Velominati Super Prestige: Men’s La Fleche Wallonne 2016

The bunch climbs the Mur de Huy

Don’t these race organizers understand how confusing it is when races are held mid-week? It means we have to have to manage against unrealistic expectations like realizing what day of the week it is and then do the sums on how much lead time we want to give on the VSP.

Which is obviously too much to expect. Of me, anyway. I have a lot of big deals cooking, you see. Its very complicated and important. I could tell you about it but you probably wouldn’t be able to handle it all.

So. That leaves us with about 20 hours for VSP picks entry. Sorry about that. Hopefully you’ve already been prognosticating on the start list and have your game together already. If not, I hope you do well under pressure. Don’t forget there are awesome prizes on offer: Don Walker is giving away a free custom steel frame, Café Roubaix is giving away a carbon wheelset, and we are giving away a free V-Kit.

Good luck!

[vsp_results id=”41707″/]

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:

Apr 21 2016 at 6:57 am

@Teocalli

Influence for the weekend…….

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/racing/liege-bastogne-liege-raced-snow-bad-weather-set-hit-ardennes-221750?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social

Brilliant video. Should be required viewing for all Velominati and hell, all pro riders, esp the point he makes at 1:02. "No one is obliged to finish a race."

Le Blaireau, fuckin hard as nails.
Ron says:

Apr 21 2016 at 8:52 am

Also love his big damn smile at the start, while the reporter is asking him some questions. Tells you how proud he is to have won that day and how insane the conditions were!
wiscot says:

Apr 21 2016 at 9:22 am

@Buck Rogers

@Teocalli

Influence for the weekend…….

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/racing/liege-bastogne-liege-raced-snow-bad-weather-set-hit-ardennes-221750?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social

Brilliant video. Should be required viewing for all Velominati and hell, all pro riders, esp the point he makes at 1:02. “No one is obliged to finish a race.”

Le Blaireau, fuckin hard as nails.

Indeed. When he won Roubaix in 81, he crashed and punctured several times in a race he detested. Most riders would have chucked it. He didn't. He got back with the leaders (Moser, DeVlaeminck, DeMayer, Van Calster and Kuiper) and beat them in the sprint on the velodrome.
mulebeatsdrums says:

Apr 21 2016 at 9:55 am

@chuckp

Aye, we're good. The nature of the anonymous forum that is the internet makes is all jackasses in the end. It's our job to Rule #43 it!
RobSandy says:

Apr 21 2016 at 11:31 am

@wiscot

@Buck Rogers

@Teocalli

Influence for the weekend…….

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/racing/liege-bastogne-liege-raced-snow-bad-weather-set-hit-ardennes-221750?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social

Brilliant video. Should be required viewing for all Velominati and hell, all pro riders, esp the point he makes at 1:02. “No one is obliged to finish a race.”

Le Blaireau, fuckin hard as nails.

Indeed. When he won Roubaix in 81, he crashed and punctured several times in a race he detested. Most riders would have chucked it. He didn’t. He got back with the leaders (Moser, DeVlaeminck, DeMayer, Van Calster and Kuiper) and beat them in the sprint on the velodrome.

Fotheringham interview RD about that win for his recent Badger biography. RDV was still astounded by Hinault that day. Said when they got to the velodrome he thought Hinault went too early and was going to lead him out, but he just kept kicking faster and faster...no-one got close.

RDV also compare Hinault to Merckx, saying something like 'I raced Eddy a lot and beat him sometimes, no-one could get near Hinault that day.' The footage is probably some of my favourite ever cycling racing on film.
RobSandy says:

Apr 21 2016 at 11:38 am

@wiscot

@Buck Rogers

@Teocalli

Influence for the weekend…….

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/racing/liege-bastogne-liege-raced-snow-bad-weather-set-hit-ardennes-221750?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social

Brilliant video. Should be required viewing for all Velominati and hell, all pro riders, esp the point he makes at 1:02. “No one is obliged to finish a race.”

Le Blaireau, fuckin hard as nails.

Indeed. When he won Roubaix in 81, he crashed and punctured several times in a race he detested. Most riders would have chucked it. He didn’t. He got back with the leaders (Moser, DeVlaeminck, DeMayer, Van Calster and Kuiper) and beat them in the sprint on the velodrome.

Fuck it, any chance to watch this.

They get to the velodrome at 5:00, and from then on the Badger mercilessly crushes their souls.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdjP4TFwDEc
wiscot says:

Apr 21 2016 at 11:45 am

@RobSandy

@wiscot

@Buck Rogers

@Teocalli

Influence for the weekend…….

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/racing/liege-bastogne-liege-raced-snow-bad-weather-set-hit-ardennes-221750?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social

Brilliant video. Should be required viewing for all Velominati and hell, all pro riders, esp the point he makes at 1:02. “No one is obliged to finish a race.”

Le Blaireau, fuckin hard as nails.

Indeed. When he won Roubaix in 81, he crashed and punctured several times in a race he detested. Most riders would have chucked it. He didn’t. He got back with the leaders (Moser, DeVlaeminck, DeMayer, Van Calster and Kuiper) and beat them in the sprint on the velodrome.

Fotheringham interview RD about that win for his recent Badger biography. RDV was still astounded by Hinault that day. Said when they got to the velodrome he thought Hinault went too early and was going to lead him out, but he just kept kicking faster and faster…no-one got close.

RDV also compare Hinault to Merckx, saying something like ‘I raced Eddy a lot and beat him sometimes, no-one could get near Hinault that day.’ The footage is probably some of my favourite ever cycling racing on film.

Yeah, That's what makes champions champions. Not just physical ability but mental ability. When BH wanted to win and set his mind to it, he was virtually unstoppable. I'm reading the Kelly bio Hunger and even though Kelly (in our eyes I think) became a peer of The Badger and quite unafraid of other riders, he was still intimidated by the Frenchman. Guimard reckoned he had more talent than Merckx.

BTW Hunger, by Kelly, is a great read. Wonderfully casual in tone, never forgets a name, he was clearly in the sport to make money. The fame he got used to, but from the start making a better living than bricklaying was the goal. Very frank on his strengths and weaknesses and a thorough examination of cycling that doesn't exist now. Total pro as he tells of tactics and getting worked over in the 84 Ronde. Training camps? Forget that shit. His DS De Gribaldy basically starved him nutritionally and raced him instead of training. Thoroughly recommended.
DVMR says:

Apr 21 2016 at 12:35 pm

@wiscot

@RobSandy

@wiscot

@Buck Rogers

@Teocalli

Influence for the weekend…….

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/racing/liege-bastogne-liege-raced-snow-bad-weather-set-hit-ardennes-221750?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social

Brilliant video. Should be required viewing for all Velominati and hell, all pro riders, esp the point he makes at 1:02. “No one is obliged to finish a race.”

Le Blaireau, fuckin hard as nails.

Indeed. When he won Roubaix in 81, he crashed and punctured several times in a race he detested. Most riders would have chucked it. He didn’t. He got back with the leaders (Moser, DeVlaeminck, DeMayer, Van Calster and Kuiper) and beat them in the sprint on the velodrome.

Fotheringham interview RD about that win for his recent Badger biography. RDV was still astounded by Hinault that day. Said when they got to the velodrome he thought Hinault went too early and was going to lead him out, but he just kept kicking faster and faster…no-one got close.

RDV also compare Hinault to Merckx, saying something like ‘I raced Eddy a lot and beat him sometimes, no-one could get near Hinault that day.’ The footage is probably some of my favourite ever cycling racing on film.

Yeah, That’s what makes champions champions. Not just physical ability but mental ability. When BH wanted to win and set his mind to it, he was virtually unstoppable. I’m reading the Kelly bio Hunger and even though Kelly (in our eyes I think) became a peer of The Badger and quite unafraid of other riders, he was still intimidated by the Frenchman. Guimard reckoned he had more talent than Merckx.

BTW Hunger, by Kelly, is a great read. Wonderfully casual in tone, never forgets a name, he was clearly in the sport to make money. The fame he got used to, but from the start making a better living than bricklaying was the goal. Very frank on his strengths and weaknesses and a thorough examination of cycling that doesn’t exist now. Total pro as he tells of tactics and getting worked over in the 84 Ronde. Training camps? Forget that shit. His DS De Gribaldy basically starved him nutritionally and raced him instead of training. Thoroughly recommended.

I love the story he tells of the croissant shaped stains on the tablecloth every morning at breakfast, because de Gribaldy used to go around the tables and remove them before the riders got out of bed. The poor fuckers were half starved!
Beers says:

Apr 21 2016 at 9:43 pm

I was just thinking, you've got to fucking hate Malmerde, but you know what, he finished 3rd in last years tour as well as all this one day shit. The guy is a 100% fucking hitter. Sometimes wish he would OTB in the neutral zone as well... something about getting his face smacked in appeases me..