Race Thread

[Barkintheeye]

Brand looks completely transformed compared to previous years. Quite smooth and nimble and still powerful. Before it was more like an amateur racer but with a big engine. Now she’s almost as agile as Alvarado who was always one of the best technical riders in the women’s division.

 

[RedheadDane]

Brand with her 100000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000th win.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

I think the U23 Women's Worlds will be interesting...........,quite a number of riders who could win it; Backstedt isn't looking as good as I expected - but is probably peaking for Hulst.

 

[RedheadDane]

No Van Der Haar. However, it's for a happy reason:
There's going to be another Van Der Haar.

Lars van der Haar slaat om mooie reden Wereldbeker Benidorm over

Lars van der Haar slaat de Wereldbeker Benidorm over om vader te worden. Lees meer over zijn afscheid van de veldrit en blijf op de hoogte!

www.wielerflits.nl

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Come on, Orts, get on that damn podium.

 

[jono]

Crazy that they didn't bother to rake the sand pit between races.

 

[tobydawq]

I think Mathieu van der Poel will win this race.

 

[RedheadDane]

I think Mathieu van der Poel will win this race.

Your predictive skills are unrivalled!

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Van der Poel's acting like an opposite broom wagon (he'll also act like a real one when/if he overtales riders).

 

[11-34]

mvdp is abusing this race as interval training.

 

[tobydawq]

I think Mathieu van der Poel will win this race.

I was right.

 

[11-34]

Never seen a happier third place.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Crazy that they didn't bother to rake the sand pit between races.

They'd get barred from their golf clubs, or lose their authorisation as long/triple jump judges.

 

[pastronef]

isn't it a bit sad? I mean, I know the sport needs stars to reach the big public, but dear me, after 1 lap he was gone. it says a lot about the reach of cyclocross. obvs the Spanish race owners loved to have VDP at the start. and the camera staying on him after the finish while Nys and Orts are crossing the line. IT SUCKS. thank god they showed the last 4 seconds of Nys and Orts crossing the line. madness. I don't know, it's a bittersweet feeling.
ok now Spain has Orts, and GB holds hopes in Mason. but looking it from another angle, CX could survive without stars and keep being strong in BEL-NED.
I hate VDP but it would be good for him to race a whole season of MTB World Cups. that discipline needs visibility and sponsor like mad. it needs clicks and marketing EXPERTS not those brainrot and brainless web marketing people.
so for the sake of XCO it would be good marketing to have VDP there, and him leave cyclocross alone

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Standings

 

[KZD]

Crazy that they didn't bother to rake the sand pit between races.

Yup, it ended up helping guys like Nys or Orts over the better sand riders like Del Grosso, Vandeputte or Aerts.

Having said that, it was a joy to watch Orts getting on that podium.

 

[Hugh Januss]

I was right.

Really went out on a limb there!

 

[Ulfhednar]

I understand the sentiment, but Benidorm is not a course where I'd expect MVDP to dominate or even finish on a gap. In his 2 appearances he has won in a 2 up sprint and finished 5th.

This didn't age well...

 

[CXXC]

Predictable results from Benidorm, at least MVDP is class wheelying over the line, doubt I will ever see similar from Brand. If so would I be even be a tad happy to see her win?

 

[jono]

This didn't age well...

In the end, a very strange race. Nys appeared strong enough to ride with MVDP, but he didn't push in the first lap and the whole field except van der Poel seemed to take it easy in laps 2-4, based on how big the group became at times.

 

[LookProGoSlow]

isn't it a bit sad? I mean, I know the sport needs stars to reach the big public, but dear me, after 1 lap he was gone. it says a lot about the reach of cyclocross. obvs the Spanish race owners loved to have VDP at the start. and the camera staying on him after the finish while Nys and Orts are crossing the line. IT SUCKS. thank god they showed the last 4 seconds of Nys and Orts crossing the line. madness. I don't know, it's a bittersweet feeling.
ok now Spain has Orts, and GB holds hopes in Mason. but looking it from another angle, CX could survive without stars and keep being strong in BEL-NED.
I hate VDP but it would be good for him to race a whole season of MTB World Cups. that discipline needs visibility and sponsor like mad. it needs clicks and marketing EXPERTS not those brainrot and brainless web marketing people.
so for the sake of XCO it would be good marketing to have VDP there, and him leave cyclocross alone

How can you hate a bike rider?

 

[jono]

isn't it a bit sad? I mean, I know the sport needs stars to reach the big public, but dear me, after 1 lap he was gone. it says a lot about the reach of cyclocross. obvs the Spanish race owners loved to have VDP at the start. and the camera staying on him after the finish while Nys and Orts are crossing the line. IT SUCKS. thank god they showed the last 4 seconds of Nys and Orts crossing the line. madness. I don't know, it's a bittersweet feeling.
ok now Spain has Orts, and GB holds hopes in Mason. but looking it from another angle, CX could survive without stars and keep being strong in BEL-NED.
I hate VDP but it would be good for him to race a whole season of MTB World Cups. that discipline needs visibility and sponsor like mad. it needs clicks and marketing EXPERTS not those brainrot and brainless web marketing people.
so for the sake of XCO it would be good marketing to have VDP there, and him leave cyclocross alone

Do you really believe that MTB XCO is in a worse place as a sport than CX?

 

[awavey]

Crazy that they didn't bother to rake the sand pit between races.

I was actually thinking they should do it every lap

 

[jono]

I was actually thinking they should do it every lap

I was going to say the same, but could get tricky late in races when the field is more spread out!

 

[Hugh Januss]

I was going to say the same, but could get tricky late in races when the field is more spread out!

Also it's patently against the rules.