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″/]
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VSP PICKS:
1. Boonen, T
2. Cancellara, F
3. Kristoff, A
4. Sagan, P
5. vanmarcke, S
Here goes...
VSP PICKS:
1. Faboo
2. Sagandouche
3. Tommeke
4. Boss Hogg
5. Kristoff
This has got to be the hardest one of the year to choose. I'd love to see Wiggo do well but this isn't a 245km ITT so I just don't see it myself. G will be in the front group and crash heavily on the final lap but will finish anyway.
Half of OPQS could win this but I'm going with Terpstra to show the field a clean pair of heels a la Spartacus.
VSP PICKS:
1. Nikki Terpstra
2. Sep Vanmarcke
3. Alexander Kristoff
4. Peter Sagan
5. Fabian Cancellara
VSP PICKS:
1. Sep Vanmarcke
2. Stijn Devolder
3. Tony Gallopin
4. Niki Terpstra
5. Luca Paolini
VSP PICKS:
1. Fabian Cancellara
2. Niki Terpstra
3. Geraint Thomas
4. Peter Sagan
5. Zdenek Stybar
@Ccos ha no, Rhodri's just my name
Started thinking about my picks last night then went to bed and had this weird dream that I was in Belgium. I was in a second hand furniture shop but somehow ended up buying a pair of rims, hubs, a handful of spokes and a spoke key. I then started to try and build the wheels which is something that I've never done before. All I was thinking was that if I could look at wheel I could probably work out what to do, but obviously in the dream there were no wheels for me to look at. So I started trying to lace the wheel up without using a truing stand but the spokes were just bending like they were made of cooked spaghetti.
Then I woke up. As far as anxiety dreams go it was a pretty good one.
Here are my picks:
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Stybar
3. Thomas G
4. Sagan
5. Terpstra
VSP PICKS:
1. Faboo
2. Degenkolb
3. Sagan
4. Boonen
5. van Avermaet
I'm pretty sure this wasn't on the Paris Roubaix routes that the Keepers Tours have covered but it take me back there instantly.
What I'd give to be heading back there this weekend for another Keepers Tour...
@Chris
That photo is breathtaking!