Velominati Super Prestige: Ronde van Vlaanderen
Ok, ok, settle down now people. Take your seats please. You’re all a little bit on edge, like some cycling Gamblers Anonymous group that’s been let out for the weekend with a pocket full of bills and the name of the nearest bookie. But in your excitement, you managed to crash our server, delaying the fix you so desperately crave.
But wait no more. You’ve warmed up on the gateway races, now it’s time for the hard stuff, as grimy, rough and unadulterated as the roads of Flanders themselves.
You see, there’s this bloke I know who knows a bloke, hangs around the Velominati bike sheds, seems to know a bit about the racing game. Reckons he’s got a sure bet for the weekend. A cert. A dead-set shoo-in. Number 1 in Race 3 of the VSP at Flanders. Fella reckons you could put your left one on it. Absolutely Faboolous or something he’s called. He’s got form (and, judging by the way he shelled the nags on last week’s card, possibly a motor). But word is there could be a late plunge on the other fella, Boom Boom Boy, so maybe a bob each way might be the way to go. I’d watch out for those not-so-roughies though, the likes of Gilbert, Devolder, Ballan and Thor will be waiting to pick up any leftover chaff and could steal away the win, leaving you as frustrated as a one-legged man at an ass-kicking contest.
So what’s it gonna be then? Take the sure thing, or the other sure thing, or throw a dart at the board and hope it sticks? It’s time to study the form guide, search the dark recesses of your soul, throw out any logic, and pencil in your picks on the ticket provided at the bottom of the comments. Whether you’re canny, savvy or just plain tinny, the coveted Obey The Rules bumper sticker is waiting. Is your bumper worthy?
The only thing for certain is that bicycle racing will be the winner on the day.
Real excited for this one. Cancellara is in the top spot but I’d love to see Tommeke or Thor take this one.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Boonen
3. Thor
4. Gilbert
5. Flecha
Throw a heap of crap at the wall and hope some of it sticks. Faboo wins unless he crashes.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellera
2. Rosseler
3. Ballan
4. Flecha
5. Boonen
I’m really hoping it’s wet and nasty – I don’t want people to get hurt, but it’s better to watch (from home) when it’s as tough as it can be. And since there’s no point picking all the same guys as everybody else, I’ve chucked a couple of outsiders in there – here’s hoping!
VSP PICKS:
1. Mr 520W battery
2. G-wagon Avermaet
3. Aussie Heinrich
4. The Boom Boom Tornado
5. Baked’n Cooke’d
@GluteCramp
Merckx! You’re the Lanterne Rouge!!! How fucking cool is that?
Spartacus motors away from the field again leaving the remaining strongmen to sprint it out for the scraps… Boonen will have Motorcus marked and work too hard in a hopeless pursuit, leaving a fresher Thor to outkick Boonen to the white line and Sagan getting the edge on JarJar.
So pumped for the cobbles I could chew rocks!
VSP PICKS:
1. Spartacus
2. Hushovd
3. Boonen
4. Sagan
5. Gilbert
@G’phant
Guts mate, glad you’re okay. Better the bike than you (repair bill pending).
Boonen.
Because it would rule.
VSP PICKS:
1. Tommeke
2. Cancellara
3. Roly
4. Stijn
5. Ballan
Chapeau to anyone who doesn’t pick Faboo. Potential for Chavanel to do a Devolder and win while everyone watches Boonen, but Chavanel isn’t hard. And Thor will save everything for Roubaix (Paris, not Welli at this stage. But maybe if Brett sends him a special invite…).
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Boonen
3. Gilbert
4. Pozzato
5. Ballan
So many candidates and so many good riders I have left out.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Boonen
3. Hushovd
4. Ballan
5. Flecha
VSP PICKS:
1. Devolder
VSP PICKS:
1. Devolder
2. Boonen
3. Cancellara
VSP PICKS:
1. Devolder
2. Boonen
3. Cancellara
4. Gilbert
5. Ballan
VSP PICKS:
1. Faboo
2. Gilbert
3. Boonen
4. Pazzato
5. Ballan
Stuey to tag along as the group chases Cancellara and come round Boonen at the end, after Gilbert blows his load early.
VSP PICKS:
1. O’Grady
2. Boonen
3. Sylvain Chavanel
4. Cancellara
5. Gilbert
Cancellara on a lone break with Devolder and Flecha desperately trying to escape Thor and Tommeke.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Boonen
3. Hushovd
4. Devolder
5. Flecha
Wait, Kroon is going for gold as well. While everyone is watching Cancellara, he could make a run for it. But I think he’ll be passed by at least some of the favourites a couple of kilometers before the line.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Boonen
3. Hushovd
4. Devolder
5. Kroon
@xyxax
loved that interview, all that stuff about orgasm’s is great, never thought about it quite like that before, but i think it can be taken under advisement.
Only didn’t pick Boonen cos i had to pick someone everyone else doesn’t seem to have. Really wanted to put G Thomas in there for the patriotic vote but i can’t see him being top 5, top 10 yeah, but now ive said that gonna get slapped in the face
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Gilbert
3. Ballan
4. Flecha
5. Offredo
VSP PICKS:
1. Hushovd
2. Boonen
3. Gilbert
4. Flecha
5. Devolder
Cancellara is marked by boonen and gilbert and negative racing means sky and liquigas take over the honours with Flecha getting the win in a 2 man breakaway.
It probably wont happen but i’d love it if it did!
VSP PICKS:
1. Flecha
2. Sagan
3. Cancellara
4. Boonen
5. Chavanel
There are so many strong guys right now and riders like Gusev, Flecha, Boom, Hushovd, Sagan, Ballan, M Iglinsky could all play important roles in the race. At the end of the day I think the heads of state will prevail in what Tomeke states will be a race they will make hard early. Look for lots of selections to be made…I hope I’m right but regardless I CAN”T WAIT for the action!
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Boonen
3. Gilbert
4. Haussler
5. Sylvain Chavanel
Oh and I think Roubaix will be a completely different story…
damn, my wild card of roulston is no more – he has been hit by sa car today and is crocked! Henny Haussler please stand up
VSP PICKS:
1. ballan
2. maarskant
3. hammond
4. haussler
5. stannard
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Boonen
3. Gilbert
4. Chavanel
5. Hushovd
VSP PICKS:
1. Spartacus
2. Gilbert
3. Hushovd
4. Boonen
5. Flecha
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancello
2. Tromboonen
3. Boom!
4. Ballon
5. Gilbert
Late here but feeling lucky?
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Gilbert
3. Flecha
4. Heinrich
5. Haussler
Gilbert finds a way to outfox the other heads of state.
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Boonen
3. Cancellara
4. Ballan
5. Only God Can Judge Me
Ok Offredo has disappeared from the start list so, i think i shall call upon Geraint Thomas, lad from the valleys, also i’ve decided that Gilbert will win not Spartacus, no actual reasoning just, you know
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Cancellara
3. Flecha
4. Ballan
5. Thomas
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Gilbert
3. Ballan
4. Flecha
5. Pozzato
VSP PICKS:
1. Spartacus
2. Gilbert
3. Greg Van Avermaet
4. Nuyens
5. Leukemans
Frank, I think I broke the lottery machine because my picks were so awesome. So sorry. I’m going with the all Belgian ticket after the winner. These Belgians have to man up here. Let this start my long decline in the VSP standings.
Indeed chapeau to the brave people that don’t pick Fabooo for first. They are my braver brothers. I hate a favorite but I loves Fabian so I’m conflicted.
Ok. So I missed the GW because I was away and almost forgot to put in my picks for this. Time to claw some big points back. Failing that, see some awesome V out on the Flandrian Cobbles
VSP PICKS:
1. White Line Fever
2. Spartacus
3. Gibblets
4. Thunder & Lightning
5. Big Welsh G
@Gianni
Spartacus to be ousted by an on form Boonen… I’m taking a gamble.
@Sam
Come on Valley Boy!
@Rob
Heinrich Haussler is going to be both 4th AND 5th?
Rolly not riding, so Big George’s shoe covers get one step closer to the podium.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancelarrrrrrrrarraahhh
2. Tommeke
3. H2
4. Thunderthighs
5. Freight train from Hell Hincapie
VSP PICKS:
1. Faboo
2. HEINO
3. Ballan
4. Geraint Thomas
5. Flecha
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Langeveld
3. Boonen
4. Thor
5. Ballan
VSP PICKS:
1. Faboo
2. HEINO
3. Ballan
4. Sagan
5. Flecha
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Gilbert
3. Sagan
4. Ballan
5. Leukemans
Beat me to it, but that’s about the lone way to upstage Spartacus tomorrow.
Who’m I kidding? Hincapie to beat Gilbert? Sorry, Josh, just cannot follow your wheel on that after all.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancelarrrrrrrrarraahhh
2. Tommeke
3. H2
4. Thunderthighs
5. Gil-a-bert
Have people forgotten Matt Goss is racing? can never rule out gossy!
VSP PICKS:
1. Fabs
2. Blownen
3. Gibbles
4. Pozzatoes
5. El Chavanel
Just realized no one has Heino first. Going out on a limb.
We all really know Faboo is going to slay them, right? Right. I am OK with being the Jacky Durand of the VSP.
VSP PICKS:
1. HEINO
2. Chavanel
3. Phil Gil
4. Ballan
5. Sagan
Does anyone have a link about that poor car that got hit by Hayden Roulston?
Not much of a replacement, but I’ll toss Gilbert in for him…
VSP PICKS:
1. Tommeke
2. Cancellara
3. Gilbert
4. Stijn
5. Ballan
As much as I wanted to NOT list Cancellara and Tornado Tom in the top spots I felt I’d be throwing away my vote if I did not.
C’mon! No Whammies! No Whammies!
VSP PICKS:
1. Fabian
2. Tom
3. Philippe
4. Sylvain
5. Allesandro
@ben
Heino? Since when is there a Finnish contender? There’s a few Heinos in Embarrass, where I ride a lot. That nick made me chuckle.
The chrome Lezyme floor pump has arrived and the Vittoria Pavés are ripely overinflated, as is my estimation that unoriginality will move me up the GC.
VSP PICKS:
1. Fait bien Cancellara
2. Boonen
3. Gilbert
4. Hushovd
5. Flecha
@Sam
I am taking it under advisement, but I’m pretty sure my neurons won’t be able to sustain the connection under duress.
@Cyclops
GoT? Help me out here, this logging the picks is hard enough! Farrar?