PTP - Tour de France

above_the_cows

Stage 20: Martin

Macaloon

S20: Martin

BelgianBeerGeek

St 20 : T Martin

above_the_cows

So going into the final stage the GC top 10 looks like this:

Key 153
rozzer32 143
tforonda 142
archieboy 135
Snorebens 130
FJS 128
Above The Cows 124
dish_dash 123
thomasmc 123
TheBigBean 123

So Key, like Nibbles, looks to have an unbeatable lead but the 2nd and 3rd spot could still change hands and it's very close lower down the orders. Will we see some defensive Kittel picks as people look to hold onto their position rather than go for a do or die punt on Peter Sagan?

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nDDFTMLNVjurt88VlyjNJhWJMJGrfEKgWyaEUqaKAIc/pubhtml

Mad_Malx

Cal jones missed out on a very good chance of podium by dropping out - only one who will score any GC points.

shockedsoshocked

21 Kittel

BelgianBeerGeek

St 21: K Reza

hommelbier

Stage 21 : André Greipel please

ATC - thanks for the effort you must have put in keeping the scores up to date - well done.

Note; reading the various spoilers for the later stages I feel a bit guilty about my GC choice.

ContrelaMontre

S21 - Mark Renshaw

Omar Little

21 - Kittel

stanislav

final stage:Greipel.cheers

alanp23

Final stage - Kittel pls

Thamks for the great work, ATC!

smithy21

Stage 21 Kittel

thomasmc

Stg 21: kittel

dish_dash

Stage 21 Kittel. ta

Art Vandelay

St21: Kristoff
and thanks ATC

milton50

Stage 21: Kittel

Many, many thanks for running this ATC. You've done a great job.

above_the_cows

Stage 21: Kittel

Macaloon

S21: Kittel

Ta

shazzz

S21: Kristoff

Merci

gregster04

S21 Kittel

scwxx77

Stage 21: Kittel

above_the_cows

And so it comes to this.

The end. The final curtain. The last lap of the Champs Elysee has been done (unless you're CHENG. GO CHENG!!!!!) and here are the results of the raffle.

But first a moments commiseration for hommelbier who briefly leaped into the top 10 today when I added the GC points due to his Valverde pick, only to slip out of the top 10 because he backed the wrong German who had to settle for fourth behind a charging Honey Badger. Sorry hommelbier but I am secretly pleased because I've got my 7th spot back! :P

So the raffle results...

And winning the large strange blue bowl and a rendition of the national anthem of their choice by Lesley Garrett is Key a full 10 points ahead of his nearest rival and holding the lead for most of the race, he is a fitting champion.

In second spot sure no doubt to seek team leadership from Key next year and feed Bernie Eisel's bunny to his pet snake is rozzer32 who backed the right German.

Rounding off the podium 6 points back after a poor time trial made Greipel seem like a good choice we have tforonda. Gorillas are rarely a good choice unless it's misty and you're Dian Fossey.

And the rest of the top 10 is as follows:

In fourth, that most cruel of spots could have been a podium but isn't, we have: archieboy a mere 2 points down on that third step.

In fifth we have, Ben who snores a further 5 seconds back. I'm sure with some sleep therapy his recovery will be all the better and he can challenge for the podium next year.

In sixth it's FJS who sneaked up into the top 10 (and stole my spot) just the other day by having the nerve to pick anyone else other than Peter Sagan. Gefeliciteerd!

In seventh, well yes it's me! My second GT top 10 in a row! Some of you others might also have achieved such feats but sorry I don't care about you. I'm a contender! I will be expecting a pay rise and full on team support only no doubt to languish like Teejay Van Garderen in mid-top 10 obscurity for ever more.

In 8th place it's dish-dash just 1 point behind with a last minute dash into the top 10 also with an inspired pick for John Degenoddingdog on the John Nettles stage

And...

thomasmc, yep you've got to share this one folks, if you'd picked the Nodding Dog too thomas you'd have beaten the usurper, but that's PTP. But as consolation you win the Haimar Zubeldia invisibility cloak, but please use it only for good.

And then in 10th place we have the Nervous Prof, I'm not sure why they have to be nervous, being a Prof they already have tenure but anyway I digress, just 2 points behind dish-dash and thomasmc.

Again hommelbier was so close in 11th just 1 point behind but them's the breaks.

Lastly then, before I trot off under an Arc de Triomphe emblazoned in a lovely horse here is the magnificent spreadsheet that I will dearly miss such as it has come to define the rhythm of my days.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nDDFTMLNVjurt88VlyjNJhWJMJGrfEKgWyaEUqaKAIc/pubhtml

Merci all, it's been fun.

milton50

Congrats, Key.

It's been a strange Tour for me. I was right up there until Contador left the race. I then panicked and started trying to pick random winners instead of sticking to the basics.

Oh well. Since I am now completely out of the running for the overall championship I will be refocusing my entire season into winning the Vuelta. You have been warned.

NervexProf

ATC - Many thanks for your erudite and enthusiastic stewardship of this year's Le Tour PTP competition.

BelgianBeerGeek

Awesome stuff ATC. By following form and the crowd I have finished 8th before but now I could not care less! And it's massively liberating...now starting the G - watch thread...

Seriously, it's been fun and TVM from me and others. Now the TdF is over, what do I do with my evenings?

above_the_cows

Milton50 wrote:

Congrats, Key.

It's been a strange Tour for me. I was right up there until Contador left the race. I then panicked and started trying to pick random winners instead of sticking to the basics.

Oh well. Since I am now completely out of the running for the overall championship I will be refocusing my entire season into winning the Vuelta. You have been warned.

Crumbs. Does Pappy Horner know?

BelgianBeerGeek wrote:

Awesome stuff ATC. By following form and the crowd I have finished 8th before but now I could not care less! And it's massively liberating...now starting the G - watch thread...

Seriously, it's been fun and TVM from me and others. Now the TdF is over, what do I do with my evenings?

The clue is in your username. :P

NervexProf wrote:

ATC - Many thanks for your erudite and enthusiastic stewardship of this year's Le Tour PTP competition.

You are welcome. I was a little daunted about it at first but truth be told it's been fun.

BelgianBeerGeek

Thanks ATC

Summer hols over back to the boring day job tomorrow. Still some stuff hidden away for the dark days of autumn

Key

Thank you for a great job AtC. You have been outstanding. And thanks to Kristoff for doing so good this year. That is where i got my extra points.

FJS

Congratulations Key and bedankt BovendeKoeien for the exemplary score keeping.