Just a couple items on which I don't like to leave you hanging...
Kits/Prizes: Everyone who bought a kit should have either received it or have been in contact with me about whatever is going on. We have a few in process still, for various complications. But if you haven't received your VDS prize, it's because I haven't sent them. That will change this weekend. Someone recently told me I was every bit as good at managing order fulfillment as I am at managing my VDS team. Speaking of which...
VDS: Things are on or ahead of schedule for VDS 2012! We haven't done a lot of public comment on it this year, since I think we have it more or less down. The VDS Committee is tinkering a bit with the race calendar, but we should easily make our traditional February 1 opening, or possibly launch a little early. If you're new and wondering what I am talking about, go here. Needless to say, there will be a Men's VDS and Women's VDS again in 2012. Hang tight! [God, that's a weird idiom.]
0 recs | 49 comments
Used my new kit last weekend!
Dem arm-warmers is bangin’!
swells - January 13, 2012
I said thanks before....
But anyways I got my jersey before x-mas so thanks again Chris..! The jersey is great I love it..!
pablo777 - January 13, 2012
Chris has buried the lead
That headline should read
paisley - January 13, 2012
Wiiiiiiiiiiii
tgsgirl - January 13, 2012 via iPhone app
No, there's no Wii version yet, but rumor is that SuperTed is working on one for Xbox.
majope - January 13, 2012
That would be awesome!
Got my new teenager a MW3 special edition xBox console for Christmas. If we had a VDS game, I might actually be able to be him at something.
swells - January 13, 2012
If there's wee I don't want to do the housekeeping
Jens - January 13, 2012
Not even if it's pipi of the Angels?
TheFigurehead - January 13, 2012
don't worry
I got this. In my house, wee is the least of the worries.
Chris Fontecchio - January 13, 2012
That's what you get for raising pseudo-norwegians
Jens - January 13, 2012
Happy to do the printable VDS race schedule(s) again if folks would like them
also open to any ideas on how to make them easier to read, etc
last year’s file
caveat: I’m traveling most of February, so good chance they won’t be done before the first races
WaterGirl - January 13, 2012
If I gave you the calendar now
would that help? It’s not time-critical, really.
Chris Fontecchio - January 13, 2012
Speaking of calendars
Inrng has this quite nifty cycling google calendar up
http://inrng.com/2012/01/pro-cycling-calendar-download/
tgsgirl - January 13, 2012
actually, it would
send’em over!
WaterGirl - January 13, 2012
OK
will do this evening.
Chris Fontecchio - January 13, 2012
Who did the
Google Calendar? That thing was great. I’d love another one of those.
swells - January 13, 2012
What?
Boom is 4 points this year?
ursula - January 13, 2012
ahh yes, love Committees. Where do we send the Irish Whiskey?
Boonen 8
Uphill - January 13, 2012
Irish?
Boonen 24. Unless you can dig up some Lagavulin.
Chris Fontecchio - January 13, 2012
I knew I liked you.
majope - January 13, 2012
24?
Last year was 22 and he scored donuts (for his standards obviusly)
perezbike - January 13, 2012
Nah Chris is funning ya.
Tornado Tom is 8 as uphill said.
ursula - January 13, 2012
I have the list right now
strange and wonderful things might happen
Jens - January 14, 2012
Query for the VDS pros
Should I be reasonably sober to do my picks or should I watch previous races on YouTube with half a load on and go from there? I have a dart board and a blindfold if that helps with the picks.
Seriously, how does a rookie go about picking a team? Should I lean towards the classics (PR, E3 etc.) or more heavily to the GTs?
pintahead - January 13, 2012
I could advise you, but languishing in the 300s suggests I won't be much help.
I was sober when I picked my team, so your way might be better.
Seahorse - January 13, 2012
What Seahorse is trying to say...
Is that she could tell you but then she’d have to kill you.
ursula - January 13, 2012
My lips are sealed about Kloden ;)
Seahorse - January 13, 2012
But one word of advice
You don’t lean towards any particular type of race as much as you lean towards riders who will do well. It makes no difference if a rider scores 500 points on the cobbles or in a Grand Tour, in Belgium or Italy or the USA. You can lean towards picking riders of a certain type of race if there is one type that interest you more, but other than that it is the riders not the races that are the key.
Step 1: look at Cycling Quotient to see the history of riders you like. Step 1A is when the actual competition opens you will be able to see what each rider earned for the three previous years.
ursula - January 13, 2012
sound advice
Also, not being sober helps
Jens - January 14, 2012
Points per $ spent
is the key, no? Plan B: pick guys you like so you can have fun rooting for them.
Chris Fontecchio - January 14, 2012
This is was my plan!
perezbike - January 14, 2012
I've done the best the years I picked guys I wanted to cheer for.
Miserable experiences when I tried to overthink it. Besides, all you really need to do is predict who the next Haussler/Kittel is — i.e. 1 point guy who hauls in the wins.
OnTheRivet - January 16, 2012
Asking VDS advice during sandbagging season is a risky proposition!
Choose riders you enjoy watching and some you’d like to learn more about. Then you win no matter what.
paisley - January 14, 2012
Except when they promptly get injured and sit out most of the season.
Er, not that that ever happens, of course. Go, VDS!
majope - January 14, 2012
I've seen pics of T.Dekker
Being that oiled up he is bound to have a freak accident slipping off a chair or something, breaking his coccyx.
Jens - January 14, 2012
Oh? I can't recall seeing anything of the sort.
And so must now spend the rest of the morning tracking down and carefully scrutinizing said pictures in an effort to ascertain the possible value of your statement.
See you in three or four hours.
majope - January 14, 2012
Lots of people have tried sober
Lots of people have failed. Ask Megabeth about her drunken selection show. That was pretty epic.
Chris Fontecchio - January 14, 2012
yes, it was quite a show. the threads are still good fora laugh.
part one: (proving more elusive since the search engine died, and it was a fanpost i believe)
part two: http://www.podiumcafe.com/2009/7/2/936259/pdc-charity-work-megabeth-picks-a
umwolverine - January 14, 2012
ah, found it
part one: http://www.podiumcafe.com/2009/7/2/936198/help-megabeth-pick-her-vds-team
umwolverine - January 14, 2012
classic
thanks!
Chris Fontecchio - January 14, 2012
and, how could i forget her preview post?
http://www.podiumcafe.com/2009/7/2/936020/preview-help-megabeth-pick-her
umwolverine - January 14, 2012
srsly
look over last year’s winners (go to the VDS homepage and change the year to 2011) for a good idea.
http://podiumcafevds.com/
Chris Fontecchio - January 14, 2012
changing the year
upper right corner
Chris Fontecchio - January 14, 2012
Alrighty then
Here’s the game plan: look at last year and who won what and got how many points where (thanks Chris), sip a couple of ounces (or more) of Bowmore and do my provisional picks. Get up the morning after and wonder WTF. Going with Ursula and the advice provided, I am leaning towards the GTs as I have no idea who can do what in the Classics except Spartacus is going to win everything.
I would like to thank everyone for their advice and guidance.
pintahead - January 14, 2012
Tom Danielson is going to have a killer year.
majope - January 14, 2012
My rookie year: #15
Then…400
perezbike - January 14, 2012
Ah good found this thread again
For the asinine newbie, some questions:
Thanks :D
RollinRollinRolland - January 17, 2012
1. Open: Sat 28 Jan 2012 midnight EST (= Sat 28 Jan 2012 06:00 CET).
2. Close: Sat 25 Feb 2012 midnight EST (= Sat 25 Feb 2012 06:00 CET = just before the start of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad).
3. Will be published at http://www.podiumcafevds.com/riders.php?y=2012 on [see 1].
tedvdw - January 17, 2012
Thanks ted :)
RollinRollinRolland - January 18, 2012
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