Go Gibo Go!

This year (like the past 5 years) I’ve signed up on Perfomance Bike’s Fantasy Cycling League for the Tour de France.

This year the selection process varied a bit because of Operation Puerta. Since it’s rainy outside and I don’t want to go muck up any trails, I thought I’d describe my thought process in regards to picking my team.

First, they have to be on the start list. Second, if they are not from Spain, but lived there, I figure their supplies might have been cut off, so I dropped anyone I knew fit that profile. Third, go with the two best sprinters (McEwen and Boonen). Fourth, take a General Classification threat who is obviously irked at the doping (Simoni) and has the gumption to make a fuss in the mountains. Fifth, go for someone that’s got the legs, but may not have had team support before Puerto (Kloden). Sixth, get a leadout man who’s not too expensive (Steegmans and Celestino, Fast Freddy was too expensive), as they might pick up points as a by-product of their jobs (plus, if McEwen locks up the green, he might let Steegmans go for a stage!). And seventh, go for some guys I figure will constantly attack the peloton (Dumoulin, Gomez, Hernandez).

I’m currently in 89th place out of 2024, which is pretty good since I usually end up picking a sprinter wrong and am out of it at this stage — don’t get too bummed out Boonen, you’re still a bad-ass, even if you haven’t taken a stage. I still need you! Besides, without having to look out after the Yellow, there should be a lot of weight off of your shoulders. So with the mountains still to come, I’ve got to put faith in Gibo and Kloden, and hope Dumoulin actually makes one of his breaks work.

Boonen and McEwen, thanks for the show in the first week (especially the Dumb and Dumberer bit)! Sprinting is one of the things at the Tour that I think all Americans should get a look at, these guys are crazy as hell and make a football game look really, really slow.

In the end, especially after the Giro, I hope Simoni takes it all, Go Gibo Go!