Velominati Super Prestige
The Velominati Super Prestige is a season-long competition wherein readers will be submitting their predictions for the top five finishers of each qualifying race. In order to qualify, your picks via the VSP Picks form above the posts section of the VSP Event article pertaining to the race in question by the time the countdown clock goes to zero at midnight on the day of the race start. These articles are clearly marked and are generally posted at least 72 hours in advance of each event. The current leader of the competition has the honor of posting on the site bearing the VSP Leader’s badge; winners of select races (the monuments and Grand Tours) similarly gain the honor of posting with a dedicated badge for the remainder of the year. Prizes may be given for key events; these prizes will be announced on the associated VSP Event. Points will be tallied as the season progresses and the winner will be announced after Paris-Tours. Prizes to be determined.
Scoring (One-Day Races)
Readers who wish to enter shall enter their predictions for the top five placings of each race by the time the countdown clock goes to zero at midnight PDT on the day of the race. Regular Points Points will be scored in reverse order of finishing order: 7 points for first place, 5 points for second, 4 for third, 3 for fourth, and 2 for fifth. Readers will also earn 1 bonus point for every other rider named in the top five, regardless of the rider’s placing, but riders are not scored twice. Tie Breaking In the event of a tie, the first reader to submit their predictions will be named the winner.
Scoring (Grand Tours)
Readers who wish to enter shall enter their predictions for the top five placings on General Classification of each Grand Tour by the time the countdown clock goes to zero at midnight PDT on the day of the first stage or prologue. Points Points will be scored as follows based on the final G.C of the race: 20 points for first place, 15 for second, 10 for third, 7 for fourth, and 5 for fifth; plus 3 points per rider in the top five regardless of the rider’s placing, but riders are not scored twice. Changing of the Picks* Contestants are allowed to make line up changes on one of the rest days of the Grand Tours but not both. These changes will come with a point penalty. You will be allotted one (1) rest day to make swaps in grand tours; you may pick either the first or second rest day. The penalties for swapping will be lower for the first rest day than the second. This will allow you to swap out a rider(s) who gets caught in some first week nervousness with a 5 point penalty for each swap. Or make some go for broke/doomed to fail break-away swap on the second rest day for a 10 point penalty for each swap. That’s it. You make one swap or five on either rest day for the corresponding 5 or 10 point penalty per swap. Additionally, if one of your riders crashes out, DNF’s, or DNS’s, you may swap them out on a rest day with corresponding penalties if you haven’t already used up your one rest day swap. Tie Breaking In the event of a tie, the first reader to submit their predictions will be named the winner. Minor Stages We will be posting VSP’s for minor stages as well. Scoring is similar to one-day racing, except no bonus points are in play for getting the rider in the wrong placing.
Scoring (Minor Stage Races)
Readers who wish to enter shall enter their predictions for the top five placings on General Classification of each Minor Stage Race (less than three weeks) by the time the countdown clock goes to zero at midnight PDT on the day of the first stage or prologue. Regular Points Points will be scored in reverse order of finishing order: 10 points for first place, 8 for second, 7 for third, 5 for fourth, and 3 for fifth; plus two bonus points per rider in the top five regardless of the rider’s placing, but riders are not scored twice. Tie Breaking In the event of a tie, the first reader to submit their predictions will be named the winner.
Posting Badges
The following badges will be worn by current leaders of the competition and sub-competitions:
| Overall Super Prestige Leader: |  |
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| Milano Sanremo: |  |
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| VVomen’s Ronde van Vlaanderen: |  |
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| Men’s Ronde van Vlaanderen: |  |
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| Paris-Roubaix: |  |
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| Leige-Bastogne-Liege: |  |
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| Giro d’Italia Leader: |  |
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| Giro Rosa Leader: |  |
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| Tour de France Leader: |  |
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| Vuelta a Espana Leader: |  |
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| Giro di Lombardia: |  |
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| Overal Super Prestige Lanterne Rouge: |  |
2016 Velominati Super Prestige Schedule
Les Hommes
Start |
End |
Event |
Race Website |
| 18.03.2017 | 18.03.2017 | Milano-Sanremo | www.milanosanremo.it |
| 26.03.2017 | 26.03.2017 | Gent-Wevelgem in Flanders Fields | www.gent-wevelgem.be |
| 02.04.2017 | 02.04.2017 | Ronde van Vlaanderen – Tour des Flandres | www.flandersclassics.be |
| 09.04.2017 | 09.04.2017 | Paris-Roubaix | www.letour.fr |
| 16.04.2017 | 16.04.2017 | Amstel Gold Race | www.amstelgoldrace.nl |
| 19.04.2017 | 19.04.2017 | La Flèche Wallonne | www.letour.fr |
| 23.04.2017 | 23.04.2017 | Liège-Bastogne-Liège | www.letour.fr |
| 05.05.2017 | 28.05.2017 | Giro d’Italia | www.giroditalia.it |
| 04.06.2017 | 11.06.2017 | Critérium du Dauphiné | www.letour.fr |
| 10.06.2017 | 18.06.2017 | Tour de Suisse | www.tds.ch |
| 01.07.2017 | 23.07.2017 | Tour de France | www.letour.fr |
| 29.07.2017 | 29.07.2017 | Clasica Ciclista San Sebastian | www.klasikoa.net |
| 19.08.2017 | 10.09.2017 | La Vuelta ciclista a España | lavuelta.com |
| 08.09.2017 | 08.09.2017 | Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec | www.gpcqm.ca |
| 10.09.2017 | 10.09.2017 | Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal | www.gpcqm.ca |
| 20.09.2017 | 20.09.2017 | Mens World Championship Time Trial | |
| 24.09.2017 | 24.09.2017 | Mens World Championship Road Race | |
| 07.10.2017 | 07.10.2017 | Il Lombardia | www.illombardia.it |
La Femmes
Start |
End |
Event |
Race Website |
| 26.03.2017 | 26.03.2017 | Gent-Wevelgem In Flanders Fields | www.gent-wevelgem.be |
| 02.04.2017 | 02.04.2017 | Ronde van Vlaanderen / Tour des Flandres | www.flandersclassics.be |
| 16.04.2017 | 16.04.2017 | Amstel Gold Race | info@amstelgoldrace.nl |
| 19.04.2017 | 19.04.2017 | La Flèche Wallonne Féminine | www.letour.fr |
| 23.04.2017 | 23.04.2017 | Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes | www.letour.fr et www.pesantliege.be |
| 30.06.2017 | 09.07.2017 | Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile | |
| 20.07.2017 | 20.07.2017 | La Course by Le Tour de France | www.letour.fr |
| 29.07.2017 | 29.07.2017 | Prudential RideLondon Classique | www.ridelondon.co.uk/events/classique |
| 17.08.2017 | 20.08.2017 | Ladies Tour of Norway | www.ladiestour.no |
| 26.08.2017 | 26.08.2017 | GP de Plouay – Lorient Agglomération | www.grandprix-plouay.com |
| 29.08.2017 | 03.09.2017 | Boels Rental Ladies Tour | www.hollandladiestour.nl |
| 10.09.2017 | 10.09.2017 | Madrid Challenge by la Vuelta | lavuelta.com/Madridchallenge |
| 19.09.2017 | 19.09.2017 | Womens World Championship Time Trial | |
| 23.09.2017 | 23.09.2017 | Womens World Championship Road Race |
Standings
[vsp_gc year=”2017″/]
Past Results
[vsp_gc year=”2016″/]
[vsp_gc year=”2015″/]
[vsp_gc year=”2014″/]
[vsp_gc year=”2013″/]
[vsp_gc year=”2012″/]
[vsp_gc year=”2011″/]
2010 VSP G.C.
*The Changing of the Picks rules are designed to promote fair play and keep the competition fun and open throughout the three-week race. Abuse of these rules will be managed through the “Piti Principle”: if we we feel you are attempting to exploit loopholes or otherwise take advantage of the Changing of the Picks rules, we will penalize you by deducting points from your total score. Much like the UCI doping suspensions, the amount of points deducted will be based on how egregious the abuse was.
@Teocalli
Well done for not picking him.
1. Alaphillipe
2. Wellens
3. Martin (Dan)
4. Kwiato
5. Benoot
@Teocalli
1. Blaak
2. A VDB
3. Niewiadoma
4. A VV
5. Moolman-Pasio
Flech Wallonne Men
1. Dan Martin
2. Valverde
3. Alaphilippe
4. Kwiatkowski
5. Henao
Fleche Wallonne Women
1. van Vleuten
2. Rivera
3. Niewiadoma
4. Moolman Passio
5. Blaak
Wait- We’re still doing this? I thought VSP went away with the site updates last year…?
FW Women
van der Breggen
van Vleuten
Neiwiadoma
Blaak
Longo Borghini
Flèche picks …
MEN
1 – Valverde
2 – Alaphilippe
3 – Dan Martin
4 – Gasparotto
5 – Albasini
WOMEN
1 – Blaak
2 – Niewiadoma
3 – Ensing
4 – Vos
5 – Borghini
@BacklashJack
Those of us still haunting the site are doing it on our own. Teocalli is the lead out man (or is it directeur sportif?) keeping track of picks and scores. I’m tracking everything, too, as a domestique ready to lend a wheel.
FW Men
1) Valverde
2) Alaphilippe
3) D Martin
4) Kwiatkowski
5) Gilbert
What is better: continue to participate and risk coming in last or like most of those that once were here, not join at all?
Fwiw, because I like ChuckP so much.
FW men
1 – Valverde
2 – Alaphilippe
3 – Dan Martin
4 – Gasparotto
5 – Albasini
WOMEN
1 – Blaak
2 – Niewiadoma
3 – Ensing
4 – Vos
5 – Borghini
@MangoDave
I don’t think you’re really doing @teocalli credit, surely he’s the race director.
The RCS may soon be knocking on his door if things in Israel don’t work out well for Mauro Vegni.
@KogaLover
Wheelsucker!
@chris
Thanks for the promotion – in whatever sense that might be………..
@BacklashJack
In anticipation that you may join our happy little band I’ve added a line for Flèche Wallonne for you. If our collective performance continues as good as it was for Amstel Gold it will be easy to catch up!
All – don’t forget this is TOMORROW………….
@BacklashJack
Oh and it’s all manual – just post you picks and I’ll (hopefully) pick them up and stick them in a spreadsheet. I publish the picks as above so that folk can pick up my istypes.
@RobSandy
Careful now @RobSandy, you are also on my list of picks to follow. You seem to have a lucky hand.
@KogaLover
I’ll start scrutinising him when/if he overtakes me!
@KogaLover
I’m a fairly safe wheel to follow – although I will occasionally indulge in a pointless and self-destructive long-range attack.
That’s both a metaphor and not.
I’ve said it before though, VSP is about consistency. You’re not trying to pick one or two winners, you’re trying to consistently pick riders who place top 5 throughout the whole season.
I’ll lose out tomorrow through my refusal to pick Valverde though.
@Teocalli
Be careful what you wish for!
@RobSandy
My heart wanted me to pick Nibs to win tomorrow. I may do that for Liege.
@RobSandy
You say that like it’s a bad thing?
@Teocalli
I find it quite amusing that the Velominati have almost unanimously picked Dan Martin to finish 3rd.
Poor old Dan…
@RobSandy
re Dan M – then again after our performance last weekend he may be grateful, as if we had all picked him to win then he’d have reason to be depressed!
Jeez Louise the last week or so got away from me! Delgadoed Amstel entirely. Getting my Flèche Wallone picks in now before I forget:
Flèche Wallonne (masculin) VSP picks:
Flèche Wallonne (feminin) VSP Picks:
In other news, my VMH expecting our first little Pedalwan, and by the kicks she’s been getting, those legs are gonna be powering a bike faster than their dad’s in no time. Ours is due about a month before Lizzy & Luke Deignan’s, I believe.
I put in my Canadian bias for each race.
Flèche Wallonne (M):
Flèche Wallonne (F):
Well, I feel better about my shitty picks from the Amstel Gold as basically everybody else was in the same boat.
For the Fleche Men:
Alaphilippe
Martin
Valverde
Gilbert
Kwiatkowski
For Les Dames:
Van der Breggen
Blaakj
Van Vleuten
Borghini
Vos
@wiscot
Is that Dan M?
@mulebeatsdrums
Best wishes for the great event.
Fleche Wallonne Men:
Valverde
Dan Martin
Wellens
Albasini
Kiryienka
Fleche Wallonne Women:
van der Breggen
Moolman
Guarnier
Spratt
Wiles
Thanks!
@chris @edster99 @sthilzy @backlashjack
Your Wednesday start time is rapidly approaching……………
Change for Flèche Wallonne Women:
Delete: Kirchmann
Add: Niewiadoma
Fleche Wallonne Men:
He who shall not be mentioned (or picked)
Matthews
Fulsgand
Slaughter
Majka
Fleche Wallonne Women:
van der Breggen
Moolman
Spratt
Guarnier
Wiles
Fleche Wallonne – Men
1. Valverde
2. Alaphilippe
3. Matthews
4. Wellens
5. Teuns
Flèche Wallonne Women;
1. Van Vleuten
2. Niewiadoma
3. van der Breggen
4. Borghini
5. Moolman
@Teocalli
Thanks for the elbow! @Teocalli
@Teocalli
Anna VDB wins the womens version ahead of Ashleigh Moolman Pasio
@RobSandy
Woo hoo! First in both categories! Valmerde just doidn’t have it today!
God, that spring sunshine in Belgium looked wonderful. Here in SE Wisconsin we got dumped on with more snow on Sunday and 4-5″ expected today. I’m still wearing full winter kit and it sucks.
@wiscot
Darnit, didn’t spot you’d also picked Alaphillipe to win, thought I was the only one.
High time that awesome young gun got a big win. I like him a lot.
Did you also notice that Bardet finished 10th? Looks like a twig, rides like a bull. Secret hardman, that. Dark horse pick for LBL?
It’s proper gorgeous here today, and I am in the ideal situation of being able to leave my rucksack at work so can cycle home bare-backed. And also, bare armed and bare legged for the first time this year.
@RobSandy
Ha! Yup, JA was due for a big win. Happy for him. JA, Bardet, Benoot, a lot of young guns coming through.
I’ve worn knicks once this year. Bare legs? No chance!
Enjoy your ride!
@wiscot
Just back from a run down to the coast. Stunning weather. First time this year in shorts and short sleeves and no thermal layer and sunnies.
Well we have 2 clear winners (subject to any protests of course)….
@RobSandy continues to set the pace…….I was clearly tired from my run down to the coast today………..
These were the picks…..
Results
and so we move rapidly on to Sunday….
Open for Picks.
@Teocalli
The snow has just started here. F*ck winter!
@wiscot
I rode down to the station this morning at 7am in a short sleeved shirt and wasn’t cold at all.
When the weather comes good over here, it’s glorious.
Liege Bastogne Liege women details here
and Mens here
@Teocalli
1. Alaphilippe
2. Matthews
3. Wellens
4. Dan Martin
5. Bardet
@Teocalli
And the Femmes
1. A VDB
2. Blaak
3. Moolman Pasio
4. A Van Vleuten
5. Guarnier