Velominati Super Prestige: Men’s Olympic Road Race 2012
You can all wave “goodbye” to your Post GT Depression Syndrome, because the Men’s Olympic Road Race is only three days yonder. I don’t typically give two shits about this particular event; while contested by national teams, unlike the Worlds it appears as just another one-day race on a calendar filled with events that carry much more historical and nostalgic significance. What’s worse, it seems the brilliance has faded from the flame of Olympic Spirit – after all, what is an international sports rivalry without the associated political Boggie Dance of Political Superiority? Merckx, I miss the Cold War.
But this time is different. Contested in London over a route that may or may not favor the squat little speed demon Mark Cavendish, the Cycling world has been abuzz about whether his presence on Team Sky alongside Pippi Longstockings implies his impending doom or his certain success – because everyone knows those are the only two possibilities. Be that as it may, the route boasts to be lumpy enough for breakaways or small field sprints, which makes this particular Velominatus, for once, really excited to see what happens. Oh, and as a special request to the riders, if we could keep everyone off the juice this time round, that would be peaches and creame.
With that, check the start list and pretend like that is going to help you make your predictions. Then look at the route and do the same before making a wild guess and hoping you come up good. One-Day VSP rules apply; get your picks in by the time the countdown timer goes to zero and pray for daylight.
Good luck.
@frank
Fluff my pillows, luv?
VSP PICKS:
1. Cavendish
2. Boonen
3. Sagan
4. Gilbert
5. Cancellara
VSP PICKS:
1. Cavendish
2. Wiggo
3. Froome
4. Stannard
5. Millar
I was tempted to pick Ryder 5 times but decided to give a few others the benefit of the doubt. I didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.
VSP PICKS:
1. Ryder Hesjedal
2. Fabian Cancellara
3. Philippe Gilbert
4. Mark Cavendish
5. Peter Sagan
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Gilbert
3. Gerrans
4. Cancellara
5. Cavendish
VSP PICKS:
1. Cavendish
2. Sagan
3. Greipel
4. Goss
5. Cancellara
Anyone thinking that us Brits would make a mess of hosting the games were proved right quite quickly. They showed the South Korea flag while announcing the North Korea football team. http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/jul/26/london-2012-north-korea-flag
OK – a number of you got real creative in your naming there…can’t be bothered to go sort it, so check your picks mapping and if it says “N/A” it means I had no clue what you meant (or wasn’t sure enough to map it) and you should dispute it and tell me who it is in the dispute reason field.
@taon24
Please enter your picks into the fields the usual way. This doesn’t count.
and for the TT: Spartacus, Wiggo, Phinney
VSP PICKS:
1. Cav
2. Sagan
3. Boonen
4. Greipel
5. Spartacus
The Sky Boys (ok, Team GB) are going to do another effort like they did at the worlds. Knowing that if they can get Cav to the last 5kms, they will have a likely winner, the will bury themselves for him. Remember, the Olympics are huge in the UK (even though they are basically the London Games, no matter what Lord Snooty and Boris the Blonde Bombshell say) and in four year’s time, Cav’s sprint will likely be diminished and the course might not be so favorable.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cavendish
2. Greipel
3. Sagan
4. Goss
5. Boonen
Froome will get his reward for doing his job in France.
VSP PICKS:
1. Froome
2. Boasson Hagen
3. Greipel
4. Terpstra
5. Gilbert
@wiscot
That’s what I was thinking, and your picks are the same as mine, great minds and all that. Well that’s what we’ll be saying if we get it right although I got my picks in earlier and will therefore get the top spot.
@TBONE
P.S. everyone should count their blessings Kabush has stuck to XC.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cavendish
2. Froome
3. Wiggins
4. Gilbert
5. Boonen
I’d like to pick a flyer, but this is a team race, and I think Cav is gonna have the best team to chase down a break, so…
VSP PICKS:
1. Cav
2. Sagan
3. Boonen
4. Cancellara
5. Greipel
VSP PICKS:
1. Goss
2. Cav
3. Sagan
4. Griepel
5. Boassen
VSP PICKS:
1. greipel
2. cavendish
3. sagan
4. wiggins
5. goss
VSP PICKS:
1. M. Cavendish
2. A. Greipel
3. S. Modolo
4. M. Goss
5. T. Boonen
@Papageno
Like your picks here, I nearly went down a similar road, the old rouleur V sprinter dilemna or is it dilemma?
@snoov
Mine are the same as well. The real reason @wiscot’s picks are the same, is because he wants to stay ahead of me for our little malted, hoppy VSP side-wager.
@The Oracle
Yup, so even if we’re both right, I’m still four points up on ya buddy!
ps I didn’t copy your post, but came to my selections after long, hard contemplation and reading the course reviews by the English boys who know the course.
pps I’m making space in my fridge for the beer. Premature? I think not . . .
USA USA USA
VSP PICKS:
1. Cavendish
2. Sagan
3. Van Garderen
4. Phinney
5. Faboo
VSP PICKS:
1. Cavendish
2. Greipel
3. sagan
4. Goss
5. Boassen hagen
Speaking of doping…
http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/12503/Anthony-handed-two-year-ban-after-EPO-positive-at-Gran-Fondo-New-York.aspx
Wow…cheating to win a Gran Fondo at nearly fifty years old? I don’t know if I should laugh or cry. It’s funny he’d waste money on dope to win that. It’s sad he’s been alive so long and thinks it’s a good idea to cheat to win something most people couldn’t give a fuck about. Jeez.
@wiscot
Better make a lot of room, ’cause that case of MGD is gonna need some breathing space.
@Ron
…and which isn’t even technically classified as a race. Its like doping to win Friday’s group ride.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cav
2. Boonen
3. Sagan
4. Phinney
5. Eddy The Boss
VSP PICKS:
1. Cavendish
2. Goss
3. Sagan
4. Greipel
5. Boonen
The few that can hang onto Fabian’s wheel with 2 K to go…the big man TT’s his way to gold.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Sagan
3. Boonen
4. Phinney
5. Gilbert
Team GB finally cracks and Gerro picks the right moment to escape – can’t have too many big names in there, so no Sagan, and Nibali doesn’t chase because Paolini is there. The Belgians as usual are fighting amongst themselves.
Uran tries to go for a long one but is caught by Gerrans but he’s gone too soon, with LL nipping around at the end to pip him on the post.
VSP PICKS:
1. LL Sanchez
2. Gerrans
3. Uran
4. Albasini
5. Paolini
@Ron
The Bike Snob is having a field day with that one.
there will be no Ryder :(
VSP PICKS:
1. Mark Cavendish
2. Peter Sagan
3. ANdre Greipel
4. Tom Boonen
5. Cancellara
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Boasson Hagen
3. Albasini
4. Boonen
5. Fuglsang
VSP PICKS:
1. Boonen, T
2. Cavendish, M
3. Sagan, P
4. Gesink, R
5. Greipel, A
Sagan domination.
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Gerrans
3. Griepel
4. Cavendish
5. Boasson Hagen
@taon24 For Mr Todd I’m guessing you mean Cavendish, not Wiggins?
Duende and I are riding out to Erin via Rattlesnake Point on Saturday morning. The last time I rode this route, a Canadian won the Giro. Maybe…
VSP PICKS:
1. Cavendish
2. Sagen
3. Greipel
4. Boasson Hagen
5. Goss
VSP PICKS:
1. Cav
2. Greipel
3. Sagan
4. Hagan
5. Goss
Here is a useful little table (taken from this site) of the times for the London cycling events. The times in the right column are the Australian times – going to take some dedication to watch them live…
@Marcus
Thanks for this. Would you mind adding another column, though? To show the times for the North American eastern time zone? I’d be grateful.
@Steampunk deduct 14 hours from the Australian Eastern time. You guys get good times for the evening events – ie all the swimming, athletics and track cycling finals. Just sit at your desk, act like you are working and watch it on internet. All the big events will take place during your workday…
@frank
This one apparently was a licensed event (hence the drug testing) because the total prize pool was over $100k according to some quotes from the organisers.
@Marcus
yeah the track events are going to take some effort…I’d only just got back to a decent sleep pattern post tour!
Im gambling on a classics-like selection. If Cav wins I’m screwed…
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Boonen
3. Cancellara
4. Gilbert
5. Evans
Get ‘Em!
VSP PICKS:
1. Cavendish
2. Sagan
3. Cancellara
4. Boonen
5. Van Garderen
How the fuck did Grewal beat Bauer?
Giblets finally comes good, Boonen still sore. Cuddles redeems himself. Turps and Nibbles fight it out for the podium, and Cav comes in for sloppy seconds.
VSP PICKS:
1. Giblets
2. Cuddles
3. Terpstra
4. Nibbles
5. Cavendish
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Gilbert
3. Gerrans
4. Evans
5. Langeveld