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″/]
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Top five out of a hat – they’re all in seriously good condition.
I think Sagan will remain the Housewives Choice by coming second as usual.
VSP PICKS:
1. Degenkolb
2. Sagan
3. Tommeke
4. Van Avermat
5. Kristoff
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Boonen
3. Van Marcke
4. Sagan
5. Kristoff
VSP PICKS:
1. Fabian Cancellara
2. Peter Sagan
3. Thor Hushovd
4. Mark Cavendish
5. Tom Boonen
VSP PICKS:
1. sagan
2. stannard
3. cancellara
4. hushovd
5. cav
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Cancellara
3. Vanmarke
4. Paolini
5. Vansummeren
VSP PICKS:
1. Spartacus
2. Stannard
3. Boonen
4. Vanmarcke
5. Sagan
VSP PICKS:
1. Boonen
2. Haussler
3. Gilbert
4. Van Avermet
5. Hushovd
@The Grande Fondue I’ve got one as well. I find your speculation unlikely as they were all on different models.
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. van Avermaet
3. Stybar
4. Paolini
5. Stannard
Badly need some points this race.
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Van Avermat
3. Degenkolb
4. Faboo
5. Phinney
I think that Fabs is really gonna start cranking it up in preparation for the Ronde and P-R. We’ll see what kind of form Tommeke is in after his time off. I hope that he can rebound!
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. SAgan
3. Stybar
4. Phinney
5. Boonen
OPQS rules this Spring and “lets” Steegman win this one on the repeated OPQS attacks from the dwindling lead pack.
GOD I love the smell of cobbles in the springtime, smells like FUCKIN HEAVEN on wheels!
VSP PICKS:
1. Steegman
2. Stannard
3. Cancellara
4. Boonen
5. Stybar
VSP picks:
VSP PICKS:
1. Tom Boonen
2. Peter Sagan
3. Faboo
4. Jon Degenkolb
5. Boss Hog
VSP PICKS:
1. Sep Vanmarke
2. Tom Boonen
3. Fabian Cancellara
4. Greg Van Avermaet
5. Peter Sagan
VSP PICKS:
1. Sep Vanmarcke
2. Tom Boonen
3. Fabian Cancellara
4. Greg Van Avermaet
5. Peter Sagan
Let’s hope a puncture doesn’t end his attempt as it did on Sunday.
VSP PICKS:
1. John Degenkold
2. Peter Sagan
3. FAbian CAncellara
4. Sep Vanmarcke
5. Ian Stannard
Looks like nice weather at the finish of Tour of Catalunya today. Not.
VSP PICKS:
1. Degenkold
2. Kristoff
3. Boassen Hagen
4. Sagan
Odd, my 5th pick didn’t take.
VSP PICKS:
1. Degenkold
2. Kristoff
3. Boassen Hagen
4. Sagan
5. Stannard
VSP PICKS:
1. Tommeke
2. Van Avermaet
3. Degenkolb
4. Billions and Billions
5. Sparty
VSP PICKS:
1. Fabian Cancellara
2. Peter Sagan
3. Tom Boonen
4. Alexander Kristoff
5. Andre Greipel
I’ve now jinxed them all, I’m sure.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Boonen
3. Sagan
4. Cavendish
5. Degenkolb
VSP PICKS:
1. Tom Boonen
2. Ian Stannard
3. Bernie Eisel
4. Fabian Cancellera
5. Peter Sagan
VSP PICKS:
1. Peter SAGAN
2. Ian STANNARD
3. Van RENSBURG
4. John DEGENKOLB
5. Geraint THOMAS
1. Peter SAGAN
2. Ian STANNARD
3. John DEGENKOLB
4. Sep VanMARCKE
5. Gerain THOMAS.
VSP PICKS:
1. Peter SAGAN
2. Ian STANNARD
3. Van RENSBURG
4. John DEGENKOLB
5. Geraint THOMAS
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. boonen
3. Stannard
4. Degenkold
5. sagan
VSP PICKS:
1. Boonen
2. Stannard
3. Cancellara
4. Peter Sagan
5. Boasson Hagen
VSP PICKS:
1. Boonen
2. Sagan
3. Kristoff
4. Vanmarck
5. Terpstra
VSP PICKS:
1. Boonen
2. Sagan
3. Cancellara
4. Vanmarck
5. Terpstra
OPQS are looking hilariously strong. I’ve decided to curse them with my controversial all-OPQS selection.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cavendish
2. Steegmans
3. Boonen
4. Stybar
5. Vandenburgh
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Boonen
3. Peter Sagan
4. Chavanel
5. Stannard
Let’s sprint like it’s 2009! Cav to make up for MSR, and to cover for Boonen who will still have other things on his mind. That OPQS team looks unbeatable on cobbles. Kristoff will still be hungover…
VSP PICKS:
1. Cavendish
2. Farrar
3. Sagan
4. Bozic
5. Degenkolb
VSP PICKS:
1. Boonen
2. Sagan
3. Van Avermaet
4. Vanmarcke
5. Cancellara
VSP PICKS:
1. faboo
2. Sep Vanmaerke
3. Tommeke
4. Moreno Hofland
5. Sebastian Langeveld
VSP PICKS:
1. Demare
2. Kristoff
3. Sagan
4. Cancellara
5. Stannard
VSP PICKS:
1. F. Cancellera
2. T. Boonen
3. E. Boasson Hagen
4. P. Sagan
5. I. Stannard
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara F
2. Stannard I
3. Sagan P
4. Boonen T
5. Stybar Z
Shamown!
VSP PICKS:
1. Sep Vanmarcke
2. Tom Boonen
3. Fabian Cancellara
4. Peter Sagan
5. Edvald Boasson Hagen
Shamown!
VSP PICKS:
1. Fabian Cancellara
2. Tom Boonen
3. Ian Stannard
4. Peter Sagan
5. Mark Cavendish
VSP PICKS:
1. Boonen
2. Sagan
3. Cancellara
4. Paolini
5. Moreno Hofland
Just had more of a look through the past winners, this may be a called sprinter’s classic, but a list of Sagan, Tommeke (x2), Dreamboat Bernie & EBH over the past 5 years shows it’s the classics men that love this one. Shake up time.
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Tommeke
3. Degenkolb
4. T-Bone
5. Hofland
VSP PICKS:
1. Boonen
2. Sagan
3. Degenkolb
4. Hofland
5. Cancellara
Here’s hoping!
VSP PICKS:
1. peter Sagan
2. Tom Boonen
3. Degenkolb
4. Cancellara
5. ian Stannard
VSP PICKS:
1. Boonen
2. Cancellara
3. Stannard
4. Sagan
5. Boss Hogg
Who
knows…
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Sagan
3. Kristoff
4. Boonen
5. Degenkolb
VSP PICKS:
1. Faboo
2. Sagan
3. cav
4. boonen
5. degenkolb
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Sagan
3. Boonen
4. Kristoff
5. Stannard
VSP PICKS:
1. Manx Mouth Off
2. Dencorub
3. Stybar
4. Kristoff
5. Farrar