Velominati Super Prestige

Velominati Super Prestige: Men’s Olympic Road Race 2016

The Men’s Olympic Road Race, a race traditionally won by the biggest jerk in the bunch, usually after one of the coolest riders in the bunch makes a mess of things when the race is all but in his hands. Take Fabian Cancellara last time ’round, casually looking behind him as he leaned into a right-hander which he then just as casually overshot, opening the door for Alexandre Vinokourov – dirtiest rider in the bunch – to buy off the race from Rigoberto Uran Uran.

In 1980 the Rooskies won because no one else showed up to the race, then in ’84 Alexi Grewal won, beating Steve Bauer to the line. I don’t think there has ever been a nicer guy in the peloton who came second place in more important races than Steve Bauer. The Olympics, Paris-Roubaix. He got tangled up in the sprint for the Worlds once, and got sued as a result. In 1989, he flatted out of the lead group at the Worlds, when the math said Sean Kelly should have been the fastest sprinter. But math isn’t always right and Greg LeMond bested Sean to the line; there is no reason to belief Bauer wouldn’t have been in that sprint finish, with every possibility of taking top honors.

But races aren’t won on theories, and coulda-woulda-shouldas. My money is on a climber with a good descent and a fast finish, like Alejandro Valvecap. Nibali could get away, but let’s face it – it would be too glorious if he won and glorious things don’t normally happen in the Men’s Olympic Road Race. Is Armstrong coming out of retirement (again) for the race? Maybe he’ll win.

Check the start list, maybe check the 10 Riders to Watch list, and get your picks in by the time the clock goes to zero, and good luck.
[vsp_results id=”71280″/]

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114 Replies to “Velominati Super Prestige: Men’s Olympic Road Race 2016”

  3. VSP PICKS:

    1. Alejandro Valverde
    2. Vincenzo Nibali
    3. Julian Alaphiippe
    4. Chris Froome
    5. Dan Martin

  4. Valv extender to come home with the gold

    VSP PICKS:

    1. valverde
    2. nibali
    3. porte
    4. alaphillippe
    5. dan martin

  6. VSP PICKS:

    1. Boasson Hagen
    2. Valverde
    3. Alaphillippe
    4. Van Avermaet
    5. Nibali

  7. VSP PICKS:

    1. Julian Alaphiippe
    2. Alejandro Valverde
    3. Dan Martin
    4. Chris Froome

  8. VSP PICKS:

    1. Julian Alaphiippe
    2. Alejandro Valverde
    3. Dan Martin
    4. Chris Froome
    5. Bauke Mollema

  9. VSP PICKS:

    1. Michal Kwiatkowski
    2. Alejandro Valverde
    3. Julian Alaphiippe
    4. Dan Martin
    5. Steven Kruijswijk

  12. VSP PICKS:

    1. Julian Alaphilippe
    2. Alejandro Valverde
    3. Michał Kwiatkowski
    4. Bauke Mollema
    5. Vincenzo Nibali

  14. After fucking my VSP by moving to Germany over the last few weeks and

    missing two events, I’ll jump back in here and see how it goes.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Malmerde
    2. Alaphillipe
    3. Dan Martin
    4. Nibbles
    5. Mollema

  15. Although a Gold for Ireland in cycling would be a good thing

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Malmerde
    2. Nibbles
    3. Alaphilippe
    4. Froomedawg
    5. Dan Martin

  17. VSP PICKS:

    1. Vincenzo Nibali
    2. Alejandro Valverde
    3. Wout Poels
    4. Richie Porte
    5. Rigoberto Uran

  21. Go G.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. George Bennett
    2. Wont Poels
    3. Ritchie Porte
    4. Rui Costa
    5. Alejandro Valverde

  22. Wout, Wout, Wout, not Wont.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. George Bennett
    2. Wout Poels
    3. Ritchie Porte
    4. Rui Costa
    5. Alejandro Valverde

  25. Just come across this on the Cricket commentary – “Those who have knowledge, don’t predict. Those who predict, don’t have knowledge.”  – Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu

    Pretty apt for the VSP!

     

  26. VSP PICKS:

    1. Julian Alaphilippe
    2. Greg van Avermaet
    3. Rui Costa
    4. Alejandro Valverde
    5. Vincenzo Nibali

  27. First. Post. Ever.

     

    Begginer’s Luck, don’t let me down!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Vincenzo Nibali
    2. Rui Costa
    3. Alejandro Valverde
    4. Chris Froome
    5. Greg van Avermaet

  29. VSP PICKS:

    1. Alejandro Valverde
    2. Vincenzo Nibali
    3. Aejandro Valverde
    4. Julian Alaphiippe
    5. Rigoberto Uran

  30. Is this the one with Usain Bolt or the one that has all the super Kenyans and Ethiopians?

    I love the Olympics!

  31. @the Engine

    Although a Gold for Ireland in cycling would be a good thing

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Malmerde
    2. Nibbles
    3. Alaphilippe
    4. Froomedawg
    5. Dan Martin

    Dan Martin is about as Irish as I am Bulgarian and yet somehow we both sound like we come from Birmingham.

  38. VSP PICKS:

    1. VAN AVERMAET, Greg
    2. COSTA, Rui
    3. MOLLEMA, Bauke
    4. ALAPHILIPPE, Julian
    5. CUMMINGS, Stephen

  39. VSP PICKS:

    1. Chris Froome
    2. Wout Poels
    3. Richie Porte
    4. Bauke Mollema
    5. Dan Martin

  40. VSP PICKS:

    1. Chris Froome
    2. Greg Van Avermaet
    3. Alejandro Valverde
    4. Vincenzo Nibali
    5. Taylor Phinney

  42. It makes me sick to make this selection

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Malmerde
    2. Froome
    3. Dan Martin
    4. Van Avermaet
    5. Mollema

  45. The Irish are not built for hot weather. Only my heart (and his) have me putting him in the top 5. Froome will repay Poels and drag him around the course, just like Wiggo did for Cav in the 2011 Worlds.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Poels
    2. Valverde
    3. Van Avermaet
    4. Nibali
    5. Dan Martin

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