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

Buck Rogers says:

Apr 6 2012 at 2:40 pm

@Steampunk

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

Not a bad thought in my opinion, the guy is definitely hungry enough. But I am still sticking with Tommeke. He knows that with Sparty gone this will be his best chance for years to come.
paolo says:

Apr 6 2012 at 2:47 pm

Breschel out haussler in.

Thor still wins.

VSP PICKS:

1. God of Thunder!!
2. Pozzato
3. Ballan
4. Boonen
5. Haussler
Ron says:

Apr 6 2012 at 4:04 pm

I enjoy hearing the Sporza announcers say "Sep Vanmarcke" so much that I've caught myself saying it under my breath while out on long rides. Ah!

Oh no, Boonen won't be on Golden Tickets but Zipp carbon instead? The horror! And those crank arms, rings, and seatpost...maybe more functional but damn, not so hot in the looks department. His Merckx bike was awesome last year, as were the cross-style Campa rings.

Friday night in Belgium - what are the Velominati up to? Hitting the town or in bed resting their legs for Sunday?

Oh, and I didn't realize until just now that Boonen raced, and raced hard, at Scheldeprijs on Wednesday. MADNESS! Wins the Ronde on Sunday and "feels off," then races two days later, then has P-R on Sunday. That level of fitness & ability to recover is staggering.
eightzero says:

Apr 6 2012 at 4:39 pm

@ChrisO

@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.

I would gladly pay $6 yankee for just a download of Paris-Roubaix, particularly if it was an HD feed with no commercials. My interest is purely in click - then - watch. I'm an Apple user, so I rather expect things to just work without dorking around with the usual PC tech hassles. Last year I got an iPad app for the Tour, and it actually worked fairly well. I think it was like $15 yankee, but the AirSharing feature was dorked up until about stage 12. I'm hoping that will be all sorted out this year. I remember watching the last stage on my iPad while sitting on the portch enjoying a beer. It sure would be cool to have this for the classics.
Geordi says:

Apr 6 2012 at 4:48 pm

VSP PICKS:

1. Boonen
2. Sep Vanmarke
3. Pozzato
4. Boom
5. Chavanel
minion says:

Apr 6 2012 at 4:50 pm

@Azzurri Tim

Going patriotic with number 5.

VSP PICKS:

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

Dammit! When I checked CN's startlist from yesterday I couldn't see Roly or Sergent on the start list. Now I can pick 4 kiwis the rest of my carefully considered selections can go to hell.

Also hence Steampunk making the cut. He's so funny, picking an Italian,

VSP PICKS:

1. Jack Bauer
2. Roly
3. Hendy
4. Sergent
5. Steampunk
paolo says:

Apr 6 2012 at 5:06 pm

@eightzero

cycling.tv $80 a year..ish. Quality feed, live. Hook up a tv or blue ray with googleTV and you have as many inches wide of HD live racing as you want..

Or just watch it on your comp.
Heihachi says:

Apr 6 2012 at 5:20 pm

VSP PICKS:

1. Boonen
2. Pozzato
3. Hushovd
4. Chavanel
5. Ballan
taon24 says:

Apr 6 2012 at 5:45 pm

.

VSP PICKS:

1. Boonen
2. ballan
3. Chavanel, Sylvain
4. Pozzato
5. gatto
Roberto Marques says:

Apr 6 2012 at 6:26 pm

VSP PICKS:

1. Boonen
2. Flecha
3. Vansummeren
4. Pozzato
5. Hagen