Race Thread

[jmdirt]

All the rest need to spend the entire 'off' season working to get closer to this guy!

 

[glassmoon]

same old, same old.
Love this guy

Also, chapeau Marianne!

 

[IndianCyclist]

They should do a reverse grid start for more excitement for at least 1-2 laps

 

[postmanhat]

Evie Richards needs knee surgery and is out for the season. Terrible for her and a real shame we won't get to see her battle with Alvarado

 

[the delgados]

Re:

They should do a reverse grid start for more excitement for at least 1-2 laps

I was thinking the same.
I just watched MVDP dominate, and it truly is a sight to behold.
I am not familiar with cyclo-cross, but when I watch this guy race I m reminded of the most dominant athletes in all of sports. He is Gretzky and Jordan combined.
Funny how today he just rode through the finish without a victory salute. He looked like he wanted to do another lap.

 

[davebqvst]

MVDP too good at Diegem even when he crashes into a course marshal.
Women's race (like the Azencross a few days ago) was super close and exciting though, amazing to see how Cant battled back after the first laps.

I read somewhere that Mathieu may not take part in the Worldcup race at Pont-Château due to a training camp, so Toon Aerts has a good shot at winning the whole series if he can keep Van Aert at bay.

 

[IndianCyclist]

Re:

MVDP too good at Diegem even when he crashes into a course marshal.
Women's race (like the Azencross a few days ago) was super close and exciting though, amazing to see how Cant battled back after the first laps.

I read somewhere that Mathieu may not take part in the Worldcup race at Pont-Château due to a training camp, so Toon Aerts has a good shot at winning the whole series if he can keep Van Aert at bay.

too good at gp sven nys as well. crashed on Lap 1 and behind a lot of riders, but by the end of Lap 2 in the lead.

 

[the delgados]

Re: Re:

MVDP too good at Diegem even when he crashes into a course marshal.
Women's race (like the Azencross a few days ago) was super close and exciting though, amazing to see how Cant battled back after the first laps.

I read somewhere that Mathieu may not take part in the Worldcup race at Pont-Château due to a training camp, so Toon Aerts has a good shot at winning the whole series if he can keep Van Aert at bay.

too good at gp sven nys as well. crashed on Lap 1 and behind a lot of riders, but by the end of Lap 2 in the lead.

I saw that! Funny how someone mentions starting at the back of the grid and it really happens.
I thought it was all over when he went down and was passed by hordes of riders. I thought the guy would just call it a day and go home.
But no, he remounts and storms past everyone to finish a half-minute ahead of the next rider.
Awesome is the word that comes to mind. No doubt everyone is resigned to race for second place every time he enters a race.
I recently read commentary from some guy who said the races are boring. He is so dominant that the races are too predictable. I call rubbish on that. It is not very often you get to see someone so utterly dominant at their sport. Enjoy it.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

The problem is he is the best at everything.
He has the best technical skills, which leads him to be able to create small gaps in corners, downhills or technical sections where others can't.
Then he has the best accelaration, which leads him to be able to gap the others at any given time.
Then he has the most power (though not that much more than Van Aert or Aerts, they are very close to him), which enables him to keep them at bay.

Even on a slightly worse day were Van Aert or Aerts might have more power, he can still beat them by gaining an advantage in acceleration and especially in the corners. So the time gained on non-technical parts is lost double on the technical parts.
So all in all it's really difficult to beat him for the others right now.

Only on a real hard course (Koppenberg, worlds last year), if he has a lesser day and can't make up for it on technical parts, he has a tendency to 'blow up' and then he not only loses but immediately loses minutes.

 

[glassmoon]

muddy technical course - i thought: Jolanda could do well... and WELL she did indeed.
MVP went through the 1/2 of the field in less than 2 rounds after the crash LOL

 

[Ripper]

Re:

The problem is he is the best at everything.
He has the best technical skills, which leads him to be able to create small gaps in corners, downhills or technical sections where others can't.
Then he has the best accelaration, which leads him to be able to gap the others at any given time.
Then he has the most power (though not that much more than Van Aert or Aerts, they are very close to him), which enables him to keep them at bay.

Even on a slightly worse day were Van Aert or Aerts might have more power, he can still beat them by gaining an advantage in acceleration and especially in the corners. So the time gained on non-technical parts is lost double on the technical parts.
So all in all it's really difficult to beat him for the others right now.

Only on a real hard course (Koppenberg, worlds last year), if he has a lesser day and can't make up for it on technical parts, he has a tendency to 'blow up' and then he not only loses but immediately loses minutes.

I don't know if he has more sustained power than WvA typically does, in fact I'd say 60-70% of the time, WvA is better there. But then again, we're talking TT power, which is not what cx is. I agree 100% on the technical and the accelerations, the both of which are natural for him but have simply been enhanced by a summer of WC MTB. I've always thought taking summer MTB seriously, if your body can handle it, makes you all the better of a cx racer.

Let's put it this way. MvdP takes 30-90 seconds per race on WvA on the technical aspects alone!

Now, all this aside, if he keeps this up any longer, it'll become clinic material. This level of dominance is just silly :lol:

 

[Axel Hangleck]

I do wonder if more of his rivals should follow his example, and take up MTB XC. During one of the recent races, co commentator Simon Burney was asked about the technical aspects CX v XC. His answer was XC riders are on another level compared to most CX riders.
Mathieu was already pretty good, but his technical side has improved since his move to XC.

 

[glassmoon]

Jolanda with another win - UCI C1 in Meilen (SUI).

 

[Ripper]

Re:

Jolanda with another win - UCI C1 in Meilen (SUI).

Jolanda is simply awesome! Love watching her race.

 

[jmdirt]

100 wins is amazing for a 35 year old, but at 23?!

"Van der Poel does not count two victories from Masters Cyclocross races in Waregem in 2015 and 2018 but the Belgian media were quick to highlight the Dutch riders success at the age of just 23.

Van der Poel won his first professional cyclo-cross race at just 19 and has since won one world title, four Dutch national titles, two European Championships, 20 World Cup races, 25 Superprestige races, 16 DVV trophy races and 29 other races." --CyclingNews

 

[glassmoon]

currently shredding it in Belgium (DVV):
http://cyclingentertainment.stream/een-hd/

 

[Breh]

How is this less boring than road racing for MVDP?

He's just that much better than everyone else. Nobody ever comes close.

 

[Ripper]

Re:

How is this less boring than road racing for MVDP?

He's just that much better than everyone else. Nobody ever comes close.

Well, he's no where as close to dominating in road racing as cx. It's not boring when it's just you against the course.

 

[glassmoon]

Re:

How is this less boring than road racing for MVDP?

He's just that much better than everyone else. Nobody ever comes close.

I guess it comes down to the RIDE itself. In CX/XO one can have nice course with jumps, mud, sharp corners, technical sections or even trails so it's fun to ride. On the RR you just sit in the the pack for 5 hrs and you can't really have any fun doing it

 

[the delgados]

Please forgive me if this a dumb question and or observation, but in the races I have seen, Wout van Aert tends to come from the back to win. Obviously coming from the back is a relative statement; guy tends to hang in with front runners before putting everyone else in the hurt box.
This is probably not related to the above statement, but correct if Im wrong when saying the amount of laps in a race are determined by the first guy who crosses the line on the first lap.
If that s the case, is it possible that sometimes guys take it a bit easy after establishing their place in the pecking order to reduce the amount of laps (qm)

I know this probably sounds dumb, but Im trying to learn more about this sport. I find it interesting on a lot of levels.

 

[Breh]

Please forgive me if this a dumb question and or observation, but in the races I have seen, Wout van Aert tends to come from the back to win. Obviously coming from the back is a relative statement; guy tends to hang in with front runners before putting everyone else in the hurt box.
This is probably not related to the above statement, but correct if Im wrong when saying the amount of laps in a race are determined by the first guy who crosses the line on the first lap.
If that s the case, is it possible that sometimes guys take it a bit easy after establishing their place in the pecking order to reduce the amount of laps (qm)

I know this probably sounds dumb, but Im trying to learn more about this sport. I find it interesting on a lot of levels.

The amount of laps is decided after the 2nd lap. They'll try to make sure the race is about 60minutes for regular CX races and about 70minutes for WC races. So it does indeed depend on how fast they race the first two laps.
MVDP doesn't really take it easy so the rest of the bunch is usually screwed.

 

[the delgados]

I don't know about anyone else, but I cannot decide whether or not I like the sport.
I am currently watching the U23 Belgian national championship race, and part of me feels embarrassed to watch super fit athletes slip around and crash in a mud-pile while carrying their bikes. The spectacle seems silly, and I kinda feel bad for the eventual winner, who will be crowned best guy to ride and walk your bike through a pit of mud.
There is also the sheer determination part of this spectacle that is kind of compelling. I mean, it takes a lot of strength and willpower to fall face first in a pile of mud and get back up and act as if nothing happened.
Im starting to think the sport kinda sucks.
Who would think it s a good idea to ride your bike on a beach (qm)

 

[Ricco']

What a race in Kruibeke for the men elite title!

Toon Aerts totally crushed Van Aert in the last two laps, both physically and mentally, with his recovery and almost straight attack.

Totally deserved jersey for him after a year with two World Cups, the Koppenberg and the Druivencross.

 

[postmanhat]

British Elite 1-2-3
Pidcock
Turner
Mein

All U-23 riders

 

[RedheadDane]

Looks from the pictures I'm seeing that Denmark isn't the only European country today with... interesting weather for a cross race.