Boy that felt good to write. More on what makes it so happy in a bit.
The reminder part is this: Your VDS teams are due Friday! Also, remember, after all the time we spent telling people not to hit submit too soon, it's no longer too soon. There is next to no racing this week, and while a few guys' injury statuses make for tricky choices, it probably isn't going to become much clearer in the next few days. Worried about a certain guy's knee? If he comes out and says "it's not as bad as I suspected!" today that doesn't mean he won't wake up Saturday morning, seconds after our deadline, with recurring swelling.
More important is this: Unsubmitted teams will not be playing!! Only by hitting "submit" do we know your choices are final, and with 500 teams minimum (probably a very low number) neither I nor anyone else can take the time to sort out the unsubmitted teams. Only their Directeur Sportif can do that, and only by submitting the team. I thought that we would need a catch-phrase to drive this point home, something that will go viral and get the attention of people across the cycling universe. And here's what I've got:
If the riders fit, you must submit!
Go ahead... make my day.
Photo by Robert Prezioso, Getty Images Sport