Velominati Super Prestige: Men’s Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
The 2012 Velominati Super Prestige kicks off in proper form this season with the debut of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad as part of the series. I’m tempted to stubbornly refer to this race as Het Volk, but I’ll toe the line and refer to the race by its bewildering new(ish) name.
This is a tricky race to predict because the big races in April are a funny distance away; they are close enough that riders wanting to do well there should be in good enough form to be competitive now, but far enough off that a win here could indicate a rider hitting their peak too soon.
In fact, the latter seems to be the case: riders who show brilliance here rarely shine in April when the Monuments of Vlaanderen and Roubaix are contested. De Vlaeminck, Museeuw, Van Petegem, Vandenbroucke – all champions of the Cobbled Classics and all men who never succeeded to win Het Volk/Het Nieuwsblad in the same year as either of the big cobbled classics; in fact, a cursory study of past results lists reveals only Merckx and Ballerini as being able to pull this particular double.
This timing makes Het Nieuwsblad a particularly difficult race to predict; in addition to the wily nature of any cobbled classic, the big names may not quite have the eye of the tiger while riders with an outside chance at victory in April may be focusing their early season on glory in this minor classic which covers many of the sacred roads as de Ronde.
With that we kick off the first event of the 2012 VSP; up for grabs is the personalized Velominati Shop Apron to the contestent who wins the season-long competition. Check the Main VSP page for scoring guidelines and rules. As a sidebar, we’ve also made lots of changes to the VSP engine; despite my usual nonchalant approach to production-testing, I’ve actually done my best to test the system this time around. There are, however, too many scenarios to be sure I covered them all, so I strongly encourage you to enter your picks early, knowing that you can make changes all the way up until the VSP closes. If you notice something behaving strangely, please let us know and we’ll have time to resolve the issue or let you know precisely why you’re crazy.
Picks close at 5am Pacific time on Saturday, and since last year’s VSP taught us that our readership sucks at time zone calculations (I’m looking at you, Bretto), we’ve introduced a countdown clock which should make even the most bone-headed of contestants aware of how much time they’ve got left to enter their losing picks (now I’m looking at you, Ron).
Good luck, and stand by for the VVomen’s Het Nieuwsblad VSP, scheduled to go live tomorrow.
Westra hit a spectator. And Langeveld was down.
Everybody on the A list except PhilGil is up front. Badass.
Gilbert took a beater….looks ok.
@Netraam
Yup – carnage at the moment.
As I type – Gilbert with a sloooooooooow mechanical issue.
Gilbert has a mechanical.
Westra is almost taken out by a fan looking the wrong way.
Remind you of anything @Frank?
Langeveld and Gilbert together trying to get back.
Also a BMC rider, but who?
Quality group has left the pack!
Boonen, Flecha, Hushovd, Vanmarcke, Hayman, Devenyns, and Breschel. Gilbert has a mechanical, didn’t make the group.
Boonen looks very strong, but if he’s trying to ride them off his wheel and do a solo or helping his teammate… You tell me.
@Netraam
Guessing: trying to instil some good will in his group by working himself so everyone else will work to stay away.
@Netraam
He’s taking a turn to prove to the rest of the group he’ll do some work.
@Blah
Is my cog black now? Ooooooh!
Gilbert back in the peloton
@Blah
ooooooh nice
Breschel Boonen Hushovd podium? Flecha on a breakaway? Hayman on a breakaway?
Did the pack catch the leaders group? Sorry I’m trying to watch while at work…
I don’t like not seeing the rainbow stripes in races like this.
gotta go right now. I’ll hopefully see it later.
Hushovd struggling
Heading off to work now. Worst intertubes connection ever, so I won’t get to see the finish. And my phone is dim, not smart. Shit.
@King Clydesdale
Yes and dropped them
Boonen been dropped too by a lead group of five
oops forget that Boonen in the group too
Tom Boonen
Dries Devenyns
Juan Antonio Flecha (Spa)
Matthew Hayman (Aus)
Sep Vanmarcke
How are we supposed to identify Hushovd if he’s not wearing rainbows, or draped in the Norwegian flag, or whining?
@G’rilla
true that!
Rainbows on his sleeves?
It would figure that the one time I do bet on Gilbert, he doesn’t show up.
Looks like Thor is going to peak in two months.
@RedRanger
He had a mechanical at the split. Boooooo.
Boonen is looking like Cancellara ca. 2010; he’s definitely controlling this race.
And as soon as I say that, Vanmarcke drills it…
Sep Vanmarcke just opened a can of whoop ass.
@Blah
I know. last year I didn’t pick him to win a single race. I was hoping not to make that mistake this year.
Mano-a-mano now.
@RedRanger
Hehehehahaha!
Come on TOMEKE you son of a b*&^%!!!!
@Jeff in PetroMetro
Howdy, stranger!
So is that Vanmarcke, Boonen, Flecha?
@Nate
yeh.
@Blah
Have to say I’m surprised Boonen is opening his account so early.
Well, it’s all but wrapped up now. 10K to go.
@Jeff in PetroMetro
Welcome Home, Friend!
@Nate
Hell, hasn’t Tomeke won KBK a bunch of times in the past? I know that he hasnever won this race, but I do not think it is too unusually for him to win in the early semi’s.
The could still get caught. BMC and 1t4i have nothing to loose by trying to reel them back in.
@Nate
He was in fine form in Qatar a few weeks ago, and he wins there lots.
But yeh, good form so early not a really great sign.
If the peloton had have ridden that hard 10km earlier…
Just rode for 2 hours in extremely windy conditions. Now home to watch the final 17km. Woohoo, talk about a great way to spend a Saturday morning! (minus all that wind!)
I am liking the looks of this.
@King Clydesdale
They will not be able to cat-and-mouse this finish or they’ll screw themselves!