Favorites ascending. Photo: Gruber Images.
As many of you know, I write a monthly column for Cyclist Magazine where I answer Dear Abby-esque questions, and the most recent query pertained to whether I consider the Tour the best race of the year, or whether it’s an over-publicized circus. The question made me realize something about myself: I have a weariness around the Tour de France not unlike a romantic whose heart has been broken one too many times.
The fact is, as much as I prefer a race like Paris-Roubaix or the Giro d’Italia to the mid-summer shit show that is the Tour de France, nothing gets my anticipation going quite the way the Tour does, which is undeniably the pinnacle of the season; all the classifications and stages are prestigious enough that racers of all sorts are all arriving at the start in peak form. There is a promise of hard racing from day one, but the first week consists mostly of me worrying about the big favorites crashing out. As soon as we get through that mess, my heart is usually broken on the first day in the mountains, when the favorite takes a decisive lead and the rest of the race is most about stages than the GC.
At least, these are the dreads of a man who lived through the Indurain and Armstrong eras of racing.
Nevertheless, the Tour always manages to seduce me, and this year is no different. Maybe this year, she won’t be such a cruel lover. And, maybe this year, I won’t make horrible picks in the VSP. Just maybe, just maybe. You know the drill; get your picks in by the time the clock goes to zero, and you get some swap options on the rest day. Good luck!
[vsp_results id=”104413″/]
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View Comments
@wiscot
Not for those of us with integrity and honour! (insert smiley/snarky face here!)
@Randy C
Aru - early nominee for the Anti-V Award of the Year. Not least for being so visibly upset when the others reigned him.
Quintana just hasn't seemed on the ball this year.
@Teocalli
Aru has apparently said he didn't know Froome had a problem. Despite having to duck under his raised arm while initiating his attack.
@Geraint
They're saying Rigo "53-11" Uran had is rear derailleur damaged as Dan Martin knocked his rear wheel during the crash. What a finish.
I'm not a fan of attacking anybody, let alone the yellow, when they have a mechanical. However, could there have been a bluff to keep the pack at bay? NBC (Roll, VdV) were saying the attacks were fine. I can't say I agree, especially since he put his hand up and Fabaru rolled right under it. Where do we stand on this? @frank? @giani?
FWIW, Dan Martin shutting down the attacks and having the Tour of his life, including finishing the stage after the crash only like 1:15 down, shows the V is with him.
@Geraint
Well, I guess Aru is pretty small, even by the standards of small riders so I guess he could have thought Froome was being polite and giving him a route through...........
I dubbed Porte as POSH (Porte out starboard home) not knowing how prophetic that nickname would be. Too bad.
Today's restday swap, no? So want to keep Froome in 1st place; swap out Porte for Aru (2nd), Quintana for Bardet (3rd), Contador for Uran (4th) and Fuglsang for Dan Martin (5th), but doing so would cost me 80 points if I am not mistaken which means I will be in the negative even before the Vuelta starts, so I will give up with a clean spinal fracture, like Robert Gesing and expect next year's TdF will be better.
@KogaLover
I've had a look at it and you have to be very lucky to end up in credit from a rest day swap. Which I think is intentional. 3 of my 5 are either out of the Tour or out of contention, however. But it still might not be worth making any swaps.
Aru for Porte might work - it'd cost me 5 but might make me an additional 5 if Aru drops to 3rd.
@RobSandy
Actually, this would cost me 20 points in total (4x5 as is first restday swap) but it would eat up all of the 20 points I will be getting for Froomy's first place. So I will STFU.
@KogaLover
I think it's the best approach. Frank hasn't opened the swaps so it's a moot point anyway.
Anybody else find it strange that Froome's tiny mechanical (not puncture) issues always seem to happen right at a critical point of a major climb? If Aru had crashed when Froome shouldered him, would Froome have been ejected from the Tour like Sagan?