Sep Vanmarcke rides the cobbles Kelly-Style in the 2014 stage to Port du Hinault. Photo: Cycling Tips
Cobblestones make the race, I’m not ruining any fantasies telling you that. Wet cobblestones, well, those make a legend. Nibbles rose in my esteem considerably when he rode the wet cobbles as well as he rides any mountain descent or climb; that is a boy with some nerves and some mad bike handling skills.
Wet cobbles are scarier to ride that dry ones, but they aren’t really that much more difficult to ride; you’re still playing the lottery that your wheels keep pointing where your bike is trying to go. But wet stones are definitely more draining; the mud and silt you ride through make it like riding through molasses. Awesome molasses, but molasses nonetheless.
The cobbles are back this year, and hopefully so will the rain. Let us pray for rain, because last year’s stage made the race.
The Tour de France needs no introduction but the VSP prizes deserve a gentle reminder. This is a Grand Tour, people, lots of points at stake. And those points are going towards amazing prizes including a Jaegher frame and a Café Roubaix wheelset. There is plenty of time for you to Delgado this thing, too, if you wait around until the last minute. So my advice is that you avoid doing that.
Give yourself enough time to enter your picks so if something has gone amuck, you have time to hit “reload” or come back V minutes later to try again before the event closes. Remember, your procrastination in this matter will not result in our emergency to enter your picks for you. All that said, if you do encounter a problem, please be so kind as to take a screenshot and upload it because the descriptor “it didn’t work” or “hm, not working” doesn’t help us debug the problem. Also, Internet Explorer is not supported and apparently only shows one Pick Entry box, so use Chrome, Firefox, or Safari instead.
The scoring for the Grand Tours is a tad more involved than the one-day races and one-week Tours, so look the guidelines over before making your prognostications.
So get your picks in before the countdown clock goes to zero, hit the go button, and good luck.
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VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
Changing nrs 4 and 5
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
Froome managed to stay upright, so he's in
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
Overall looks out of reach so making a few swaps. Still hoping Nairo does the business. Pinot and Nibbles out, TJ and Jagger in.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
Check me out at 4th! Can only go downhill from here.
Although, barring crashes I think my top five will likely as not be the main part of the final top 5.
Best Wishes to Ivan Basso - diagnosed with Testicular Cancer today and straight to surgery by the sounds of things.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
Just swapping in TJ and leaving all else the same. Quintana survived this first week in excellent shape and I think it will be party time the higher and farther they go.
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
swap out Hesjedal in 3rd spot :( and replace with Tejay Van Garderen
1. Froome
2. Contador
3. Van Garderen
4. Nibali
5. Quintana
VSP PICKS (1st Rest Day Swaps):
Afraid of making big changes or I'll end up in the negatives!! Taking Nibali out all together and holding out hope for Purito