Velominati Super Prestige: Luik-Bastenaken-Luik 2013
There is something to love about a race that makes a deviation to its route for the simple joy of sending a fleet of professional riders up a fiendishly steep and narrow ramp. The Cote du Stockeu offers zero benefit to the route from a logistical standpoint – in fact, all it does is complicate things. On the way down from the Cote de Wanne – usually at breakneck speed – the race enters the small down of Stavelot. Just before hitting the town proper, you make a right turn and ascend a wall that does little more than become steeper as it twists it way up for 2.4km. Riding the route with Museeuw during Keepers Tour, he quietly tried to dissuade us of riding it, “You don’t need to do this for me; I’ve never enjoyed this one.”
At the top lies the monument to Merckx and his 525 victories. Upon reaching it, the route takes a sharp left turn and descends right back down to exactly the same spot from which it climbed up. This is why I love this climb so much; its just free pain for the racers – a steep climb just for the sake of making their legs hurt a bit more. Shortly thereafter, the route rolls down a few valleys and arrives at the Cote de la Redoute (The Fearsome), which signals the beginning of the finale. Its too far from the finish to make a winning move, but if you’ve got bad legs, you’ll be left behind to suffer all the way to Ans.
Amstel has been sorted, as has La Fléche. Both were won by an outsider. I don’t think the big names will let that happen again. Surely Gilbert and the Sag Wagon will have their act together this time around.
Check the start list and enter your picks in by the time the countdown clock goes to zero at midnight on Sunday morning Pacific Time. The winner of this monument will post for the next year with the LBL Winners Badge. Good luck.
[vsp_results id=”23150″/]
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Gilbert
3. Henao
4. J Rod
5. Valverde
VSP PICKS:
1. Henao
2. Nibali
3. Froome
4. Gilbert
5. Gerrans
VSP PICKS:
1. valverde
2. hesjedal
3. nibali
4. froome
5. gilbert
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Sagan
3. J Rod
4. Valverde
5. Froome
I also want to nominate Jelle Vanendert as a potential surprise. And John Gadret, because I just don’t want to give up on that ugly mofo. Likewise, I’m leaving out Purito and a stacked Garmin lineup.
Nibali seems to have killer form, although he just won Trentino. I think he’ll recover well.
If you haven’t looked. Watch Wiggo throw his bike up against a wall and leave it standing up perfectly. http://video.eurosport.se/cykel/bradley-wiggins-had-problems_vid274038/video.shtml
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Valverde
3. Contador
4. Porte
5. Pierre Rolland
Oh, and Andy abandons. Which is a bummer.
VSP PICKS:
1. NIBALI
2. VALVERDE
3. GASPARATTO
4. KREUZIGER
5. KWIATKOWSKI
VSP PICKS:
1. Valverde
2. Nibali
3. Gilbert
4. Rodriguez
5. Gerrans
VSP PICKS:
1. Valverde
2. Gilbert
3. Nibali
4. Dani Moreno
5. Kwiatkowski
VSP PICKS:
1. Froome
2. Valverde
3. Gilbert
4. NIbali
5. Rodriguez
VSP PICKS:
1. Valverde
2. De Gendt
3. Costa
4. Henao
5. Gilbert
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Rodriquez
3. Henao
4. Froome
5. Gilbert
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Kwiatowski
3. D. Martin
4. Ryder
5. Nibali
I reserve the right to modify my picks in case any news surfaces that Andy might not be in the form of his life.
VSP PICKS:
1. Andy Schleck
2. Andy Schleck
3. Andy Schleck
4. Andy Schleck
5. Andy Schleck
But who really knows?
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. D Martin
3. Gerrans
4. Iglinskiy
5. J Rodriguez
Got to keep faith with Phil the G and his amazing technicolour action..
Bertie might be a bit too far from peaking on the vegan diet but could be dangerous.
Ryder Whosyerdaddy to go at it too soon and fade in the clinches.
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Bertie
3. Dan Martin
4. J Rod
5. Ryder H
I would talk trash, but when all your previous picks have gone straight to the dumpster you start to realize it’s not talk, it’s a way of life.
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Valverde
3. S. Sanchez
4. Cunego
5. Froome
VSP PICKS:
1. Valverde
2. NIbbles
3. Froome
4. PhilGil
5. Kreuzinger
VSP PICKS:
1. Phillippe Gilbert
2. Simon Gerrans
3. Maxim Iglinskiy
4. Carlos Bettancur
5. Alejandro Valverde
Shit, who knows. At least with the ladies you can stick Vos, Johanson and Borghini in for some points. Fucking lottery.
Just been watching the Tro Bo Leon. Mental name for a mental race. They don’t even bother with cobbled secteurs to make it tricky, it’s full on cow shit and mud farm tracks. And it’s far from flat. And it’s by the coast so it’s tad windy at this time of year.
Quite fancy riding it.
Some great photos by Jared Gruber here
VSP PICKS:
1. J Rod
2. Henao
3. Valverde
4. Martin
5. Moreno
The pick for 1st isn’t mine; I asked a stray PRO who he’d pick and went with that, after all he must know more than all of us combined, right?
He did then admit he doesn’t know much about cycling. Aaaargh….
Don’t forget, Martin-pickers: Specify Dan or Tony!
VSP PICKS:
1. Gerro
2. Gilbert
3. Dan Martin
4. Purito
5. Kwiatkowski
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Froome
3. Gilbert
4. Rodriguez
5. Henao
VSP PICKS:
1. J Rod
2. Henao
3. Valverde
4. Dan Martin
5. Moreno
Yup
VSP PICKS:
1. Giblets
2. Valverde
3. Gerro
4. Nibbles
5. Kwiatkowski
VSP PICKS:
1. J-Rod
2. Froome
3. Nocentini
4. Valverde
5. Gilbert
VSP PICKS:
1. Thomas DeGendt
2. Igor Anton
3. Ryder Hesjedal
4. Nibali
5. Chris Froome
VSP PICKS:
1. Valverde
2. Gilbert
3. Gerrans
4. Dan Martin
5. Iglinsky
VSP PICKS:
1. Gerrans
2. Gilbert
3. Sagan
4. Nibali
5. Froome
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Valverde
3. Kwiatkowski
4. Nibali
5. Nocentini
VSP PICKS:
1. Froome
2. Valverde
3. Gerro
4. Nibali
5. Schleck
VSP PICKS:
1. Phillippe Gilbert
2. Michal Kwiatkowski
3. JoaquÃm RodrÃguez
4. Alejandro Valverde
5. Samuel Sánchez
V2.0
VSP PICKS:
1. Valverde
2. Gilbert
3. Nibbles
4. J Rod
5. Gerrans
VSP PICKS:
1. Piti
2. Gerro
3. Gilbert
4. Dan Martin
5. Kwiatkowski
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Valverde
3. Froome
4. Nibali
5. Henao
VSP PICKS:
1. J. Rod
2. Gerrans
3. Valverde
4. Betancur
5. Gilbert
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Valverde
3. Nibali
4. Gerrans
5. Hesjedal
VSP PICKS:
1. Froome
2. Nibali
3. Valverde
4. Philippe Gilbert
5. Betancur
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Nibali
3. Rodriguez
4. Dan Martin
5. Albasini
VSP PICKS:
1. Philbert
2. Oh Danny Boy
3. Nibbles
4. Valverde
5. Henao Henao
Absolutely classic bit of skill by Wiggo tossing the bike 30 feet to gently come to rest against the wall – about as Pro as it gets – automatic gearing may have failed, but the auto park is clearly a clever bit of kit
Nibali was my fav for this until he burned himself up that horrible climb at Trentino – surely it’ll take him a week to get over that effort
VSP PICKS:
1. Christopher Froome
2. Kwiatowski
3. 2011bert
4. Leukemans
5. Sergio Leoneao
VSP PICKS:
1. GILBERT Philippe
2. RODRIGUEZ Joaquim
3. GERRANS Simon
4. VAN AVERMAET Greg
5. KREUZIGER Roman
VSP PICKS:
1. Dan Martin
2. froome
3. valverde
4. slagter
5. nibali
VSP PICKS:
1. Valverde
2. Nibali
3. Martin
4. Rodriguez
5. Gilbert
VSP PICKS:
1. valverde
2. phil gil
3. nibali
4. j rod
5. gerrans
Gilbert’s got to win something soon – he’s world champ FFS. Those rainbow bands around his legs seem to be sapping his powers…
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. D.Martin
3. Henao
4. Valverde
5. Kwiatkowski
@VirenqueForever
Interesting/leftfield choice for winner – do you have some inside info?!!
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. D.Martin
3. Henao
4. Valverde
5. Kwiatkowski
VSP PICKS:
1. P. Gilbert
2. A. Valverde
3. V. Nibali
4. J. Rodriguez
5. D. Martin
VSP PICKS:
1. Valverde
2. Nibali
3. Gilbert
4. Rodriguez
5. Gerrans
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibbles
2. Gilbert
3. Dan Martin
4. Iglinskiy
5. Moreno
May as well throw darts at the start list.
VSP PICKS:
1. Jelle Vanendert
2. Damiano Cunego
3. Alberto Contador Velasco
4. Alejandro Valverde Belmonte
5. Phillipe Gilbert