Velominati Super Prestige

Velominati Super Prestige: Liége-Bastogne-Liége

We’ve all watched bike races, that’s a given, but how many of us actually listen to a bike race? It’s at this time every year that I’m reminded of something;

The Ardennes Classics sound different.

How does a bike race sound exactly? In the case of L-B-L, it’s the low buzz of the TV helicopter that is ingrained in my psyche. The subliminal hum of the rotors, droning away, overlaid with the monologue of Phil and Paul (or some Dutch or Spanish guy), also droning away, is a trance-inducing concoction not even the likes of Ken Kesey ever experienced.

Be warned, if you’re a Vietnam Veteran watching (and listening to) this clip of Argentin taking his fourth Doyenne may lead to flashbacks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzAntXH46p0&feature=related

While the cobbled northern Classics elucidate a mien that takes hold of our hearts and can’t really be explained, the hillier races in the last week of the Spring campaign offer their own charms for us to appreciate. The fragile climbers, who’ve avoided the rough and dirty roads in weeks previous, mix it up alongside a smattering of the Big Men of the Stones who make the crossover to give it one last crack, or to simply help their grimpeur buddies get a slice of their own pie. These are races that can go to any number of riders who are having an on day.

Which doesn’t make picking a winner in this, the final Spring edition of the Velominati Super Prestige any easier. Will a Schleck, any Schleck, stand up (or be countered). What will the reactions be if Veino repeats, will he still be the villain, or is a year a long time in cycling and he’ll be forgiven, cheered and revered?  PhilGil could make his own history and take not only the triple crown of Amstel, Fleche and Liége, but the quadruple with his Brabanste Pijl win thrown in for good measure. Whichever way the cards fall, or whoever plays them right, it’s always a worthy winner who rolls across the line first in Ans.

All that’s left to do is take a look at the start list, use your Powers of Deductionâ„¢ to decide your Top V, fill in the blanks and pick up an Obey The Rules bumper sticker for your trouble. It’s a prize older and more coveted than any other cycling-based-website-race-tipping-competition-bumper-sticker-giveaway.

Maybe listening to your heart is the way to go on this one.

Best of Belgian to you.

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257 Replies to “Velominati Super Prestige: Liége-Bastogne-Liége”

  1. Stoked! I’d love to see O Hesjedal take this, but I don’t see him having the kick to drop the big boys at the end. He’ll be there or thereabouts, though. I’ll also be cheering for Gilbert, because””really””how can you not? Pure class and one of the good guys. I’m not drinking the Schleck kool-aid yet, but I like young Fuglsang to unexpectedly find himself near the front. The last two are guys who should do well, though it was tough to leave Veino out.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Pip Giblets
    2. Jake Buglesong
    3. Weight of a Nation
    4. Rocket Squad
    5. Igor

  2. Just as well I’ve already got a bumper sticker. This is real tough.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. PhilGil
    2. VinoVidiVeino
    3. J-Rod
    4. Schlecklet
    5. Jakob Foolsgang

  3. Podium!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Grimpy the YOUNGER
    2. Triple Ph’lip
    3. Sammy Sanchez
    4. J-Rod from the ROKKIT SKWAD
    5. Grimpy the ELDER

  5. You let me down again Andy and i’ll derail your head instead of your chain!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Gilbert
    2. Basso
    3. Ryder Hesjedal
    4. Vino
    5. Andy schleck

  7. F’ed it the first time

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Gilbert
    2. Evans
    3. Valverde
    4. Joaquim Rodriguez
    5. Horner

  8. thought i’d get my tips in early this round and not have my judgement clouded by the rest of your bad decisions! I am perfectly capable of screwing up my tips on my own.

  11. @all. That’s what happens when dumb people use the internet too early in the morning. Only two of my picks are racing.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Gilbert
    2. Vino
    3. Sammy Sanchez
    4. Joaquim Rodriguez
    5. Anton

  12. VSP PICKS:

    1. Vinokourov
    2. Gilbert
    3. A. Schleck
    4. S. Sanchez
    5. Gesink

  13. Ha. I ended up looking at a 2010 start list thinking, “Valverde? really? Well, fuck he can go like shit off a shovel. Might as well.” I’m such a douche.

  15. Boy, hard to pick a winner here, huh? :)

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Gilbert
    2. J Rod
    3. A Schleck
    4. Sammy Sanchez
    5. Veino

  16. Just a small point. The picture of the Badger is back to front – unless, just to show how hard he was, Hinault opted to use a pair of Weinmann 500’s as brakes :-)

  18. fermapiedi:
    Just a small point. The picture of the Badger is back to front – unless, just to show how hard he was, Hinault opted to use a pair of Weinmann 500″²s as brakes :-)

    Haha! Thanks for elucidating our mien there, fermapiedi!

  19. If I can get more than 2 points this race, I will be so happy.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Gilbert
    2. A. Schleck
    3. J-Rod
    4. Dirty Sanchez
    5. Albasini

  20. Very excited already, but way too early for me to enter any picks.

    I need to read some articles, watch too many old editions, then go for a long ride and look deep into my V-heart. Then I shall pick.

    And yeah, the helicopter drone is awesome, just adds a certain element of awesomeness to the races for me.

  21. VSP PICKS:

    1. Gilbert
    2. Vinokourov
    3. Rodriguez J
    4. Brajkovic
    5. Schleck F

  22. I’m late to the party but going to give this a shot. Been reading here for about a year and just joined this AM.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Gilbert
    2. J Rod
    3. Gesink
    4. Vino
    5. Gerrans

  26. VSP PICKS:

    1. Sanchez
    2. Vinokorouv
    3. A. Schleck
    4. Basso
    5. S.Chavanel

  28. VSP PICKS:

    1. P. Gilbert
    2. J. Rodriguez
    3. A Schleck
    4. Vinokourov
    5. S. Sanchez

  29. Ca’mon… daddy needs some points!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Gilbert
    2. A. Schleck
    3. J. Rodriguez
    4. Sanchez
    5. F. Schleck

  30. VSP PICKS:

    1. Gilbert
    2. Sammy Sanchez
    3. Vino
    4. Contador
    5. Jaoquim Rodriguez

  32. VSP PICKS:

    1. Gilbert
    2. Joaquim Rodriguez
    3. Sammy Sanchez
    4. Andy Schleck
    5. Vino

  34. Man, I love this race. My dad and I did the Cyclotourist edition back in ’94; it was a pivotal experience in my life as a Velominatus.

    I thought I was going to be off-line all weekend, but it turns out the huts we’re going to have WiFi. Is it wrong that I’m monumentally excited about the fact that I get to watch the race?

  36. @frank
    No that’s awesome! I’m going to have to meditate on this one. I am feeling good about Igor and Sammy but for the rest I don’t know. Don’t worry Frank this time I’m going with plain old names ;).

  37. Am I going with the crowd and pick Gilbert? No. This will be the final standing. (I hope)

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Veino
    2. Joa-Clean?
    3. A. Schleck
    4. Gilbert
    5. Sammy Sanchez

  38. Good lord! From the Telegraph:

    even Eddy Merckx, the most successful road cyclist in the history of the sport and compatriot of Gilbert’s, has gone as far as stating that the Omega Pharma-Lotto rider “is better than Merckx.”

    “I’m really impressed by what he’s done,” Merckx told Het Nieuwsblad, the Belgian daily newspaper. “What he’s done so far is better than Merckx.

  39. VSP PICKS:

    1. gilbert
    2. Van da man avermaet
    3. sammy sanchez
    4. Ryder Hasitall
    5. Vino

  40. @frank

    Huts? I’d call those closer to minimalist luxury condos that were accidentally shrunk in the wash and set out to dry in that field, rather than ‘huts’.

    (They actually look really cool.)

  41. VSP PICKS:

    1. Sylvan Chavanel
    2. Phil Gilbert
    3. Robert Gesink
    4. Di Luca
    5. Hesjedal

  46. Hat trick, hat trick, hat trick! Vino is gonna bring it, J-Rod is a bridesmaid, and Schleck is going to will himself into 4th, and Sanchez because like Rodriguez he’s an “almost” kinda rider.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Gilbert
    2. Vino
    3. J Rodriguez
    4. A. Schleck
    5. S. Sanchez

  47. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpRNg8bIzIE

    One of my favorite rides of last year, Gilbert going head to head with Scarponi at Lombardia. At 5:35 Gilbert attacks. In my head I remember Gilbert just crushing Scarponi’s spirit with this attack and when Scarponi tried to turn the pedals, the legs were unable to respond. But looking back on the video, it looks like he had a shifting issue. Oh well, I like the former explanation better.

  48. Ok, I’m done trying to pick somewhat darker horses to take it. I bow down to the power and class of Gilbert. The man is a force of effing nature.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Gilbert
    2. J-Rod (the Ardennes Hincapie)
    3. Veino
    4. Baby Grimpeur
    5. Da Killa

  49. Here’s a little preview of what the race will look like. Les Freres Grimpeur will solo away together on the Saint Nicolas, reeling in a tandem break by Ryder and Gesink, who will unfortunately also get passed by a surging Gilbert. Veino on jetfuel will come out of nowhere and pass J-Rod who is also obviously on jetfuel.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Grimpelder
    2. Grimplette
    3. Gilbert, at 37 sec
    4. Veino
    5. J-Rod

  50. @ramenvelo
    Shifting problem, but it crushed him more than 500 kilometers of Gilbert ever could. He countered every move Gilbert made, only to have a shifting problem.
    Gilbert would have had him in the sprint anyway, even if Scarponi could’ve kept up descending.

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