Velominati Super Prestige

Velominati Super Prestige: Paris-Roubaix 2014

Phinney takes flight in the Trouée d'Arenberg.
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:

  1. First place overall wins a Veloforma Strada iR Velominati Edition frame in addition to the customary VSP winner’s VVorkshop Apron
  2. 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.)
  3. 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″/]

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355 Replies to “Velominati Super Prestige: Paris-Roubaix 2014”

  1. VSP PICKS:

    1. Spartacus
    2. Boonen
    3. Sep Vanmarcke
    4. Sagan
    5. Geraint Thomas

  2. VSP PICKS:

    1. Tom Boonen
    2. Fabien Cancellara
    3. Niki Terpstra
    4. Geraint Thomas
    5. Greg Van Avermaet

  4. VSP PICKS:

    1. F Cancellara
    2. S Vanmarcke
    3. A Kristoff
    4. T Boonen
    5. Z Stybar

  5. I’m going total wildcard picks, factoring a break goes up the road and doesn’t get caught a la O’Grady and Van Summeren. So here goes…with nothing to lose…

    Oh I can’t wait, and I think Wiggins will surprise some people.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Sebastian Langeveld
    2. Martin Tjallingii
    3. Vincent Jérôme
    4. Martijn Maaskant
    5. Gregory Rast

  7. Judging by the recon pics, Fabian wins in the Look Fantastic classiment and is therefore favourite for the overall. The cobbles look dry and fast. The strongest will prevail. Poor young Sep will have another year of nightmares featuring the back end of a jubilant Swiss.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Cancellara
    2. Vanmarcke
    3. Kristoff
    4. Terpstra
    5. Hayman

  9. VSP PICKS:

    1. Fabian Cancellara
    2. Sep Vanmarcke
    3. Tom Boonen
    4. Taylor Phinney
    5. Alexander Kristoff

  10. What are the odds that NetApp finishes a single rider? Their men have been strewn all over the belge franco roads all spring. I’ve never seen a team crash so much.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Cancellara
    2. Vanmarke
    3. Turgot
    4. Stybar
    5. Van Summeren

  11. VSP PICKS:

    1. Fabian
    2. Vanmarcke
    3. VanAvermaet
    4. Stybar
    5. Kristoff

  13. I would love to put Van Avermaet in to win, unfortunately he seems to destined to forever be the bridesmaid and never the bride.  I am backing Pippi Longstockings simply remembering his track days and hoping he has got some of that power back.  Faboo has to be in with a shot and Crowbar is looking a little off his best I think.   Kristoff and Seppy appear to be the form picks….Saggy…well I am predicted he will get dumped in the gutter on the squeeze in to the forest…

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Vanmarke (Sep)
    2. Faboo (Spartacus to his enemies)
    3. Pippi Longstockings (Sir Brad)
    4. Crowbar (Zdenek)
    5. Pissed Off (Kristoff)

  14. VSP PICKS:

    1. Cancellara
    2. Vanmarcke
    3. Van Avermaet
    4. Geraint Thomas
    5. Boonen

  16. VSP PICKS:

    1. Cancellara
    2. Boonen
    3. Vanmarke
    4. Kristoff
    5. Van avermaet

  17. VSP PICKS:

    1. Cancellara
    2. Vanmarcke
    3. Boonen
    4. Kristoff
    5. Phinney

  18. VSP PICKS:

    1. Cancellara, F
    2. Wiggins, B
    3. Vanmarke, S
    4. Stybar, Z
    5. Kristoff, A

  19. A Tad uninspired…

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Fabian Cancellara
    2. Sep Vanmarcke
    3. Tom Boonen
    4. Alexander Kristoff
    5. Peter Sagan

  20. @boudewijn

    Bram Tanking showing us how it's done

    Bram Tankink showing how he’s going to ride some cobbles.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Cancellara
    2. Vanmarcke
    3. Boonen
    4. Terpstra
    5. Sagan

    Under the circumstances, it’s probably wise not to include him among your picks…

  21. @Gianni

    This from Fabs about his lack of love for the stones, from cyclingnews.

    It hurts a lot, especially when you’re going slow. That’s why you have to go fast and get as fast as you can off the cobbles. You have to push a lot and go through a lot of pain. You must be ready for suffering.”

    Oh baby jesus, do I dare to bet against him?

    Love it! Wasn’t his explanation of the Ronde a few years ago: “Easy up and faster?” Give him Lance’s glare, and no one else would even bother to show up at the start…

  23. Please, let it be Boonen.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Cancellara
    2. Vanmarke
    3. Boonen
    4. Terpstra
    5. Sagan

  24. VSP PICKS:

    1. Cancellara
    2. Vanmarcke
    3. Boonen
    4. Kristoff
    5. Van Avermaet

  25. I tried, I really did.  But I can’t bet against Fabs when he has developed the ability to win, even when he isn’t the strongest (see RvV 14, P-R 13).  His positioning in the finale at Flanders last week (leeward side, on Vanmarke’s shoulder as Van Avamaet led it out with Vanderarden boxed in – see what happens when you put a Ferrari up against 3 vans in a drag race).

    I think OPQ have a difficult conversation to have about Tommeke with Terpstra and Stybar looking so strong.  Kristoff, Thomas, Phinney hell – even Wiggo could be in the mix.  And Boonen is SO going to prove us all wrong.  I’m so excited.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Fab
    2. Stybar
    3. Vanmarke (tragedy)
    4. Van Avamaet
    5. Terpstra

  26. Sat down with the i pad to make my picks and switch on the TV. Flick thru the channels and find Kirk Douglas as Spartacus on ITV4! It’s a sign, how can I ignore the obvious choice? But I can’t see him winning, he’s the red hot favourite but will have the massed ranks of the Roman Empire (OPQS) watching his every move. Besides, I am so far behind in the race for the Veloforma that there’s no point in picking Faboo or any of the usual suspects.  Shit, there’s Tony Curtis!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Kristoff
    2. Vandenbergh
    3. Phinney
    4. Wiggins
    5. Van Summeren

  28. VSP PICKS:

    1. Cancellara
    2. Sep Vanmarcke
    3. Van Avermaet
    4. Boonen
    5. Kristoff

  30. I’ve got a good feeling that this could be the weekend I begin my long, slow climb out of the VSP cellar.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Boonen
    2. Fabs
    3. Vanmarcke
    4. Kristoff
    5. Degenkolb

  31. VSP PICKS:

    1. F Cancellara
    2. S Vanmarcke
    3. A Kristoff
    4. G Van Avermaet
    5. T Phinney

  32. Here is hoping Van Avermaet can finally get one over…otherwise he is officially the new Susan Lucci.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Van Avermaet
    2. Spartacus
    3. Terpstra
    4. Sagan
    5. Vanmarke

  33. Stybar will be thrown into the break a la Van Summeren for Tomke. The out come will be the same. Except the World CX Champ will be le vainqueur de 2014.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Stybar
    2. Tomke
    3. Faboo
    4. MiniPhinney
    5. Sir Wiggo

  34. VSP PICKS:

    1. cancellara
    2. Vanmarke
    3. stybar
    4. terpstra
    5. van avermart

  35. Gonna be a Belgian crapshoot, with another show of racing prowess by Fa-boo-lous. Hopefully. Fuck, I have no idea.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Spartacus
    2. Terpstra
    3. Kristoff
    4. Vanmarke
    5. Stybar

  37. VSP PICKS:

    1. Tom Boonen
    2. Fabien Cancellara
    3. Niki Terpstra
    4. Sep Vanmarke
    5. Greg Van Avermaet

  39. VSP PICKS:

    1. Vanmarke
    2. Cancellara
    3. Van Avermaet
    4. Boonen
    5. Boasson Hagen

  40. I wish to register my displeasure with the Universe that Stannard isn’t riding, given that it has to be have been his best shot at it this year.  On an unrelated note, my mate beat Stannard  on a Strava segment on Monday.    Perhaps he could be a late replacement?

  42. The Double is special, but Faboo is a special rider. I back him to deploy ‘the perfect amount of smart’ once again tomorrow.

    I know it’s asking a lot, but let’s hope the spectators play less of a part than they did last year (and last week).

    Can’t wait.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Fabian Cancellara
    2. Stijn DeVolder
    3. Bradley Wiggins
    4. Taylor Phinney
    5. Sep Vanmarcke

  44. VSP PICKS:

    1. Cancellara
    2. Vanmarcke
    3. Stybar
    4. Boonen
    5. Offredo

  45. Tough call….gut tells me Spartacus will pull it out though…

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Cancellara
    2. Boonen
    3. Vanmarcke
    4. Wiggins
    5. Phinney

  46. Would love to see the reactions from Faboo, Tommeke and Pippo if Sir Brad somehow manages to win.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Tom Boonen
    2. Sep Vanmarcke
    3. Fabian Cancellara
    4. Mathieu Ladagnous
    5. Alexander Kristoff

  47. @american psycho Thank you so much for pointing that out, very much appreciated. Note to self – read the bloody start list next time!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Fabian Cancellara
    2. Sep Vanmarcke
    3. Bradley Wiggins
    4. Taylor Phinney
    5. Niki Terpstra

  50. VSP PICKS:

    1. Cancelllara
    2. Sagan
    3. Boonen
    4. Wiggins
    5. VanAvermaet

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