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.
San-Sebastian
Alaphillipe
Dan Martin
Bernal
Valverde
Van Avermaet
@Rick
Nei! I flew and had a wedding to go to, and am driving around in a small hire car with family – so no bike.
If I find myself somewhere that suits I might hire something but tbh I was at the end of a long block of training and racing so a couple of weeks off suits.
But the roads here are sooo tempting. I might just move here.
San Sebastian
1. Roglic
2. GVA
3. Alaphilippe
4. Valverde
5. Landa
I don’t think I’ve ever watched San Sebastian, so this is purely academic guesswork:
San Sebastian
Alaphillippe
Van Avermaet
Valverde
Roglic
A Yates
@Cary
OK, Martin is back on the start list, so can i please go with my original picks?
@Cary
No Probs
Mollema
Roglic
GVA
Alaphilippe
Valverde
Greetings from the UK Lakedistrict where the weather has turned to its normal course. But wish I had a bike!!!
Are we heading for a bunch of Delgado’s in the post TdF blues?
@Teocalli
Don’t know about that, but the weather sounds like it’s going to be brutal down there.
For those of you picking Valverde, according to this article he’s not starting:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/star-studded-field-gathers-for-clasica-san-sebastian-preview/
My picks:
1 – Bernal
2 – Alaphilippe
3 – Martin
4 – Roglic
5 – Landa
San Sebastian
Alaphilippe
van Avermaet
Roglic
Wellens
Bernal
@Shandawg
My updated list if it’s not to late
@Cary
OK, can i please replace Valverde with Van Avermaet, since Valverde isn’t starting. yes i’m picking him to win.
@Rick
Please replace Valverde with Landa
OK got all these
No Malmerde?
Revised picks (if not too late)
Alaphillipe
Landa
Bernal
Van Aver maet
Dan Martin
@wiscot
OK
Darn, caption did not come through!
Should have read “Hopefully I picked the right ones”
and: pls swap Valverde for Landa, thanks
@KogaLover
Looks like Waterstones Bookshop……
@wiscot races away again for 2 in a row…..
Current standings
It’s interesting how many “fans” claim Sky wins everything – below is the table of winners in our list of majors. Anyone hear anyone complaining about QuickStep?
Bit of a rest till the Vuelta. Get your thinking casquettes on!
Saturday, 25 August 2018 Vuelta a Espana
@Teocalli
Thanks again for all of your work. May I ask how many events, including the Vuelta, remain on the VSP calendar?
@Rick
Here you go…….
@Teocalli
Thanks, still a lot of racing left!
@Teocalli
Hmm… I had Alaphillippe in my top 5, so I should have 1 point I think. I wouldn’t normally quibble, but I need to catch up with Chris to get on the podium.
@Teocalli
Kwiato said something similar to that after the Tour. When QuickStep win all the classics, or Sagan dominates the Green Jersey, its great. When Sky win its boring and the rules need to be changed to stop them.
@mulebeatsdrums
Dang seem to have missed your pick completely! Give me 5………..
Revised…….
I didn’t see that Valverde wasn’t racing until it was too late. Not that it would have changed much, might have given me one more point with Mollema.
@Teocalli
If your bike recognition skills are only a fraction of your bookshoprecognition skills…. scary
@KogaLover
Forget the books! The mags!
I think I had most of those “winning” mags. Believe it or not, the cover between Kelly kissing the Vuelta trophy and Millar in the Vuelta polka dots is Kelly riding an early mountain bike. Not his most dignified moment . . .
I think three covers feature Joey McLaughlin from Liverpool. Hugely talented rider who never realized his full potential.
Not really VSP-related, but has anyone else heard this podcast interview with COTHO? I thought it was interesting. He seems to be more mature and has a better perspective about the doping issues. He said he’s tried to make amends with people, but there’s still a flawed character hiding in there.
http://freakonomics.com/podcast/has-lance-armstrong-finally-come-clean-radio/
@MangoDave
Glad you enjoyed the podcast. Personally, I have no interest in anything COTHO has to say.
Time to get in your next VSP Picks.
Saturday, 25 August 2018
Vuelta a Espana
GT
Sunday, 26 August 2018
GP de Plouay
1.WWT
GP de Plouay start list here
Vuelta start list here
@Teocalli
Vuelta
1. Porte
2. Yates
3. Nibali
4. Dan Martin
5. Quintana
Vuelta:
Richie Porte Out Starboard Home
Simon Yeahtes
Nairo V-ana
Alex Green Valley
Michelangelo Do not walk (“Loop ‘s” means imperative “walk on” in Dutch)
Re the lassies, let me first try to find a site where I can see who’s competing…
@KogaLover
See my link a few posts back for the Women’s start list…….
You’ve got me on Alex Green Valley – unless you have a starter not in the list I’m looking at……….
Ah bollox – I forgot to reverse it from the English to Valley Green…….a la Yoda…………….
@Teocalli
Access to that website is denied by office standards! Thanks for spotting Valverde.
Could access list via mobile: so here goes GP de Plouay
1. Ch vd Blaak
2. Anna vd Breggen
3. M Vos
4. Longo Borghini
5. LP Lepisto (because the name sounds like il pistolero)
G.P. de Ploay:
La Vuelta a España:
G. P. de Plouay
1. van der Breggen
2. Vos
3. Blaak
4. Spratt
5. Rivera
Vuelta
1. Porte
2. Lopez
3. Valverde
4. Kruijskijk
5. Uran