Velominati Super Prestige: Paris-Roubaix 2014
It has been a brutal week for us Keepers, having decided not to hold a Keepers Tour this year. Watching the action from half a world away has been almost too much for us to bear, and I know most of the participants from last year must be feeling similarly. On Sunday, we would be escorted by our friends and guides, William and Alex of Pavé Cycling Classics, shooting from one location to another to watch the race, eating Genevieve’s homemade sandwiches and pounding Malteni like its going out of style.
We may not be there this year, but that doesn’t change the question on everyone’s mind: can Fabian do the double a record three times? Personally, I hope not – I want the double to stay special. Until 2003, the previous winner of the double was de Vlaeminck who had managed it in 1977 at which point it had only been done six times previously. But since Van Petegem pulled it off in ’03, Boonen and Cancellara have done it twice each – that’s 4 doubles in the last 10 years.
Come Sunday morning, I’ll be gunning for Boonen. He’s been behind his form just a tad, but he forced the selection on the Koppenberg last Sunday, so he has the power. Maybe a day of killing it in de Ronde was last touch he needed and he’ll be peaking for Sunday. Fabian of course will be strong, but Sep and Greg had strong showings last week and Vanmarke is now proving to be Flecha’s replacement – hopefully he’ll have more luck taking a big win Sunday.
The points from the Paris-Roubaix VSP count towards the overall prizes plus the winner of this event also gets to post for the rest of the year in the cobblestone badge. So check the start list, review the VSP Scoring Guidelines and get your picks in by the time the countdown clock goes to zero at midnight PDT on Sunday the 13th. If you think we mapped one of your picks wrong, use the dispute system and we’ll review it. Also remember to be precise enough in your description so we know which rider you mean; in other words, if you enter “Martin”, we will use our discretion (read: wild guess) to decide if you mean Tony or Dan – and that choice will not be negotiable once the the countdown clock goes to zero, so be sure to give yourself enough time.
Don’t forget we’ve got three major prizes for the season-long VSP:
- First place overall wins a Veloforma Strada iR Velominati Edition frame in addition to the customary VSP winner’s VVorkshop Apron
- Second place overall wins a set of hand built CR Wheelworks Arenberg wheelset in a custom Velominati paint scheme laced to orange Chris King hubs. (CR Wheelworks is Café Roubaix’s new wheel goods brand.)
- Third place overall wins a full Velominati V-Kit with accompanying custom orange Bont Vaypor+ road shoes.
Good luck, have fun with it, and don’t lose your Rule #43 spirit.
[vsp_results id=”29528″/]
Greg, Fabian and Terpstra hit the velodrome together, with time but GVA is too quick and rolls Fabian by a tire width. Big John best of the rest.
VSP PICKS:
1. Van Arvermaet
2. Cancellara
3. Terpstra
4. Degenkolb
5. Boasson Hagen
Just trying to keep up in the standings…
VSP PICKS:
1. Fabian Cancellara
2. Sep Vanmarcke
3. Tom Boonen
4. Greg Van Avermaet
5. Alexander Kristoff
I guess it will play out like Flanders, Group of three or four into the Majestic Circle of Roubaix, GVA forced to do a lead out and Faboo too strong in the sprint. Boonan is still too emotionally fatigued from his recent loss to be performing at his best, Van Summersgone is likewise too emotionally wreaked to perform without distraction. Stybar to stay upright and not clip any spectators this year, but will prove too slow in the sprint at the end of the race.
Then again it could play out differently….
VSP PICKS:
1. Sparticus
2. Vanmarcke
3. Van Avermaet
4. Stybar
5. Kristoff
I guess it will play out like Flanders, Group of three or four into the Majestic Circle of Roubaix, GVA forced to do a lead out and Faboo too strong in the sprint. Boonan is still too emotionally fatigued from his recent loss to be performing at his best, Van Summersgone is likewise too emotionally wreaked to perform without distraction. Stybar to stay upright and not clip any spectators this year, but will prove too slow in the sprint at the end of the race.
Then again it could play out differently….
Would love to see a Faboo vs Boonen showdown. (Boonen just doesn’t seem to have had the recent form, but I’m probably going to end up regretting not having Boonen in here somewhere)
VSP PICKS:
1. Faboo
2. Vanmarke
3. Kristoff
4. Sagan
5. Stybar
Triple Double in a sprint finish!
VSP PICKS:
1. Van Fabian
2. Van Boonen
3. Van Mini Phinney
4. Vanmarcke
5. Van Avermaet
VSP PICKS:
1. Stybar
2. Cancellara
3. vanMarke
4. vanAvermaet
5. Boonen
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Vanmarcke
3. Boonen
4. Degenkolb
5. Phinney
VSP PICKS:
1. Stybar
2. Vanmarcke
3. Van Avermaet
4. Kristoff
5. Cancellara
VSP PICKS:
1. Boonen
2. Degenkolb
3. cancellara
4. Thomas
5. vansummeren
This is really very hard to choose.
I like Fabian, but I don’t want him to win either. That’s too much wins in a very short time!
VSP PICKS:
1. Fabian Cancellara
2. Peter Sagan
3. Niki Terpstra
4. Sep Vanmarcke
5. Stijn Vandenbergh
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan
2. Cancellara
3. Phinney
4. Kristoff
5. Stybar
Picks:
My heart is screaming for Tommeke to take it, but given his recent personal setbacks I think it may be a week too soon for him to build from the Ronde; but what the heck do I know? He’s getting my vote simply for being His Awesomeness Tom Boonen.
Merckx, I love April !
VSP PICKS:
1. Boonen
2. Mini Phinney
3. Faboo
4. Vanmarcke
5. Thomas
If Spartacus doesn’t win, he won’t be in the top 5. I reckon. So here we go.
VSP PICKS:
1. Phinney
2. Vanmarcke
3. Boonen
4. Thomas
5. Degenkolb
in for a penny, in for a pound
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Vanmarcke
3. Phinney
4. Wiggins
5. Stybar
Agonised over Sagandouche but I just don’t think he’s got it this year (he’ll win won’t he?).
VSP PICKS:
1. Fabs
2. Vanmarcke
3. Tommeke
4. Van Avermaet
5. Kristoff
VSP PICKS:
1. Fabü
2. Vanmarcke
3. Boonen
4. Van Avermaet
5. Phinney
VSP PICKS:
1. Vanmarcke
2. Cancellara
3. Boonen
4. Kristoff
5. Van Avermaet
@unversio
Damn I look fat in that! That brings back fantastic memories as did watching the Ronde on Sunday and recognising the official V-Viewing area on the Kwaremont.
My daughter had a friend over to stay the other night and I was discussing when she would be picked up with her mom who said “we’re pretty flexible, I’ll be around all day tomorrow, all I’ve got to do is pack for the weekend” “off anywhere nice?” “France to watch Paris Roubaix”
Here’s hoping that I can avoid anyone who’ll want to talk to me about cycling from now until I’ve had a chance to watch the race on Sunday night.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Stybar
3. Thomas
4. Vanmarcke
5. Devolder
VSP PICKS:
1. Van Avermaet
2. Stybar
3. Vanmarcke
4. Cancellara
5. Degenkolb
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Boonen
3. VAG
4. Terpstra
5. Phinley
a bit of a long shot
VSP PICKS:
1. VanMarcke
2. Kristoff
3. Cancellara
4. Boonen
5. Phinney
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Vanmarcke
3. Sagan
4. Kristoff
5. Boonen
One of these 5 will win it. I just don’t know who…
Faboo looking imperious and showing that he’s got the tactical nous and versatility to win solo or from a select group. Vanmarcke’s time will come (The new Spartacus?), until then he will be constantly Poulidor’d by Fabs. Boonen will be dropped by the other two but will win the sprint ahead of Kristoff in the Velodrome after him and Terpstra work him over in the chasing group.
Or, more likely, I am completely wrong in almost every respect.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Vanmarcke
3. Boonen
4. Kristoff
5. Terpstra
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Boonen
3. Vanmarcke
4. Terpstra
5. Kristoff
KT13
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Stybar
3. Vanmarcke
4. Degenkolb
5. Van Avermaet
Yep, following the crowd.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Boonen
3. Stybar
4. Vanmarcke
5. Phinney
.
VSP PICKS:
1. vanmarcke
2. terpstra
3. kristoff
4. cancellara
5. boonen
VSP PICKS:
1. Kristoff
2. VanMarcke
3. Boonen
4. Stybar
5. VanArvarmet
Very hard to say. Have picked on the basis that Spartacus doesn’t make the final selection somehow.
Christ, I don’t know! Heart versus head? Do I want Tommeke to win and get #5? More than ever. Do I want Vansummeren to win in honor of the coma lady? Yes? Do I want Mini-Phinney to step up? Yes. Would I love to see Geraint do it for the Welsh? You bet.
VSP PICKS:
1. Boonen
2. Terpstra
3. Cancellara
4. Phinney
5. Thomas
VSP PICKS:
1. Vanmarke
2. Cacellara
3. Terpstra
4. Stybar
5. Van Avermaet
VSP PICKS:
1. Vanmarke
2. Cancellara
3. Terpstra
4. Stybar
5. Van Avermaet
VSP PICKS:
1. cancellara
2. vanmarcke
3. boonen
4. sagan
5. kristoff
VSP PICKS:
1. Candellera
2. Vanmarke
3. Boonen
4. Stybar
5. Phinney
VSP PICKS:
1. Spartacus
2. Vanmarcke
3. Tommeke
4. Stybar
5. Kristoff
VSP PICKS:
1. Van Avermaet
2. Boonen
3. Cancellara
4. G. Thomas
5. Alexander Kristoff
VSP PICKS:
1. Van Avermaet
2. Boonen
3. Cancellara
4. G Thomas
5. A Kristoff
VSP PICKS:
1. Tommeke
2. Sep
3. Phinney
4. Terpstra
5. G. Thomas
Last year I agonized over putting Stybar in my top 5 and didn’t. Not this year.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Boonen
3. Vanmarcke
4. Stybar
5. Sagan
VSP PICKS:
1. Boonen, Tommeke
2. Phinney, Taylor
3. Vanmarcke, Sep
4. Van Avermaet, Greg
5. Stybar, Zdenek
Always tough to pick Roubaix due to the “luck” factor affecting man and machine. Also hard to pick Boonen right now based on recent results. Particularly when all of the above guys are flying and just a touch better than him.
VSP PICKS:
1. Cancellara
2. Vanmarcke
3. Terpstra
4. Van Avermaet
5. Kristoff
VSP PICKS:
1. Fabian Cancellara
2. Tom Boonen
3. Sep Vanmarcke
4. Taylor Phinney
5. Greg Van Avermaet
Does anyone know if this will be streaming in English to the US market? The EuroSport link is not active on steephill and I never know about SBS. I’m sure I can watch it in dutch or another equally archaic language, but without cable, the options appear rather limited.
VSP PICKS:
1. Vanmarcke
2. Degenkolb
3. Faboo
4. Kristoff
5. Terpstra
@Floridian
True, but with Roubaix it’s a combo of luck and skill in knowing how to read/ride the stones and few do it better than Boonen. How knows, maybe he’ll take a long shot flyer again and make everyone chase. No nasty hills on Sunday . . . Win #5 beckons I hope.
VSP PICKS:
1. van avermaet
2. Degenkolb
3. cancellara
4. Thomas
5. vansummeren
@Chris
Which one are you pictured left to right?