Velominati Super Prestige

Velominati Super Prestige: Mens World Road Race Championships 2015

The last time the US hosted a World Championship, it was for the Cyclocross and it was totally badass. But potholes are part of the fun in CX; we’ll have to see how a speeding peloton deals with them.

My Pedalwan Nephew will be roadside watching this weekend in Richmond, and I have to say I hate him a little bit for having that opportunity at such a young age; he better be wearing Velominati gear or I’m disowning him. I also now realize in a face-palm moment that I should have sent him the V-Flag. What day is it? Can I still overnight it? Is that even worth it?

Ok. Back on message. I really hope the police don’t shoot any of the riders, or arrest the peloton for speeding. Assuming that doesn’t happen, I suggest you meditate on the start list, pull a few aces out of your sleeve, and lay down your picks. Good luck!
[vsp_results id=”33790″/]

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202 Replies to “Velominati Super Prestige: Mens World Road Race Championships 2015”

  1. Switchin’ it up…

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Kristoff
    2. Van Avermaet
    3. M. Matthews
    4. Degenkolb
    5. Sagan

  4. Virginia is for lovers.  Richmond is for let’s not ruin our friendship.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Matthews
    2. Degenkolb
    3. Kristoff
    4. Sagan
    5. GVA

  5. After a dismal showing in la Vuelta, I’m now right out of it.  This would be the perfect time to go with heart over head, but sadly, I think Chava went out in the Vuelta as well.  Ready to round out the season and look forward to next year.

    That being said, ride like hell for leather, lads!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Philippe Gilbert
    2. Alexander Kristoff
    3. Zdenek Stybar
    4. Peter Sagan
    5. Julien Alaphilippe

  7. @ChrisO

    @LeoTea

    @ChrisO

    The hip came through OK. Bit painful on the big efforts – it’s a 2.5km circuit with a couple of sharp turns, one coming up a climb, so pretty much every lap you have to do at least two power sprints. Feeling a bit stiff and sore now though, but not too bad.

    Glad to hear you’re back racing. Some of my favourite pieces on the site were your escapades in the desert. I was wondering about the side effects of the injury. From the X-rays you posted, it looked to be a reasonably clean break, and given that I was under the impression that such breaks usually heal pretty thoroughly, it must be something else causing the pain? Joint problems? Or side effect of having the leg cut open in order to install the hardware?

    Thanks.

    Yes the break was clean and it has healed well. The current pain is being caused by the hardware itself inflaming the soft tissue and normally the metal plate has to be in for at least 12-18 months.

    It got quite bad a few months ago and the doctors said there were three options.

    1) Take it out early, but they didn’t want to do that.

    2) Stop riding, but I didn’t want to do that.

    3) Suck it up.

    So we’re just managing the pain. I have daily exercises to stretch and strengthen, and am using a foam roller to keep things loose. It seems to keep it under control, if not back to normal.

    Taylor Phinney was recently sharing his new thoughts on pain since coming back from his injury. Read it somewhere on the inter webs today. Have a look for it for interesting perspective. Good stuff getting back in the races @ChrisO. Cheers!

  15. VSP PICKS:

    1. Alejandro Valverde
    2. Peter Sagan
    3. Zdenek Stybar
    4. Andre Greipel
    5. Greg Van Avermaet

  16. Jesus, what a giant field this will be, thank god they are only go to show 2 hours of it.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Degenkolb
    2. Alaphilippe
    3. Vanmarcke
    4. De Marchi, A
    5. Boom, Lars

  17. @ChrisO

    It’s not the world champs but today is my first race after The Injury.

    I don’t think I could be more nervous if I was lining up in Richmond.

    Bike is cleaned, bag is packed, legs are shaved, food is prepared.

    Simmering is not the word for it – I feel ready to burst into tears for some reason. Another hour until I even need to get stuff in the car.

    It’s a Cat 3 at a circuit. Not going into it with any expectations, other than to get through in reasonable shape and keep the rubber side down. At least it’s a lovely day for it.

    Best of luck Chris O, it’s been a long rehab

  21. Heart rules. Just watched Lizzies superb race craft in the women’s race so I’m going for Sagan to take Kwiatkowski in a reversal of the Strade Bianchi from a couple of years back as a reward for being the best fucking racer this season. Or not of course!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Kwiatkowski
    3. Rodriguez
    4. Valverde
    5. Alaphillippe

  23. Watched all of the Jr. Men and Women’s Elite yesterday, from various spots on the course. Libby Hilly is no joke, not with the narrowness, the switchbacks, and the cobbles. 23rd Street is STEEP and narrow, think it tops out at 20%. Governor’s Hill, while not steep, is long and you’d better time it right, or you won’t get to the top in good shape. Overall a pretty exciting downtown course.

    Walking into the Convention Center to check out the “Fan Zone” and…Taylor Phinney went right by me, on his way for a training ride after the Juniors. At the top of Governor’s Hill and a Dutch dude rides by after the Juniors, all bundled up. “That guy couldn’t have just finished…” Someone yells out “Niki!” Yup, Terpstra. Since I’ve never seen the road Pros in person, pretty wild to see what I essentially consider cycling giants/ghosts go right by. Today will be even crazier.

    Also some local unhappiness that Monument Ave. and southern Civil War generals will be used as a backdrop. Not to get into politics here, but certainly an interesting dilemma. Do you glorify men determined to “protect a way of life” who many think fall on the wrong side of history?

    Anyway, can quite believe I’ll be seeing all these incredible cyclists in person today. Richmond has a pretty darn good downtown for this. Feels quite Euro in some parts. Also AWESOME to just have bike rule a whole city. Closed down roads, fans with bikes all over, bikes parked on every pole and tree, people riding all over sidewalks, etc., nobody yelling at them. Ahhh, a brief glimpse at the U.S. if bikes were top dog and cyclists were accepted! I’m in the Twilight Zone here…and I love it!

    ChrisO – good on ya for getting back in the game. At this point, that queasy nervous energy before competition is something I don’t like enough to do it. Maybe I’ll get it back in a few years, but for now, I enjoy just riding.

  24. @ChrisO

    @LeoTea

    @ChrisO

    The hip came through OK. Bit painful on the big efforts – it’s a 2.5km circuit with a couple of sharp turns, one coming up a climb, so pretty much every lap you have to do at least two power sprints. Feeling a bit stiff and sore now though, but not too bad.

    Glad to hear you’re back racing. Some of my favourite pieces on the site were your escapades in the desert. I was wondering about the side effects of the injury. From the X-rays you posted, it looked to be a reasonably clean break, and given that I was under the impression that such breaks usually heal pretty thoroughly, it must be something else causing the pain? Joint problems? Or side effect of having the leg cut open in order to install the hardware?

    Thanks.

    Yes the break was clean and it has healed well. The current pain is being caused by the hardware itself inflaming the soft tissue and normally the metal plate has to be in for at least 12-18 months.

    It got quite bad a few months ago and the doctors said there were three options.

    1) Take it out early, but they didn’t want to do that.

    2) Stop riding, but I didn’t want to do that.

    3) Suck it up.

    So we’re just managing the pain. I have daily exercises to stretch and strengthen, and am using a foam roller to keep things loose. It seems to keep it under control, if not back to normal.

    Welcome back to racing; been great reading your updates; looking forward to hearing how it went.

  29. WHAT A FINISH!!! Sagan is such a stud these days; I think the bike throw/salute was the coolest thing I’ve seen a cyclist do after a finish. And then the Boonen point/high five afterwards, SUCH CLASS!

    Massive congrats to Richmond Virginia – The USA, apparently, does know a thing or two about hosting a world class race!

  31. That’s two incredibly worthy World Champions. I’m glad the Sagwagon became a cool cat before he won this so I can be happy about it.

  32. @frank

    WHAT A FINISH!!! Sagan is such a stud these days; I think the bike throw/salute was the coolest thing I’ve seen a cyclist do after a finish. And then the Boonen point/high five afterwards, SUCH CLASS!

    Massive congrats to Richmond Virginia – The USA, apparently, does know a thing or two about hosting a world class race!

    Just cool as fuck. Glad I went with my heart in the VSP, one of the most deserving winners

  35. Sagan was  awesome I wonder if not having to wear the ugly Tinkoff jerse was extra motivation?

  38. That was awesome! The way he got the gap, we didn’t even realise he had it so quickly. And then the top-tube-sitting-pedalling, the Phantom Aeros, the not-overdone salute, the dozens of other riders congratulating him, and his interview where he talked about the humanitarian crisis… all class. That’s how you win Worlds.

    Great ride from Kwiatkowski too, getting in the dangerous break and still in the mix at the end.

  40. All right folks… let’s just be straight up… it’s the US of A and hosting the world’s and who wins? Lizzie and Peter.. Is all right with the world or what ?? It’s all good. Richmond rep’d well indeed. And the best racers of ’15 carried the day. Sagan’s finish was beyond classic. Wow. And Lizzie? Perfect race finesse. Cheers.

  41. Am I the only one watching NBC Universal sports? They essentially show the last hour of the race, the last 30km. Fucking losers.

    Still, Sagan pulling that off. Genius. What a worthy winner. I wish I had picked him. Zero f’ing points.

  43. @brett said it all.  So great to see Sagan disappear down the road on the descent…skill, balls and gutting it out to the end.  Fabulous.

  44. Great, great finish. That was a our-of-your-chair and on-your-feet-finish, two feet from the TV screen, yelling, “Go, go, go!”

    Didn’t pick him to win, but there wasn’t a rider I wanted to see win more than Sagan. That heart vs brain thing. He’ll be a good champion and ambassador for the sport. Lot’s of attitude, flashy, great to watch, but enough common sense not to wheelie across the finish line. And he appears to honestly have fun racing bikes.

    Okay, enough with the man crush stuff. What the fu@& was Boassan Hagan doing and where the he!! was Kristoff?!?!

  46. Have to admit not being Sagan’s biggest fan – I think he too often races for a result rather than a win.

    But that was a fantastic effort and he put it all on the line. I hope it encourages him to do it more often and that he will end up with the palmares his talents deserve.

    @Gianni The US coverage was awful – they provided the international feed so we were lumped with it as well. Constant picture breakup from the moto cameras, terrible directing ignoring what was going on, and at the end they just kept repeating the Sagan footage without even showing the bunch sprint for second.

    Presumably it was a director who had only ever done football coverage and assumed the winning touchdown was all we needed to see, not the backplay.

  47. It seems like a great example of Rule #85 in action. What a class! After more than 6 hours he showed guts, legs and heart.

    You can’t imagine what was going on here in Slovakia during the race. My wife started to cry when Peter commenced his attack and didn’t stop for another 10 minutes after the finish. Memorable day for all of us, proud Slovakians :)

  48. @ChrisO

    Have to admit not being Sagan’s biggest fan – I think he too often races for a result rather than a win.

    But if you’re going to win one, that’s a pretty good one to win.

    BBC covered all of the World Champs live, so good commentary from Boardman etc, but I think we had the same pictures as you.

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