Velominati Super Prestige: La Fleche Wallonne 2012

Simpson leads Gimondi and Poggiali in 1965

I just had to use this pic of Tom Simpson in 1965 wearing the Peugeot kit as the title pic for this year’s VSP for La Fleche Wallonne. Rigid hooked himself up on the Keepers Tour with the same kit he purchased at the Flanders Cycling Museum and it’s Grade A nipple lube. Although victory eluded Simpson in this Classic he still looked damn good in the kit and gave it the berries, taking third that year behind the two Italians on his wheel in the photo.

With that, the VSP returns to Belgium after a short and exciting few days in the hilly parts of Dutchland. We’re not sure yet if Brett, Rigid, or Harminator will be drinking beer and harassing the fairer sex on the slopes of the Mur de Huy but the racing promises to be no less exciting, if almost totally unpredictable. There was a lot of talk about the Spaniards getting it right for Amstel Gold. Although they had two riders in the top 10, neither was able to reach the podium. Interestingly enough, PhilGil seems to have at least put the brakes on going Gilbackwards, Billions and Billions is still tantalizingly close to getting it perfect, and little Tommy V may be timing his peak just about right for either La Fleche or L-B-L this weekend.

So put that Dutch pisswater down and settle in with some more proper Belgian beer as Ardennes classics week continues with La Fleche Wallonne. We’re steaming full speed ahead to the end of the Spring Classics in the VSP and there’s only a couple chances left to slot your picks for your favorite rouleur or puncheur as from here on out the conversation will change largely to the G.C. men in the Grand Tours. Check out the start list and watch the timer, good luck!

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221 Replies to “Velominati Super Prestige: La Fleche Wallonne 2012”

  1. This made I laugh…

    “I’m expecting a handwritten letter later today explaining that Joaquim Rodriguez’s victory was nothing to do with the Katusha team.’

    From the Twitter feed of Lionel Birnie, who I usually find rather too caustic in a boring kind of way, but credit for that one.

  2. @frank

    Please don’t dispute your picks until the results are posted, guys.

    Looking at me Frank? Sorry………. :(

  3. @The Oracle

    Cheers…no more drunken posting I swear. I am rightly embarrassed and hung over however I did laugh at the post even as I posted it and could see at least some of the typo’s but I thought..fuck it. For clarification I discovered beer a long long time ago but it was what I now know to be utter shite. Terrible thing for an Englishman to admit not knowing anything about good beer. Well it was this site that piqued my interest so I have the velominati community to thank for not only making me a more fabulous rider but also bring some culture into my life.

    I missed the race. I now have to go hill repeats on Rockstore for my penance.

  4. @gaswepass takes a three-point win over a six-way tie for second. Congrats!

    [vsp_results id=”15409″]
    [/vsp_results]

  5. @King Clydesdale

    @paolo

    What color was the bottle? Or was it served in a glass? Plenty of water this morning, maybe a ride to sweat out the hangover :) Looks like you had a good night.

    I now know it was Chimay Triple in a glass. It was rightous. 8%..like twice as strong as the piss I used to drink.

  6. Great finish. Love this race! Stoked for JRod to finally pull it out even though I had him third. LBL should be an amazing finish to the classics season. Kind of sad it’s almost over….

  7. I don’t even get a shout out for being on the podium… It’s alright. I’m gonna own this shit.

  8. @frank
    sniff, sniff. I’d like to start out with a soliloquy, no wait, I feel I must express myself in dance.Thank you to the academy, my voice coach, clamanatee, Aw, shit. Thanks guys!

  9. @Chris

    @frank and @VSP Commissar, a procedural question, where VSP picks refer to a rider who shares a surname with another rider, either riding in the race or listed on the start list, and the pick makes no reference to the riders first name or initial, should that pick be considered void?

    @frank No. 198 Vanendert, Dennis started the race with his brother No. 191 Vannedert, Jelle
    but abandoned. Move to have all unspecified Vanendert picks discounted.

    Scoring points for picking Vanendert without specifying which one would be a bit like expecting to get points for 2nd and 3rd places in last years TdF after only putting one Schleck down in your picks. Well maybe not quite the same but you get my drift.

  10. @Chris

    @Chris

    @frank and @VSP Commissar, a procedural question, where VSP picks refer to a rider who shares a surname with another rider, either riding in the race or listed on the start list, and the pick makes no reference to the riders first name or initial, should that pick be considered void?

    @frank No. 198 Vanendert, Dennis started the race with his brother No. 191 Vannedert, Jelle
    but abandoned. Move to have all unspecified Vanendert picks discounted.

    Scoring points for picking Vanendert without specifying which one would be a bit like expecting to get points for 2nd and 3rd places in last years TdF after only putting one Schleck down in your picks. Well maybe not quite the same but you get my drift.

    If you’re not specific enough and don’t specify a first name, then it is up to the Keeper doing the mapping as to (a) which name you mean and (b) whether to grant a change post-finish should you dispute it. If we think you’re trying to cheat, its also at our discretion to award you a penalty according to the Piti Principle.

    @Calmante

    I don’t even get a shout out for being on the podium… It’s alright. I’m gonna own this shit.

    Sorry about that mate, but since it was a six-way tie I would have had to list five more names aside from yours, and quite frankly, I was too busy fixing a data issue on the women’s event to try to get ahead of all the disputes that would have resulted from. Next time, if its less of a wide-tie, you’ll get your kudos.

  11. @Tartan1749

    @Netraam

    It is now snowing on the Mur.

    Andy is attacking?! Must be snowing in hell, too.

    Shit! What a great post lost in the mix! (yeah, I’m done with that no swearing bullshit, limited me to half my vocabulary)

  12. Nobody puts Baby in the corner, but Frank puts Chappy McPappystackings in the basement!

  13. Woah, I’m just now discovering there is more Vanendert than just Jelle around. Good to know for future VSPs!

  14. @Ron

    Woah, I’m just now discovering there is more Vanendert than just Jelle around. Good to know for future VSPs!

    Brother Gilbert just signed a pro-conti contract with willems verrandas-accent

  15. Good to know, BC! Seems the best bet is just to use a first & last name, which I’ll be doing starting Sunday.

    Just saw a photo of Dirk Bellemakers. What a great name! Kind of like a Boilermaker (a tough/gross drink), but far cooler!

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