Race Thread

[theyoungest]

Absolutely no point in MVDP and WVA going all out right from the start, but I love it. Poor Pidcock though, this is a course where he should be able to at least follow their wheel...

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Apparently only 22 times a different rider was able to win, when both Van Aert and Van der Poel were at the start of a race. And i'm guessing most of those 22 come from their first 1-2 seasons at the pros.

Absolutely no point in MVDP and WVA going all out right from the start, but I love it. Poor Pidcock though, this is a course where he should be able to at least follow their wheel...

Pidcock may be best of the rest, but the difference between him and Sweeck/Vantourenhout/... is much much smaller than it is to Van Aert and Van der Poel. It's a shame for him, and not surprising, but it does show his WCC title is really just a result of them not being there.

 

[Third Time Lucky]

Who takes it? WVA or VDP??
Place your bets.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Last lap. Phenomenal race.

 

[jono]

Too bad for the two errors in the last minute with Mathieu and his pedal. Could have been a fantastic sprint.

 

[DNP-Old]

This is fecking sad.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

If you were to be a betting man, before the race you would have guessed Van Aert to be stronger in Gavere, and Van der Poel to be stronger in Zolder and Mol.

Van der Poel with a technical error in the same section twice, that means he was at the limit or that doesn't happen.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

opp opp opp

 

[theyoungest]

If you were to be a betting man, before the race you would have guessed Van Aert to be stronger in Gavere, and Van der Poel to be stronger in Zolder and Mol.

Van der Poel with a technical error in the same section twice, that means he was at the limit or that doesn't happen.

Of course he was on the limit, Van Aert was as well. What do you expect?

 

[JosefK]

It's a good time to be a cyclocross fan. Two titans showing up again. Chapeau to Wout today.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Of course he was on the limit, Van Aert was as well. What do you expect?

They weren't on the limit all the time, or they would have won by 2 minutes. The point is that these technical errors usually only pop up with Mathieu when he is physically pushed to the limit. It being in the same spot before the finish shows at what point he was actively trying to drop Van Aert and that it was Mathieu more than Wout who didn't want to let it come to a sprint. Even though i think in a 1v1 he has about as much chance to win a sprint as Wout.

 

[stonerider]

Of course he was on the limit, Van Aert was as well. What do you expect?

Yet who made the errors in the last lap? Wout raced under control.

 

[senna6541]

Awesome race. Congrats to Wout. These guys are making this the best week of the year. On to Deigem.

 

[theyoungest]

They weren't on the limit all the time, or they would have won by 2 minutes. The point is that these technical errors usually only pop up with Mathieu when he is physically pushed to the limit. It being in the same spot before the finish shows at what point he was actively trying to drop Van Aert and that it was Mathieu more than Wout who didn't want to let it come to a sprint. Even though i think in a 1v1 he has about as much chances to win a sprint as Wout.

I don't think MVDP is afraid of WVA in a 1v1 sprint, tbh. In a bunch sprint it's obviously different, but MVDP has the more explosive kick. He didn't get to show it today though. Which goes to show why he wants to avoid a sprint if he has the choice.

 

[glassmoon]

Amazing race again... Congrats to Wout

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I don't think MVDP is afraid of WVA in a 1v1 sprint, tbh. In a bunch sprint it's obviously different, but MVDP has the more explosive kick. He didn't get to show it today though. Which goes to show why he wants to avoid a sprint if he has the choice.

I agree, but if he didn't try to drop Van Aert at that point, he even could have let Van Aert hit that section first, and he would have been able to sprint in Wout's wheel. He had the choice between trying to drop Van Aert (which was nearly impossible there), or letting Van Aert take that section first (which meant he would be in the best position for the sprint). Of course, because he made that error, he did wind up in Van Aert's wheel for the sprint but that was unforeseen.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/pauline-ferrand-prevot-says-nagging-minor-injury-taking-its-toll-in-uneven-cyclocross-campaign/#disqus_thread

 

[Ricco']

This is not "sore loser" because I was already thinking about it before the race, but I think Zolder needs some changes to the course because it's getting too repetitive and a lot of races in the past have been decided in the same part of the track due to a rider mistake which opens up a gap in the last climb that it's not closed until the end.

I didn't watch many Zolder races before 2016 but I think the course chosen for that WCH is superior to this one in the way they use the final section. And don't know it's true or not but looking at the race footage it seems like the sandy descent which leads up to the stairs is becoming easier each year. Those stairs also seem easier to do than the previous run-up without stairs.

 

[lemon cheese cake]

This is not "sore loser" because I was already thinking about it before the race, but I think Zolder needs some changes to the course because it's getting too repetitive and a lot of races in the past have been decided in the same part of the track due to a rider mistake which opens up a gap in the last climb that it's not closed until the end.

I didn't watch many Zolder races before 2016 but I think the course chosen for that WCH is superior to this one in the way they use the final section. And don't know it's true or not but looking at the race footage it seems like the sandy descent which leads up to the stairs is becoming easier each year. Those stairs also seem easier to do than the previous run-up without stairs.

I think the biggest issue is the fences that naturally are there to restrict entry and exit into the racing circuit. With the worlds being the biggest race of the season and probably having more spectators than the Christmas race (which admittedly attracts large amount of fans) they added more bridges than just the one they had at the time that linked the bank's with the start finish straight to help spectators get around. Similarly, I think you'd have to add a few bridges to the course if you wanted to change the order or direction of sections, or add completely new bits.

I think since having the wooded section at the end is a welcome addition that came around the time of the 2016 world champs although that ran the other way round with the final drop being a sandy climb and the bumpy downhill that immediately proceeds it being a steep draggy climb (or runup when it rained for the world's).

The stairs have definitely been changed to be more uniform when they were reintroduced as before it was more of a scramble

 

[davidsonduke]

I’m not a CX course expert, but after one of the great duels and most exciting races I’ve seen, not sure I’d want to make big changes in the course. That was riveting from start to finish.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Just because we got a great race doesn't mean you can't make improvements to a course; I think it's been in it's current layout for 5-6 seasons now. There are always ways to make things better.

I think since having the wooded section at the end is a welcome addition that came around the time of the 2016 world champs although that ran the other way round with the final drop being a sandy climb and the bumpy downhill that immediately proceeds it being a steep draggy climb (or runup when it rained for the world's).

I've just watched some of the 2016 Worlds.....I wouldn't mind seeing them try that layout again.

 

[postmanhat]

Apparently only 22 times a different rider was able to win, when both Van Aert and Van der Poel were at the start of a race. And i'm guessing most of those 22 come from their first 1-2 seasons at the pros.


Pidcock may be best of the rest, but the difference between him and Sweeck/Vantourenhout/... is much much smaller than it is to Van Aert and Van der Poel. It's a shame for him, and not surprising, but it does show his WCC title is really just a result of them not being there.

Completely agree about his WC title, but the first part is just incorrect since he came back from training camp. Both him and Van De Haar had poor starts today and MVDP was gone towing WVA within the first couple of minutes.

Am going to against what seems to be the consensus and say both races were relatively boring, as they usually are at Zolder for me. There's a place for courses where miniscule mistakes on the few technical sections cost you a couple of metres and so the race, But I'd stop watching cross if they were all like this.

 

[lemon cheese cake]

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/pauline-ferrand-prevot-says-nagging-minor-injury-taking-its-toll-in-uneven-cyclocross-campaign/#disqus_thread

Id honestly forgotten she was racing yesterday until I saw Ineos Instagram post afterwards. Same today until they showed her cross the finish line.

 

[Bolder]

Mathieu is going to be tossing and turning tonight after those problems in the last 500 meters. Looks like he went in too hot in that uphill corner, got mud in his cleat and it pulled out in the sprint. They were absolutely evenly matched the whole way. Incredible.

 

[stonerider]

Mathieu is going to be tossing and turning tonight after those problems in the last 500 meters. Looks like he went in too hot in that uphill corner, got mud in his cleat and it pulled out in the sprint. They were absolutely evenly matched the whole way. Incredible.

There's always tomorrow.