Velominati Super Prestige: Paris-Tours 2013
Oh brothers and sisters, we find ourselves here again. It was but a few moments ago when the Milan-Sanremo VSP went up. Racers fought the sleet, producing an unforgettable start to the Velominati VSP season. Cancellara, Nibali, Froome and, and Horner were all big points winners for our astute and well informed audience. But now it has come to Paris-Tours, the last big road race of the season, unless you count the Tour of Beijing, which we don’t.
Authon-du-Perche to Tours, 235 km of relatively flat riding; a sprinters route. Or a passista’s route judging from some of the former winners: Tchmil, Tafi, Museeuw. Or if you inject enough epo into him, a climber’s route: Richard Virenque. I say this every year when this race comes up; his win here almost made me like him. I actually liked him a lot for this win but his overall obnoxious quotient kept him firmly in the hate.
So place your bets carefully. This race is quite hard to predict, it could go so many ways. And this is almost the last chance for bragging rights in the 2013 VSP so pray to your gods for guidance and make a move before Sunday. It would be a shame to Delgado the penultimate event of the VSP season.
Start list is here. Here is the very classy Andrea Tafi showing how you win a sprinters race the hard way.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWZJfPbs3is[/youtube]
Boom, boom, boom, boom
I’m gonna shoot you right down
Right off your feet
Take you home with me
Put you in my house
Boom, boom, boom, boom
VSP PICKS:
1. Boom Boom Boom Boom
2. DeMare
3. Degenkolb
4. Van Avermaet
5. Meersman
Back to the eternal second for T-Fail. Winning won’t stick to it either.
VSP PICKS:
1. Degenkolb
2. Farrar
3. Van Poppel
4. Demare
5. De Haes
Voila!
VSP PICKS:
1. Degenkolb
2. Van Avermaet
3. Ciolek
4. Farrar
5. Meersman
VSP PICKS:
1. Warren Barguil
2. Sylvain Chavanel
3. Henrich Haussler
4. John Degenkolb
5. Gerald Ciolek
@seemunkee
You know how you know when you’re a Velominati? When your son is getting married in 2 hours, and you’re getting your VSP picks in. That’s how it’s done lads.
VSP PICKS:
1. Terpstra
2. Van Avermaet
3. Voeckler
4. Boom
5. Van Summeren
Here goes nothing
VSP PICKS:
1. Degenkolb
2. Van Avermat
3. S. Chavanel
4. Ciolek
5. Farrar
VSP PICKS:
1. Demare
2. Degenkolb
3. Marcato
4. Vanavrrmaet
5. Chavanel
VSP PICKS:
1. Degenkolb
2. Chavenal
3. Van Avermaet
4. Boom
5. Terpstra
VSP PICKS:
1. A. Demare
2. J. Degenkolb
3. S. Chavanel
4. G. Van Avermaet
5. B. Coquard
Frankly I’m that far down the standings that this is a bit like racing against USPS with nothing better than cough syrup in your medicine cabinet, do I might as well go for the unlikely option.
VSP PICKS:
1. Farrar
2. Haussler (and his haircut)
3. Degenkolb
4. Van Avermaet
5. Boom
VSP PICKS:
1. Degenkolb
2. Coquard
3. Van Avermaet
4. Haussler
5. Farrar
I probably could have asked a random stranger to make five picks and have as good a chance as I will with these. Oh well, here goes nothing…
VSP PICKS:
1. Degenkolb
2. Haussler
3. Farrrar
4. Van Avermaet
5. Feillu
This is my home-in-law race. Don’t be surprised to see xyxax bobbleheads littering the course.
VSP PICKS:
1. Degenkolb
2. Gasparotto
3. Van Avermaet
4. Leukemans
5. Boom
VSP PICKS:
1. Van Avermaet
2. Chavanel
3. Degenkolb
4. Farrar
5. Ciolek
VSP PICKS:
1. Van Avermaet
2. Sylvain Chavanel
3. Anaud Demare
4. Ciolek
5. Farrar
My picks
VSP PICKS:
1. Chavanel
2. Farrar
3. Terpstra
4. Van avermaet
5. Boom
I got nuttin’ but Voeckler finally winning a race by himself.
VSP PICKS:
1. voeckler
2. Degenkolb
3. hausseler, h
4. Tjallingii, m
5. Westra, l
VSP PICKS:
1. Degenkolb
2. Ciolek
3. Farrar
4. Van Avermaet
5. Voeckler
@Gianni
That would be a pretty poetic way to close out the season. I’d drink to that (though I probably would, regardless).
One last kick..
VSP PICKS:
1. Ty-Lar Fer-Rar
2. Big John D
3. Van Averm…
4. Ciolek
5. A Demare
Every time I think the season is over, the Race of the Falling Leaves keeps on livin’ on…
The best part is that I can justify sitting around Sunday morning after a ride and recovering, rather than working on the house. Nice!
pretty funny discussion about caps going on the eurosport stream.
“We used to cut the tops off our caps so we didn’t overheat on hot rainy days, so you’d end up with a visor”
Blasphemy.
Degenkolb for the win with T-Bone again just missing the podium. Poor guy. At least he has a team for next year.
1
John Degenkolb (Ger) Team Argos-Shimano
5:29:19
2
Michael Morkov (Den) Team Saxo-Tinkoff
3
Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ
4
Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin-Sharp
5
Michael Van Staeyen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise
OK, Skip kicks ass. Bat Chainpuller too slow on the draw.
Bugger.
A top 10 result – better late than never! Add that to a glorious 100kms in fantastic fall colors his morning and volunteering for a local noon-profit’s fundraiser his afternoon and all’s right in my world.
I missed the race unfortunately due to a family outing. I came here first for the race results! I will have to find a good source for a race recap.
How was the finish of the race? Anything exciting?
@wiscot
Chrono Des Nations on this weekend in France. Same race as GP des Nations, just renamed. Stared in 1982.
UCI 1.1 rating, won by Tony Martin last year.
@scaler911
it got my one point, and a new daughter. Not a bad weekend.
Delgadoed – daughter’s wedding. The only excuse I have……
@HMBSteve and a poor one at that, see the post above yours for how it’s properly done.