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

Buck Rogers says:

Mar 30 2014 at 10:22 am

Whatever happened to Sparty??? I missed it.
Duende says:

Mar 30 2014 at 11:18 am

@Steampunk

I like this Demare kid. He needs to get his timing dialled in, but he's got a helluva kick.

Yup, he only lost out to Degenkolb by a moustache!
Simon says:

Mar 30 2014 at 11:28 am

If it was anyone else, I'd ask for extra points for predicting Farrar was going to stuff it into the tarmac. As it is...
Steampunk says:

Mar 30 2014 at 11:42 am

@Duende

By a whisker? Of course, some whiskers are greater than others...
Harminator says:

Mar 30 2014 at 2:36 pm

@Mikael Liddy

@ramenvelo guess who I had sitting right about Gossy in the #4 slot? At least Farrar was in the mix til that last crash...Goss got shat out the back before the last time up the Kemmelberg!

Yep. Neither of those guys has enough mongrel. Too willing to give up wheels for young upstarts and dickheads. Greipel was the same but has got better. Beyond that their top line speed is wanting. Demare looks the shiz. He rode great today - made Sags look pedestrian.
PT says:

Mar 30 2014 at 2:40 pm

@Gianni

@Steampunk

@LA Dave

A Thor sighting? Well, that's bound to wreak havoc with my P-R picks. Either I'm going to think he's finally got this and he'll roll in 57th about seven minutes back, or I'll ignore him and he'll finally win the damn thing. There's no justice...

I think we are safe leaving Thor off our P-R list. Goss and Farrar too. Fabs must have been out for the training today.

But isn't 9th for the God of Thunder perhaps his best this year? Would he have been in mix without the crashes though? I haven't watched the race, just read the write-ups. Gossy appears to be in a very strange place - has been since that DQ in the Tour in 2012 I think. But Farrar was having a good spring and this is his Euro backyard. If he's not injured, he might rebound for a strong result in the next couple of weeks. I had him in & will keep him I think. Might recall Thor - would love to see him get one last decent result.
fignons barber says:

Mar 30 2014 at 3:20 pm

One thing for sure: the now waifish physique of Tom Boonen has zero power compared to the old version.
Buck Rogers says:

Mar 30 2014 at 3:49 pm

@fignons barber

One thing for sure: the now waifish physique of Tom Boonen has zero power compared to the old version.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/boonen-denied-fourth-gent-wevelgem-win-in-chaotic-finale

Not sure. I think he will be there the next few weeks. Sure is going to be abgreat RVV and PR.
Steampunk says:

Mar 30 2014 at 3:57 pm

@Gianni

@Steampunk

@LA Dave

A Thor sighting? Well, that's bound to wreak havoc with my P-R picks. Either I'm going to think he's finally got this and he'll roll in 57th about seven minutes back, or I'll ignore him and he'll finally win the damn thing. There's no justice...

I think we are safe leaving Thor off our P-R list. Goss and Farrar too. Fabs must have been out for the training today.

Well, let's get serious for a moment. Thor may be a has-been. But Goss and Farrar never were. For a time, Thor was a dominant force. It's a shame that the decline has been so swift. But 9th in this field is nothing to sniff at. Could be he's on the road to recovery...
Gianni says:

Mar 30 2014 at 4:29 pm

@Steampunk

@Gianni

@Steampunk

@LA Dave

A Thor sighting? Well, that's bound to wreak havoc with my P-R picks. Either I'm going to think he's finally got this and he'll roll in 57th about seven minutes back, or I'll ignore him and he'll finally win the damn thing. There's no justice...

I think we are safe leaving Thor off our P-R list. Goss and Farrar too. Fabs must have been out for the training today.

Well, let's get serious for a moment. Thor may be a has-been. But Goss and Farrar never were. For a time, Thor was a dominant force. It's a shame that the decline has been so swift. But 9th in this field is nothing to sniff at. Could be he's on the road to recovery...

OK, you put him in on your P-R picks. I keep thinking he is on the road to recovery. I picked him for races last year. I don't know what bug he had but it was a bad boy. Or he is off the dope. But yes, I don't think he is a has been, but he needs to win something besides Tour of Norway to convince everyone.

Gossy did win a monument. Which is more than any American has done to date.