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:
Good luck, have fun with it, and don’t lose your Rule #43 spirit.
[vsp_results id=”29528″/]
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View Comments
@wiscot
and no dust cover? that kind looks like shit.
@Bespoke
http://cyclocosm.com/ is always worth checking out for a post race recap.
@RedRanger Outstanding. Pretty much nailed it in 5 minutes.
@RedRanger Just perfect! Love his stuff!
Yeah Cosmo is awesome at what he does, if I miss a race and really want to know what happened that's the place I go, plus he's funny
@Bespoke
Nah bro, it will probably be Plastidip. Cool shit! Spray it on for a matt finish, it is what you oftentimes see on the matt finish paint jobs driving around..
@VeloVita
This. Fabs races have been ruined (as in he has finished second or third rather than winning!) in the past by being marked such by a middle of the bunch group (i.e. excluding the team leaders). Tom happened to have it happen to him this time. He was epic to watch attacking, and the somewhat arrogant sounding interviews are to me common to most team leaders who don't win, for I have a theory that you have to be more self assured, and therefore come across as self centred, to succeed in most top level sports. Dissapointment at not winning is a byproduct of that, some just handle it with a bit more grace, though sometimes language can be a barrier. You have to step on some heads to win as many times as these guys have..
@andrew
Thomas was more of a stud than Twiggo. In the Tommeke bunch all day, in the wind, sent up the road by Twiggo to attempt a chase at Terpstra, then still beat Twiggo home, all of the Wiggins fanboyism is a little unjustified in my eyes, his slight break was nothing but a 15 seconds of fame "I hit the front" moment. Got sick of hearing about where Twiggo was in the bunch. Props for a top 10, but far from a story requiring so much adoration IMO, he sucked wheels all day, hardly covered himself in glory or justification, there's been less printed about Cancellara or Degenkolb..
Glad it's not just me as a biased Welshman, was pretty disappointed to read the comments afterward that suggested Geraint was working for Wiggins. I know he's a TDF winner and better rider than some give him credit for, but would it not be better for the classics specialist who's been plugging away at them for years steadily improving to have the team working for him rather than the star who fancies a go?
@andrew
@Beers
Wiggo's effort was even more disappointing since he was one of my picks and I finished the VSP in 196th and last place. I think it will sink in now for Sir Brad that if Terpstra could time trial to the finish then he might have done the same, perhaps his only chance to win ever and he blew it. "Have a dig for fuck sake" is something I may have shouted at the TV in the last 20km.