Velominati Super Prestige: Gent Wevelgem 2015

Mapei parties like it's 1998.

Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy oh boy oh boy! Oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy!

This is it! We are really into the thick of it now! E3 Harelbeke is today, and on Sunday we have the Kemmelberg in Gent Wevelgem – the first real serious cobbled race of the year. For Keeper’s Tour in 2012 we stayed just outside Kemmel, and for KT2013 Bretto and I went off for a jetlag-neutralizing spin together into the same area and rode the climb from both sides. When I arrive in Belgium on Thursday, the first thing we’ll do is head over there again; the area feels a bit like home at this point.

All of Europe bears the marks of World War I, but this bit of Belgium is even more heavily scarred; when this many people die in one place, it lingers in the air like a thick mist. This hill in particular was the site of several battles; the Germans took it in April 1918 and it was reclaimed by the allied forces in September. Monuments, graveyards, barracks litter the landscape.

Although its short, the Kemmelberg is a brute of a climb with a steep ramp at the top; the cobbles are rough and very badly laid at the base; the best route has you swinging wide to the outside if you’re to maintain your speed. If you are unlucky enough to be forced into the inside, you will come to a standstill and find yourself chasing from the onset.

And speaking of chasing, its time to get some points on the board with the VSP so you have a chance of claiming one of our prizes. Get your picks in by the time the clock goes to zero. And for the love of Merckx, don’t wait until the last minute before flooding my inbox with complaints about the site going down. Your procrastination is not my emergency, boys and girls. But if you do happen to have some trouble (and it’s not the last minute, or the middle of the night) then feel free to let us know; we’re happy to help you out so long as the event hasn’t closed yet. So, prognosticate on the start list and enter your sure-to-be dud picks.

We are still finalizing the prize list for the overall VSP, but second place has been confirmed as being a set of CR Wheelworks/Velominati wheels. CR Wheelworks is Café Roubaix’s wheel product line, and you’ll have the choice of rim size and hub. The Velominati edition comes with orange Chris King hubs, but if that’s too bling for you, I’m sure the configuration can be changed for the winner.

First prize will be something even more amazeballs and third place will be a full Velominati kit complete with V-Cap. My wheels just arrived, and I can’t wait to ride them.

And, we’ll wrap it up with some 2013 Gent action:

[vsp_results id=”32565″/]

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

frank says:

Mar 30 2015 at 10:09 am

@osbk67

@ped

I thought the UCI had banned this position

They banned the Dangle?

SOLID GOLD!!!
Tobin says:

Mar 30 2015 at 2:01 pm

I don't think Jack could have saved this one with "The Dangle"...
Beers says:

Mar 30 2015 at 2:28 pm

@wiscot

@Mikael Liddy

@Daccordi Rider luckily for Sky, P-R is the kind of race where you need plans A through to C so they can claim he’s a protected rider, while actually riding for the bloke with form in Thomas.

Indeed, but there’s the rub. Sky don’t have a great record on having any plan past Plan A. Obviously Wiggins has been talking big about P-R and is the ranking member of the squad. However, as you rightly note, he’s done sweet FA this year whereas Thomas is a man on form. Start as co-leaders and let the race sort it out. What if GT goes for it? Wiggins is off the team in a month or so anyway.

All the bluster about Smuggo is just a Skybot smoke screen, the bunch will be hawking him, and will miss Thomas sneaking away FTW...

It is going to be awesome to see how this plays out, although my heart is broken that my 2 biggest mancrushes aren't there. Good luck to Wiggins, he would elevate in my eyes with a solid result there to be the most complete rider of this generation (GC tours, track, one days).

But there would be nothing like Topsport Vlaanderen or another underdog rider or team snatching one either.

Drooling on my keyboard already.
Daccordi Rider says:

Mar 30 2015 at 4:27 pm

@frank

@Daccordi Rider

Sir Brad? “Nah, fuck this where’s my Schleckchute” I’m waiting anxiously to see how many tip him for PR based on the zero form displayed this season.

Also monster ride by Jurgen Rowlandts.

This, this, and this.

And the Schleckchute earns you the +1 badge.

Awesome.
Daccordi Rider says:

Mar 30 2015 at 4:31 pm

@Beers

@wiscot

@Mikael Liddy

@Daccordi Rider luckily for Sky, P-R is the kind of race where you need plans A through to C so they can claim he’s a protected rider, while actually riding for the bloke with form in Thomas.

Indeed, but there’s the rub. Sky don’t have a great record on having any plan past Plan A. Obviously Wiggins has been talking big about P-R and is the ranking member of the squad. However, as you rightly note, he’s done sweet FA this year whereas Thomas is a man on form. Start as co-leaders and let the race sort it out. What if GT goes for it? Wiggins is off the team in a month or so anyway.

All the bluster about Smuggo is just a Skybot smoke screen, the bunch will be hawking him, and will miss Thomas sneaking away FTW…

It is going to be awesome to see how this plays out, although my heart is broken that my 2 biggest mancrushes aren’t there. Good luck to Wiggins, he would elevate in my eyes with a solid result there to be the most complete rider of this generation (GC tours, track, one days).

But there would be nothing like Topsport Vlaanderen or another underdog rider or team snatching one either.

Drooling on my keyboard already.

I don't think anyone will be fooled into not marking G closely, he is riding brilliantly. Wiggo has talked it up so much I just wonder what is going to happen. Is he pulling the biggest rope a dope in history? One thing is for certain, if it's wet he is screwed.
Beers says:

Mar 30 2015 at 7:31 pm

@Daccordi Rider

if it’s wet he is screwed.

+1! Soooo looking forward to it.
RobSandy says:

Mar 31 2015 at 1:22 am

@Daccordi Rider

I don’t think anyone will be fooled into not marking G closely, he is riding brilliantly. Wiggo has talked it up so much I just wonder what is going to happen. Is he pulling the biggest rope a dope in history? One thing is for certain, if it’s wet he is screwed.

But I think Geraint would be quite pleased if it rained.
wiscot says:

Mar 31 2015 at 7:05 am

Aghhh! The strategies! What if Wiggo goes in an early break? GT can't chase his teammate. What if they're together and Wiggo punctures? Does GT give him a wheel? GT will be marked big time which might let Wiggo go - especially if it's sloppy. Do the rest chase down Wiggo and drag GT up there? Will all the faves watch each other and let a guy from one of the wee teams or a domestique grab the glory? Just. Can't. Wait.
Al__S says:

Mar 31 2015 at 7:16 am

Reckon the ideal situation for any sky rider is to end up in a late break with two or more EQS riders. One EQS rider is a danger, but three is pure comedy
unversio says:

Mar 31 2015 at 7:17 am

@ped

I thought the UCI had banned this position

Standard Stop, Drop, and Roll -- executed perfectly.