Velominati Super Prestige: La Fleche Wallonne 2012

Simpson leads Gimondi and Poggiali in 1965

I just had to use this pic of Tom Simpson in 1965 wearing the Peugeot kit as the title pic for this year’s VSP for La Fleche Wallonne. Rigid hooked himself up on the Keepers Tour with the same kit he purchased at the Flanders Cycling Museum and it’s Grade A nipple lube. Although victory eluded Simpson in this Classic he still looked damn good in the kit and gave it the berries, taking third that year behind the two Italians on his wheel in the photo.

With that, the VSP returns to Belgium after a short and exciting few days in the hilly parts of Dutchland. We’re not sure yet if Brett, Rigid, or Harminator will be drinking beer and harassing the fairer sex on the slopes of the Mur de Huy but the racing promises to be no less exciting, if almost totally unpredictable. There was a lot of talk about the Spaniards getting it right for Amstel Gold. Although they had two riders in the top 10, neither was able to reach the podium. Interestingly enough, PhilGil seems to have at least put the brakes on going Gilbackwards, Billions and Billions is still tantalizingly close to getting it perfect, and little Tommy V may be timing his peak just about right for either La Fleche or L-B-L this weekend.

So put that Dutch pisswater down and settle in with some more proper Belgian beer as Ardennes classics week continues with La Fleche Wallonne. We’re steaming full speed ahead to the end of the Spring Classics in the VSP and there’s only a couple chances left to slot your picks for your favorite rouleur or puncheur as from here on out the conversation will change largely to the G.C. men in the Grand Tours. Check out the start list and watch the timer, good luck!

Marko

Marko lives and rides in the upper midwest of the States, Minnesota specifically. "Cycling territory" and "the midwest" don't usually end up in the same sentence unless the conversation turns to the roots of LeMond, Hampsten, Heiden and Ochowitz. While the pavé and bergs of Flanders are his preferred places to ride, you can usually find him harvesting gravel along forest and farm roads. He owes a lot to Cycling and his greatest contribution to cycling may forever be coining the term Rainbow Turd.

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  • This made I laugh...

    "I'm expecting a handwritten letter later today explaining that Joaquim Rodriguez's victory was nothing to do with the Katusha team.'

    From the Twitter feed of Lionel Birnie, who I usually find rather too caustic in a boring kind of way, but credit for that one.

  • @frank

    Please don't dispute your picks until the results are posted, guys.

    Looking at me Frank? Sorry.......... :(

  • @The Oracle

    Cheers...no more drunken posting I swear. I am rightly embarrassed and hung over however I did laugh at the post even as I posted it and could see at least some of the typo's but I thought..fuck it. For clarification I discovered beer a long long time ago but it was what I now know to be utter shite. Terrible thing for an Englishman to admit not knowing anything about good beer. Well it was this site that piqued my interest so I have the velominati community to thank for not only making me a more fabulous rider but also bring some culture into my life.

    I missed the race. I now have to go hill repeats on Rockstore for my penance.

  • @gaswepass takes a three-point win over a six-way tie for second. Congrats!

    [vsp_results id="15409"]
    [/vsp_results]

  • @King Clydesdale

    @paolo


    What color was the bottle? Or was it served in a glass? Plenty of water this morning, maybe a ride to sweat out the hangover :) Looks like you had a good night.

    I now know it was Chimay Triple in a glass. It was rightous. 8%..like twice as strong as the piss I used to drink.

  • Great finish. Love this race! Stoked for JRod to finally pull it out even though I had him third. LBL should be an amazing finish to the classics season. Kind of sad it's almost over....

  • I don't even get a shout out for being on the podium... It's alright. I'm gonna own this shit.

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