One of the loveliest things about the Grand Tours is that you get a feel, by the nature of the route, of the country’s landscape and physical qualities. Italy is littered with mountains and coasts, France is bordered by mountains with large swaths of open landscape throughout, and Spain is like Tatooine; mostly desert with some rocky outcroppings. I might be oversimplifying here, but it seems like every edition of the Vuelta features a week or two of riders cutting through open desert on a freeway and then finishing it off with some climbs that require a buzz-saw gear to get up. Of the three Tours, this one is my least favorite, but it’s a bike race and I loves me a bike race.
The Vuelta also stands apart as being the event which generally decides the Velominati Super Prestige GC and the personalized Shop Apron that goes with it; in past editions, we’ve even had newcomers to the event debut at the Vuelta and win the overall, as was the case last year with @Nate’s performance. Unless I have that wrong, in which case I don’t really care. The important point here is that even though there is less interest in this event than others, it matters quite a bit to the year-long VSP, so you better be paying attention, corporal.
No fancy prizes on offer as we did at the Tour, but we do have our customary Symbol Pack up for grabs, in addition to second and third places winning a pair of Handlebar Cufflinks each when they come available in a few weeks. So, check the race details, get your picks in by the time the countdown clock goes to zero (5am Pacific time on Saturday), and buckle in for the ride. Regular GT VSP rules apply. Good luck.
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VSP PICKS:
1. Bertie
2. Froome
3. Ballan
4. Cobo
5. Van Den Broeck
Quick off the mark there. I think Bertie is gonna take no prisoners.
2 dopers in my top 5. its shameful.
VSP PICKS:
1. Conti
2. Froome
3. Igor
4. Roche
5. Dekker
Time to break out the Fingerbang Hats yall AC's gonna murder some legs
Best get De Gendt in instead of Jurgen.
I think tired as he might be with the support of Uran Sky may well again prove dominant...but also suspect the Froomedog has been a little overhyped, it has been a long season for him. Contador has a lot to prove on his return and the sheer number of mountaintop finishes on home soil will probably give him the edge..I am banking Uran works hard and Froome drags him to the end in the top 5 and Cobo will ultimately try and make his double but fail in the face of too much talent and the organisational ability of Sky..
VSP PICKS:
1. Clenbutador
2. Froomedog
3. Rodriguez
4. Uran
5. Cobo
I need some more entries before I do my patented copying technique. Incidentally got hit by the man with the hammer today, man only on an 80k too. Last 5k was a 'shut up legs' ordeal. Peaking in two months.
Since I spent a post or two hassling the Keepers over at VSP I sure am glad that I get to podium this and didn't Delgado it.
I'm still hoping to secure a top-100 finish overall.
VSP PICKS:
1. Clenbutador
2. Froome
3. Cobo
4. Roche
5. Menchov
With a name like "Winner" and as a Colombian climber, he must be good... so I'm tempted to go with Lampre-ISD's Winner Anacona Gomez. At least that is how he is listed on the CN startlist. But his last name is Winner at the Lampre website. Either way, he has the name. Nonetheless, I just can't go with a neo-pro.
VSP PICKS:
1. Froome
2. Purito
3. Contador
4. Igor Anton
5. Maxime Monfort