Outside my window, its pouring rain. My bike is leaning agains the wall in my office, covered in grim and grit from the ride in, which was characterized by equal parts cold, wind, and rain. The spot in the locker room where I changed before my shower was marked by sand and mud, and when I walked to the shower, I left a trail of dirty footprints.
It doesn’t bother me one bit, however. My mind is already cast ahead to Vlaanderen and the Cobbled Classics which kick off this weekend with Omloop Het Neiuwsblad. I still want to call it Omloop Het Volk, and people more brazen than me would call it Gent-Gent and people even more stubborn than that would call it “Feburacing”. (I made that last part up.)
Most importantly, this is when we kick off the third installment of the Velominati Super Prestige. We Keepers are all about the Spring Classics in general and the Cobbled Classics in particular – going so far as to host the second annual Keepers Tour: Cobbled Classics in April. (Sign up now, by the way, as we are looking at other projects for Keepers Tour next year and there is no guarantee we’ll hold it on the cobblestones again in 2014.)
With that, we kick off the season-long 2013 Velominati Super Prestige with the first major race on the berggen and Kasseien of VVest Vlaanderen. Name your picks in the boxes below; 7 points for naming the winner correctly, 5 for second place, 4 for third, 3 for fourth, and 2 for fifth. One point for naming a rider to the top five, but getting the place wrong. Points will be amassed over the course of the season, and the winner will win a personalized Velominati Shop Apron. Full Rules and Scoring Guidelines on the VSP Main Page. Starting roster is over on CyclingNews.com. The ladies event will go up later today or first thing tomorrow.
Good luck, and Merckxspeed.
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View Comments
opening day,can't wait,cheers.
VSP PICKS:
1. Van Avermaet
2. Terpstra
3. Fletcha
4. Rollin
5. Vanmarcke
It's Good to be Back. The Mighty Thor is also glad to be back.
VSP PICKS:
1. Thor Hushovd
2. S. Vanmarcke
3. G. Van Avermaet
4. Boss Hagen
5. Z. Stybar
VSP PICKS:
1. Tom Boonen
2. Thor Hushovd
3. Edvald Boasson Hagen
4. Sep Vanmarcke
5. Taylor Phinney
VSP PICKS:
1. vanmarcke
2. van summeren
3. turgot
4. chavanel
5. boasson hagen
@minion
Wow, Lance is really going all out to get around that ban, isn't he?
VSP PICKS:
1. vanmarcke
2. van summeren
3. turgot
4. chavanel
5. boasson hagen
At the request of my four year old, I am reversing my first two picks so that we can cheer for Boom tomorrow.
VSP PICKS:
1. Boom
2. Van Avermaet
3. Terpstra
4. Boasson Hagen
5. Roelandts
VSP PICKS:
1. Terpstra
2. Sep Vanmarke
3. Avermaat
4. Roelandts
5. Boasson Hagen
@Duende
Rule 11! I'll make any number of concessions to my brood in breach of this Rule, but changing VSP picks at their whim is plain wrong (unless there's a stuffed crocodile involved"”that changes everything).
VSP PICKS:
1. Boonen
2. Hushovd
3. Vanmarcke
4. Boasson Hagen
5. Dengenkolb
It's been a long hot summer in NZ, the tan lines are crisp and now the Spring Classics are on - let the V times roll!
VSP PICKS:
1. Boonen
2. Vanmarcke
3. Nukes Nuyens
4. Boss Hogg
5. Flecha