Velominati Super Prestige

Velominati Super Prestige: Amstel Gold Race 2014

Jan Raas, 5 time winner, not drinking Amstel Gold. photo-Peters, Hans / Anefo
Jan Raas, 5 time winner of Amstel, not drinking Amstel Gold. photo-Peters, Hans / Anefo

The Amstel Gold Race, 251 km from Maastricht to Valkenburg, the hard way. There appears to be no flat sections longer than ten meters. There are thirty-four mean little climbs to ruin the legs. We have moved on from the real Spring Classics. There is no rest in this VSP; The Ronde and Roubaix were amazing but we must continue. Legs that are smoked from those races are not lining up for Amstel. We are moving into Phil Gil territory. Regard the former winners from 2004 to 2008.

  • 2008 | CUNEGO Damiano
  • 2007 | SCHUMACHER Stefan
  • 2006 | SCHLECK Fränk
  • 2005 | DI LUCA Danilo
  • 2004 | REBELLIN Davide

Obviously, having the right pot belge mix working for these climbs paid off back then, especially for Schumacher, not a rider who would have been an obvious pick for any race. I’m not implying Phil Gil is on the juice but I am implying this is a race for the powerhouse speed climbers, like him or Valverde. Again, not implying, just saying.

For those who wished to squander a pick on Gesink (I’m looking at you Strack), you have been saved. He is out. Maybe Laurens ten Dam, Velominati Rules reader will represent the home country and win it all, or not. Here is the start list. Veel succes!

The points from the Amstel Gold VSP count towards the overall prizes. So check the start list, review the VSP Scoring Guidelines and get your picks in by the time the countdown clock goes to zero at midnight PDT on Sunday the 20th. If you think we mapped one of your picks wrong, use the dispute system and we’ll review it. Also remember to be precise enough in your description so we know which rider you mean; in other words, if you enter “Martin”, we will use our discretion (read: wild guess) to decide if you mean Tony or Dan – and that choice will not be negotiable once the the countdown clock goes to zero, so be sure to give yourself enough time.

Don’t forget we’ve got three major prizes for the season-long VSP:

First place overall wins a Veloforma Strada iR Velominati Edition frame in addition to the customary VSP winner’s VVorkshop Apron

Second place overall wins a set of hand built CR Wheelworks Arenberg wheelset in a custom Velominati paint scheme laced to orange Chris King hubs. (CR Wheelworks is Café Roubaix’s new wheel goods brand.)

Third place is you’re fired or overall wins a full Velominati V-Kit with accompanying custom orange Bont Vaypor+ road shoes.

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252 Replies to “Velominati Super Prestige: Amstel Gold Race 2014”

  1. 1. Valverde
    2. Rodriquez
    3. Nibali
    4. Gerrans
    5. Gilbert

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Valverde
    2. Gilbert
    3. Gerrans
    4. Rodriquez
    5. Nibali

  2. @xyxax Ha!  All you have to do is bring back some exotic disease from your next trip saving the world in some God-Foresaken place and slip it into my bourbon at the next Cogal–provided it isn’t killed by the EtOH.  Although with the places you go, I bet you could find something that would do the trick!

  3. VSP PICKS:

    1. Valverde Alejandro
    2. Kwiatkowski Michal
    3. Nibali Vincenzo
    4. Gilbert Philippe
    5. Gerrans Simon

  5. Tough one.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Michal Kwiatowski
    2. Alejandro Valverde
    3. Philippe Gilbert
    4. Simon Gerrans
    5. Dan Martin

  6. If anyone is juicing, I hope at least my picks are juicing.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Betancur
    2. Nibali
    3. Gilbert
    4. Valverde
    5. Kwiatkowski

  9. Please, please, please!  Come to papa now!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Valverde
    2. Swift
    3. Gerrans
    4. J Rod
    5. nibali

  10. All my V is being channelled into riding this week, so I have approximately 3 neurons spare that haven’t been burnt out to pick names. I predict my chances are about as good as me staying top of the Strava V-leaderboard until Sunday.

    Time for a recovery ale I think.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Kwiatkowski
    2. Purito
    3. Valverde
    4. Rui Costa
    5. Ten Dam

  11. Here it goes

    VSP PICKS:

    1. valverde
    2. kwiatkowski
    3. Rodriquez
    4. gilbert
    5. Rui Costa

  12. VSP PICKS:

    1. Slagter
    2. Kwiatkowski
    3. Gilbert
    4. Valverde
    5. Rui Costa

  13. VSP PICKS:

    1. Kwiatkowski
    2. Gilbert
    3. Kreuzinger
    4. Rodriguez
    5. Valverde

  14. VSP PICKS:

    1. Valverde
    2. Gilbert
    3. Rui Costa
    4. Moreno
    5. D.Martin

  15. Not easy to call this one. A lot of guys rode well early, but have been missing for a few weeks, making it tough to discern their form. Kwiatkowski, Valverde. Gilbert just won, but who knows if he’ll ever be back to his top form.

    Who has seen Rui Costa’s Merida commercial? It is the only thing that makes his kit look less shit.

  16. VSP PICKS:

    1. Rodriguez
    2. Kwiatowski
    3. Nibali
    4. Ten dam
    5. Cunego

  17. Love this race. I’ll regret not putting Rui Costa in the mix. Dumb ass.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Kwiatkowski
    2. Valverde
    3. Betancur
    4. Nibbles
    5. J. Rodriquez

  18. VSP PICKS:

    1. Kwiatkowski
    2. Boy van Poppel
    3. Gilbert
    4. Valverde
    5. Galopin

  19. VSP PICKS:

    1. Michal Kwiatkowski
    2. Alejandro Valverde Belmonte
    3. Bauke Mollema
    4. Geraint Thomas
    5. Roman Kreuziger

  20. Darts thrown against the wall.  We’ll see how this goes.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Nibali
    2. Valverde
    3. Kwiatkowski
    4. Gilbert
    5. Kreutziger

  22. VSP PICKS:

    1. Valverde
    2. J Rodriguez
    3. Kwiatkowski
    4. Gallopin
    5. M Matthews

  23. I really do like Amstel Gold. One of my favourite one dayers.

    Obvious picks means i have no idea who will win. As long as its not Valverde, i can’t stand him and don’t trust his form this year.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Gilbert
    2. Costa
    3. Kreutziger
    4. Thomas g
    5. Kwiatkowski

  24. VSP PICKS:

    1. Valverde, A
    2. Kwiatkowski, M
    3. Rodriguez, J
    4. Mollema, B
    5. Costa, R

  25. VSP PICKS:

    1. A Valverde
    2. M Kwiatkowski
    3. P Gilbert
    4. S Gerrans
    5. TJ Slagter

  26. VSP PICKS:

    1. Kwiatkowski
    2. Gerrans
    3. Gilbert
    4. Slagter
    5. Kreuzinger

  28. VSP PICKS:

    1. Alejandro Valverde
    2. Michał Kwiatkowski
    3. Philippe Gilbert
    4. Greg Van Avermaet
    5. Michael Matthews

  29. VSP PICKS:

    1. Alejandro Valverde
    2. Michał Kwiatkowski
    3. Philippe Gilbert
    4. Greg Van Avermaet
    5. Rui Costa

  30. VSP PICKS:

    1. Van Den Broeck
    2. Valverde
    3. Kwiatkowski
    4. Kreuziger
    5. Nibali

  31. VSP PICKS:

    1. Kwiatkowski
    2. Dan Martin
    3. Gilbert
    4. Valverde
    5. Rodriguez

  32. VSP PICKS:

    1. Kwiatkowski
    2. Gilbert
    3. Voeckler
    4. Kreuziger
    5. Van Avermaet

  34. VSP PICKS:

    1. Valverde
    2. Gilbert
    3. Kwiatkowski
    4. Joaquim Rodriguez
    5. Michael Matthews

  36. @Buck Rogers

    @xyxax

    @Steampunk

    As with most of my “contributions” here, there applies the political dictum, “if you’re explaining, you’re losing.”

    Frahnk and Gianni are going to kick your a$$ when they see these monikers and try to figure them out. But, if I am not mistaken, picks 2-5 are explaining your pick 1 and you will repost your real picks when Oddschecker finalizes the odds??? (Smiley face here)

    Frank has fled the interview so I will be cursing everybody, because I can. Abandy? Someone is picking Abandy? Dude. That is deep.

  37. Ugh. I have no idea. I didn’t follow Amstel Gold last year. The apparent favorites are generally unknown to me. I am clueless, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night! Wait a minute, it was a Hampton Inn. I’m so screwed.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Alejandro Valverde
    2. Michal Kwiatkowski
    3. Philippe Gilbert
    4. Simon Gerrans
    5. Tom Slagter

  39. VSP PICKS:

    1. Kwiatkowski
    2. Valverde
    3. Gilbert
    4. Gerrans
    5. Joaquim Rodriguez

  40. Riders selected using only the finest, time-tested, second, third, and fourth guessing.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Gilbert
    2. Gerrans
    3. Malmerde
    4. Kwiatkowski
    5. Rodriguez

  41. Threw a bunch of names up in the air…prayed to the Prophet and this is the order in which they landed…..

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Gerrans
    2. Gilbert
    3. Kwiatkowski
    4. Valverde
    5. Thomas

  44. @Buck Rogers

    @xyxax Ha! All you have to do is bring back some exotic disease from your next trip saving the world in some God-Foresaken place and slip it into my bourbon at the next Cogal-provided it isn’t killed by the EtOH. Although with the places you go, I bet you could find something that would do the trick!

    Curious.  Ive just been added to the No Fly list.  I dont even like flies.

  45. OGE for the win!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Gerrans
    2. Gilbert
    3. Kwiatowski
    4. G. Thomas
    5. Rodriguez

  47. VSP PICKS:

    1. kwiatkowski
    2. mathews
    3. slagter
    4. boss hogg
    5. hoogerland

  48. Go cloggies

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Slagter
    2. Kwiatkowski
    3. Dumoulin
    4. Valverde
    5. Mollema

  50. VSP PICKS:

    1. Gilbert
    2. Rodriquez
    3. Kwiatkowski
    4. Gerrans
    5. Valverde

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