Categories: Velominati Super Prestige

Velominati Super Prestige: Gent Wevelgem 2014

The Kemmelberg is a brute. In my opinion, its the hardest of the cobbled climbs in the Spring Classics; it has a high speed tarmac approach that saps the guns of their snap. The transition from tarmac to cobbles is awful, the stones are very badly laid throughout and if you don’t hit it just right, you’ll come to a standstill. The cobbled part of the climb is long enough to make you consider a plea-bargain with any deity willing to listen before it ends with a brutal 23% ramp with good cobbles. The length, the camber, the gradient, and the way the stones are laid combine in a way that makes you feel every centimeter of the climb.

Gent Wevelgem is considered a sprinters classic, but it’s a shock considering how many climbs are along the route. I can’t imagine the Italian curses that must have escaped Cipollini’s mouth along his bumpy way to winning the race. No wonder he chucked the odd bidon at a motorbike.

I miss the old setup of the Cobbled Classics, with the Ronde on Sunday, Gent on Wednesday, and Roubaix on Sunday, but on the plus side, now we get to drool over the racing for three weeks instead of just one. 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 30th. 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 overall wins a full Velominati V-Kit with accompanying custom orange Bont Vaypor+ road shoes.

Good luck, and don’t lose your Rule #43 spirit.

[vsp_results id=”29351″/]

[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/frank@velominati.com/VSP Prizes/”/]

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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View Comments

Barracuda says:

Mar 26 2014 at 3:52 pm

VSP PICKS:

1. Cancellara
2. sagan
3. degankolb
4. cavendish
5. boonen
Ccos says:

Mar 26 2014 at 4:04 pm

VSP PICKS:

1. Peter SAGAN
2. Bryan COQUARD
3. Tyler FARRAR
4. Fabo CANCELLARA
5. Gerald CIOLEK
RManneck says:

Mar 26 2014 at 4:05 pm

VSP PICKS:

1. Edvard Boason Hagen
2. Peter Sagan
3. Tom Boonen
4. Fabian Cancellara
5. Zener Stybar
Marko says:

Mar 26 2014 at 4:30 pm

VSP PICKS:

1. Boonen
2. Van Avermeat
3. Stybar
4. Degenkolb
5. Van Marcke
JCM says:

Mar 26 2014 at 4:59 pm

VSP PICKS:

1. Boonen, Tom
2. Sagan, Peter
3. Cancellara, Fabian
4. Hushovd, Thor
5. Boasson Hagen, Edvald
LIIIXI says:

Mar 26 2014 at 5:06 pm

VSP PICKS:

1. Degenkolb
2. Sagan
3. Cancellara
4. Vanmarcke
5. Stannard
Duende says:

Mar 26 2014 at 5:13 pm

VSP PICKS:

1. Cancellara
2. Kristoff
3. Stybar
4. Van Avermaet
5. Sagan
Bill Chris says:

Mar 26 2014 at 5:16 pm

So when is that killer V-Cap going to be made available for purchase in the shop?

VSP PICKS:

1. Cancellara
2. Boonen
3. Boason Hagen
4. Hushovd
5. sagan
Bill Chris says:

Mar 26 2014 at 5:17 pm

So when is that killer V-Cap going to be made available for purchase in the shop?
RVester says:

Mar 26 2014 at 5:23 pm

The Kemmelberg. Last week I went there on a hunch, since I had never climbed anything nor had I been over any real cobbled anything (except city centres that is) and decided that that specific sunday would be a good day to try my hand at both. When I got there, the only cyclist I spotted was a mountainbiker, which I thought was odd given that Gent-Wevelgem was just the week after that. Now there had been a slight spot of hail making for one frozen foot and very slippery stones. If I stood up and pressed down on my pedals, my back wheel would slip. If I sat down and pulled on my handlebars, I tipped over backwards (remember, I stood still on a ridiculous incline in my 42*28 granny gear). I cursed my way to the top, where the WW1 monument absolutely crushed any remorse I had for myself. Still humbled by the monument, I pussied my way down the terrifying descent.

How the pro's just fly up this hill and thunder down is just mind-boggling. I was quite proud of making it to the top in the first place. When it's dry I'll try again.