Race Thread

[memyselfandI]

I think the are quite a many places to overtake there at the Hulst (never been there, never raced cx just xco). It's just that start is important and you need to remember wide spots well and be prepared and be well timed explosive for overtaking.

Very very fine course that multimeasures the capabilities of an athlete. Previous race with flat mudbath measured different qualities and was good in that way. Hulst was superb.

 

[Barkintheeye]

Definitely a fair observation, but I would say there is a decent amount of points where different lines can be taken. The steep drop and bank are good examples where in the past line selection has varied from rider to rider with some being faster at one than another, but there are other areas in the courss that can allow passing. I think some 'singletrack' sections may be because the line has been burned in over the weekend plus is there from past additions, but some areas like that first off camber could be improved to prevent bottle necks like on the first lap.

Without having raced the course it looks like Hulst have enough places to pass other riders on. There's always the balance between riding the optimal line at your optimal pace vs passing another rider with a little too high exertion in order to not get stuck behind someone who makes technical mistakes on certain sections. I believe that's part of the charm of CX - both watching and racing - that you need to pay attention to not only the course, your own abilities but also to what the other participants are doing on the course.

Some people that are not used to CX think seem to think that it's some sort of TT and that other riders should get out the way, when it's really a mix of GP, TT and negotiating the terrain. Watch out for what the other riders are doing and be sure to have alternatives if someone wipes out!

 

[Lequack]

What I find interesting is that someone like Brand always manages to find competitors who will pull on the front and shields her from the wind, even on long straight sections. It's like they don't even want to win. Which is something you almost never see in road races.

 

[lemon cheese cake]

Without having raced the course it looks like Hulst have enough places to pass other riders on. There's always the balance between riding the optimal line at your optimal pace vs passing another rider with a little too high exertion in order to not get stuck behind someone who makes technical mistakes on certain sections. I believe that's part of the charm of CX - both watching and racing - that you need to pay attention to not only the course, your own abilities but also to what the other participants are doing on the course.

Some people that are not used to CX think seem to think that it's some sort of TT and that other riders should get out the way, when it's really a mix of GP, TT and negotiating the terrain. Watch out for what the other riders are doing and be sure to have alternatives if someone wipes out!

As you say, cx should always be a battle between the riders and sometimes a battle between themselves and the terrain, but looking at some of the stravas of the riders, i'm sure a better approach to that first off camber with the pinch point could be used. Even if they still have the hairpin a few metres back from the start of it, it would allow a straighter entry into the camber. With any corner there will be a curve that forms and the hairpin into it forces riders towards the bottom. The straighter run, even if it were 10-15 metres , could give more options entering into it with possibly two or three lines that can be used during every lap and not just the first.

 

[Gwbert]

Back to the mud today at Gullegem!

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Not such a dutch dominance at this level

 

[lemon cheese cake]

Well it didn't seem like much of an inspiring course in previous years when it was fairly dry, but now it's muddy the course is rivalling Dendemonde in being pretty rubbish.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

 

[stonerider]

Well, MvdP's CX season is over. Looks like Pidcock has a better chance to get that CX World Championship.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Opens it up; does Wout decide after the Nationals, or waits to see the weather for Fayettville? A heavy, muddy course and he wins.......Or is his main goal the spring? Leaving a probable World title on the table isn't an easy thing to do; MvdP has done so before; MTB Worlds in 2019......

 

[TourOfSardinia]

 

[Ricco']

The pits today are ridiculously close to each other. Like 2 min interval between them with a 6 min interval to the other side.

If they were on the track and field with would be much better, since the terrain more prone to tech problems was right after and before the passage through the track.

Ceylin's race was over because of that.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

This GCN male commentator and his inane endless questions
instead of commentating the race
makes me nostalgic for the Sporza guy yesterday
of who I could understand very little.

 

[Mick Dundee]

Yep, an ex-CX rider with a bit of passion for the discipline and rider knowledge would help, not someone who appeared on ‘love island’.

Meanwhile, Wout reminds his closest competitors who’s boss again. Pidders is better this CX season so far but nowhere near good enough to be close imo.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

 

[Mick Dundee]

Tom looks nowhere near as fast running with the bike this year, as he did in Gavere 2020 for instance.

 

[Bonimenier]

Sunday will be van Aert's last cross.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Sunday will be van Aert's last cross.

What no worlds?

 

[Bonimenier]

What no worlds?

Nope, he said in the post race interview that this weekend is the end of his cross season.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Nope, he said in the post race interview that this weekend is the end of his cross season.

Wow that leaves the Rainbow jersey up for grabs.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Opens it up; does Wout decide after the Nationals, or waits to see the weather for Fayettville? A heavy, muddy course and he wins.......Or is his main goal the spring? Leaving a probable World title on the table isn't an easy thing to do; MvdP has done so before; MTB Worlds in 2019......

Well, that's been answered; his main goal is the spring on the road. They've learned from last year....a bit of rest then prepare for the spring.

 

[Lequack]

Nice course as usual. Boring result, as usual.

 

[lemon cheese cake]

Yep, an ex-CX rider with a bit of passion for the discipline and rider knowledge would help, not someone who appeared on ‘love island’.

Meanwhile, Wout reminds his closest competitors who’s boss again. Pidders is better this CX season so far but nowhere near good enough to be close imo.

Not sure what the first part of this comment is supposed to mean. I'd say Jez Cox is still more refreshing than Marty Macdonald just reading to the same phrases almost as if they were from a script.

 

[Gwbert]

Wow that leaves the Rainbow jersey up for grabs.

Great chance for Pidcock to grab a jersey early in his career

 

[Ricco']

Yep, an ex-CX rider with a bit of passion for the discipline and rider knowledge would help, not someone who appeared on ‘love island’.

This is from the day of Heusden Zolder's race. I didn't catch this but it was the last race Marty commented (he was the host back then). Can it be related to his absence or just a coincidence?

I'm pretty sure I watched that race with english comms in the feed without ads but the english audio has been pulled out of ES Player now.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1475447864826421254

View: https://twitter.com/o_ensan/status/1475447864826421254