Race Thread

[Vroome.exe]

Re: Re:

A live feed for the mens http://sebn.me/sebn-5.html

Amazing how Van Aert revels in deep mud

Just tuned in, mid-race. What happened to Van der Poel? I thought he'd be lapping the field by now!

You mean van Aert? Nothing! He's lapping the field as expected.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Re: Re:

A live feed for the mens http://sebn.me/sebn-5.html

Amazing how Van Aert revels in deep mud

Just tuned in, mid-race. What happened to Van der Poel? I thought he'd be lapping the field by now!

wrong centre of gravity for this course - needs shorter legs!

 

[benzwire]

I don't follow cross too closely, but wasn't Van der Poel the overwhelming favorite for this race?

 

[3wheeler]

Belgium 3 - UK 2 not a bad scoreline for the weekend with 2 Big Favourites having off days...

 

[jmdirt]

WVA X3! He picked a great time to have his best race this year!

 

[Jagartrott]

I don't follow cross too closely, but wasn't Van der Poel the overwhelming favorite for this race?

Yes, but people were forgetting a bit that a) WvA is also a huge talent, b) a race with plenty of running favours WvA and c) that the pressure would be very high on VDP in front of his home crowd (and a parcours his father designed).

 

[Gung Ho Gun]

I don't follow cross too closely, but wasn't Van der Poel the overwhelming favorite for this race?

Yes, but people were forgetting a bit that a) WvA is also a huge talent, b) a race with plenty of running favours WvA and c) that the pressure would be very high on VDP in front of his home crowd (and a parcours his father designed).

Funny enough, it's the exact same podium, and similar story, as the U23 race in Hoogerheide - where VDP was the overwhelming favourite, in front of his home crowd, on his father's parcours.

 

[davebqvst]

Didn't his father also design last year's course? Maybe he's secretly rooting against Mathieu

Really surprising result yesterday and not that great of a race really, even though it was pretty impressive to see Van Aert's determination and grit.
Reminded me a bit of the Namur race where MVDP started strong and then suddenly faded, though that was due to sickness I think. Wondering whether MVDP just ran out of steam after such a long season, or whether it was mental? I read that WVA would be better in the mud, but I didn't expect it to be by such a huge margin.

Also, here's another "new to cyclocross"-question: How important is the WC? Will MVDP's season be regarded as a failure now even though he won pretty much everything else, or is it similar to road cycling with other races being of similar status to the WC?

 

[Bakkie]

Re:

Didn't his father also design last year's course? Maybe he's secretly rooting against Mathieu

Really surprising result yesterday and not that great of a race really, even though it was pretty impressive to see Van Aert's determination and grit.
Reminded me a bit of the Namur race where MVDP started strong and then suddenly faded, though that was due to sickness I think. Wondering whether MVDP just ran out of steam after such a long season, or whether it was mental? I read that WVA would be better in the mud, but I didn't expect it to be by such a huge margin.

Also, here's another "new to cyclocross"-question: How important is the WC? Will MVDP's season be regarded as a failure now even though he won pretty much everything else, or is it similar to road cycling with other races being of similar status to the WC?

No, the man of the season is MVDP. But WvA rescue his season with the rainbow jersey.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

On hard climbing courses with a lot of mud Van Aert is simply better.

Ironically the way Adri changed the course of Valkenburg he made it far less suited to VdP and better for Van Aert. The old Valkenburg course would have been perfect for VdP (shorter explosive climbs, more technical sections)

 

[Ricco']

Belgium season started today and I'm already fed up with Flosports. Anyone knows where I can find a replay of today's Brico Cross? I don't even want HD quality, only want to watch the race.

 

[RedheadDane]

So... whose brilliant idea was it to have the World Cup's leader's jersey be white?

 

[jmdirt]

Really not much to discuss, MVDP is just great again today!

 

[Flamin]

Can't bother about cx yet. It feels wrong watching it when it's 25 degrees outside. We need cold, rain, mud and snow asap (only at the particular location where the race is held please, not where I live).

 

[jmdirt]

Re:

Can't bother about cx yet. It feels wrong watching it when it's 25 degrees outside. We need cold, rain, mud and snow asap (only at the particular location where the race is held please, not where I live).

Two things:
Where I live 25 degrees is Fn cold (32 is freezing)!
I love snow...when its on the mountains and not on my trails!
:lol:

 

[Ricco']

I'm planning a trip to Belgium next December.

Since I will be in Brussels on the 8th, I'm planning to go to Overijse on the 9th and watch the Druivencross and try to meet Van der Poel in the process.

Can anyone enlighten me about how to buy a ticket to the event (can I buy them online or only locally) and how much does it usually cost? Also, is it easy to get near the team's zone and the pro athletes?

 

[Echoes]

I live 3km far from Overijse and visited the cross in 2013. Back then it was about 10€ if you bought it on the spot (which I did). It's probably a bit more today but not much. Considering the fact that you can see several races from beginners to elite, it's worth it really. If you come a few days before, you can still buy it on pre sales at the tourist information centre of Overijse but I can't tell you where it lays. I've never done that there. I did in Namur a long time ago. I can't tell you if it's possible to buy online or not.

Overijse is as easy as it gets to get to the team zone, provided it hasn't changed since 2013. Very simply, it's the first place you get to when you enter the field (so if you come by bus, stop in front of the church and take the road on the right). Some riders however like it being kept from the audience though. But the team zone at Overijse was one of my best memories, I stood for half an hour next to an always-smiling Lars Van der Haar (after the race he finished third) and I felt even more sympathy for him after that than ever before.

Perhaps I can find a way to go back to Overijse too.

 

[jmdirt]

MVDP with another demonstration. I wonder if he could have gone faster if WVA could have pressured him more?

 

[glassmoon]

Re:

MVDP with another demonstration. I wonder if he could have gone faster if WVA could have pressured him more?

WVA also mentioned the chain drop as a result of a bad shift...

 

[jmdirt]

Re: Re:

MVDP with another demonstration. I wonder if he could have gone faster if WVA could have pressured him more?

WVA also mentioned the chain drop as a result of a bad shift...

Yes, but was he pressuring him when the shifting issue happened?

 

[glassmoon]

Re: Re:

MVDP with another demonstration. I wonder if he could have gone faster if WVA could have pressured him more?

WVA also mentioned the chain drop as a result of a bad shift...

Yes, but was he pressuring him when the shifting issue happened?

“I shifted wrong and my chain dropped. It’s a pity that I lost the race because of this incident." - seems it was in some decisive moment, maybe before/during the final sprint. WVA pressured MVP (both of them stated that) for at least half of the race but then eased a little bit which he (WVA) admitted later that it was probably a mistake. The course wan't much suitable for dropping MVP though. MVP even has a ankle injury ongoing so his performance is even more impressive.
Looks like we have another season of those two being in the league of their own in front of us.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Those two.. or that one?

MvdP seems to be in a different league yet again alltogether

 

[glassmoon]

Re:

Those two.. or that one?

MvdP seems to be in a different league yet again alltogether

Yeah, I was hoping for a closer battle this season but it looks like it ain't gonna happen.

 

[jmdirt]

MVDP is "ON".

 

[rghysens]

Re:

MVDP is "ON".

He wasn't on the Koppenberg. Most entertaining race in a while.