I’m quite upset about it, actually, all this racing that’s been going on in perfectly good weather. Vlaanderen, dry. Roubaix, dry. We were nearly guaranteed shit weather with the Olympics in London, but even then, only the women got to get all Rule #9 on our asses – and only for one race. Damnit, I want Epic, and if we keep insisting on riders getting off the juice, all the Epic is going to have to come from other places like pouring rain and freezing cold.
Its a good thing, then, that Valkenburg was picked for the Worlds, because that almost guarantees bad weather. Last time it hosted the race the weather was complete crap. Its also just hilly enough that I think any of those sprinters who are pretending like they’re going to finish at the front are huffing too much DuMonde Tech. Boonen might be able to hang with the leaders into the finish, but I’d hardly call him a sprinter anymore, now that it dawned on him that people get hurt and seasons ruined in those big bunch gallops.
My money’s on good weather though, because the weather is forecast to be good here in Seattle and assuming it will be the same halfway around the world in Dutchland seems easier than looking up the local forecast.
You know the drill, picks close at 5am on Sunday in Pacific time, and if you can’t figure out what that means, just put your picks in before the countdown timer goes to zero. Also note that the spam filter is feeling a bit peckish these days and has a tendency to gobble up people’s VSP Picks; don’t be alarmed, your picks are getting into the system nevertheless and The Keepers are monitoring the queue for posts to approve everyone to disagree with.
Good luck.
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@VeloVita Ah, I should have guessed/known that Boonen was the current Belgian champ. Yeah, I've thought about trying some inserts and even swapped some yellow/green Insoles from another pair of my shoes but didn't help. The dumb thing is that I have some Sidi Geniuses that are great but went for some Ergo 2s due to flashy looks...and now I have sore feet when I wear them. I keep on hoping they finally break in or feel good but it's been awhile since I picked them up and still not quite right.
@Ron
If you haven't already, a cleat fitting at a reputable LBS may be beneficial. Mine initially fit me the specialized inserts with wedges underneath, but when I discovered, several rides later, that there just wasn't enough volume in my shoe to accommodate then, the fitter set me up with the wedges that mount to the sole, under the cleat. That helped, but still didn't give the arch support I needed, hence the Walkfit inserts. Of course, it may just be that the Sidi last isn't right for you and a fitting won't help - I looked at a pair of the Genius 5s, but I wasn't keen on the narrow toe. It didn't seem to matter what size or width I went for, they just didn't suit me, despite my lust for the white vernice. My understanding is that DMT fits similarly. I ended up with a pair of Diadoras with the R+ last (which is a little wider), with blue Specialized insoles that take up the extra volume. I still wear my Northwave's because they've got a carbon sole so they're a little stiffer, they look better and match my bike and kit, but if I'm being honest the Diadoras are lighter and fit better.
@Tartan1749 I loved my Mavic shoes too. But I did find a better life in Giro Factor shoes. I do still ride with Mavic pedals, which is where the love began in the first place. Mavic...
@wiscot
Er...same here, swapped Valverde out for Teejay at last moment - doh!
@minion
Ha! I pretty much never, ever go into any bike chats at this point, unless I feel like I've used up my maximum number of questions per week 'round here...I'll check news sites, but very rarely forums. This place has simplified my life! And made it much more awesome.
I'm in the new helmet market & all the white helmets in the race on Sunday (likely to match national kits) have me up in the air on the decision. Already have a black one that has plenty of life. Black is simple, but two nice ones might be unnecessary. That leaves me with silver or white. White sometimes seems too plain. But, it can look simple. Hmm.
Was Phil's helmet white or silver? Hard to tell, looked white but post-race from the side it looked mostly silver with white sides/back.
I was unsure which T shirt to wear on Monday Queen or King!