This needs no introduction. The Spring Classics are truly upon us. The course has been modified yet again, it is tougher? The riders make the race and the 2014 Ronde van Vlaanderen is loaded with racers who could win or make the Velominati VSP placings. Just to pick the winner will not be nearly as easy as it has been recently. There are small clouds hanging over Boonen and Cancellara, neither have had a dominant run up to this race, nor has Sagan. Boonen’s team is extremely strong, other teams would kill to have Quick Step’s plan B and plan C.
As always, the Ronde and Roubaix sort out who is the strongest. The final burn up Oude Kwaremont and the Paterburg will hopefully kill any chance for a sprint finish, but if it comes down to a sprint, it shall be awesome. As always, we shall be praying for rain on the Koppenberg and maybe a quick view of a friend drinking a Malteni on the Kwaremont. Here is a provisional start list. So do your Belgian beer shopping, make sure your counter-top frite deep fryer won’t burn down your home and then and only then, contemplate your VSP picks. If you Delgado this you may be cut off for the rest of 2014, because you suck.
The points from the Men’s RVV count towards the overall prizes plus the winner of this event also gets to post for the rest of the year in the Lion of Flanders badge. So 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 30th. 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=”29425″/]
I know as well as any of you that I've been checked out lately, kind…
Peter Sagan has undergone quite the transformation over the years; starting as a brash and…
The Women's road race has to be my favorite one-day road race after Paris-Roubaix and…
Holy fuckballs. I've never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I've missed…
This week we are currently in is the most boring week of the year. After…
I have memories of my life before Cycling, but as the years wear slowly on…
View Comments
A sideshow from such a belter of a race, is the discovery of new things
Sofa jumping brought to us by this wonderous nectar - tried a few different ones, but the Dubbel of Brutges Zot was the daddy yesterday, and laid waste to us in no uncertain fashion - feeling a bit shoddy this morning after a few of these demolished us - what a great fucking day!
http://beerplanet.eu/includes/show_beer.php?pic=../catalog/images/beers-1/104200205-BRUGSE-ZOT-DUBBEL-beer.jpg
at the third time of asking.....
Greg V-an Avermaet ! Man, he emptied the locker. I never expected the win for him, after hurting himself for so long, but he deserves a great deal of respect for that ride.
As for next weekend in P-R. I can't wait !!!
I'm wondering if people will stop insisting that Fabs must go solo in order to win? He's clearly shown that he can hold his own in the sprints. Doesn't hurt when he can clearly outsmart the competition.
@Geraint
Might have to put Devolder into my picks for next week, he'll want it for sure - provided this gets better... https://twitter.com/NicoMattan/status/452915126455517184/photo/1
A really incredible race! Cancellara out smarted them and then out muscled them to the finish. What an effort!
You want tough. Stijn devolder, three crashes, still finishes.
@Ron
Italio-Suisse creativity? Pshaw, we learned how to open a beer without an opener in freshman orientation at U of W - Madison.
@VirenqueForever
The man sporting the flandrian lion icon wants to borrow my picks? As flattered as I am, you really don't need any help from me, fella!
Devolder was well in the mix in the previous three races, particularly Gent-Wevelgem, he looks to be marked out as a danger man as he seems to get a reaction when he attacks, and yesterday just proved he's hard as nails too. He's surely due another win soon.