Race Thread

[stonerider]

Wout is heading to Spain for a 10 day training camp with JV. Hopefully he can find some form there.

 

[Pantani_lives]

I don't think anyone ever got this much attention for doing the cross in Essen.

 

[Barkintheeye]

If you're at Baloise-Trek or one of the Roodhooft teams, there is a clear progression if you want it, and are good enough; whether that is road and/or MTB.......That isn't the case at PauwelsSauzens....you have to leave to progress. I wonder how long Leonie Bentveld stays there......

Maybe PSB eventually become a development/ U23 team?

Why is that? Is it lack of support for the younger riders or is it something else?

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Puck in Winter Wonderland

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyOg1eKsxYA

 

[jmdirt]

Wout: "I can still win...see you guys next year."

 

[logeardaddy]

Puck in Winter Wonderland

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyOg1eKsxYA

Ma, il sole non c'e.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Just an FYI, it looks like Flo has picked up the X2O, Exact, and Superprestige series races (along with already having the World Cup). All of those races are now listed as upcoming events on Flo.

 

[lemon cheese cake]

Just an FYI, it looks like Flo has picked up the X2O, Exact, and Superprestige series races (along with already having the World Cup). All of those races are now listed as upcoming events on Flo.

Makes sense. They had some of them before and I believe are also connected to the Warner Bros Discovery in some way

 

[theyoungest]

Manon Bakker wins! Last year she was on the podium already. She's one of the most technical riders on the circuit, so it makes sense. The course is a bit ridiculous, but at least it provides for surprising racing.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

I've asked before, but when is Zemanova getting a contract from one of the big teams? Another Top 10 as a U23 rider.....most of the others are all on WT teams. Is she the wrong nationality?

 

[jmdirt]

Snow 'cross!

 

[KZD]

Van der Poel to start his season already next Saturday.

Mathieu van der Poel moves cyclocross season debut up to December 16

World Champion says "I feel ready"

www.cyclingnews.com

 

[Sciatic]

Honsinger is now a 4-time US Nat championship. Clouse was 2nd. I hope Honsinger will go over to Europe for some of the Christmastime-NewYear’s cross races. Don’t know if she’ll be there soon enough for Namur, which is a good course for her.

 

[Hugh Januss]

Puck in Winter Wonderland

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyOg1eKsxYA

She turned that into "50 minutes of me struggling to stay on my bike" today.

 

[Hugh Januss]

Manon Bakker wins! Last year she was on the podium already. She's one of the most technical riders on the circuit, so it makes sense. The course is a bit ridiculous, but at least it provides for surprising racing.

I thought her win was due mostly to her stature and raw power through the snow. I wonder how long UCI will continue this silly experiment and what it will take to cause them to end it, maybe less than 20 starters in a World Cup?

 

[theyoungest]

I thought her win was due mostly to her stature and raw power through the snow. I wonder how long UCI will continue this silly experiment and what it will take to cause them to end it, maybe less than 20 starters in a World Cup?

Despite her stature, Manon Bakker is actually more of a technical rider than a real powerhouse.

I'm kind of on the fence about this course. It's entertaining, although the men's race was frankly not that exciting, but for the uninitiated it just looks a bit silly. If it's really just there with the sole goal of convincing the IOC that cyclocross should be an Olympic sport, what's the point anyway.

 

[Hugh Januss]

Despite her stature, Manon Bakker is actually more of a technical rider than a real powerhouse.

I'm kind of on the fence about this course. It's entertaining, although the men's race was frankly not that exciting, but for the uninitiated it just looks a bit silly. If it's really just there with the sole goal of convincing the IOC that cyclocross should be an Olympic sport, what's the point anyway.

To impress the IOC they have to deliver a product that looks like something more than a bunch of guys floundering in the snow. When it snows on a cross it makes for unusual racing, it's okay on occasion but it's definitely not the norm. Not sure what benefit to the sport it would be to have a larger audience exposed to this version of cyclocross once every 4 years.

 

[jono]

To impress the IOC they have to deliver a product that looks like something more than a bunch of guys floundering in the snow. When it snows on a cross it makes for unusual racing, it's okay on occasion but it's definitely not the norm. Not sure what benefit to the sport it would be to have a larger audience exposed to this version of cyclocross once every 4 years.

I don't think it does anything for cyclocross in the heartland of the sport (Belgium), but in many countries participating in the Olympics comes with increased attention and often funding for athletes in otherwise obscure sports.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

The US men's race was fun to watch. Hockey combined with cyclocross is always fun to watch.

 

[Barkintheeye]

I don't think it does anything for cyclocross in the heartland of the sport (Belgium), but in many countries participating in the Olympics comes with increased attention and often funding for athletes in otherwise obscure sports.

The Olympics is a large thing that will attract athletes and may or may not be a major goal for the best, at least within some sports.

Ice speed skating is such a sport and without the Olympic participation it almost surely would be nonexistent. Athletes in some other sports on the other hand couldn’t be bothered like tennis, golf, soccer etc. There are enough of other prestigious events to fill their calendars anyway.

Cyclocross? Cannot see the merits of it being included in the Winter Olympic. Maybe in the summer it could make some sense but then it collides with the MTB and the Road race…

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

My mother's bridge club operates mainly in the winter. If they put the tables outside the hall during a blizzard once a year, would that mean it has a valid claim to be included in the Winter Olympics?

 

[TourOfSardinia]

My mother's bridge club operates mainly in the winter. If they put the tables outside the hall during a blizzard once a year, would that mean it has a valid claim to be included in the Winter Olympics?

if they play their cards right

 

[Wyndbrook]

I would really like to see cross at the Olympics, its a winter sport, so why not.
It's the big opportunity to really grow the sport outside its heartlands.

Don't forget Tabor could be a snowy world's next year. It was white when Stybar won at home in 2010.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Fields of 40 & 27, with some riders on training camps and not racing isn't going to persuade the IOC that CX should be in the Winter Olympics.....
Find another date when the top riders can all take part.....At the moment, one race on snow just looks like a token gesture.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

I would really like to see cross at the Olympics, its a winter sport, so why not.

It is a sport that takes place primarily in the winter: it is not a sport founded on the principle that snow and ice are slippery, which is the point of the matter as far as the IOC are concerned. (Hence my bridge club analogy above)