Velominati Super Prestige: Liége-Bastogne-Liége 2014
The 100th running of Liége-Bastogne-Liége takes place this Sunday. Danny-boy Martin will be marked heavily as the defending champion. Malmerde, and Phil Gil have shown they are peaking too. Froomy has thrown his hat into the ring, as he did last year but after last years 26th place, maybe it’s training. 263 kms, past winners include a long list of known dopers, again, the pot belge mix paid off to keep riders cranking through those last climbs. Cancellara talked of slimming down more in to add this Monument to his palmarés but this might be the farthest from his grasp. This is a very tough race course. You need to be a fondisti, someone with staying power, a Phil Gil or a fully doped Moreno Argentin to finish this race off successfully. Last year Red Ryder went ballistic, blew up the field and opened a way for his teammate, Danny-boy. Let’s hope for some equally exciting fireworks this Sunday.
Here is an imperfect startlist.
The points from the LBL 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 00:00 hours PDT on Sunday the 27th. 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.
All Hail Cosmo!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkLa_W7g5js[/youtube]
[vsp_results id=”29669″/]
VSP PICKS:
1. Alejandro Valverde
2. Michal Kwiatkowski
3. Philippe Gilbert
4. Dan Martin
5. Bauke Mollema
This is obvious.
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Martin
3. Valverde
4. Kwiatkowski
5. Francis de Greef
Yikes…almost forgot to get my picks in.
Vroom Vroom Froome!
VSP PICKS:
1. Froome
2. Dan Martin
3. Valverde
4. Kriatkowski
5. Gilbert
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Dan Martin
3. Kwiatikowski
4. Valverde
5. Mollema
Because I’m too tired to put any thought into it…
VSP PICKS:
1. Martin, Dan
2. Rodriguez, Joaquim
3. Costa, Rui
4. Kwiatkowski, Michal
5. Gilbert, Philippe
No Rhine nor Riesling, just is.
VSP PICKS:
1. Valverde, Alej
2. Martin, Dan
3. Vandendert, Jelle
4. Mollema, Bauke
5. Rodriquez, Joaquim
@Ron
Check out the big stones on Ron!
Chapeau.
VSP PICKS:
1. Phil gilbert
2. Valverde
3. Dan Martin
4. Gerrans
5. Kreuziger
Here I go thinking anyways…
VSP PICKS:
1. Martin, Dan
2. Kwiatkowski, Michal
3. Valverde, Alejandro
4. Gilbert, Philippe
5. Slagter, Tom Jelte
VSP PICKS:
1. Michal Kwiatkowski
2. Alejandro Valverde
3. Philippe Gilbert
4. Vincenzo Nibali
5. Simon Gerrans
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Mollema
3. Martin
4. Valverde
5. Rodriguez
VSP PICKS:
1. Valverde
2. Gilbert
3. Dan Martin
4. Kwiatkowski
5. Nibali
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Martin, Dan
3. Kwiatkowski
4. Valverde
5. Moreno
VSP PICKS:
1. V Nibali
2. P Gilbert
3. D Martin
4. M Kwiatkowski
5. A Valverde
Shots in the dark…
VSP PICKS:
1. Alejandro Valverde
2. Daniel Martin
3. Michal Kwiatkowski
4. Philippe Gilbert
5. Bauke Mollema
VSP PICKS:
1. Phil Gil
2. Alejandro Valverde
3. Vinny Nibbles
4. Danny Boy Martin
5. Michal Kwiatkowski
I know My fav Dan is going to be marked but, I have a fealing this race is going to be his for the next 7 years. He is going to win at least 4 of these damn things, GO Danny GO! and thank you Dan for not getting f-ing braces.
VSP PICKS:
1. D. Martin
2. M. Kwiatkowski
3. P. Gilbert
4. B. Mollema
5. A. Valverde
Here is to some crazy fireworks!
VSP PICKS:
1. Kwiatkowski
2. Mollema
3. Valverde
4. PhilGil
5. JRod
I put Malmerde in for the top a while back and it felt dirty. Danny will not repeat but I wish he would. Phil Gil, why not. Another 2 points please.
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert P
2. kolobnev a
3. nibali
4. martin dan
5. costa rui
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Kwaiatkowski
3. Gerro
4. Mollema
5. D. Martin
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. valverde
3. Dan Martin
4. betancor
5. kwiatskowski
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Mollema
3. Martin
4. Valverde
5. Costa
VSP PICKS:
1. Valverde
2. Mollema
3. Gilbert
4. Dan Martin
5. Gerrans
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Malmerde
3. Kwiatkowski
4. Dan Martin
5. Mollema
Looking forward to it! Fuck the chocolate wheel lets just guesstimate
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Martin, Dan
3. Valverde
4. Nibbles
5. J Rod
VSP PICKS:
1. Phil Gil
2. Dan Martin
3. Malmerde
4. Kwiatowski
5. Gerro
Ding, ding, ding.
Delgado time.
Aaaaaaaaaggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh – fkn Delgado ….
Balls balls balls. You can’t rely on anyone nowadays! Froome withdraws.
http://po.st/FroomeLBL
Can I replace Froome with Simon Gerrans? The race hasn’t started yet!
@simonsaunders Kennaugh out as well… Sky’s really struggling to get teams together these last few races.
And Betancur also DNS… those two might leave a few holes in VSP selection and fantasy teams.
Interesting that Froome didn’t start. I’d have thought this was an important marker for him to get some racing miles back in his legs before Romandie.
Melbourne mornings now touching 6′ C, nothing compared to 34 years ago….or one year ago – guest article
Bernard Hinault permanently losing the feeling in 2 fingers, 1980 Liege-Bastogne-Liege
The break (Pirimin Lang (IAM Cycling), Michel Koch (Cannondale), Jacobus Venter (MTN-Whubeka), Matteo Bono (Lampre), Pieter Jakobs (Topsport Vlaanderen) and Marco Minnaard (Wanty Groupe Gobert)) has 12min at 120km to go, from Cookson’s car
@ChrisO story is some kind of virus went through the team, Kennaugh & another rider also pulled out so they’ve only toed the line with 6 riders.
Eurosport 1 shows some Motorbike stuff and Eurosport Tour of Turkey. WTF?
*Eurosport 2*, sorry
@Mirko It’ starts after the Tour of Turkey.
Someone just suggested Andy Schleck was at risk of losing contact with the peloton already. I’m shocked.
@andrew I was shocked he made it to the TV coverage starting!
Kwiatkowski has gone off the front with Tony Martin? Now?
….aaaaand Abandy’s gone
…and Abandy has indeed abandoned. But yes, Kwiat OTF is ballsy.
Surely we need a term for the Lexicon for the moment in a race when Abandy ends all schleckulation and climbs into the team car?
@Rhodri
They’ve been called back. They got ballsy when the team manager was being interviewed. Ha
J-Rod at the back of the bunch and shaking his head. Doesn’t look like his day.
Costa not looking happy after a four-man stack, wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t get back on for long.
@andrew
…and””POOF!””there goes my VSP…
@Steampunk
Yah, bad business all round, though given that Porte is barely hanging on, I feel much better about having been the reason someone took him out of their selection!