Velominati Super Prestige: Men’s Elite Road Race 2013
The world championship road race stands out among all other one-day races as the one where the winner is awarded both a curse and a jersey to carry for the next 12 months. It also inspires way too many riders to wear white bibs, which is an alarming trend in itself and one which I hope Brian Cookston, the new UCI President, prioritizes over the doping problem – let’s face facts: white shorts on rainy days does more damage to Cycling’s image than any doping scandal ever could.
Be that as it may, I often find myself wondering if its easier to win a Grand Tour or a one-day race. Certainly, winning a Grand Tour requires focus, discipline, and performance across a wide range of terrain and over a long period of time, but it also offers the opportunity to recover from a bad moment and to take advantage of the days where the terrain or discipline suits the qualities of the rider. A one-day race, on the other hand, is shorter but also less controllable. All in, no net; a moment’s inattention could be disastrous and in an instant your chances could disappear up the road.
The World Championships are also the only race which has brought Mary V to tears after narrowly losing the title. The Dutch don’t cry easily, especially not the ones who bleed pure V.
The Worlds are always a live wire of a race; the national teams mean the riders are riding for and against their usual teammates. Team unity is always a question, and loyalties are hard to predict. All for one and one for all, until a mate goes up the road and suddenly things start looking blurry. Throw in a circuit race, a big climb you ride 17 times, a steep ramp about V km from finish, and you’ve got yourself a race Nostradamus would have a chore predicting.
The Men set out in what is predicted to be horrendous weather on Sunday, September 29. Check the start list, rattle the bones, and put your picks in by the time the clock goes to zero. Good luck.
[vsp_results id=”27411″/]
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Boassen Hagen
3. Gilbert
4. Purito
5. Roche
i just can’t help myself, i have lost so many tipping comps by tipping cuddles, but have to respect the little aussie battler. would be great to see some maniac descending a la U23s – unbelievable race
VSP PICKS:
1. sagan
2. dan martin
3. cancellara
4. nibali
5. cadelephant
Just a bit too hilly for Sagan but will be there.
VSP PICKS:
1. Martin
2. Sagan
3. Nibali
4. Fab
5. Some colunbian
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Sagan
3. Gilbert
4. Valverde
5. Nibali
Just a bit too hilly for Sagan but he will be up there.
VSP PICKS:
1. Martin
2. Sagan
3. Nibali
4. Fab
5. Some columbian
Gah – tough one…
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Motorcus
3. Piti
4. Vince Nibbles
5. Gilbert
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Sagan
3. Boason Hagen
4. Valverde
5. Gilbert
Sadly no Americans. We need some one day guys, too many stage racers
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Sagan
3. Gilbert
4. Nibali
5. Rodriguez
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Valverde
3. Cancellara
4. Gilbert
5. J Rod
Nibbles will use his two tridents from T-A victories to summon all kinds of bad weather from Neptune. Unfortunately for Nibbles, this strategy only works for races on Italian soil.
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibbles the Shark
2. Sagan
3. Cancellara
4. Valverde
5. Dan Martin
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Gerrans
3. Valverde
4. Gilbert
5. Chavanel
Men’s race will go rather like the women’s: Spartacus will break away on the final climb, catching everyone out. Sagan and Gilbert will do their best to follow, but will settle for the final medals, with Nibali not far behind. Eddy Boss will be the best of the rest in the group sprint. Which means that won’t happen. Refer to @xyxax’s picks for the real story…
VSP PICKS:
1. Faboo
2. Valverde
3. The beast from the east
4. Gerrans
5. Nibbles
Spartacus looks on the right form as does Valverde. The weather seems like it will favour the shark. Can’t wait to see it all play out.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Valverde
3. Nibali
4. Dan Martin
5. Boassen Hagen
Trying to cover every possibility
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Cancellara
3. Gilbert
4. Froome
5. Quintana
VSP PICKS:
1. Cadel Evans
2. Fabian Cancellara
3. Jan Bakelants
4. Greg Van Avermaet
5. Alejandro Valverde
VSP PICKS:
1. Fabian Cancellara
2. Sagan
3. Cavendish
4. Froome
5. Quintana
@spoderman
Van avermaet could be an inspired choice and having backed him all spring i may have changed my picks…..unfortunately being a jedi it is against my religion and so i will have to rely on the force to spur good cadel onwards (i must have been pissed when i picked the old fucker!). It is a shame star wars style heroism is only for hollywood…i fear i am doomed!
VSP PICKS:
1. Martin, Daniel
2. Sagan, Peter
3. Van Avermaet
4. Cancellara
5. Pozzato
VSP PICKS:
1. cancellara
2. sagen
3. boassen hagen
4. gilbert
5. g thomas
This is Sagan’s race to lose and Cancellara’s sprint to give away.
VSP PICKS:
1. Peter Sagan
2. Cancellara
3. Alejandro Valverde
4. Nibali
5. Greg Van Avermaet
Horrendous weather? Is Lance riding?
VSP PICKS:
1. Peter Sagan
2. Phil Gilbert
3. Valverde
4. Nibali
5. Hushovd
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Cancellara
3. Valverde
4. Nibali
5. Rui Costa
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Cancellara
3. Cadel Evans
4. Nibali
5. Valverde
@Steampunk
VSP PICKS:
1. Youcef Reguigui
2. Vitaliy Buts
3. Michael Olsson
4. Krisjan Fajt
5. Ho Ting Kwok
VSP PICKS:
1. van Avermaet
2. Stybar
3. Boasson Hagen
4. Cancellara
5. Nibali
Sorry, I was trying to touch-type and misspelled a few names.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Sagan
3. Dan Martin
4. Gilbert
5. Rui Costa
VSP PICKS:
1. van Avermaet
2. Stybar
3. Boasson Hagen
4. Pozzato
5. Gilbert
@xyxax
You almost had me there. I just about changed my picks. But wait a minute: I’ve already picked Cancellara to win””you’re going to have to put him somewhere else. In order to ensure that Gilbert’s second, I’m removing the crocodile from the bed midway through the night…
Too hungover to put much thought in to this…
VSP PICKS:
1. Spartacus
2. Billions & Biliions
3. His Nibs
4. Cuddles
5. Gilbert
@Steampunk
Good plan. Mommy likes to wake up to the screams of a 5-year old. Do you get internet in the shed?
Anyway, I’ve changed my strategy to lessen the gall: picked according to smallest standing armies.
VSP PICKS:
1. Fabian Cancellara
2. Peter Sagan
3. Vincenzo Nibali
4. Alejandro Valverde
5. Dan Martin
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Cancellara
3. Valverde
4. Nibali
5. Dan Martin
VSP PICKS:
1. Rodriguez
2. Valverde
3. Cancellara
4. Dan Martin
5. Nibali
@xyxax
We built a shed this summer. I’m pleased (and somewhat relieved) to report that I don’t yet know whether our internet service reaches to the back of the garden. I’ll let you know tomorrow…
Valverde? That guy cheats and he still sucks and comes in 2nd or 3rd. Fuck him.
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Cancellara
3. Gilbert
4. Eddie Boss Hogg
5. Nibali
@Ron
+1
6 am in Firenze. Woke up to thunder, lightning and a little rain. Today will be interesting!
Have emerged from the Internet wasteland which is China to Malaysia, where I can finally get onto Velominati.com – just in time to embarrass myself with wasted picks.
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Nibbles
3. Motorcus
4. Eddy BH
5. Piti
VSP PICKS:
1. Spartacus
2. Billions & Biliions
3. His Nibs
4. Cuddles
5. J-Rod
A PSA for all you guys picking just “Sagan”…his brother is riding today too!
Ditto
@G’phant except its not the Internet wasteland, just the wasteland of monkey mind. Picks are based on purely scientific throwing of names in a hat and making picks on wether I like them or not.l.
VSP PICKS:
1. F. Cancellara
2. S. Sanchez
3. C. Froome
4. R. Taaremae
5. V. Nibali
VSP PICKS:
1. Rodriguez
2. Dan Martin
3. Valverde
4. Cancellara
5. Nibali
VSP PICKS:
1. Edvald Boasson Hagen
2. Sagan
3. Nibali
4. Froome
5. Hushovd
@Sauterelle
I mentioned Peter in my post so hopefully that will suffice, who’s the brother and just how good is he?
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Nibali
3. Sagan
4. MArtin, Dan
5. Hushovd
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Nibali
3. Sagan, PEter
4. MArtin, Dan
5. Hushovd
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Dan Martin
3. Sagan
4. Degenkolb
5. Stybar
OK final change, given the apocalyptic weather forecast.
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Cancellara
3. Valverde
4. Boss Hog
5. Dan Martin
@piwakawaka
Juraj is his brother and he won’t win! Peter says Juraj is the better climber, though.