This weekend proper bicycle racing starts for the season with Omloop Het Volk (yes, I know it’s not called that anymore but I like the old name better and it’s easier to spell for my dumb American ass) and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. Now that riders have stretched their legs in the TDU, Oman, Algarve, Qatar and various and sundry other spots on the planet, the peloton gets down to serious business in the country that suits it best in weather that will hopefully befit Rule #9. Can I get an A-Merckx from the cog-gregation!?!?
Although the Velominati Super Prestige won’t launch officially until Milan-San Remo, we thought it would be fun to have an un-official, no points awarded banter about this weekend’s races. Is Flecha going to repeat in Gent? Will Vaughter’s strategy of splitting Thor and T-Bone to captain each race respectively result in two for the win column for Garmin-Cervelo? What of Phillipe Gilbert, is he primed to start an onslaught on the great podiums of his country? Will Steampunk show his form in a semi-classic by tipping the winner or bluff until a monument? We will never find consensus among us when it comes to tipping the winners and also-rans.
The one thing I can say for sure is that we’ll all be cheering for rain to cover, no deluge, the cobbled bergs of Flandria. The potential for a heaping helping of Rule #9 served up on a big old platter of the V is the one thing we can all agree would make this weekend’s racing that much better. So I tuned in Al Roker to see what the chances are that our heroes will need to don arm and knee warmers underneath rain capes and he says yes, more than likely. The Flandrian forecast for both Saturday and Sunday looks like precip has an 80% chance of coming from the heavens. Looks to be a good weekend.
So tip your top five for OHN and KBK here if you’d like and know that no points will be awarded. But at a minimum, we felt the need to create a space where we could discuss the weekend’s festivities. Our V-Chalice runneth over with stoke and it just wouldn’t be right if we didn’t have a dry space for it to spill.
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No, I didn't actually like that one. But I do like that he sprinted so damn fast he had the time to lay down a planned salute. I didn't like Sastre's baby pacifier salute either, but good on him for paying tribute to his child. So to sum up, I don't like all salutes but I like that the riders are using their imagination, and have the ability to create the time to throw them down. I also did like Flecha's gesture because of it's clever relevance to his name...
So when are we going to see someone throw the sacred sign of Merckx as we cross the finish line? One can only hope.
we/they. Damn it.
@frank
Frank: Why the hating on Flecha? Seems like a pretty decent hardman to me, esp being Spanish et al. Haven't heard anything that bad about him but I might not have heard all the dirt.
Also think that his salute is pretty apropos with his name and all.
@Oli Brooke-White
Fine with me, but you realize that makes you just as idiotic as me, right?
The two-arm salute is the classic homage to everything cool about this sport. The "creative" salutes make a mockery of the sport and the riders. Marko's view here.
Remember it's not clever when you're a Spaniard and the word is the actual word in your language. It's no more clever than a British bloke who's last name is "Biscuits and Tea" going across the line pretending to have a tea party with himself.
Fact is, that "genius" arrow salute was the precise one that made me hate him. We were at the finish that day and even in all the excitement that comes with being in a place like that, I was like, "Really? That dude right there is a douche."
Well I just think that's sad...
@mcsqueak
Ha! despite what I just said, that would be THE.COOLEST.SALUTE.EVER.
@Buck Rogers
Sure, he's a hardman, but that's not the only reason to like someone. I admit, I'm probably exaggerating my dislike for him, but I hate his salute, don't like how he looks on a bike generally, and his idiotic move in P-R a few years back when he took out half the group of favorites in one corner put the last nail in coffin.
What a racialist! If an English rider called Arrow crossed the line doing that I would think it equally cool, so your analogy fails IMNSHO.
@Pedale.Forchetta
A-Merckx, brother. And with that the true season starts; these races are great fun, but until they roll out along the coast, for me the season hasn't really started.
Who's going to win that one, anyway? I'm leaning towards an upset; a break gets clear on the Poggio and stays away, Bettini-style.
As a matter of fact, I'm working on building the software right now that will power the VSP this year. Trying to automate it more so there will be less errors and less labor-intense.