Velominati Super Prestige

Velominati Super Prestige: Gent-Wevelgem 2012

Tom Steels takes his second G-W victory in 1999

Gent conjures up images of the quintessential Flemish city. Age-old medieval architecture rising from the river’s edge is classically Belgian. Gent is also firmly tied to Belgium’s greatest gift to the world, cycling tradition. Many a pro-expat cyclist has relocated to Gent with the hope of testing their mettle in the seat of cycling’s soul. Brad Wiggins and Tyler Farrar are two current stars who come to mind who emigrated to Gent. It is where Wouter Wylant hailed from and I believe it’s where Andrei Tmchil calls home. Wevelgem, while I’m sure a very fine place, boasts only an old German airport constructed in WW1 and a pair of Miss Belgiums (2007 and 2011). But the countryside in between is the ideal place to hold one of cycling’s classics, Gent-Wevelgem.

Some may see it as a semi-classic. That argument held more water when the race was placed in between The Ronde Van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix in April. Now that it’s been given it’s own weekend on the calendar leading up to Cycling Week, I think it’s fair to say that, while not a Monument, it deserves full classic status. Just look at the list of winners – Van Looy, Merckx, Van Springel, Godefroot, Maertens, Steels, and Boonen. And those are just a smattering of the Belgians. Throw in a few Cipollinis, Mosers, Kellys, and Hinaults and the winners list is a who’s who of hardmen.

That is all well and good but what is really getting me excited about Gent-Wevelgem this year is the Kemmelberg. The Kemmelberg factors virtually every year in the race but what’s different for me this year is the Keepers Tour is staying in Kemmel, very near the fabled climb. I imagine striking out on a morning ride just days after the race to have a go at the climb myself with the other blokes on the tour. I just hope I don’t have to unclip and walk up the damn thing and thank Merckx I don’t have to do it twice if I don’t want to (The racers will complete the climb twice).

There is no such thing as a VSP that is easy to forecast but this one can be particularly tricky. It’s usually one for the sprinters but rather than ending in a bunch gallop it often ends with a sprint from a small selection of riders who make it over the Kemmelberg intact. What does this mean for Mark Cavendish after his dismal day last weekend? Additionally, riding a bloc in this race could risk a premature peak for The Ronde the following week. In which case, maybe you look to guys like Sagan, Haussler, and EBH who are strong and likely to factor in the Monuments but may (and have) lay it all out for a day of Flandrian glory as they plot their up-and-comer status.

Here’s some great footage of the Kemmelberg and many of the other climbs being contested in 2010. It’s all good but if you want to skip to the Kemmelberg it’s featured at 7:30.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvaghC3Qhzg[/youtube]

There are many dudes who seem to be going well right now so get your picks in before 5am PST. Here’s the challenge – think for yourself this time, don’t follow the herd, and you just might put yourself in position to increase your tally for the Shop Apron awarded at the end of the season. Start list here.

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329 Replies to “Velominati Super Prestige: Gent-Wevelgem 2012”

  1. Boonen for the win, just have a feeling about him this year, and he looks like he means business. The rest are just people i fancy to be there of thereabouts

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Boonen
    2. Farrar
    3. Cancellara
    4. Van Avermeat
    5. Flecha

  2. @Chris

    @Jarvis
    Of course I might be completely wrong having not read everything that’s been said. From an excerpt of an itnerview with Cycling Weekly at last month’s Tour of Oman.

    What is Millar’s own view? “As far as I’m concerned, I’m not going,” “If anything changes, then I’d have to have a total rethink.”

    Whether that means he’s not interested or he’s just put it out of his mind because he can’t have any bearing on the outcome might be open to debate.

    What it means Chris is he is banned from competeing. Not by the Olympic comittee but by the people who run British cycling. By their own rules any doping cheat is banned “Sine Die”. ( I do loves me some latin in the morning) The only thing that could change is for them to change their minds which Cav has expressed a wish that they do so and Wiggo believes that they should not. I doubt they will.

    Of course he could still peak for the Olympics. Just won’t be competing.

  3. Ah..missed your other post…apologies. I reckon if it’s found to be illegal he still might not because of all the unwanted media attention ( of a negative kind) from the uk tabloid hacks…personally the more help for Cav the better I think.

  4. @ron – I wish I could find the damn link, but apparently race organizers had a naked podium girl on the poster. (Tasteful, but naked). Some people were offended, so they decided to have a little joke with this year’s poster. She’s the podium girl.

  5. @Ron

    Um…who was the grandma in the sash & the wacky dress kissing Boonen on the podium?

    There was also a dude in the back with descending tint shades who looked like a hitman.

    My Flemish isn’t so good.

    Nice win though for TB. Oscar was darn close there.

    Apparently she is called Germaine and is a “local celebrity”. For what, is unclear.
    Personally, I think it’s Pat McQuid in drag. Judge for yourselves:

    http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/videozone/MG_sportnieuws/MG_wielrennen/1.1253548

  10. Warning: none of these picks will place. The cycling gods will punish me for lying in bed posting VSP picks instead of enduring the wind and rain and Brett’s company…

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Tommeke
    2. Hog Boss
    3. Cornfed
    4. Gilbert the Crocodile
    5. Spartacus

  11. @Nosyt

    BTW, Boonen looking very strong driving the chase group w/ 35k to go today. Meanwhile, Cancellara absolutely CRACKED and might as well be riding in reverse.

    Word has it that he flatted then crashed into a spectator, nt cracked. But I did not see it myself. Loving Tomeke’s season so far!!!

  15. Sprinters? Attack group? Sprinters…, nope, attack group uh maybe both…neither….fack!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Cav
    2. Greipel
    3. Degenkolb
    4. Boonen
    5. Motorcus

  16. VSP PICKS:

    1. Cavendish
    2. Boonen
    3. Cacnellara
    4. Pozzato
    5. Bennati

  17. VSP PICKS:

    1. Cavendish
    2. Boonen
    3. Cancellara
    4. Pozzato
    5. Bennati

  19. I know I’m getting a little ahead of myself here, but does anyone know if the Paris Roubaix is shown on a cable channel here in the US, and if so, which one?

    I will be at my aunt’s house for Easter, and plan on taking over their den to view the race.

  20. 4 make it away for the finale. Friere mops up winning the sprint for 5th.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. tommeke
    2. gilbert
    3. faboo
    4. flecha
    5. freire

  21. VSP PICKS:

    1. Boonen
    2. Bennati
    3. Breshel
    4. Peter Sagen
    5. Degenkolb

  23. @mcsqueak
    Go to steephill.tv Plenty of options there for watching live coverage. Hopefully your aunt has internet, otherwise you might be SOL.

  24. @mcsqueak

    It’s on NBC Sports mate, what used to be Versus. I believe it’s on live at least in part in the early am and then highlights later.

    In other news I am very excited. this weekend I am gonna buy a Sony Blu Ray with the Goolge TV feature. ($250..bestbuy) It’s hdmi and wifi so all i gots to do is plug it in where the old dvd is and put in the router code and I’m golden. I’ll have all the Belgian and Italin feeds from steephill and cyclingfans web sites live and in 50ins of glorius hi def. No more lap top viewing. Oh I gots to up my internet speed from 6 MBps to 18 but that’s just $10 extra a month.!! yip yip. I’ve been living in the dark ages….

  25. @wiscot @paolo

    Thanks, yeah I’ve watched feeds on steephill before, but I no longer have cable TV and I couldn’t remember what Versus had been turned into.

    My aunt has a huuuge flatscreen with the mega cable package, so I was hoping to just be able to flip on the TV and watch it, but with the sad state of cycling on TV here, who knows.

  27. @paolo

    the Miller thing. It is a British Olympic Association (BOA) ban, not a British Cycling (BC) ban. The BOA have a by-law that states that anyone convicted of a doping offence is not available for selection for the Olympics. However WADA contend that this is a breach of their code – that the BOA have signed up to as it confers a second sentence on an athlete. WADA have taken this to CAS who will be delivering their ruling later in the year.

    The likelyhood is that CAS will side with WADA and Miller will be free to ride. If this is the case, BC will select him as Cavendish would want him in the team, it will be then up to Miller himself to decide if he rides or not.

  28. VSP PICKS:

    1. Boonen
    2. Bennati
    3. Boassen Hagen
    4. Freire
    5. Cancellara

  30. VSP PICKS:

    1. Degenkolb
    2. Hagen
    3. Breschel
    4. Cancellara
    5. Keukeleire

  33. Fuck it, complete change up after E3

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Tommeke
    2. Thor
    3. Faboo
    4. van Marcke
    5. Phast Phil

  34. It’s spring here, no wait more like summer and the VSP races so far have been in good weather – when are we going to get some snow on the continent?

    VSP PICKS:

    1. cancellara
    2. Boonen
    3. Flecha
    4. Hagen
    5. Boom

  36. Tough race to pick with the Spartacus and Cavendoush both going down in E3. Out all day tomorrow with Team stuff, so rather than Delgado the VSP this week, I will throw a proverbial VSP water bottle into my own front wheel and go full in with the homeboy Jimmy O.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Gilbert, P.
    2. Thor
    3. Van Avermaet
    4. Ballan, A.
    5. George Butt-Hurty

  40. Sprinters or bust

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Goss
    2. Boonen
    3. Freire
    4. Sagan
    5. Faarar

  41. I suppose I should get my picks in. Hard to bet against Tommeke here. Man, it’s nice to have him back.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Boonen
    2. EBH
    3. Max Iglinsky
    4. Ballan
    5. Sagan

  42. @Rob

    It’s spring here, no wait more like summer and the VSP races so far have been in good weather – when are we going to get some snow on the continent?

    Well, they are predicting rain in Flanders for RVV and rain in Lille for Roubaix. That would be insanely nuts awesome to have a muddy Roubaix again precisely in the year we’re out there.

    But I don’t think I’ve seen a weather forecast that was accurate more than a day or two up the road.

  44. VSP PICKS:

    1. Cavendish
    2. Boonen
    3. Gilbert
    4. Cancellara
    5. Thor

  45. VSP PICKS:

    1. Boonen
    2. THOR!
    3. Cav
    4. Gilbert
    5. Fabulous Fabian

  46. @frank
    Roubaix should always be run in the rain and therefor logic says because I could not go and I am a poor sport it will be floods of rain which means the trip will be even more epic!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. cancellara
    2. Boonen
    3. Flecha
    4. Hagen
    5. Boom

  49. VSP PICKS:

    1. Boonen
    2. Degenkolb
    3. Goss
    4. Boassen Hagen
    5. Van Avermaet

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