Velominati Super Prestige: Ronde van Vlaanderen 2012

The Keepers and Rigid rolled into a region in France called Flandres which, without doing any further research into the matter, we assume is the coloquial French term for this region of the world. If its anything like the other regions in Europe, these places have roots that extend way past any modern country’s border and situate themselves in a history long past.

They do, however, speak French with all the stubbornness that we have come to love from the French. None of us in the group speak French very well, and no one we’ve found in Lille speaks English very well. Which means we’re all communicating with arms and legs more so than with words. We’re on our way to Kemmel, which means we’ll be able to speak a bit of Flemish again.

With Keepers Tour: Cobbled Classics 2012 about to begin in earnest, we’re busy organizing ourselves and making final preparations, so we’ll have to forgo the usual insightful, hard-hitting, race insight we usually produce for the VSPs. What’s that you say? We’re usually full of shit? Ah, right. You’ll have to forgive us the usual shit, then, and take today’s flavor.

Watch the countdown timer, get your VSP picks in by Sunday morning at 5am Pacific. Winner of this VSP event will earn the right to comment all year with the Leeuw van Vlaanderen 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.

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.

View Comments

  • Tom Boonen on the verge of an amazing four piece like Gilber last year .

    E3
    Gent-Wevelgem
    Ronde van Vlaanderen
    Paris - fuck my arse - Roubaix

    Keepers i hope you all enjoyed Belgiums high mass , it's biggest wildest day , the day Boonen kicked down the door and joined the ledgends even more by winning Flanders for the third time , its a select club who can claim that feat !!!

  • @Mikael Liddy
    Looks a lot like me about 20 years ago and perfectly expressing how I'm feeling right now! Man, never have been so happy to get my VSP pick wrong! Named three of the top five but screwed up the order and could not care less!!!

  • 2012 Tour of Flanders Results Results
    1 BOONEN, Tom (OMEGA PHARMA-QUICKSTEP) 6:04:33
    2 POZZATO, Filippo (FARNESE VINI - SELLE ITALIA)
    3 BALLAN, Alessandro (BMC RACING) + 0:01
    4 VAN AVERMAET, Greg (BMC RACING) + 0:38
    5 SAGAN, Peter (LIQUIGAS-CANNONDALE)

  • Wow, what a race. Just freakin' brutal. Boonen said he didn't feel great at the beginning, but that he didn't feel any worse while everyone else was suffering at the end. Too bad about spartacus. Tough break.

  • Oh, and SHOUT OUT TO THE KEEPERS ON THE OUDE KWAREMONT!!! I was looking for you guys the whole race and saw the banner on the penultimate climb. Velominati represent!

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