Velominati Super Prestige: Ronde van Vlaanderen 2013
Imagine a world without the little things we take for granted; a house without a roof, a pub with no beer, a Keepers Tour without any clothes. The last one is a reality for me at the moment, five days in and still no trace of where the hell between Wellington and Paris my bag (filled with V-Kit, shoes, helmet, everything) is. The other thing that has me perturbed again this trip is that there is no Muur de Grammont/Kapelmuur in the Ronde. To me, the race feels naked without it.
That won’t stop us from riding it next weekend though, and although there will be no crowds, no pros, there will still be the magical spirit of the great battles past on these hallowed stones. We’ll try and emulate The Lion and climb it in the big ring (or the 50t) while the man himself watches on, probably laughing inside, or indeed outwardly, as we succumb to the gradient and stab frantically at the left-hand shifter. Then we’ll realise just how ordinary we are and how special this hill is.
Even though the Muur is absent again this year, the 2013 Ronde is shaping up as one of the best in recent history. The battle between Faboo and Sags is well touted, but will they mark each other out of it and let an opportunist take their chance? My money’s on that scenario playing out, but if you have any sense you’ll see my VSP scores reflect a total lack of tipping nous so far this season and reject anything I predict as hogwash.
Check out the start list, grab a cold Malteni or other fine Belgian ale, slather your frites in mayo and keep your eye out for the V-Flag on the Oude Kwaremont this Sunday. Goed geluk!
[vsp_results id=”22888″/]
Good good work fellas, cheers for re-unlocking the VSP. It gives me a chance for a whole different type of disappointment to just a regular Delgado.
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Big Gee
3. Faboo
4. Chavanel
5. Boonen
.
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Cancellara
3. Chavanel
4. Stannard
5. Boonen
Cobbles- a great deal of luck needed here, but hey, lets have a go
bloody t’internet – Rule #5 !
Earn me some points, lads! Got to beat my boyfriend in the VSP.
VSP PICKS:
1. Peter Sagan
2. Fabian Cancellara
3. Sylvain Chavanel
4. Juan Antonio Flecha
5. Greg Van Avermaet
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Sagan
3. Haussler
4. Chavanel
5. Stannard
VSP PICKS:
1. Faboo
2. Peter the Great
3. Stannard
4. Tommeke
5. Chava
@frank
Telling time is harder when you are naked, right? I thought I just read that study in a journal…
VSP PICKS:
1. Peter Sagan
2. Fabian Cancellara
3. Greg Van Avermaet
4. Tom Boonen
5. Heinrich Haussler
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Cancellara
3. Chavanel
4. Thomas
5. Boonen
We pick with our head, not our heart.
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Cancellara
3. Chavanel
4. Boonen
5. Thomas
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Thomas
3. Stannard
4. Cancellara
5. Chavanel
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Cancellara
3. Chavenel
4. G. Thomas
5. Paolini
VSP PICKS:
1. Chavenel
2. Cancellara
3. Sagan
4. Boasson Hagen
5. Boom
VSP PICKS:
1. Chavenel
2. Van Avermaert
3. Boss Hog
4. Cancellara
5. Boonen
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Sagan
3. Boonen
4. Chavanel
5. Van Avermaet
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Cancellara
3. Boonen
4. FARRAR
5. CHAVANEL
Big Tom and Peter the Great isn’t going to let Faboo get away on a winning break with 30km to go. They’ll all ride away from the bunch on the 2nd Oude Kwaremont and then the ole boys will drop the youngin’ on the last time up the Paterberg. Boonen will out sprint and break Faboo for an easy, sit-up finish.
VSP PICKS:
1. Big Tom Boonen
2. Cancellara
3. Sagan
4. Chavanel
5. ROELANDTS
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Cancellara
3. Chavanel
4. Geraint Thomas
5. Haussler
Repeat!
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Chavanel
3. Cancellara
4. Boonen
5. Gilbert
.
VSP PICKS:
1. Fabman
2. Boonman
3. Bossman
4. Chavman
5. Kingman
Last minute changes
VSP PICKS:
1. Faboo
2. Sylvain Chavanel
3. Sagan
4. VanSummeren
5. Pozzato
Seems to be working again :)
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Thomas
3. Haussler
4. Chavanel
5. Oss
VSP PICKS:
1. boonen
2. sagen
3. fab
4. chavanel
5. pozzato
Going for the breakaway.
VSP PICKS:
1. Chavanel
2. Cancellara
3. Sagan
4. Thomas
5. Haussler
You have all been smoking something odd. Like academically odd.
Cancellara will carry Boonen over the last berg and drop Peter at the same time. Followed by Chav winning the chase group sprint. Tommy V will solo for 143km then get swallowed by everybody like Jonah on a fishing trip.
VSP PICKS:
1. Faboo
2. Dirty Boonen Love
3. Sagan
4. Some guy named Chav
5. Tommy V
VSP PICKS:
1. Chavanel
2. Sagan
3. Cancellara
4. Haussler
5. Gilbert
VSP PICKS:
1. Chavanel
2. Sagan
3. Cancellara
4. Haussler
5. Hushovd
too many variables in this game….thats what make it so good.
VSP PICKS:
1. Faboo!
2. RunPeterRun
3. GThomas
4. ChavEnel, S
5. Nuyens
Some minor rearrangement of my picks
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellera
2. Sagan
3. Chavanel
4. Boonen
5. Van Avermaet
Fab drops everyone except Saggy on the penultimate climb. The tattered remnants of the bunch get close but not close enough to contest the final with the ageless Paolini nipping Chava at the line and a haggard Stannard rounding out the top five. Tommeke’s crap luck continues with an untimely puncture. C’est la VSP.
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Cancellara
3. Paolini
4. Chavanel
5. Stannard
Yup. That Stannard kid has some V, eh.
VSP PICKS:
1. Fab
2. Sylv Chav
3. Gerraint Thom
4. Haussler
5. Sagan
VSP PICKS:
1. Faboo
2. Sagan
3. Chava
4. Haussler
5. Tornado Tom
Boonen is saving himself for next week. Fabs wins going away again. It’s all he knows.
VSP PICKS:
1. cancellara
2. chavanel
3. sagan
4. thomas
5. langeveld
Aaaaaaaggghh! Delgadoooooeedddd..,,
Damn, damn, damn.
Spartacus will win. Not that that will do me any good. Sigh…
Boonen out already!
Ack! My feed keeps breaking up. Farts!
Griepel impressive up the Koppenberg in the break!
No Eurosport in this hotel Fawk…… I guess it’s ticker time!
Who is the Vacansoleil in the break with Greipel? Looks like frank levels of seatpost.
There was the Velominati flag on the second ascent of the Oude Kwaremont. Same spot as last year, but looks like Frank decided to mount it to the barrier. Good call, since I’m sure William is cursing the rapidly dwindling supply of Malteni – “Fur fook sake, slow down the fookin’ drinkin’! Fook!”.
Gotta say I would love to see wee Tommy V give it the V and get a result, I like the wee man.
@Sauterelle
I am 0 for 3 with him lately….
-Dinan
Come on Sagannnnnnnnnn! Hold that wheel!!!
@Buck Rogers
Even though I have Sparty for the win.
I think on the Paterberg Sparty will drop ’em and go it alone for the win.
Holy Smokes! There the peloton! Anyones race!
There goes Sparty!!!
Here goes Spartacus!