Velominati Super Prestige

Velominati Super Prestige: Paris-Tours 2015

Paris-Tours, it’s almost the end of the road for the V-VSP. The great smoggy race in China has been switched to the Middle-East? I’m not sure that is an improvement but as usual, we were not consulted. Race where the money is.

Every year I bring up Richard Virenque winning this race. I disliked his racing style but his Paris-Tours win showed such an abundance of panache he should be dining out forever on that. The climber winning a sprinters race in a day long break with Jack Durand. Durand ran out of gas with 50 km left and Richard did not sit up, he cranked it. His desperate win, just in front of the chasing hoards, almost undid all his bullshit bravado and most unforgivable of all, his finish line victory salutes. He was riding for Domo-Farm Frites in 2001 when he won Paris-Tours, on a nice Merckx bike, on a Belgian team. It’s fitting he should give such a beautiful performance.

OK, this is the penultimate event for VSP 2015. Is the overall lost for you? Bragging rights for the off-season would be swell, just winning this final men’s VSP. Are you close to grasping a V-kit, a set of CR wheels or a Belgian frame? Good luck because picking the top five in this race requires staring at the sun. Here is the start list. A Delgado here will be noted by management.

After the Women’s Chrono des Nations on 18 October the mighty VSP generator will be powered down and steam cleaned of all residual beer. The generator is then air dried and purged with lab grade argon and sealed, its little silicon heart faintly beating, waiting for La Primavera.
[vsp_results id=”33882″/]

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93 Replies to “Velominati Super Prestige: Paris-Tours 2015”

  1. VSP PICKS:

    1. TURGOT Sébastien
    2. GALLOPIN Tony
    3. TERPSTRA Niki
    4. VAN AVERMAET Greg
    5. JEROME Vincent

  3. VSP PICKS:

    1. VAN AVERMAET Greg
    2. TERPSTRA Niki
    3. BOUHANNI Nacer
    4. VANMARCKE Sep
    5. JANSE VAN RENSBURG Reinardt

  4. VSP PICKS:

    1. Arnaud Demare
    2. Nacer Bouhanni
    3. Jens Debuscherre
    4. Niki Terpstra
    5. Gerald Ciolek

  5. VSP PICKS:

    1. BOUHANNI Nacer
    2. VAN POPPEL Danny
    3. DEMARE Arnaud
    4. TRENTIN Matteo
    5. CIOLEK Gerald

  9. Whale Oil Beef Hooked… A sprinkling of Belgians, with a Dutchman and a Frenchman thrown in for good measure.

    I’ve got to get to know more of the riders out there.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. VAN AVERMAET Greg
    2. VANMARCKE Sep
    3. GALLOPIN Tony
    4. TERPSTRA Niki
    5. PLANCKAERT Baptiste

  12. VSP PICKS:

    1. Bouhanni, Nacer
    2. Demare, Arnaud
    3. Breschel, Matti
    4. Van Avermaet, Greg
    5. Trentin, Matteo

  13. VSP PICKS:

    1. Greg Van Avermaet
    2. Nacer Bouhanni
    3. Niki Terpstra
    4. Danny Van Poppel
    5. Moreno Hofland

  14. VSP PICKS:

    1. N. Bouhanni
    2. G. Nizzolo
    3. G. Van Avermaet
    4. M. Trentin
    5. N. Terpstra

  17. VSP PICKS:

    1. Nacer Bouhanni
    2. Danny von Poppel
    3. Gerald Ciolek
    4. Arnaud Demare
    5. Matteo Trentin

  18. @chuckp

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Nacer Bouhanni
    2. Danny von Poppel
    3. Gerald Ciolek
    4. Arnaud Demare
    5. Matteo Trentin

    Assuming it’s a bunch sprint, this is like picking lottery numbers.

  20. VSP PICKS:

    1. Bouhanni
    2. Van Avermaet
    3. Debusschere
    4. Vanmarcke
    5. Demare

  21. VSP PICKS:

    1. Nacer Bouhanni
    2. Niki Terpstra
    3. Greg Van Avermaet
    4. Sam Bennett
    5. Laurent Pichon

  22. @chuckp

    Assuming it’s a bunch sprint, this is like picking lottery numbers.

    This. Although some numbers are more likely than others to grab a top five finish. After the top 1 or 2 places, every pro-continental team in the race will be racing for a good finish.

    @Steampunk

    This is the hardest ride of the year to handicap. Weather says ~18kph tailwind. Good for a breakaway?

    Yup. 33 entries last year, the winner scored 2 points and only 6 entries scored any points at all. A win by Degenkolb was the only reason anyone scored more points in 2013.

  23. @Minnesota Expat

    @chuckp

    Assuming it’s a bunch sprint, this is like picking lottery numbers.

    This. Although some numbers are more likely than others to grab a top five finish. After the top 1 or 2 places, every pro-continental team in the race will be racing for a good finish.

    I picked Bouhanni but it wouldn’t surprise me to see someone like Ciolek from MTN sneak in a win. Unless there’s a breakaway that sticks, it’s a lottery.

  24. New home. New internet service. Updated the homeowner’s policy to include Delgado insurance.

    Let’s assume the pro teams don’t allow a breakaway to go the distance, we have a sprint finish, and start with the easy picks.

    Now I need a plan for tomorrow that includes a ride, as well as moving the contents of a storage locker. Need the VMH to sign off on that plan.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Nacer Bouhanni
    2. Arnaud Demare
    3. Danny Van Poppel
    4. Greg Van Avermaet
    5. Sep Vanmarcke

  25. VSP PICKS:

    1. Nacer Bouhanni
    2. Sam Bennett
    3. Danny von Poppel
    4. Greg Van Avermaet
    5. Niki Terpstra

  26. I’ve got this feelin’…

    VSP PICKS:

    1. terpstra
    2. nizzolo
    3. demare
    4. bouhanni
    5. trentin

  27. My last ditch effort…

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Nacer Bouhanni
    2. Giacomo Nizzolo
    3. Greg Van Avermaet
    4. Matteo Trentin
    5. Arnaud Demare

  29. VSP PICKS:

    1. Nacer Bouhanni
    2. Sam Bennett
    3. Greg Van Avermaet
    4. Arnaud Démare
    5. Niki Terpstra

  31. VSP PICKS:

    1. Greg Van Avermaet
    2. Nacer Bouhanni
    3. Giacomo Nizzolo
    4. Matteo Trentin
    5. Niki Terpstra

  34. This one’s looking like a real crapshoot. No idea who’s got the legs for this one.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Giacomo Nizzolo
    2. Nacer Bouhanni
    3. Sam Bennett
    4. Arnaud Démare
    5. Greg van Avermaet

  35. VSP PICKS:

    1. Nacer Bouhanni
    2. Giacomo Nizzolo
    3. Arnaud Démare
    4. Gerald Ciolek
    5. Jens Debusschere

  39. VSP PICKS:

    1. BOUHANNI Nacer
    2. GALLOPIN Tony
    3. NIZZOLO Giacomo
    4. DEMARE Arnaud
    5. BENNETT Sam

  40. VSP PICKS:

    1. Nacer Bouhanni
    2. Jens Debusschere
    3. Arnaud Démare
    4. Giacomo Nizzolo
    5. Gianni Meersman

  43. Tempted though I am to follow @Steampunk more closely now is the time for an attack I feel…

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Nacer Bouhanni
    2. Giacomo Nizzolo
    3. Greg Van Avermaert
    4. Arnaud Demare
    5. Matteo Trenti

  44. VSP PICKS:

    1. Nacer Bouhanni
    2. Gallopin
    3. Nizzolo
    4. Van Avermaert
    5. Van Poppel

  46. VSP PICKS:

    1. Nacer Bouhanni
    2. Jens Debusschere
    3. Danny Van Poppel
    4. Greg Van Avermaet
    5. Sam Bennett

  50. VSP PICKS:

    1. BOUHANNI Nacer
    2. VAN AVERMAET Greg
    3. NIZZOLO Giacomo
    4. DEMARE Arnaud
    5. BENNETT Sam

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