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Race Thread

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Echoes

Oct 8, 2009
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Belgium was still the best nation today in terms of depth (poor Denuwelaere paid the price for it - thanks the UCI and their globalization that does not work!) and I love the 'so far' while we are still in autumn, lol. Let us wait for the real muddy winter races. ;)

By the way, Belgium and the Netherlands, it's about the same country ! Besides Walsy is a half Belgian now. :D
 
Maaaaaaaarten

Maaaaaaaarten

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Echoes said:
Belgium was still the best nation today in terms of depth (poor Denuwelaere paid the price for it - thanks the UCI and their globalization that does not work!) and I love the 'so far' while we are still in autumn, lol. Let us wait for the real muddy winter races. ;)

By the way, Belgium and the Netherlands, it's about the same country ! Besides Walsy is a half Belgian now. :D
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Meh, cultural difference between the Netherlands and Belgium is bigger than most people think. :p

I'm afraid my avatar is also half a Belgian, or more like a Belgian with a Dutch pasport.

Also, you're right that my 'so far' is extremely presumptuous, because most of the big crosses we've had were very fast so far, which is Van Der Haar's forte and also he obviously peaked for these first couple of big crosses which suite him. When he get the sand and the mud and maybe the snow comes, Nys and Albert will surely be up there again, with Van Der Haar behind them. You could see it in Ronse, that these Belgians are much better at the harder slow races.

Just enjoying it while it lasts. :)
 
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Dazed and Confused

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Maaaaaaaarten said:
Meh, cultural difference between the Netherlands and Belgium is bigger than most people think. :p

I'm afraid my avatar is also half a Belgian, or more like a Belgian with a Dutch pasport.

Also, you're right that my 'so far' is extremely presumptuous, because most of the big crosses we've had were very fast so far, which is Van Der Haar's forte and also he obviously peaked for these first couple of big crosses which suite him. When he get the sand and the mud and maybe the snow comes, Nys and Albert will surely be up there again, with Van Der Haar behind them. You could see it in Ronse, that these Belgians are much better at the harder slow races.

Just enjoying it while it lasts. :)
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well, lil Lars beat Pauwels this year, so I think hes getting stronger. Walsleben was going pretty well in the RR season imo, he could surprise CX wise this year.
 
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Echoes

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I, as a Walloon living in Brussels and with Flemish roots, do solemnly claim that Belgians and Dutchies are the heirs of the old Burgondian Low Countries. The bourgeois Revolution of 1830 was a mistake. :p

Mathieu is a Dutchman speaking the Campine dialect :p (and with family roots in the Limousin :D).

He really seems like a very good guy to me, from every point of view. :) And if he's as much a fanatic as his father was (read Wuyts' comments on that) or as he's grandpa was, he can get very far.

I'm following his performances since the novice category, I think I brought some of results back then on these boards.

Dazed and Confused said:
Walsleben was going pretty well in the RR season imo, he could surprise CX wise this year.
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That does not mean a lot because as a matter of fact Walsleben has always done very well in the road seasons while it's the first time that he's doing so well in the early cyclocross season (usually he's good by the end of it). As Wuyts said it's all relative but he's a 'climber' among the cyclocrossers.
 
Maaaaaaaarten

Maaaaaaaarten

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Echoes said:
I, as a Walloon living in Brussels and with Flemish roots, do solemnly claim that Belgians and Dutchies are the heirs of the old Burgondian Low Countries. The bourgeois Revolution of 1830 was a mistake. :p

Mathieu is a Dutchman speaking the Campine dialect :p (and with family roots in the Limousin).

He really seems like a very good guy to me, from every point of view. And if he's as much a fanatic as his father was (read Wuyts' comments on that) or as he's grandpa was, he can get very far.

I'm following his performances since the novice category, I think I brought some of results back then on these boards.
Click to expand...

I, as a Dutchmen, living in Leuven, completely agree about 1830. :p
But despite the fact that they speak my native language in Leuven the cultural difference is a bit more significant than I'd expect. Belgians are a bit more modest I guess; you can see it in CX when you compare the Belgians to Boom. To a lesser extent you can see it in Van Der Haar as well I guess, who seems to be pretty 'confident'. You can call Dutch people either more direct or more rude depending on whether you like this cultural trait. ;)

Mathieu is also a bit more modest I guess, but after all, he's basically a Belgian with a Dutch passport. For me, I haven't followed him too long, I only saw him win the CX and RR junior worlds, but in those two performances he showed enough class to win me over as a fan.
 
Maaaaaaaarten

Maaaaaaaarten

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Couldn't see it today, but always nice if Vantornhout wins! :)

Three Belgians on the podium, CX has returned to normal, I see. :p

Looking forward to the Koppenberg friday! Did Nys look strong today? Hard to see past Nys on the Koppenberg if he's in shape I guess.
 
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Echoes

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Maaaaaaaarten said:
But despite the fact that they speak my native language in Leuven the cultural difference is a bit more significant than I'd expect. Belgians are a bit more modest I guess; you can see it in CX when you compare the Belgians to Boom. To a lesser extent you can see it in Van Der Haar as well I guess, who seems to be pretty 'confident'. You can call Dutch people either more direct or more rude depending on whether you like this cultural trait. ;)
Click to expand...

It's weird because in my old 'Dutch civilization' classes at uni I was taught that modesty was a Dutch cultural trait "Trots op onze bescheidenheid" (Proud of our modesty). Though it's also how Hollanders would stamp Limburgers, I guess. :p

But when I see the tweets by van der Haar or Bosman I see simple young kids who can easily laugh at themselves, which in my opinion characterized the Low Countries. I am a real fan.:) Though I usually have a soft spot for Dutchies, unless they are a**se-licking Colombians or a Spaniard. :D

We are also more in touch with reality, compared to the French who are often bombastic and romantic and we also care for détails, which French and Brits usually don't.
 
Maaaaaaaarten

Maaaaaaaarten

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Pretty unusual race for the Koppenberg. Really thought Nys was just messing arround and would destroy everybody in the last climb, but he just wasn't good enough. Congrats to Meeusen though!
 
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