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Le Tour de Freakin' France 2014 Prediction Contest

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  • Le Tour de Freakin' France 2014 Prediction Contest

    The 2014 Tour de Freakin’ France prediction contest

    Calling all Cycling fans. It’s the time of year we get up early, get dressed in our kit and then plant our butts in front of the big screen while Phil and Paul massage our ears with telling tales of racing past and tell-tale signs of the race being run. In other words, it’s the Grand Boucle, from the Pyrenees to the alps, from Normandy to the Riviera, July is when Le Tour rules!

    Speaking of rules, here is how we are going to run the prediction contest this year:

    Make your picks in the following categories:

    1. Pick the final podium. Pick them IN ORDER. Points will be awarded by giving 5 for each rider in the correct spot and 3 for each rider on the podium but not in the correct spot.
    2. Pick the green jersey winner. Three points.
    3. Pick the polka dot jersey winner. Three points
    4. Pick the winners (pick a single winner, points awarded on a win/place/show basis of 3-2-1) of the following stages:
    a. Stage one the race Leeds off
    b. Stage five The cobbles!
    c. Stage ten Pretty Girls rule
    d. Stage fourteen D'Izoard in the middle
    e. Stage eighteen Hautacam
    f. Stage twenty the race of truth

    5. Lanterne rouge award; Pick the nationality of the lowest placed finisher in Paris. You don’t need the rider, just the country of origin (2 points if youre right)
    6. The jingoism award; Pick the highest placed American. (2 points if you’re right)
    7. For a tie breaker: pick the highest–placed French rider. No points unless you are tied.

    And just to encourage and help him out, we will give Donuthole a two point headstart!.

    I encourage anyone and everyone to get all picks in before the race starts. However, at the least, you must have picks for items 1,2,3, and 4(a) in before the first stage commences. Items 4(b)-(f), 5, 6 and 7 can be added later, but I probably won’t accept them after stage three. Or thereabouts.

    Be aware that all decisions of management are final and non-appealable. And, to be clear, I am management. And I do NOT run a court of love.

    This will be a great race this year. I know it. And maybe it will be relatively clean. Who knows. So get reading, And get picking.

    p.s. Special thanks to mtnbiker who agreed to let me have my fun running this thing this year. I suspect everyone will be clamoring to go back to his steady ways very soon, but he was very gracious in letting me play. I appreciate it.

    well don't just sit there, send me your picks!
    PLesa excuse the tpyos.

  • #2
    Thanks for setting this up. I take it we should PM you our picks, rather than post them here. But will you post them all once the race begins? I'd like to know as soon as possible how bad my choices are.

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by PaloAltoCougar View Post
      Thanks for setting this up. I take it we should PM you our picks, rather than post them here. But will you post them all once the race begins? I'd like to know as soon as possible how bad my choices are.
      I don't care if it's a pm or if it's here. Either way works. I will put it all up. Full transparency and all that.
      PLesa excuse the tpyos.

      Comment


      • #4
        My picks, so far.

        Originally posted by creekster View Post

        1. Pick the final podium. Pick them IN ORDER. Points will be awarded by giving 5 for each rider in the correct spot and 3 for each rider on the podium but not in the correct spot.
        Contador, Froome, Talasdky
        2. Pick the green jersey winner. Three points.
        Sagan
        3. Pick the polka dot jersey winner. Three points
        J. Rodriquez
        4. Pick the winners (pick a single winner, points awarded on a win/place/show basis of 3-2-1) of the following stages:
        a. Stage one the race Leeds off - Cavendish
        b. Stage five The cobbles!- Sagan
        c. Stage ten Pretty Girls rule - Froome
        d. Stage fourteen D'Izoard in the middle - Kreuziger
        e. Stage eighteen Hautacam - Talansky
        f. Stage twenty the race of truth - Froome

        5. Lanterne rouge award; Pick the nationality of the lowest placed finisher in Paris. You don’t need the rider, just the country of origin (2 points if youre right)
        Kazakhstan
        6. The jingoism award; Pick the highest placed American. (2 points if you’re right)
        Talansky
        7. For a tie breaker: pick the highest–placed French rider. No points unless you are tied.
        Peraud

        Comment


        • #5
          My picks as of today.

          1. Pick the final podium. - Froome, Contador, Talansky
          2. Pick the green jersey winner. Three points. - Peter Sagan
          3. Pick the polka dot jersey winner. Three points - Tejay Van Garderen
          4. Pick the winners (pick a single winner, points awarded on a win/place/show basis of 3-2-1) of the following stages:
          a. Stage one the race Leeds off - The Manx Missile - Mark Cavendish
          b. Stage five The cobbles! - Fabian Cancellara
          c. Stage ten Pretty Girls rule - Christophe Riblon
          d. Stage fourteen D'Izoard in the middle - Vincenzo Nibali
          e. Stage eighteen Hautacam - Chris Froome
          f. Stage twenty the race of truth - Tony Martin

          5. Lanterne rouge award; - France
          6. The jingoism award; Pick the highest placed American. (2 points if you’re right) - Talansky
          7. For a tie breaker: pick the highest–placed French rider. No points unless you are tied. - Pierre Rolland
          Last edited by bluegoose; 07-03-2014, 01:31 PM. Reason: Changed my stage 14 pick

          Comment


          • #6
            FYI creekster, you've made this really hard for those of us who don't follow cycling. Oh well, I still plan on winning the damn thing.

            If anybody has any tips on how to pick the various stage winners, I'm all ears (eyes?)!

            I should be able to google what the green and polka dot jerseys mean easy enough, so I'm good there.
            I'm like LeBron James.
            -mpfunk

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by smokymountainrain View Post
              FYI creekster, you've made this really hard for those of us who don't follow cycling. Oh well, I still plan on winning the damn thing.

              If anybody has any tips on how to pick the various stage winners, I'm all ears (eyes?)!

              I should be able to google what the green and polka dot jerseys mean easy enough, so I'm good there.
              Ha! This is what I was thinking exactly. I follow the tour, and catch snippets here and there throughout the year. But I don't know enough riders and who is even in it verses out of it to make any picks.

              It occurs to me that in many ways it is like the world cup - where folks suddenly take an interest in a sport they don't typically follow for this one event that occurs periodically. Same can be said for the Olympics and skiing, luge, bobsled, swimming, diving, track & field, etc. I'm sure they do that stuff more than once every 4 years - but I have no idea beyond that.

              Comment


              • #8
                Sorry about that gents. I was hoping to make it a little fun but maybe went too far. I encourage you to get your picks in and see what happens. Maybe ill end up doing dual track winners. The overall and stages or something like that. Open to all ideas as well.
                PLesa excuse the tpyos.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by creekster View Post
                  Sorry about that gents. I was hoping to make it a little fun but maybe went too far. I encourage you to get your picks in and see what happens. Maybe ill end up doing dual track winners. The overall and stages or something like that. Open to all ideas as well.
                  No need to apologize. You did well and it should be fun.
                  I'm like LeBron James.
                  -mpfunk

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by smokymountainrain View Post
                    No need to apologize. You did well and it should be fun.
                    I agree completely. This will make me have to take a little closer look at things - but you should create this for those who are really interested and hope that the rest join in one way or another.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by creekster View Post
                      Sorry about that gents. I was hoping to make it a little fun but maybe went too far. I encourage you to get your picks in and see what happens. Maybe ill end up doing dual track winners. The overall and stages or something like that. Open to all ideas as well.
                      I like the format; you have done well, not so well that I have any chance of winning, but well.

                      BTW, for those with little knowledge of pro cycling (and it took me a long while to understand the team aspect of the thing), there are at least two reasons to watch. First, the coverage is always outstanding with aerial shots of the gorgeous French (and this year, the UK) countryside. The announcers (Liggett, Sherwen and Roll) are usually entertaining and instructive, but just watching the scenery is reason enough to tune in.

                      Second, I don't know of a sporting event that is more physically demanding. Go ride a bike, ideally up a steep hill, and watch your speed (assuming you have a GPS device or bike computer). Then consider going at your absolute max for hours on end, day after day (and still falling woefully short of the pros) and you'll have new respect for what previously looked like just a bunch of skinny dudes.

                      Our DVR is primed and we're pumped.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by PaloAltoCougar View Post
                        I like the format; you have done well, not so well that I have any chance of winning, but well.

                        BTW, for those with little knowledge of pro cycling (and it took me a long while to understand the team aspect of the thing), there are at least two reasons to watch. First, the coverage is always outstanding with aerial shots of the gorgeous French (and this year, the UK) countryside. The announcers (Liggett, Sherwen and Roll) are usually entertaining and instructive, but just watching the scenery is reason enough to tune in.

                        Second, I don't know of a sporting event that is more physically demanding. Go ride a bike, ideally up a steep hill, and watch your speed (assuming you have a GPS device or bike computer). Then consider going at your absolute max for hours on end, day after day (and still falling woefully short of the pros) and you'll have new respect for what previously looked like just a bunch of skinny dudes.

                        Our DVR is primed and we're pumped.
                        Last night they were replaying the climb to Alpe d'Huez from last year, and I couldn't help but watch. I was hoping something would change and poor TJ would create a different ending for himself...but alas, the Frenchman won yet again...

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Le Tour de Freakin' France 2014 Prediction Contest

                          Newbies. Don't listen to PAC. There are other ways to watch your speed, even without GPS. It's not like these guys are going full effort for five hours every day, they're just going 10 miles an hour faster than the rest of us putting out the same effort.

                          Good job on tthe categories Creekster. I'm going to have to mull my picks over for awhile before locking in.
                          I told him he was a goddamn Nazi Stormtrooper.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            One other request. If you amend any of your prior picks, please do so with a clearly identified edit in your original post. If you send your picks to me via PM, please make any amendments in a PM to me. It will make it easier on me. To be clear, picks can be amended, but not after the dealines previously announced. And any amendments that look like piggybacking will be subject to the wrath of PAC. I am not sure what that is, but I have no doubt it is mighty.

                            HEY DONUTHOLE!?! WHERE ARE YOUR ORCHID HUED SELECTIONS??
                            Last edited by creekster; 07-03-2014, 03:48 PM.
                            PLesa excuse the tpyos.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              1. Froome, Nibali, Contador
                              2. Sagan
                              3. Rolland
                              4.a. Cavendish
                              4.b. Kittel
                              4.c. Contador
                              4.d. Froome
                              4.e. Van Garderen
                              4.f. Sagan
                              5. Spain
                              6. Talansky
                              7. Rolland
                              "Discipleship is not a spectator sport. We cannot expect to experience the blessing of faith by standing inactive on the sidelines any more than we can experience the benefits of health by sitting on a sofa watching sporting events on television and giving advice to the athletes. And yet for some, “spectator discipleship” is a preferred if not primary way of worshipping." -Pres. Uchtdorf

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