Velominati Super Prestige: Paris-Roubaix 2014

Phinney takes flight in the Trouée d’Arenberg.

It has been a brutal week for us Keepers, having decided not to hold a Keepers Tour this year. Watching the action from half a world away has been almost too much for us to bear, and I know most of the participants from last year must be feeling similarly. On Sunday, we would be escorted by our friends and guides, William and Alex of Pavé Cycling Classics, shooting from one location to another to watch the race, eating Genevieve’s homemade sandwiches and pounding Malteni like its going out of style.

We may not be there this year, but that doesn’t change the question on everyone’s mind: can Fabian do the double a record three times? Personally, I hope not – I want the double to stay special. Until 2003, the previous winner of the double was de Vlaeminck who had managed it in 1977 at which point it had only been done six times previously. But since Van Petegem pulled it off in ’03, Boonen and Cancellara have done it twice each – that’s 4 doubles in the last 10 years.

Come Sunday morning, I’ll be gunning for Boonen. He’s been behind his form just a tad, but he forced the selection on the Koppenberg last Sunday, so he has the power. Maybe a day of killing it in de Ronde was last touch he needed and he’ll be peaking for Sunday. Fabian of course will be strong, but Sep and Greg had strong showings last week and Vanmarke is now proving to be Flecha’s replacement – hopefully he’ll have more luck taking a big win Sunday.

The points from the Paris-Roubaix VSP count towards the overall prizes plus the winner of this event also gets to post for the rest of the year in the cobblestone badge. So check the start list, review the VSP Scoring Guidelines and get your picks in by the time the countdown clock goes to zero at midnight PDT on Sunday the 13th. If you think we mapped one of your picks wrong, use the dispute system and we’ll review it. Also remember to be precise enough in your description so we know which rider you mean; in other words, if you enter “Martin”, we will use our discretion (read: wild guess) to decide if you mean Tony or Dan – and that choice will not be negotiable once the the countdown clock goes to zero, so be sure to give yourself enough time.

Don’t forget we’ve got three major prizes for the season-long VSP:

First place overall wins a Veloforma Strada iR Velominati Edition frame in addition to the customary VSP winner’s VVorkshop Apron
Second place overall wins a set of hand built CR Wheelworks Arenberg wheelset in a custom Velominati paint scheme laced to orange Chris King hubs. (CR Wheelworks is Café Roubaix’s new wheel goods brand.)
Third place overall wins a full Velominati V-Kit with accompanying custom orange Bont Vaypor+ road shoes.

Good luck, have fun with it, and don’t lose your Rule #43 spirit.

[vsp_results id=”29528″/]

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.

Next Guest Article: Follow the Pigs »

Previous « The Hail Mary Shift

View Comments

anthony says:

Apr 13 2014 at 5:22 pm

Wow how did I forget about Terpstra, Great solo attack. Good on Pippy for hanging with the classics boys. Don't think we will see other modern GC guy's do that well anytime soon.
frank says:

Apr 13 2014 at 6:02 pm

@Barracuda

@Gianni

OK, I'm really liking Stijn Vandenbergh. One, he is huge and two, this is his car.

Begs the question, under what circumstances does one need a camo beemer ?

Its a camo Bimmer. Beemers are motos. Have we lost all civility?

@Gianni

And no mini-phinney toward the end? I'm learning, over the years, to stop putting him, Boss-Hog and Farrar into my P-R picks. I also believe I shot my mouth off about Thor no longer being the god of thunder, and implying he was a maybe the god of static electricity when one scuff around the living room rug in socks. Shut up mouth!

If you weren't a Keeper that is so worth the +1 badge.
Barracuda says:

Apr 13 2014 at 6:26 pm

@frank "Its a camo Bimmer. Beemers are motos. Have we lost all civility?"

Sorry, I come from a land down unda'. Kangaroo's , meat pies and Holden Cars

Civility is not strong!
Bespoke says:

Apr 13 2014 at 6:50 pm

Can someone explain to this pedalwan why Terpstra didn't ride out Boonen when Boonen was clearly gesturing for someone to help out - I think it was around 60km from the finish? If Terpstra had enough left in the tank to ride to the finish like he did, shouldn't he have used that to help his primo rider? Tom Mc referred to Terpstra as a Domestique so, isn't that his role?

Thanks
RedRanger says:

Apr 13 2014 at 6:57 pm

@Bespoke A lot can happen between 60km and the finish.
Bespoke says:

Apr 13 2014 at 7:01 pm

@RedRanger

@Bespoke A lot can happen between 60km and the finish.

Understood but, Terpstra didn't seem to help out his teammate when it was called for. Am I missing something?
Gianni says:

Apr 13 2014 at 7:22 pm

@Barracuda

@Gianni

OK, I'm really liking Stijn Vandenbergh. One, he is huge and two, this is his car.

Begs the question, under what circumstances does one need a camo beemer ?

Any circumstance I'd say. To apply a camo paint job to a fancy wagon like that is a little mad and I like that.
Barracuda says:

Apr 13 2014 at 7:22 pm

@Bespoke

@RedRanger

@Bespoke A lot can happen between 60km and the finish.

Understood but, Terpstra didn't seem to help out his teammate when it was called for. Am I missing something?

I assume, which is dangerous in itself, that Tom had lit all his candles and had none left to light up.
Mikael Liddy says:

Apr 13 2014 at 8:40 pm

@Bespoke

Can someone explain to this Pedalwan why Terpstra didn't ride out Boonen when Boonen was clearly gesturing for someone to help out - I think it was around 60km from the finish? If Terpstra had enough left in the tank to ride to the finish like he did, shouldn't he have used that to help his primo rider? Tom Mc referred to Terpstra as a Domestique so, isn't that his role?

Thanks

Tommeke was gesturing at the others he was in a break with that they should work with him, Terpstra & the other OPQS riders were back in the bunch at that point. Any attempt from them to bridge up to help would likely have resulted in Cancellara and the other favourites following along & negated the advantage.
Nate says:

Apr 13 2014 at 10:04 pm

@Barracuda you have it backwards. Why not have a camo bimmer? That thing is 110% ballin'.

@Bespoke you should ask Stijn Devolder that question.