https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8Co83gGDlM

@wiscot

@unversio

@wiscot Is there any likelihood of yourself riding STV in July?

STV? Enlighten me.

Seattle Summer Cogal [ here ] has been dubbed STV.

Damn, and I was thinking you could catch some V by having sex.

@wiscot

Were those unbranded Bonts Costa was wearing as part of the Rainbow Turd ensemble? Sure looked like it.

yep, they were. I had seen him wearing Sidis in various team shots earlier in the year so it’s cool he is sticking with the Bonts. Or he is getting a lot of money to wear them. Who knows. Frank converted me to Bonts.

You may think you were looking at Sidis, but you may have been looking at an elaborate disguise… (via the Inrng).  Note that he has more than one pair of these slightly odd-looking things.

@unversio

@wiscot Is there any likelihood of yourself riding STV in July?

STV? Enlighten me.

Seattle Summer Cogal [ here ] has been dubbed STV.

Were those unbranded Bonts Costa was wearing as part of the Rainbow Turd ensemble? Sure looked like it.

yep, they were. I had seen him wearing Sidis in various team shots earlier in the year so it’s cool he is sticking with the Bonts. Or he is getting a lot of money to wear them. Who knows. Frank converted me to Bonts.

@wiscot Is there any likelihood of yourself riding STV in July?

STV? Enlighten me.

I did 97 kmph once, just to say that I had. I emphasize “once.” It was on a  wider, smoother road, and I didn’t have my beanbag way down on a sloping top tube. Crazy.

@Buck Rogers Yup, and did you see the bit where he went over the speed bump and his real wheel lifted like a foot off the ground? (@3;35 mins) That would be a Jens-like trip to the hospital for most folks.

And to add to the craziness, I think Sagan topped out at 88kms/hr, Fabs did 113 -25 kms/hr faster.

Yes.  Insane.  85 kph is my top speed that I have ever done.  I was racing and coming off the back side of Mt Mansfield (Stowe MTN) in Vermont in a race.  SCARED the shit out of me, thank you very much!

And to add to the craziness, I think Sagan topped out at 88kms/hr, Fabs did 113 -25 kms/hr faster.

Peter Sagan. Rule #23. Nuff said. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaahZTZ8WHE

Fuck ME!  What a descent!  Poetry in motion, no?

http://youtu.be/QE97iUvSHk0

Well, well. Sky didn’t win this one.

Abandy did not Abandy, 29th place overall. FFS, if that earns him a place on the TDF team, Trek Factory Racing must really suck.

VSP Event:
[vsp_results id=”30094″/]

VSP G.C.:
[vsp_gc year=”2014″/]

Makes you wonder if Wiggins, in his best form with good team support, could have beaten Costa?

Corrected with a question mark at the end. Lack luster performances by Froome in the Dauphine’ and Wiggins at the TdS will make an interesting TdF. You just have to now consider Lampre and Costa (maybe with Horner too?) who looks like he is peaking at just the right moment, in your picks.

Great race from the bottom of the Saas-Fee, Costa is so smooth and he played it perfectly. Makes you wonder if Wiggins, in his best form with good team support, could have beaten Costa.

This is getting interesting!

Damn! Tony Martin, time-triallist extraordinaire and now lead-out man extraordinaire. What a pull he did today – it even split the bunch. I’ll say one thing for Patrick Lefevre, he sure knows how to get his superstars to work as a team for the team.

+1. Amazing ride. Watching it, I was starting to wonder if anyone would make it past him before the line! Chapeau.

@wiscot

Damn! Tony Martin, time-triallist extraordinaire and now lead-out man extraordinaire. What a pull he did today – it even split the bunch. I’ll say one thing for Patrick Lefevre, he sure knows how to get his superstars to work as a team for the team.

I heard he was training for the “hour” and that so was Wiggo (although there are always endless rumours about him which are largely unfounded) and that someone was trying to organise a 3 way “hour” each in a different city in a different country simultaneously…..what a race that would be Spartacus, Tony and Wiggo head to head!

If that’s the case, I’d say Martin’s training is going better!

Damn! Tony Martin, time-triallist extraordinaire and now lead-out man extraordinaire. What a pull he did today – it even split the bunch. I’ll say one thing for Patrick Lefevre, he sure knows how to get his superstars to work as a team for the team.

I heard he was training for the “hour” and that so was Wiggo (although there are always endless rumours about him which are largely unfounded) and that someone was trying to organise a 3 way “hour” each in a different city in a different country simultaneously…..what a race that would be Spartacus, Tony and Wiggo head to head!

Is it just me? This race isn’t grabbing me like the Dauphanié, Maybe I’ve been spoiled by some great racing so far this season.

It’s not just you Freddy. I think things have been pretty straight forward and now that Wiggins has killed a lot of VSP picks, the interest level has dropped. Of course, compared to the Dauphine, it was not going to come close.

Damn, Cav looked good today. Straight, drag-out sprint and he won it clear. Looks like OPQS might be getting their train sorted for the Tour.

Check out his Stage One and Eight wins at the Tour of California. And it was with almost the exact same crew that led him to the line in Ossingen. Stage Eight was beautiful, another straight, drag-out Cav sprint, accelerating past Goss, Sagan, and Degenkolb. Unfortunately for Cav, Boonen won’t be at the TdF.

Magnus said Fabs hit 116 km/hr on the descent yesterday. Mofo. That’s hauling ass.

not quite, it was only 113, but have a look at that max cadence!!!

@wiscot

Sure, but with that look in his eye, he was a distant second.

I hear Andy Schleck has fantasies about being a distant second these days . . .

Sure, but with that look in his eye, he was a distant second.

@wiscot

Tell me Coppi hasn’t already won:

If you look like that before OR after a race, you’re a winner. The guy to his right also podiums for style points.

Tell me Coppi hasn’t already won:

I’d love Brudley to win but he won’t and like the Giro last year he’ll lose interest and go home to sign for Oleg.

Like I said last week….

wiggo is out and so are a lot of peoples picks on this race. I hate to say that I feel like he dropped out not only due to injury but because he was showing very poor form.

It’s a giant conspiracy…

That was a crazy, dangerous run in today. WAY too twisty for a flat stage finish.

No way Wiggo will ride the Tour now. I really want to like the guy because he’s incredibly talented and has a personality too, but I’m just ambivalent about him at this point. Whether he rides the Tour or not, I just don’t care. I’m more bummed that Boonen is staying home as I’d have loved to see him give it laldy on the cobbles.

wiggo is out and so are a lot of peoples picks on this race. I hate to say that I feel like he dropped out not only due to injury but because he was showing very poor form.

any chance Wiggo is just thumbing his nose at Sky?

wiggo is out and so are a lot of peoples picks on this race. I hate to say that I feel like he dropped out not only due to injury but because he was showing very poor form.

DANG — DANG — DANG — DANG — DANG — DANG — DANG — DANG

Yep, I caught that finish wiscot. Cavendish sure did look pretty darn good.

Sagan made it look easy yesterday, Cavendish did today. Do those guys have a pretty impressive historical races:wins ratio? It seems like most times they line up (in a race/stage where they have a shot) they win or are right there.

With how hotly contested every cm of road is, pretty impressive how smooth and easy those two make it look. And yes, awesome to see Boonen at the front that late, track-peeking behind him to see what was up. We’ve been talking other sports lately – can’t imagine an established star later on in his career being that willing to work that hard for another’s win.

That’s what I love about Boonen: superstar and team player. What goes around comes around it seems. He’s benefited from many a teammate over the years in classics and short stage races and he’s not too stuck up not to return the favors when called upon.

I still want him to get PR #5.

Sagan made it look easy yesterday, Cavendish did today. Do those guys have a pretty impressive historical races:wins ratio? It seems like most times they line up (in a race/stage where they have a shot) they win or are right there.

With how hotly contested every cm of road is, pretty impressive how smooth and easy those two make it look. And yes, awesome to see Boonen at the front that late, track-peeking behind him to see what was up. We’ve been talking other sports lately – can’t imagine an established star later on in his career being that willing to work that hard for another’s win.

This one could get very interesting. There is an ITT which will suit Martin. But there are several days in the mountains around that. Anyone know if Martin can hang for a day or two in the mountains?

If he does, he’ll be on his own as OPQS brought the sprinter squad to Suisse.

Is there something wrong here? The counter is saying 1d 7h to go but the picks are apparently closed – with no posts submitted…
On the off chance I need to get them in, mine are: Wiggo, Roman Kreuziger, Betancur (if he gets his shit together in time), Rui Costa and Bauke Mollema.

Mine the same even if I refresh?

Wiggins

Mollema

Costa

Dennis

Kreuziger

I demand a refund on my VSP entr….

Ah shite! Sorry I missed this. But, I’ll watch this week, and I’m still gunning for a podium come July.

Thanks, Keepers, for Keepin’ up this Awesomeness! You guys are boSS.

@andrew

Alberto broke Froome today. I’ll be very interested to see how Sky plays this one.

More tramadol to ease the pain, an inhaler to assist with anxiety decreasing deep breathing, and another trip to the edges of the rule book to find more marginal pharmaceutical gains.

Alberto broke Froome today. I’ll be very interested to see how Sky plays this one.

“Fucking up the comments section since 2010.”  I’m so proud.

@xyxax

@Steampunk

@xyxax

It’s a hobbit-sized door. That might be your problem. Picks so good you posted them thrice. People should say thrice more.

Oh sure, it starts with hobbit doors and the next thing you know, only small cogs and short-reach brakes allowed. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it thrice, that way lies MADNESS!

I heard Frank’s currently penning a piece on the (newfound) virtues of riding a compact and/or triple. Of course, he’s also riding a 52 these days, so he still fits through the hobbit door. This place’s gone to hell.

Fine, fine, fine.  There, I’ve said it thricely.  But I’ll defend my head tube length to the death (or old age whichever comes first)

@piwakawaka

@Tobin

Hmmmm, no idea. The timer is closed at midnight Pacific Coast Time regardless of the actual start time of a race, any race. I would bet you had not refreshed your screen, I have delgadoed myself on more than one occasion doing that. If there was some software fuck up, the jury may have pity on you, but there is no evidence of that yet.

@Nate

@andrew if Contador has 98% of Froome’s form at the tour I reckon he can close the gap with racing savvy and mind game.

Today’s strong finish by Contador (building on his strong spring) really does change the TdF calculations. Daymn. More pressure to add Wiggins to the TdF squad?

Then Wiggins loses 32 seconds in the TT on today’s Stage One?! What is up with that?! He badly needed that time, with a strong TT on Friday, to be in the yellow jersey next Sunday.

Is there a rest day? I want to make a change to my VSP picks.

No one is saying how slow Twiggo was in the opening prologue but it is always an indicator of form and that is not good for all the people who chose him for the VSP. Sagan did very well. Fabs can descend on a TT bike like a bastard.

@xyxax

@Steampunk

@xyxax

It’s a hobbit-sized door. That might be your problem. Picks so good you posted them thrice. People should say thrice more.

Oh sure, it starts with hobbit doors and the next thing you know, only small cogs and short-reach brakes allowed. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it thrice, that way lies MADNESS!

I heard Frank’s currently penning a piece on the (newfound) virtues of riding a compact and/or triple. Of course, he’s also riding a 52 these days, so he still fits through the hobbit door. This place’s gone to hell.

What’s wrong with 52 !? It goes with 42.

@Steampunk

@xyxax

It’s a hobbit-sized door. That might be your problem. Picks so good you posted them thrice. People should say thrice more.

Oh sure, it starts with hobbit doors and the next thing you know, only small cogs and short-reach brakes allowed. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it thrice, that way lies MADNESS!

I heard Frank’s currently penning a piece on the (newfound) virtues of riding a compact and/or triple. Of course, he’s also riding a 52 these days, so he still fits through the hobbit door. This place’s gone to hell.

1.B. Mollema

2. R Kreuziger

3. B. Wiggins

4.L. Ten Dam

5. T.J. Slagter

@andrew if Contador has 98% of Froome’s form at the tour I reckon he can close the gap with racing savvy and mind game.

Today’s strong finish by Contador (building on his strong spring) really does change the TdF calculations. Daymn. More pressure to add Wiggins to the TdF squad?

Then Wiggins loses 32 seconds in the TT on today’s Stage One?! What is up with that?! He badly needed that time, with a strong TT on Friday, to be in the yellow jersey next Sunday.

Is there a rest day? I want to make a change to my VSP picks.

@delgados you weren’t counting on the keepers to accurately determine when the race started were you ?

But Clenbutador, Asthmagate… I think I could be even more conflicted following this than half-heartedly following the World Cup, with it’s play-acting and corruption.

Wiggo

Costa

Mollema

Pozzovivo

Pinot

@Steampunk

@xyxax

It’s a hobbit-sized door. That might be your problem. Picks so good you posted them thrice. People should say thrice more.

Oh sure, it starts with hobbit doors and the next thing you know, only small cogs and short-reach brakes allowed.  If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it thrice, that way lies MADNESS!

Wiggans

Pozzovivo

Kreuziger

Slagter

Henao

Wiggins,

Costa,

Kreuzinger

Albasini,

Mollema

1. Wiggins
2. Mollema
3. Frank
4. Kreuziger
5. Costa

1. Rui
2. Beaker
3. Bauke
4. Pozzovivo
5. Kreuziger

1. Bradley Wiggins
2. Roman Kreuziger
3. Michael Albasini
4. Bauke Mollema
5. Tom Jelte Slagter

VSP PICKS:

1. rui costa
2. Bauke Mollema
3. Eros Capecchi
4. Thomas Danielson
5. Oliver Zaugg

VSP PICKS:

1. Wiggo
2. Molemma
3. Kruezinger
4. costa
5. Denniis

1. Wiggins
2. Bauke Mollema
3. Cadel Evans
4. Roman Kreuziger
5. Carlos Betancur

1. Costa
2. Wiggo
3. Kreuziger
4. Pozzovivo
5. Mollema

1. Kreuzegir
2. Wiggo
3. Slagter
4. Monfort
5. Pinot

VSP PICKS:

1. Rui Costa
2. Bradley Wiggins
3. Mollema
4. Kreuziger
5. Laurens Ten Dam

1. Wiggins, Bradley
2. Pinot, Thibaut
3. Mollema, Bauke
4. Kreuziger, Roman
5. Izaguirre, Jon

1. Brad Wiggins
2. Roman Kreuziger
3. Rui Costa
4. Bauke Mollema
5. Matthias Frank