Velominati Super Prestige: VVomen’s Ronde van Vlaanderen 2014
Vlaanderen. Its no accident the Flemish word for Flanders starts with a V; there is nothing simple or easy about riding a bike here. If it isn’t wind, its steep bergs. If it isn’t tarmac, its cobbles. Most of the time, its all three. Oh, and the weather there sucks. In fact, Flanders doesn’t have weather – it has VVeather.
De Ronde and Roubaix are the hardest races of the year, and the natural inclination is to assume de Ronde might be the harder of the two due to the combination of cobbles and steep roads. But the cobbles in Belgium are flatter and better laid than those of Roubaix, and the climbs are short enough that you can hide on them. I say you can hide here, but there really isn’t any hiding on cobbles – what I mean is that you can drift through the groups and stay in contact even if you’re a little bit behind your form. I think that’s the secret to the men doing the double – hiding here while still looking for the last 1% of form – then then peaking for Roubaix.
But who gives a flying fuck about the Men? We’re here to talk about the women, who get to race this course a few hours earlier in the day. Elizabeth Armistead knows how to ride a bike, and she’s been winning or getting second places all season long. For her efforts, she’s racing in the World Cup leader’s jersey on Sunday. Lizzy is a waify little thing and I have my doubts she can put up the power you need on a course as demanding as this, but when you’ve got the form you can make anything happen. I’m also putting my money on a timely Evie Stevens performance. But no one can deny Vos will try to repeat after taking the win last year.
The points from the VVomen’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 oh-so-sexy Lioness of Flanders badge. So check the start list, 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:
- First place overall wins a Veloforma Strada iR Velominati Edition frame in addition to the customary VSP winner’s VVorkshop Apron
- Second place overall wins a set of hand built CR Wheelworks Arenberg wheelset in a custom Velominati paint scheme laced to orange Chris King hubs. (CR Wheelworks is Café Roubaix’s new wheel goods brand.)
- Third place overall wins a full Velominati V-Kit with accompanying custom orange Bont Vaypor+ road shoes.
Good luck, have fun with it, and don’t lose your Rule #43 spirit.
[vsp_results id=”29423″/]
Shakes magic 8 ball…
“Really, didn’t I just tell you to ask tomorrow a moment ago.”
But this is for the women. “Oh, well in that case, here you go…”
VSP PICKS:
1. Armistead
2. Johannson
3. Van der Breggen
4. Van Dijk
5. Longo Borghini
.
VSP PICKS:
1. Armistead
2. Johansson
3. Van Dijk
4. Longo Borghini
5. Annemiek Van Vleuten
VSP PICKS:
1. Emma Johansson
2. Elizabeth Armitstead
3. Elisa Longo Borgini
4. Ellen Van Dijk
5. Anna Van der Breggen
Traveling this week, I logged in and was happy to see the VSP open for the Ronde. Made my picks, was thrilled to be first picks made, rather than Delgado-ing. Come to find out Vos isn’t starting. sigh.
So, shuffle and redo.
VSP PICKS:
1. Van Dijk, Ellen
2. Stevens, Evelyn
3. Johansson, Emma
4. Longo Borghini, Elisa
5. De Vries, Marijn
I don’t know how Lizzie’s going to do it, but she will, and it’ll be a race for the ages. Trust me.
VSP PICKS:
1. Armitstead
2. Vos
3. Stevens
4. Johansson
5. Van Dijk
The tea leaves say…
VSP PICKS:
1. lizzie armistead
2. Amy Pieters
3. Ellen van Dijk
4. Emma Johansson
5. Anna van der Breggen
Total crapshoot, but here’s hoping.
VSP PICKS:
1. Emma Johansson
2. Eleonora Van Dijk
3. Lucinda Brand
4. Loes Gunnewijk
5. Elizabeth Armitstead
Vos out? Then Wild is in.
VSP PICKS:
1. VanDijk
2. EVie SteVie
3. VVild
4. JoVhansson
5. Van Vleuten
Damn, it is fun to watch these tough, stylish women. I’m sorry, I’m a pig…but women is Lycra is far cooler than dudes. And I like watching dudes in Lycra race bikes.
So what does that tell you?
VSP PICKS:
1. johannson
2. van Dijk
3. Armitstead
4. Stevens
5. (lam)borghini
VSP PICKS:
1. Emma Johannson
2. Ellen VanDijk
3. Liz Armitstead
4. Elisa Longo Borghini
5. Tiffany Cromwell
VSP PICKS:
1. Armistead
2. Johanson
3. Van der Breggen
4. Van Dijk
5. Stevens
VSP PICKS:
1. Armistead
2. Johanson
3. Van Dijk
4. Stevens
5. Vos
Gotta like the cobbles. And the narrow climbs.
VSP PICKS:
1. johannson
2. van Dijk
3. Armitstead
4. van vleuten
5. (lam)borghini
VSP PICKS:
1. Van DIjk
2. Vos
3. Johannson
4. Armistead
5. Stevens
VSP PICKS:
1. Lucinda Brand
2. Eleonora Van Dijk
3. Emma Johansson
4. Llz Armitstead
5. Evie Stevens
VSP PICKS:
1. Armitstead
2. Johansson
3. Van Dijk
4. Van Vleuten
5. Wild
VSP PICKS:
1. Johannson
2. Van Dijk
3. Bronzini
4. Stevens
5. Van Der Breggen
VSP PICKS:
1. Armistead Day
2. Russell’s Sister
3. Heinrich’s Sister
4. Fahlin for you
5. Brussell’s Spratt
Guess this will be streaming live, right? Oh well.
VSP PICKS:
1. JOHANSSON Emma
2. VAN DER BREGGEN Anna
3. ARMITSTEAD Elisabeth
4. AMIALIUSIK Alena
5. TUCKER HALL Lauren
Speaking of throwing things – this is my random and uneducated pick. I just like the Netherlands, and a bit of Sweden.
Also, much better than Delgadoing like I did last week.
VSP PICKS:
1. Kirsten Wild
2. Ellen Van Dijk
3. Emma Johannson
4. Lucinda Brand
5. Anna Van Der Breggen
Speaking of throwing things – this is my random and uneducated pick. I just like the Netherlands, and a bit of Sweden.
Also, much better than Delgadoing like I did last week.
VSP PICKS:
1. borghini
2. johanssen
3. armistead
4. van dijk
5. stevens
tough set
VSP PICKS:
1. Becker
2. Stevens
3. Armistead
4. Brand
5. Wild
VSP PICKS:
1. vvos
2. armistead
3. van dijk
4. johannson
5. stevens
VSP PICKS:
1. wilde
2. johannson
3. stevens
4. brand
5. armistead
Go the girls
VSP PICKS:
1. Johnasson
2. Stevens
3. Armistead
4. Van dijik
5. Wild
VSP PICKS:
1. Amialiusik
2. Van Der Breggen
3. Johansson
4. Van Dijk
5. Armitstead
VSP PICKS:
1. Armistead
2. Wilde
3. Johansson
4. Borghini
5. Stevens
VSP PICKS:
1. Emma Johannson
2. Borgini
3. Olds
4. Armistead
5. Van Dijk
.
VSP PICKS:
1. emma johansson
2. armitstead
3. stevens
4. van dijk
5. wild
VSP PICKS:
1. Johanssen
2. Armistead
3. Van dijk
4. Longho borghini
5. Van vleuten
Look out, this race should be a cracker. I wrote we see some coverage.
VSP PICKS:
1. Ellen Van Dijk
2. Emma Johansson
3. Elizabeth Armitstead
4. Kirsten Wild
5. Tiffany Cromwell
VSP PICKS:
1. vos
2. van dijl
3. cromwell
4. johanssen
5. borghini
1. Van Dijk
2. Armitstead
3. Johansson
@Steampunk Elisa Longo B. in 4th. I can’t find 5th, yet
Van Vleuten in 5th
3 out of 5 picked but in the wrong order. So long Pink Lion of Flanders, I hardly knew ya.
@xyxax thanks
@Buck Rogers
5/5, but only third and fifth in the right spots…
So close. Had all top five, just had Johanssen and Van dijk flipped.
Ha ha, hadn’t even noticed Vos wasn’t racing; what a twat. Still, the top 3 were in my picks, so no bagel at least.
Nice work by @Tom MC on scoring 19 points. I’ve seen people walk away from Grand Tours with less points than that!
Thanks @frank. This couldn’t have come at a better time – my brother was admitted to hospital in a critical condition with spinal injuries after an accident in an AFL game on the weekend, so this is a very welcome distraction.
Tom, best wishes to your brother and your family.
How is that I’m better, considerably better, at this than I am with the men’s racing?
@Tom Mc likewise as per @seemunkee best wishes to your brother and your family.
@frank
So looks like I’ve peaked for the season then.
Fuck me. I finally pick Vos in a panic and she is not even racing. That’s it, she is off the team.
I came 4th?! Wow, there is a lot to be said for the “close eyes and point at the start list” school of picking winners.
@Gianni
Yeah…(until the 23rd when she’s back in La Flèche Wallonne Féminine.)