I pondered Powless, Cort, and Lafay. EF was never going to be all Carapaz for a GC minor placing.

i never considered Jorgenson behind Mas. His race has a whole new complexion now.

I knew I would have to suffer for a while after opting out of WVA and Tadej. The one that hurts at the moment is passing up Lafay and buying in to the buzz around Torstein Træen as a hidden gem and potential Velo$Coup. We shall see what comes of that.

Here's the rider leaderboard after stage 3.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0553832982.png

I was right there with Philipsen waiting on the commissar's decision! Thankfully it went our way!

Woods was a real surprise, big congrats to Shadco ! Oof come on O'Connor - best to ride into form towards that third week!

Bauhaus? C'mon Kristoff!

Stage 7
 

The mole picks Ewan for today.

I hate to go against rule 87 🙄 but why not #35 today? I'll put my money on Cav after a hard run through the Pyrenees.

Posted in the fantasy thread because I'm clearly delusional.

Caleb joins Cav and Jakobsen on the sidelines. Phillipsen looks so obvious now.

Today Van Gils forgot I picked him. I wish Traen could get it out of his head. Maybe he will heal up for a run in the hills to come. He has certainly taken his lumps already. I have a special joy when I somehow manage to pick a team where everyone scores in triple digits, i.e. I didn't completely whiff on one or more. He's my holdout now. Only 98 points to go!

canam73 is doing respectably well just outside of the top 10% overall. He is the dominant force in our little league -- the cream of the crap by far. As a group we're having a pretty humble showing. Our 5th, 6th, and 7th places are around the 50th percentile. Out of 17. Few of the children are above average. #NotLakeWoebegone.

GrainBrain are you alive? I hope it is only your team that is in hospice.

I obviously missed the Van Gills memo. Never expected Lotto Destiny would hire a rider who could climb.

We good, Lantern Rouge!!!!

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f18b184476.jpg
Gosh my OG team would've done well, similar to El Bounty. Ah well it's been a nice Tour!

There's a bit of a battle brewing for that distinction. I think the (s)pokes might snatch greater defeat from your jaws of defeat to slide into the brown jersey when you load up on all those Vinegaard end of tour points. It'll be a nail biter.

Time to get rid of the white jesey and replace it with a best new rider jersey (what Americans call a Rookie of the year award)?

Tadej obviously has no interest in the white jersey and will be very disappointed with it. Meanwhile a top new rider will be thrilled to win that jersey.

results be in...


in the classic game:

Hermann Telinho and team Time do Velinho take the cake but just barely!

canam73 and team the bounty kept it verry respectably close in taking the silver.

big bird and team GivesYouWings slotted into third place.


in the stage hunter game:

we had the same results in the same order! double congrats to all three participants!

the difference between 1st and 3rd place was a grand total of 35 points. razor-thin margins here.


thank you to everyone that played in the big one. hope to see y'all at the end of august

for the best gt of them all...la vuelta!

It would be wrong to overlook the other remarkable performance. Even as Hermann soared with the eagles to almost the top 3%, spurred on by canam73 on his heels, our very own diphthong was accomplishing a bottom 2% extreme -- hiding in the bushes to rip the brown jersey from a very deserving GrainBrain . Better to be noteworthy than anonymous. Well done. Y ja viene la Vuelta. Hasta...

^ nailed that lanterne rouge classification. losing carapaz on day one was a big first step.

There but for the grace of God goes I.

Been there. Will be there again. Not this time!

I've put in my order to ASO to open the race to more riders who have a realistic chance to win. Perhaps then, we won't have half the teams including 4-5 of the same riders.

p.s. No regrets on not picking Phillipsen. The dude made himself radioactive as the tour wore on.