Don't Just Watch... Play!

by Chris... on Jun 24, 2008 2:52 AM EDT in Virtual Directeur Sportif!

You've been informed/warned of the impending registration deadline for the Virtual Directeur Sportif Tour de France-Only Contest, which closes next Wednesday, July 2. Follow the link for details, and join our game. But, alas, we're not the only game in town. If you're looking to spice up July, compare and contrast the following options, and choose one or all accordingly...

The VDS!

The Podium Cafe's original contest, free of creepy-sounding, overused references to "fantasy." Sure, a Tour-only team only gets you a spot in the contest for the race among the 150+ year-long players, but you'd be surprised how few of them actually know anything about the sport.

Pros: Free, simple, not too competitive, nice wool jersey to the winner.

Cons: Risk humiliation in the forums of the Podium Cafe. Also, a number of us are pretty bitter. Particularly the ones with Petacchi eating up 10% of the budget.

Cycling Fever Tour de France Challenge

Our friend DZI is once again running the internet's most sophisticated, free Cycling virtual contest around. Cycling Fever Tour de France Challenge Register, pick your guys, and watch the points roll in! There are sprint challenges, stage challenges, and of course an overall. Better still, Cycling Fever is now offering private groups for mini-competitions among friends within the overall competition, and have created a special Podium Cafe group!

Pros: Free, prizes, sophisticated, ideal for people who want a more hands-on experience.

Cons: Members mostly Dutch, maybe Flemish too(?), and they seem to know an awful lot about Cycling. Translation: I have no chance of winning. Do you?

Fantasy Le Tour Competition (UK)

I'm not entirely sure who runs this, though it's advertised on CyclingNews.com. Don't quote me on all the rules, read up here instead. Seems like a nice, sophisticated game. If you pay.

Pros: Big prizes. Can't be all bad if CyclingNews is involved.

Cons: Reference to "fantasy." Costs €10.50 per team ($725.44 US) to play. Lacking in personal touches. Where's the love?

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interesting conversion rate there

Costs €10.50 per team ($725.44 US) to play

current FXConverter has it as 16.34 USD

"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind

by umwolverine on Jun 24, 2008 7:30 AM EDT 0 recs

I think what our cranky cafehost is implying

is that the US currency currently isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on. Rumor has it that international investors are now selling their US dollars and buying Zimbabwean dollars instead,as they are more stable.

by Jens on Jun 24, 2008 7:51 AM EDT up 0 recs

shows i'm a know-nothing, doesn't it

"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind

by umwolverine on Jun 24, 2008 7:57 AM EDT up 0 recs

Yeah

sort of a bad inside joke between me and myself.

"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."

by Chris... on Jun 24, 2008 9:21 AM EDT up 0 recs

I thought it was accurate

Just the other day I had to take a wheelbarrow with me to the ATM.

"Hey, hey, settle down boys and girls or Krusty will have to bring out his old friend Corporal Punishment again."

by Drew... on Jun 24, 2008 9:39 AM EDT up 0 recs

On a similar note

I did some calculating yesterday after hearing about the uproar about US gas prices and the the Obama/McCain responses. If I understand correctly you are paying something like 4$ per gallon which is an all-time-high? You’ll be pleased to know that I curently fill up my born-from-jet-SAAB at a cost of roughly 9$ per gallon. Two things: I love my bike and Drew, can I borrow your wheelbarrrow please?

by Jens on Jun 24, 2008 9:53 AM EDT up 0 recs

right, we're kinda wusses here when it comes to gas prices

I paid to fill up my friend’s “seats six and a dog” van in Switzerland. YeeeeOuch. I’m used to a Prius in Pittsburgh.

by JFS_PGH on Jun 24, 2008 10:00 AM EDT up 0 recs

Sure

The rent is $9 per trip ;-)

"Hey, hey, settle down boys and girls or Krusty will have to bring out his old friend Corporal Punishment again."

by Drew... on Jun 24, 2008 10:17 AM EDT up 0 recs

Do those of you that live in Europe or even elsewhere in the states

travel as far as many of us do here near Chicago for work and such? I’ve got my commute down to roughly 30 minutes one way and now do some working from home to help too. In my area prices are back up near $4.30/gal. My last job was a solid hour drive one way. Even with give or take 30 minutes, the price hurts. Just curious if others have the commutes that Chicagoland folks have gotten used to and are considered “normal” around here.

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 24, 2008 1:58 PM EDT up 0 recs

come work in the dc tri-state area...

.... and the 20 mile parking lot known as I-95….. down where my one house is, people leave for work in dc/nova usually btwn 4.30am and 5.30am to get to a 9am job…. when hubby did the commute to client in maryland, he went the long way around and it could take 3 hours one-way to get there…

that got tiring, which is why we maintain a second residence (rent/own/rent) in ashburn (around dulles airport)..... (since 1993)... the puppies and i stay down at home (where i commute down the hallway).... and hubby comes down weekly, and he and bunny visit longer when he’s not crammed with work….

luckily, gas prices are not a hardship

"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind

by umwolverine on Jun 24, 2008 6:47 PM EDT up 0 recs

Ouch!

I try to take the train when I have to downtown as I55 here from my place can get up to a 2 hour commute and best avoided. The gas prices aren’t a hardship for me but I still think they suck! If work is going to let me work from home to help out, I am so for it and loving it. :-)

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 24, 2008 10:03 PM EDT up 0 recs

"you can't get there from here"

is a well-worn catch phase…. the commuter trains that do run can take just as long as sitting and traffic ….. there are the HOV-3 lanes, which is fine if you work a steady work schedule (not for people at the office 12 hours at a shot).... metro? ha…. only in you live inside the circle….

"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind

by umwolverine on Jun 24, 2008 10:31 PM EDT up 0 recs

Dang...

I think it’s time I stop whining about commuting here… :-)

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 24, 2008 10:58 PM EDT up 0 recs

commute takes from 45 minutes to 1 hour for 35 miles door to door

when I go into the office. Heck it used to be worse but then the bubble bursts, and there were noticeably less traffic on the Bay Area highways and roads

by lyne on Jun 25, 2008 12:15 AM EDT up 0 recs

worked on me

course, it’s so hard to make me laugh

by JFS_PGH on Jun 24, 2008 9:50 AM EDT up 0 recs

One remark on Podium group @ CyclingFever

If you click on the second link, you need to be logged on first!

So rather pick the first link Chris has posted, log on and go to ‘groups’ at the top of the page. You’ll recognise the group by the well known Podium Cafe logo. Click on the group and add yourself into the group. Easy-peazy!

Any full points or main team entered is now automatically entered into the private Podium challenge. You’ll be added in the very challenging stage competition if you enter a daily team there also, choose from all the active riders freely, every day!

Hope you’ll have fun, you PC dwellers!

Tip: CyclingFever will also launch it’s first ‘live-page’ on TT-days, stages 4 and 20. You’ll be able to start your live-tread inside the chatroom, while you can see how your squads are doing at intermediate points and of course the finish. Try it, you’ll enjoy this!
We’ll announce the live-page on our homepage.

Have a great Tour!

by DZI on Jun 24, 2008 7:45 AM EDT 0 recs

Ah, about the cons:

There are virtually none.
Of course everyone is entered in the GC standings, yet ONLY Podium Cafe members are allowed into the group and will be ranked only among group-members also.

Then again, Hons (f.i.) managed a few excellent scores and position in earlier competition, and that was against all those cloggies and frietkotten, so why couldn’t you? ;-)

by DZI on Jun 24, 2008 7:52 AM EDT up 0 recs

Just joined the PC group

I’ve liked the CyclingFever competitions in the past, even if I don’t do so hot.

by brandon... on Jun 24, 2008 8:21 AM EDT up 0 recs

Hi Brandon^

If the ”^” is either a pointy head or a party hat, you’ll enjoy it here [grin].
And CyclingFever competitions? They whup my ass, for sure.

by JFS_PGH on Jun 24, 2008 9:54 AM EDT up 0 recs

If you ride the bike in the picture?

Yeah, you can bet on it. :)

Won’t hurt to give it a go though. ;-)

You can't lose against Italy, we can only fail to win - Johan Cruijff

by DZI on Jun 24, 2008 10:11 AM EDT up 0 recs

The ^ is a pointy head....more aerodynamic. ha

by brandon... on Jun 24, 2008 3:08 PM EDT up 0 recs

Pointy hat works but party hat might be needed! :-)

So seeing that you joined awhile ago, does that mean you’ve been lurking all this time?
So happy you’re joining in on the fun. :-)

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 24, 2008 3:32 PM EDT up 0 recs

It's true

the cycling fever competition is where I go to test out all my “what if” scenarios from my VDS team selection. If my 4th in the ToC comp is any indicator, I need to start trusting my hunches more often.

by Hons on Jun 24, 2008 10:54 AM EDT up 0 recs

Great way to go about it

And now the startlist keeps evolving, some interesting choices can be made.
News is that Dekker won’t attend, Gomez Marchante won’t attend, but Ricco’ will, as will Piepoli. Should be interesting when you want to gamble with a few names. :)

You can't lose against Italy, we can only fail to win - Johan Cruijff

by DZI on Jun 24, 2008 11:14 AM EDT up 0 recs