Velominati Super Prestige: Amstel Gold 2013

Philippe_Gilbert
He earned those stripes around Limburg.

Yes it is a race named after a barely drinkable Dutch beer. I have enjoyed Amstel beer, brought to our table by a nice waitress, sitting outside in the Dutch spring. Atmosphere is everything. Do the Dutch brew awesome beer? I drank some good stuff in Amsterdam last spring but I’m pretty sure it was Belgian.

Now we begin the Ardennes three race-fest of Amstel, La Fléche Wallone and LBL. Peter Sagan has been resting up, Phil Gil is looking for his 2011 form (or his cortisone), Andy Schleck is suiting up for da ‘Shack. The big Spring Classic boys have moved on to the couch. They are not welcome here. Riding up to the start line now are the tough riders who can climb and climb again. Power to weight ratios must be honed to the razor’s edge to win these Ardennes races. Cancellara has talked of losing weight to be competitive in Liége-Bastogne-Liége. Just winning Ronde van Vlaanderen does not qualify you to win in the Ardennes races. Unless your first name was Edddy and last name Merckx.

Enjoy the start list. The betting window is open. Do not let Pedro Delgado sit on your couch.

[vsp_results id=”23072″/]

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191 Replies to “Velominati Super Prestige: Amstel Gold 2013”

  1. Cunego & Ryder to make a pre-Giro form posturing appearance too.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Gilbert
    3. Valverde
    4. Terpstra
    5. Vam Avermaet

  2. I’m either gonna get all the points or none. Prolly the latter.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Van Avermaet
    3. Giblets
    4. Voeckler
    5. Visconti

  3. I really want to see Niki Terpstra live up to the hype.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Gilbert
    3. Niki T
    4. Roman K
    5. Dekker

  4. VSP PICKS:

    1. Philip Gilbert
    2. Simon Gerrans
    3. Damiano Cunego
    4. Peter Sagan
    5. Ryder Hesjedal

  5. Imagining that Gilbert will have a hot fire under his ass, especially with this finish.  And whatever else would be required to beat Sagan to the line.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Gilbert
    2. Sagan
    3. Van Avermaet
    4. Gerrans
    5. Voeckler

  6. VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Gilbert
    3. Gerrans
    4. Sergio Henao Montoya
    5. BOOM

  7. Guesswork rules again. Brain currently too fried to think after some hard, hilly Mallorcan miles. Fuck me that hurt.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Terpstra
    3. J-Rod
    4. Boom
    5. Valverde

  8. VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Gilbert
    3. Valverde
    4. Gerrans
    5. Rodriguez

  9. Going with the idea that Giblets has a rocket up his arse after Sagan pinched the win at La Flèche Brabançonne (ha ha, see what I did there ?…)

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Giblets
    2. Pincher Sagan
    3. Gerro Gerrans
    4. Van ‘av ‘er mate
    5. Grinner Voeckler

  10. Was there ever a ‘normal’, ‘regular’, or ‘average’ prestige? Or were they always of the super variety?

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Ryder Hesjedal
    2. Gilbert
    3. Sagan
    4. Faboo
    5. Voeckler

  11. @TBONE I assume it is an homage to the Pernod Super Prestige, which was like a World Cup for the rider with the most points over a season in the 60s and 70s I think.

  12. VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Gilbert
    3. Valverde
    4. Voeckler
    5. Van Avermaet

  13. Come on Phast Fill!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Gilbert
    2. Bouhanni
    3. Sagan
    4. Boason Hagan
    5. Moser

  14. Since there are five Canadians in the race…

    VSP PICKS:

    1. D. Rollin
    2. F. Parisien
    3. R. Hesjedal
    4. C. Meier
    5. W. Routley

  15. VSP PICKS:

    1. Peter Sagan
    2. Simon Gerrans
    3. A. Valverde
    4. P. Gilbert
    5. J. Rodriguez

  16. That extra K at the top of the Cauberg will sort the grimps from the chimps.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Boss Hogg
    3. Giblets
    4. Terpstra
    5. Gerrans

  17. True to my word I am excluding sky who’s wheels appear to have come off their spring classics train.  Saggy looks like a machine…van avermat has been awesomely consistent terpstra is looking strong.  Aside from his diabolical tactical nouse, jrod loves the cauberg and I read somewhere that dan Martin fancied this one so why not give him a chance…let’s just see…

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Saganster
    2. Terpstra
    3. Van avermart
    4. Dan martin
    5. Jrod

  18. VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Gilbert
    3. Gerrans
    4. Rodriguez
    5. Van Avermaet

  19. I want to go back to the days where Fast Phil tore everyones’ legs off up the final climb, but I think he’s just not there yet – maybe come LBL??

    VSP PICKS:

    1. J-Rod
    2. Sagan
    3. Rainbow Stripes
    4. Gerrans
    5. Urano

  20. @CanuckChuck

    Since I picked Sagan, he will not win.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Gilbert
    3. Gerrans
    4. Valverde
    5. J Rod

    Although it seems stupid to bet against Sagan, your selection is safe now that I have chosen someone else. I will continue to bet against Sagan, if only for the bragging rights when (if) he finally drops one and I pick the right guy.  Moser gets the joker’s getaway win while all the players mark each other out of contention. We haven’t seen Jelle in a while and he pulls out second. Sagan takes the small group sprint to round out the podium.

    Did I mention that Andy Schleck abandons?

  21. VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Kessiakoff
    3. Gilbert
    4. Moser
    5. Van Avermaet

  22. VSP PICKS:

    1. Sagan
    2. Gilbert
    3. Purito Rodriguez
    4. Gerrans
    5. Voeckler

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