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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View Comments
@frank
awesome race, this one staying on DVR Forever!
Fabooooo!
That was fucking epic. And I appear to have consumed 3 litres of Leffe.
Chapeau to Devolder, hit the deck a few times and just kept getting up.
So how do you celebrate winning your 3rd Ronde? Like this http://cyclocosm.tumblr.com/post/81887723182/no-bottle-opener-no-problem
@el gato
Any time you start asking yourself if it's acceptable to carry your laptop into the toilet with you, you know you're watching a good bike race.
@Mikael Liddy
That settles the Post-Ride Recovery Ale debate.
I think I know how VanAvermat feels... congrats @VirenqueForever!
Yikes, Sep looks gutted as Fabian swills a whole beer. Talk about the glory and the pain.
Also, Greg VA. Man, that guy has to be tired of coming up just a bit short. He's always there, he towed the huge fucker for many K's, and then he comes in second. Fuck.
Finally I manage to pick a winner! Great race; I just can't help backing Faboo for these - the man'a a machine!
@ChrisO
Agreed! I think that I am finally coming around to actually not disliking Sparty. Pure class and leading from the front. Still love Tommeke the most but I guess that they are not mutually exclusive.
Amazing. And Sep now with two podiums. Guy is for REAL (if there was ever any question).
Wow broke my sequence of getting 1 point and not by getting 0 points either! Looking forward to watching the race later from all the comments. Was out doing something of a 5 & 9 ride, mud, gravel, potholes, rain, wind AND some cobbles - well if only 300 metres. The sun was not exactly shining up this climb today. The Hovis Boy would have had some very wet bread.....
3 in top 5, again. Not one in the right position. Again.