Velominati Super Prestige: Paris-Roubaix 2012

VELOMINATI HItS THE COBBLES OF CAPPELLE EN PÉVÉLLE. PHOTO: JESSE WILLEMS

We rode the Pavé of Roubaix in the dry, and any comforting feelings we might have been carrying about with us that suggested we had somehow prepared for them were summarily vaporized as we hit the first secteur. Riding together in a group, unable to reach for the brakes or the shifters, we all were hit with the same realization: these aren’t like the stones we have at home. Not if you live anywhere other than along the cobbled roads of Northern France. Not if you live in England. Not if you live in the Netherlands. Not even if you live in Belgium. And we won’t even talk about the rest of the world.

The Trouée of Arenberg is a sacred place. Arriving there, you feel the need to pray out of respect. Riding there, you feel the need to pray out of a sense of self preservation. There is no smooth path through these particularly rough cobbles. That was in the dry; if the race is wet as predicted by the weathermen (whom I assume are as bad at being right as they are in the States), then there isn’t a bag big enough to hold all the prayers the riders are going to need to get through these. And the Trouée is not the hardest or roughest secteur, by a considerable margin; that honor goes to Mons-en-Pévéle or Carrfoure de l’Arbre.

Keep an eye on the weather report as the race comes nearer, as wet roads will turn this race into one of attrition. Cancellara has broken his collarbone; Boonen, Pozzato, and Ballan are on form. But this is a long race, and details such as those matter little when a race contains over fifty kilometers of cobbles. Is it another year for the breakaway, or will the favorites close it down as they approach the finale? I don’t know, but watch the countdown timer and get your picks in by Sunday morning at 5am Pacific. Winner of this VSP event will earn the right to comment all year with the pavé commenting badge. We will also forgo the usual Symbol Pack prize awarded to a Monument and award the winner a copy of the local newspaper the day after the race.

Bon chance.

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

Azzurri Tim says:

Apr 6 2012 at 12:45 pm

Going patriotic with number 5.

VSP PICKS:

1. Tornado Tom
2. Pozzato
3. Flecha
4. Ballan
5. Roulston
roger says:

Apr 6 2012 at 1:10 pm

VSP PICKS:

1. thor
2. boonen
3. ballan
4. flecha
5. leukemans
Buck Rogers says:

Apr 6 2012 at 1:15 pm

@Netraam

@Buck Rogers
Amstel Gold Race. Recheck the starting lists then, because Rabobank is planning him to be their AGR and LBL rider.

You're right. Cycling news dropped him from the start lists as did cycling fever. Methinks for the heads up!

VSP PICKS:

1. Boonen
2. Pozatto
3. Thor
4. Ballan
5. Chavanel
niksch says:

Apr 6 2012 at 1:24 pm

VSP PICKS:

1. T. Boonen
2. S. Chavavnel
3. J. Vansummeren
4. F. Pozzato
5. A. Ballan
gaswepass says:

Apr 6 2012 at 1:39 pm

lets see if I can do worse than last week...

VSP PICKS:

1. boonen
2. ballan
3. pozzato
4. farrar
5. chavanel sylv
Jonny says:

Apr 6 2012 at 1:43 pm

VSP PICKS:

1. Boonen
2. Hushovd
3. Devolder
4. Eisel
5. Boom
eightzero says:

Apr 6 2012 at 1:56 pm

At the risk of typing yet more unbridled repetitive bithcing, I sure wish there was an alternative to getting video coverage of cycling races out of Europe. Sure, NBCSports nee Versus has it on cable, but it is uber expensive. I'd gladly pay a reasonable fee to download the race coverage in iTunes, or get a hulu/ boxee box or whatever is needed to get the race coverage. There are online streams apparently, but it is choppy coverage, poor quality and rather spotty.
ChrisO says:

Apr 6 2012 at 2:09 pm

@eightzero

At the risk of typing yet more unbridled repetitive bithcing, I sure wish there was an alternative to getting video coverage of cycling races out of Europe. Sure, NBCSports nee Versus has it on cable, but it is uber expensive. I'd gladly pay a reasonable fee to download the race coverage in iTunes, or get a hulu/ boxee box or whatever is needed to get the race coverage. There are online streams apparently, but it is choppy coverage, poor quality and rather spotty.

What do you regard as a reasonable fee ? For about 6 of your Yankee dollars per month you can subscribe to Eurosport.

You would also need to have a European IP address which can be done with a VPN - apparently there are free ones although I pay for mine, as I use it for other things.
Steampunk says:

Apr 6 2012 at 2:18 pm

Going on a flyer. I'm still thinking that 2012 is the year an Italian finally gets around to winning a Monument.

VSP PICKS:

1. Pozzato
2. Boonen
3. Hushovd
4. Leukemans
5. Ballan
gearz says:

Apr 6 2012 at 2:21 pm

VSP PICKS:

1. Ballan
2. Hushovd
3. Pozzato
4. Boonen
5. Farrar