Velominati Super Prestige

Velominati Super Prestige: Amstel Gold 2013

Philippe_Gilbert
He earned those stripes around Limburg.

Yes it is a race named after a barely drinkable Dutch beer. I have enjoyed Amstel beer, brought to our table by a nice waitress, sitting outside in the Dutch spring. Atmosphere is everything. Do the Dutch brew awesome beer? I drank some good stuff in Amsterdam last spring but I’m pretty sure it was Belgian.

Now we begin the Ardennes three race-fest of Amstel, La Fléche Wallone and LBL. Peter Sagan has been resting up, Phil Gil is looking for his 2011 form (or his cortisone), Andy Schleck is suiting up for da ‘Shack. The big Spring Classic boys have moved on to the couch. They are not welcome here. Riding up to the start line now are the tough riders who can climb and climb again. Power to weight ratios must be honed to the razor’s edge to win these Ardennes races. Cancellara has talked of losing weight to be competitive in Liége-Bastogne-Liége. Just winning Ronde van Vlaanderen does not qualify you to win in the Ardennes races. Unless your first name was Edddy and last name Merckx.

Enjoy the start list. The betting window is open. Do not let Pedro Delgado sit on your couch.

[vsp_results id=”23072″/]

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191 Replies to “Velominati Super Prestige: Amstel Gold 2013”

  1. Darts on the wall.  Honestly I have no idea how this race will play out.  I probably should tag Sagan for the win, but something tells me not to.  Oh well.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Ryder Hesjedal
    2. Philip Gilbert
    3. Peter Sagan
    4. Ian Boswell
    5. Cesare Benedetti

  2. VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Gerrans
    3. Valverde
    4. Slagter
    5. Terpstra

  9. Despite it probably being the VB of Dutch beers, I’ll be collecting a sixer for tomorrow night. I’ll save the proper Ardennes bier for next weekend.

  11. @Mikael Liddy

    Despite it probably being the VB of Dutch beers, I’ll be collecting a sixer for tomorrow night. I’ll save the proper Ardennes bier for next weekend.

    No ride Monday morning this week?

  13. Here’s a fun fact about this Ardennes classic: it doesn’t take place in the Ardennes. And as hard as it is to right those heuvels (Limburgish for hills) again and again: the even bigger art for the Peloton is to avoid the road furniture that the Dutch put simply everywhere. More than one rider will pull an Offredo.

    Gilbert may be out of form, but he knows this area very well as he born and raised only 15 miles way. Maybe ten Dam can do something, he’s from Maastricht and in good shape.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Gilbert
    3. Uran Uran
    4. Purito
    5. Gasparotto

  14. Gilbert still smarting after Brabanste Pijl, Sagan because he’s a machine, Henao for that every hopeful Sky podium in a classic and Gerrans and Martin as my wildish cards. After a lucky start to the VSP now sliding into mid table obscurity.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Philip Gilbert
    2. Peter Sagan
    3. Simon Gerrans
    4. Sergei Henao
    5. Dan Martin

  21. Terpstra’s the in form Dutch bloke, Van Avermaet’s been there or thereabouts all season, Sagan is a marked man, Moser was in form a month back as was Nocentini. Giblets – not this time I fear.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Terpstra
    2. Van Avermaet
    3. Sagan
    4. Moser
    5. Nocentini

  22. VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Gilbert
    3. Gerrans
    4. Van Avermaet
    5. Kwiatkowski

  23. No Heinrich but Gilbert to carry the torch for atrocious hairstylers.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Gilbert
    2. Sagan
    3. Gerrans
    4. Slagter
    5. Tiernan-Locke

  28. VSP PICKS:

    1. Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver
    2. Rigoberto Uran
    3. Rinaldo Nocentini
    4. Alejandro Valverde Belmonte
    5. Niki Terpstra

  29. It’ll be close though.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagen
    2. Gilbert
    3. Henao
    4. Gerrans
    5. Iglinskiy

  30. Who can bet against the bum pincher after Brabantse Pijl (also gets my vote for the best race name)

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Albasini
    3. Gilbert
    4. Terpstra
    5. J Vanendert

  31. VSP PICKS:

    1. Gerrans
    2. Sagan
    3. Gilbert
    4. Kwiatkowski
    5. Ulissi

  33. Got my Frisian and Canuck picks in.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Gilbert
    3. Gerrans
    4. Terpstra
    5. Hesjedal

  34. VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Gilbert
    3. Gerrans
    4. Joaquím Rodríguez
    5. Alejandro Valverde

  35. VSP PICKS:

    1. sagan
    2. gilbert
    3. valverde
    4. gerrans
    5. joaquim rodriguez

  39. Ok, I’ll try one more time.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Gilbert
    3. Iglinskiy
    4. Henao
    5. Rui Alberto Faria da Costa

  42. Not sure about this one. VSP picks are getting so tight now, I’m conscious of needing to pull out a big win (like Gilbert) otherwise i’ll slide further into the also-rans. With everyone picking nearly the same riders it’s hard to gain points, my last tactic of picking the odd Sky rider in the Belgian classics in the hope I’d get a unique points score backfired somewhat as Sky fell faster than my VSP performance. I see some  picked JTL for a top 5 finish; great idea and i’d love to see it- won’t happen though! But i”ll persist with Einstein’s definition of insanity- doing the same thing and hoping for a different result!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. gilbert
    2. hayman
    3. sagan
    4. terpstra
    5. dan martin

  44. Sagan will rise

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Hesjedal
    3. Gilbert
    4. Valverde
    5. Slagter

  48. VSP PICKS:

    1. Philippe Gilbert
    2. Peter Sagan
    3. Simon Gerrans
    4. Sergei Henao
    5. Dan Martin

  50. Oh, what the hell!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Peter Sagan
    2. Philippe Gilbert
    3. Daniel Martin
    4. Simon Gerrans
    5. Niki Terpstra

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