Velominati Super Prestige: Paris-Nice 2012
It’s right around this time of year when the little voice in my head that spurs me on in cold, wet, Rule #9 conditions starts getting overpowered by all my other personalities who at this stage are gathering stones and crowbars and getting ready to enforce their will on him regarding their preference for riding in nice, warm, sunny conditions. I feel bad for the little guy, too, since he helps me a lot in a climate like the Pacific Northwest; but truth be told, my fingers still haven’t regained their feeling from last week’s ride and I admit it would be nice to arrive home after a ride triumphant and warm instead of frozen and soaked like a wet rat.
It appears I’m not the only one ready for some warmer weather, and Paris-Nice traditionally holds a place of honor as “The Race to the Sun” for its timing is such that the race often starts in the French interior with rain (and possibly snow), and arrives on the sunny Cote d’Azur in Nice in balmy conditions.
With that we start our first stage race of the season, along with an opportunity to expose more bugs and logical faults in the VSP software. But never mind that; the same basic rules apply as do with one-day races, expect the stakes are a bit higher with 10 points for first place, 8 for second, 7 for third, 5 for fourth, and 3 for fifth plus two bonus points per rider in the top five regardless of the rider’s placing. Should the race be exciting enough to merit its inclusion, The Keepers may elect to include a bonus round on the VSP for one of the stages along the way. Watch this space for news in that arena.
Check the start list and watch the countdown timer as picks close at 5am Pacific on Sunday; up for grabs is the personalized Velominati Shop Apron to the contestent who wins the season-long competition. Check the Main VSP page for scoring guidelines and rules. Seeing as this is the first stage race, I strongly encourage you to enter your picks early, knowing that you can make changes all the way up until the VSP closes. If you notice something behaving strangely, please let us know and we’ll have time to resolve the issue.
Good luck.
Out on a limb here…
VSP PICKS:
1. Hausler
2. Cunego
3. Thomas
4. Ten Dam
5. Phinney
Please note my fellow velominati, Froom is out sick! ie not riding.
VSP PICKS:
1. Wiggins
2. Valaverde
3. Basso
4. Schleck the elder
5. Martin
Wiggins all the way!
VSP PICKS:
1. Van Garderen
2. Valverde
3. Leipheimer
4. Andy Schlek
5. Haussler
VSP PICKS:
1. Valverde
2. Köden
3. Taaramae
4. LL Sanchez
5. Bauke Mollema
VSP PICKS:
1. Valverde
2. Basso
3. Menchov
4. Wiggo
5. Voeckler
VSP PICKS:
1. Valverde
2. Vanmarcke
3. Vivani
4. Hutarovich
5. Rolland
Here’s my SWAG…
VSP PICKS:
1. Valverde
2. Leipheimer
3. Voeckler
4. LL Sanchez
5. Tony Martin
VSP PICKS:
1. Valverde
2. Wiggins
3. Leipheimer
4. Martin
5. Chavanel
VSP PICKS:
1. Tony martin
2. Wiggo
3. Kloden
4. Frank Schleck
5. Valverde
VSP PICKS:
1. Martin
2. Wiggins
3. Phinney
4. Valverde
5. Leipheimer
VSP PICKS:
1. Tony Martin
2. A Valverde
3. LL Sanchez
4. Frank Schleck
5. Wiggs
VSP PICKS:
1. Valverde
2. Wiggens
3. Frank Schleck
4. Menchov
5. Porte
VSP PICKS:
1. Grimplette
2. Valverde
3. TJ VG
4. Tommy V
5. Cunego
VSP PICKS:
1. Andy Schleck
2. Valverde
3. Voekler
4. Le Mevel
5. Wiggo
BTW, if you want warm weather riding, come to the CA Cogal this weekend! The forecast for tomorrow is 20*, and 21*+ for Sunday
C’mon, ya pansies!
VSP PICKS:
1. Valverde
2. Martin
3. Van Garderen
4. Mollema
5. De Gendt
@sgt
No flesh wounds I hope!
@Nate
No, but I am bringing the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch just in case.
VSP PICKS:
1. Wiggins
2. Schleck A
3. Valverde
4. Voeckler
5. Gerrans
VSP PICKS:
1. Frank Schleck
2. Tony Martin
3. Bradley Wiggins
4. Damiano Cunego
5. Samuel Sanchez
Let’s hope we see more of this type of derring-do during this week’s race:
Paris-Nice 1937
@sgt
Are killer rabbits indigenous to the hills above SB?
@Nate
We will be riding past a cave, so…
“Follow. But. Follow only if ye be men of valour, for the entrance to this cave is guarded by a creature so foul, so cruel that no man yet has fought with it and lived. Bones of full fifty men lie strewn about its lair. So, brave knights, if you do doubt your courage or your strength, come no further, for death awaits you all with nasty, big, pointy teeth. “
VSP PICKS:
1. Wiggins
2. Valverde
3. Rat Pack
4. Grimpelder
5. Voeckler
VSP PICKS:
1. Martin
2. Wiggins
3. Valverdez
4. Leipheimer
5. Brajkovic
VSP PICKS:
1. T5
2. Piti on principle
3. Eggtimer
4. Cam Meyer
5. I’ll never Feillu
Tomeke with the usual early form!
VSP PICKS:
1. Tomeke
2. Hassellthehoff
3. Valverdez
4. Mod father
5. Gerrans
VSP PICKS:
1. Valverde
2. Levi
3. A Schleck
4. Wiggins
5. Gerrans
VSP PICKS:
1. Tejay V.
2. T. Martin
3. Wiggo
4. Voeckler
5. Schleck, the elder
VSP PICKS:
1. levi leipheimer
2. Andreas Kloden
3. Christopher Froome
4. Bjorn Leukemans
5. TeJay Van Garderen
VSP PICKS:
1. Wiggins
2. Valverde
3. Leipheimer
4. Tony Martin
5. van Garderen
Hopelessy for Queen and Country, and as obscure as a set of cave drawings, should score nought due to decoding issues
Valverde will probably win, but I can’t vore for a non-repentant sinner
VSP PICKS:
1. Giant Tomato
2. Twiggo
3. Tea Cakes in the Garden
4. Foreign Tandem
5. Daft Sort of Yoyo
VSP PICKS:
1. Wiggo
2. Leipheimer
3. Van Garderen
4. Porte
5. Taaramae
@sgt
You can take care of dispatching anything in the vicinity that can be characterized as having a vicious streak a mile wide.
Picks:
VSP PICKS:
1. The Moddest Man in the Peleton
2. Eggtimmer
3. Hope of Tasmania
4. Taaramae
5. Mollema
VSP PICKS:
1. Valverde
2. Chavanel
3. Wiggins
4. Leipheimer
5. Tony Martin
VSP PICKS:
1. Valverde
2. Wiggins
3. Martin
4. van Garderen
5. Monfort
VSP PICKS:
1. Chav
2. The modfather
3. Ll Sanchez
4. Tommy 5
5. Bass, how low can you go
VSP PICKS:
1. Jolly Naughty Wiggo
2. T. Martin
3. Elder Frandy
4. Constant Garderen
5. Go for Voeckler
VSP PICKS:
1. Wiggins
2. Valverde
3. Menchov
4. Martin
5. Leipheimer
Two VSP picks on the go at once? I’m not sure my brain can cope with that…
VSP PICKS:
1. Wiggins
2. Martin
3. Valverde
4. Andy Schleck
5. Voeckler
VSP PICKS:
1. Tejay Van Garderen
2. Ivan Basso
3. Alejandro Valverde
4. Tony Martin
5. Nicolas Roche
VSP PICKS:
1. Leipheimer
2. Valverde
3. Martin
4. Porte
5. Voeckler
VSP PICKS:
1. Levi Leipheimer (USA)
2. Tony Martin (Ger)
3. Andréas Klöden (Ger)
4. Sep Vanmarcke (Bel
5. David Moncoutie (Fra)
Frank, the software and the Lexicon do not seem to like each other. At all.
Decided to give the nicknames a try, if any are too difficult let me know…
Everyone really likes Valverde for this one huh?
VSP PICKS:
1. Eggtimer
2. Red Wine + an E
3. They see me Rolland
4. Guard your wren
5. Wigged Out
@King Clydesdale
He showed he was good at his previous races and he was good before his suspension.
@Chappy McPappystackings
Ahhhh, The Moncout! One of my favorite riders. For some reason he reminds me of Jaja, although no where near the palmares. Loved him since I read an interview with him in Cyclesport about a year or two ago and his philosophy of riding just b/c he really just loves to ride. Sounds sincere, too. But, I’ll wait until the Vuelta for any picks with him!
@King Clydesdale
Double check Pierre Rolland, thought I saw somewhere today that he was not riding due to knee injury or something.
@Buck Rogers
Rolland wasn’t riding according to cyclingnews. Knee problems.