It's Yer Vuelta a Espana Rest-Day Roundup; Geezers in Review; and, Enter to Win Free Stuff, Part Dos!

Higher Ground: okay, let's lay it out flat: Contador sure can still accelerate, but happy tweets aside he can't quite sustain it right now, either, and if he really don't pick it up next week, it's still lookin' like a distinct step backwards for our wee doe-eyed darling since the end of his ban. The legs a little competition-rusty? Sure. Froome already looking--aw, !@#$, he's the beneficiary of the Three-Week Rider Insult Moratorium from our week one contest! But anyhoo, Alberto's never before had to rely on someone like a Purito's comparative inferiority in the time-trial before, much less the hope that main competitors Rodriguez and a t--(!@#dammit, foiled *again*!) Froome'll bonk out in week 3 just as he hits his stride. Valverde? Having a hell of a Vuelta so far, but really, am I the only one just countin' down the days 'til his Annual Grand-Tour Great-Hope Mid-Race Meltdown? As for Euskaltel's Igor Anton, he, like the rest of our beloved Basque squad, is merely waiting patiently--so patiently--to surprise the clueless big-shots with a ginormous stealth attack (shut up! go to hell!). So pull it together Alberto, it's been more than a week already--you're only proving your skeptics' told-ya-so crowing right now! Tomorrow, a lumpy little diversion before Wednesday's 39 kilometers o' (rather twisty-turny actually) fear:

Fountain of Youth My !@#: meantime, it's been a bangin' week for guys like Jens Voigt, Christian Vande Velde, and Levi Leipheimer, cuttin' down the whippersnappers of the peloton like scythes at the USA Pro Cycling Challenge as Jens takes the King of the Mountains classification for goodness' sake but, sadly, also setting the sun on the career of big George Hincapie, who, despite his baffling loyalty to Lance Armstrong, has always been a class act, an eager and generous mentor, and a completely underrated and self-sacrificing talent. Me, as for retirements, I'll absolutely miss my dear erratic unapologetic Olympic-champion raving wingnut Vinokourov most of all--oh, Vino, promise me when you rule Kazakhstan you'll at least challenge rival national leaders to slug out on the road like the cowardly weakling punks they are...and here, George's price o' passion:

Contest Update: last but not least, it's game on baby for Part Dos of our Racejunkie Vuelta a Espana Win Free Stuff Contest, so enter for a chance to win! a Rafflecopter giveaway