delgados virtually the entire event while he continues building his family a house in direct violation of Rule #11, which is more than we can say for Brett and Frank who were last seen going in the opposite direction with Bruyneel in a Radiotreksanshack team car dragging a muffler through Liege on its way to a USADA hearing near Austin.
In the meantime, two dudes from the Commonwealth – one with sideburns approaching muttonchops and another with an ass on his chin – duel it out in France. There will be some Italian, Spanish, and Russian dudes there too in an epic the likes of which hasn’t been seen in years. Fuck Yeah people, Vive le Tour.
Frank’s Delusions
It happens every single time. I get all weepy-eyed about the Giro and how it’s the Velominatus’ choice for a Grand Tour. Less crazy, better terrain, a comparatively weaker field usually yielding a closer race. But come the Tour, I get all starstruck as the big names line up in the best form they could muster for the season.
I also had decided to pick Twiggo for the big win, but now I’m not so sure. I love that the guy is tall and can get over a mountain, but there is one irrefutable fact that I can’t get over. He looks much too much like Gianni’s avatar, only not as well-kept. The sardonic look on his face along with those whispy sideburns are just too much for me to take. I’m back to rolling with my heart and my questionable sensibilities to favor Grimpelder this time round, now that he’s out of the shadow of his little brother and will be able to put the swivelnecking energy into the pedals instead of looking behind him.
The good news is that the racing always winds up being awesome. And that’s what its about: panache. So long as Wiggo doesn’t pull an Indurain and take 6 minutes on an early TT, I’ll be happy.
Epilogue
Pick carefully, don’t Delgado, and think twice about those rest day swaps; they come at a heavy price and there are some nice prizes on the line which make the Velominati Shop Apron look like a Schleck’s chamois during the descent of the Peyresourde.
The Fine Print: each contestant is of course encouraged to enter all VSP events, but everyone is eligible to take the prizes on only one VSP. If a contestant takes more than one VSP event (GC or Stage) the prize for that VSP will then be awarded to the player with the next highest score. In the event of a tie we’ll do our best to find the fairest way to break the tie. If something doesn’t make sense, please ask; we’re making this up as we go along.
Get your picks in by the time the countdown clock goes to zero, and good luck. Vive le Tour.
@sgt
+1 especially after Ryder was caught last year…. again it’s obviously not so simple, but it seems, from my armchair at least, like something that could’ve maybe been avoided…… ??
@sgt
Brickbats, such a poor neglected word these days. Nice play.
doesn’t look so bad … o_O
@LA Dave
I don’t think Greipel was sprinting at his best today, chapeau to him for giving it a go though.
@metalface
Especially after repeatedly hearing JV say how he’s “not going to be part of the chase”, “we’re going to let the other teams work”, blah blah blah, year after year, until I want to grab him by the muttonchops and head-butt the shit out of him. How’d that strategy work out today, Jonny boy?
compare and contrast:
Garmin’s view of the race:
BMC’s view of the race:
See the difference?
@snoov Reports of Greipel dislocating his shoulder in that first crash.
You can’t discount the fact that he was able to horse his right shoulder through the sprint while protecting his left.
As someone who’s genetically disposed to a loose shoulder (left), it’s easy to pick up. He was protecting it. It may not have been excruciating, but it was uncomfortable.
via Lazer’s FB page:
“Andre Greipel: Two crashes, dislocated shoulder that he put back in place himself, and still finished second on the stage. Tough day for a tough rider.”
@metalface
definitely a V moment of the year.
So looking at my picks I think voeckler (started with a stuffed knee), Ryder (crashed lost like 37 hours) and Schleck (also crashed but only like 3 hours lost), are not going to bring me home any swag. That leaves me with Cuddles and Twiggie, like the rest of you. I think it fair to say my VSP is done :(. Or at best I can hope for one strap from a a pair of R3s….
@snoov
True, Greipel was definitely was banged up but he was still able to out sprint Gossy, so he wasn’t too slow.
At the end of the day I don’t think that Sagan is going to win too many heads up sprints against Cav, Greipel et al, but just to be in that conversation with all of the other types of races he can win is amazing.
@Chris
Yeah have to admit for our Rule #9 days we need Wellies rather than warm head gear……
It was fucking carnage out there today, 30 riders hit the deck, 10 hospitalized…….has had big impact on the GC contenders list….at least my boy Wiggo move up just in time otherwise he would have gone down with the rest.
Am also starting to warm to Sagan as well……..
Thank god the sprints are over for a while otherwise France might run out of gauze and stitches
@sgt
Sky’s view of the race? About like when Cadel was at Lotto with McEwan?
i missed out on pickin this year. but those of u with menchov are lookin pretty good right bout now
@sthilzy
Yep. Cav’s gotta be scratching his head right now.
Hmm, there was only supposed to be one of those, just thought it was an interesting shot. Hincapie’s varicose veins are gross as all get-out though.
@sthilzy
Speaking of which, has anyone seen a Leaky Gas rider on the front. Except for Sagan who seems to be riding alone.
Tom Danielson is riding the Tour on a folding bike.
@xyxax
…with a clever design feature where the Arundel cage acts as the pivot.
@scaler911
They really need Ted King there.
@scaler911 they are riding for Nibali I assume.
Aright fuck it I’m gonna say it. Crashes have wrecked the Green jersey this year. Sagan’s won sprints by negotiating crashes and beating injured sprinters, or winning from a reduced field. The last stage, coming around Greipel who was bleeding and apparently had a separated shoulder won’t go down as a classic win. It’d almost be worth putting a mountain stage in the first week so the climbers get sorted out and the nerves that infect the first week might abate. (Admittedly then you open up a whole host of other problems I’m sure. Might be better than this suggestion, might not).
If it weren’t for the crashes the first week wouldn’t even be worth watching.
@Giles
You’ve still got the two stage comps, do like your boy Frank & start stage hunting.
@Mikael Liddy
we have rest day switching, with a penalty.
@Mikael Liddy Was that you on Greenhill Rd lunchtime in the V kit?
Yup, sensational day for it today. Just wish the legs were as keen to keep going as the head was, absolutely drained them within the first 30k’s with a Montacute & Cherryville double.
@RedRanger
Yeah but those penalties are pretty steep this year…especially if you wait for the second day.
@minion
Or you could say the crashes have added to the credibility of Sagan’s efforts – he was involved in one and missed the sprint, and in the Robbie Hunter / Cav pile up on Stage 5, the slow mo shows him being knocked fully sideways 5 metres to the other side of the carriageway, practically off his saddle, feet on the ground etc – how he didn’t go down is a mystery – well, maybe being a whizzkid on a MTB helps your Green Maillot credentials…
http://bcove.me/7gvtjw5e is a nice interview – 22 yr old speaks Croatian and Italian, but still affable in broken English – nice touch with the bell – either he is a tit, or he brings youthful exuberance, but I favour the latter, and am loving this as much as I enjoyed Fast Phil’s mass annihilation last season
Chapeau to Greipel in yesterdays sprint – Gossy wasn’t hurt and had a lead out – I reckon Cav would have whipped them all, as it was a slow sprint, which doesn’t favour Greipel, but Sagan is lethal over a short acceleration too, esp if manoevering is required – I’m finding this year’s Green the most interesting for a while
@metalface
Man alive (just) – I was watching the tennis at Wimblumbum 2 days ago, when Serena Williams went for a drop shot and missed her footing, sliding gently to her knees on the grass – to commentators went on for ages about how lucky she had been not to injure herself – yada yada yada
Any news on Richie Porte, apparently he was pretty smashed up after yesterday?
In the talk about crashes and the green jersey I think we have to note that these aren’t sprinter crashes by and large, nor are they being caused by road obstacles or street furniture.
Several have happened well out from the line, and yesterday’s was 25km out on the most innocuous piece of straight road you could wish for. Sprinters have been caught up in them but so have a lot of others apart from the 20% who are staying at the front all day.
One of the team managers was blaming the GC guys and their teams for making it overheat at the front. But his point was that they were doing that because they are so scared about getting back if anything happens, and the race jury has been ultra strict on using team cars etc to get back to the peloton, hence they can’t afford to be caught out.
I doubt that’s the only cause but it may be part of the problem.
According to one account yesterday’s pile up happened when Davide Vigano was trying to put Petacchi’s shoe covers in his jersey pockets and someone in front slowed or deviated and he couldn’t control his bike in time.
So maybe if Ale Jet took a dose of Rule #5 none of this would have happened.
@Mikael Liddy
I find Mike Tom a bit like Daryl Somers @ times. . . . .
Likin Matt Sheenan’s work. Very renaisonce-esk! (I’m ipadin on Shiraz)
@ChrisO These guys are professionals and are paid to ride a bike. From club level you have to read the race, watch the the field, find the riders with the good legs, position your self accordingly. I’ve busted my wrist years ago by pulling off a turn at a crit, pulling back for a breather, changed gear and looked down at the rear derailliuer only to clp wheels and end up face down on the black stuff. Didn’t take down any one else but. Remained a dick. Chapeau to all riders finishing a race regardless of skin on/skin off.
@sthilzy
Holy crap – I was saying pretty much exactly that just yesterday as we watched him fumble his way through whatever his job actually is. I said they may as well send Daryl Somers for all the good MT does.
@sthilzy
I find Matt Keenan a bit boring when he commentates on his own, he needs a mate. Great knowledge but a bit too monotone. When he was with McGrory he was much better.
And seeing how Phil L is making so many mistakes I think it is time for Phil to retire and Matt tto step up to the A Team with Paul Sherwen And yes Mike Tom can be a bit cringeworthy and asks dumb questions in interviews a lot of thetimes.
@Blah Snaps to Tommo, where else can you see. So much commitment to cycling on TV in Oz?
I’ve tripped over some vintage Tomo complete with mullet – as per Somers in 90’s
Forgot to say SBS do in fact do a great job of broadcasting so much cycling and we are lucky it is free to air. I do like Eurosport and their team of commentators, Kelly and his comments are always worth listening to.
Just that Mike Tom does irritate me, especially when he refers to Antony Tan as Tannie …….
Hesjedal just abandoned. Bugger.
@sthilzy
yep – been sick of him since the 90s. Commitment to a month long junket to France each year.
But yeh, he’s stuck at it. Not interested enough to learn the first thing about the sport, but has helped SBS diversify a bit from football.
I get that he’s been an advocate for cycling at SBS, but still can’t stand watching him.
When Stuie was in yellow he seriously asked Big Tex “are you worried about Stuart O’Grady?”. Cringeworthy stuff. Did you see him with Rupert Guinness a couple of nights ago? Rupe clearly had no time for him. Was a funny ten minutes.
What is the opinion of a bell on a road bike? Help to make others aware he is around and that they aren’t to crash into him? Seems like he’ll need it so far on the tour.
@taon24
Not too sure about the bell, but the head tube paint job is awesome!
Listening to the injury list from yesterday’s is staggering. The fact guys got up and finished the stage with broken rubes etc was amazing.
Van Summeren looked like he’d ridden through a shredder as he crossed the line.
Check this out! Tom Danielson’s rather second hand looking Cervelo!
Apparently Garmin wrote of $60,000 worth of bikes yesterday…
Gilbert’s little push for Van Summeren: Very classy!
@ChrisO That’s simply incredible!
My iphone not cooperating n cut n paste, but nibali twitter trash talkin wiggins.
The telegraph has some pretty good “live” coverage online for those of us limited to walkin n peaking at what’s going on.
Nice clip of wiggins throwing an elbow at a tv vameraman and expressing his emotions about it(nsfw).
I have a new respect for Griepel,the dude freakin finished with aseparated shoulder, and never winced, chapeau.
But seeing farrar lean into the Dutchman and expecting he would be a pushover was a mistake, and then he just slid off the back off his ass, what dI’d farrar think??? He should have been mad at himself after looking back on it. The Dutchman did nada
So Faboo is now the best climber on RadioNissanSchleck as well.
@936adl
I’d love to part that thing out.