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Race Thread

Page 79 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Wow. Was that fair there between Worst and Brand? Might be decisive.

I don't think they touched but it was probably decisive, brand may have forced her wide but it looked clean. That was the ... worst .... possible time to lose a wheel.

So easy to make a mistake on this course.

I couldn't tell but Alvarado was actling like the had hurt a wrist, maybe just cold. She'll be disappointed in that first corner crash although the course wasn't really to her strength. Impressive from Honsinger, the best of the rest...
 
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Wow. Was that fair there between Worst and Brand? Might be decisive.
Fair play, didn't touch each other imho, there was a gap and Brand went for it without making a fault. Worst should have chosen a better line... and shouldn't have crashed (probably was a bit surprised).

Edit: Brand said they touched elbows, in an interview. Worst said there was no issue.
 
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I don't think they touched but it was probably decisive, brand may have forced her wide but it looked clean. That was the ... worst .... possible time to lose a wheel.

So easy to make a mistake on this course.

I couldn't tell but Alvarado was actling like the had hurt a wrist, maybe just cold. She'll be disappointed in that first corner crash although the course wasn't really to her strength. Impressive from Honsinger, the best of the rest...
Brand said they touched elbows
 
Betsema very bad on the running parts. Worst very strong, without all the slips & slides where she had to recover a lot, she could have gone for the win.

But very deserved for Brand, a worthy world champion, for all she has done this year and also on the rest of her career.


Fully agree with your view of the race. Interesting race from start to finish. Hopefully that will be the same tomorrow.
 
I know her from MTB, but that's the first time I remember seeing Brandau in a race this season and she finishes 9th!?

Such a shame Worst crashed near the end. But hard to see any way she would beaten Brand in a sprint

She won the first EKZ Cross race back in September, I'd say that was a very good ride; same for Richards & Tauber - not really suiting their skills...
 
Congrats WC Brand!
Homer hat on: Its nice to see a USAer in the mix at/near the front!

Yeah, Honsinger really came on strong, although still 52 seconds back. She's got a lot of power from what I could see -- she was able to ride more of the sand then some of the riders around her.

On another US note, Katie Compton's last WC in Europe, I imagine. I think her plans are to stay stateside next year, do the WC in Arkansas, then? Maybe take up race car driving...(I'm not totally kidding; her Porsche "support car" is pretty slick)
 
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Smells like a Belgian win tomorrow. That beach was something to behold. I thought that the sand in e.g. Zilvermeer, Mol was hard but the stretches at Ostende made the U23 and elite ladies look like beginners. Can Mathieu match Wout's massive power or will anyone of them make a decisive mistake on the slippy grass and give away the win?
 
Smells like a Belgian win tomorrow. That beach was something to behold. I thought that the sand in e.g. Zilvermeer, Mol was hard but the stretches at Ostende made the U23 and elite ladies look like beginners. Can Mathieu match Wout's massive power or will anyone of them make a decisive mistake on the slippy grass and give away the win?

Well, one thing’s for sure, they won’t be slipping (as much) on the stairs tomorrow. Anti-slip tape has been added onto the steps after a lot of criticism regarding the many slips on said stairs in today’s races.
 
Smells like a Belgian win tomorrow. That beach was something to behold. I thought that the sand in e.g. Zilvermeer, Mol was hard but the stretches at Ostende made the U23 and elite ladies look like beginners. Can Mathieu match Wout's massive power or will anyone of them make a decisive mistake on the slippy grass and give away the win?
If Brand can win on this circuit then MVdP can too.
He should be able to manage that sand just fine.
Sure the circuit is not that fast but there's no deep mud.
The bridges? He's pretty good at them if I recall correctly.
Pidcock might beat him up that big bridge - but P. will done in
by the sand before he even gets to it....
 
If Brand can win on this circuit then MVdP can too.
He should be able to manage that sand just fine.
Sure the circuit is not that fast but there's no deep mud.
The bridges? He's pretty good at them if I recall correctly.
Pidcock might beat him up that big bridge - but P. will done in
by the sand before he even gets to it....

That bridge after the second sand section is brutal, but the bridge in of itself shouldn’t be a problem for Mathieu. He’s good at short/explosive climbs. Piddy has the advantage of having much less weight to drag up the bridge though.

The crucial/decisive part for Mathieu will be how he handles the sandy sections compared to Wout. If he can stay with Wout or even best him by somehow using his technique then his chances increase a lot.

The very first passage might tell us all we need to know. Or maybe the second passage when there is less traffic to hold you up or less nervousness. Can’t wait tbh.
 
I'd say normally Kay and Vas should be up there. But Kay could struggle with the sand and her tendency to fall somewhat off later in a race.
Certainly. Both of those riders could be on the podium. However, the Dutch, much like the elite women, have strength in numbers, and most of them also podium candidates; Bakker, van Empel, van Alphen, Pieterse. Van Anrooij could also be a strong team-member.

The good thing about Vas is that she’s one of the best, so she should be on the podium at the very least.
 
Again, you keep bringing up the numbers as if someone here contested them. I clearly explained myself in the post you quoted. Might want to read it again.

You seem to argue based on a false premise. No one said Mathieu had bad mentality. Wout just has better mentality and that is also provable by what I mentioned above. So if you’re for facts than be consistent.

Mathieu has a good mentality, Wout has better mentality.
Wout has very good technique, Mathieu has better technique.
Mathieu has very good power, Wout just has better (sustained) power.
Wout has good explosiveness, Mathieu has better explosiveness.

See how that works? The one argument doesn’t negate the other or isn’t a slate on the other rider in any way. Maybe that’s where you misunderstand my point.

I do agree that Mathieu seems to be able to dig deeper than most, if not anyone. Especially when he’s contesting the final of a race. He often comes over the line looking pale and almost vomiting. That’s definitely an admirable trait.

I’m a big fan of both riders. Wout for his never-say-die mentality and sheer power, Mathieu for his technique and explosiveness. Love to see them both ride and would be happy if either of them wins.
Okay SC. I don't know how you can say that it is "provable" that Wout is somehow mentally tougher than MVDP, and I don't get your logic at all, but everyone is entitled to their opinion. I see them as two genetic freaks physically - both have their unique strengths, but overall they're pretty evenly matched physically. And over a huge sample of 166 cross races, one guy is 114-52 head to head. Yet somehow that guy has a lesser "mentality" (whatever that means) than they guy he consistently beats? Also, the guy with the lesser "mentality" has a better head to head record on the road (even after last season when he came in totally flat in a bizarre year) and has a reputation for never being counted out (Flanders '19 to get 4th -whereas Wout got 29th or something at Roubaix '19 under similar circumstances, Amstel Gold '19, stage 5 BB this year and then LBL the next day, etc.) Also, MVDP's technical superiority says a lot about his "mentality" as well. You have to be plenty mentally tough to be willing to take the risks he can and does take on fast, dangerous technical sections. Anyway, hope we see a good race tomorrow. Very hard one to call. If they end up having to do a lot of running on the beach, I tip Wout. If MVDP can ride most of the sand, I tip him. The great thing is no matter what happens, they'll be right back at it at SB, SR, Flanders and Roubaix. Hopefully it will take another 10 years to know which one is ultimately the better bike racer.
 
Okay SC. I don't know how you can say that it is "provable" that Wout is somehow mentally tougher than MVDP, and I don't get your logic at all, but everyone is entitled to their opinion. I see them as two genetic freaks physically - both have their unique strengths, but overall they're pretty evenly matched physically. And over a huge sample of 166 cross races, one guy is 114-52 head to head. Yet somehow that guy has a lesser "mentality" (whatever that means) than they guy he consistently beats? Also, the guy with the lesser "mentality" has a better head to head record on the road (even after last season when he came in totally flat in a bizarre year) and has a reputation for never being counted out (Flanders '19 to get 4th -whereas Wout got 29th or something at Roubaix '19 under similar circumstances, Amstel Gold '19, stage 5 BB this year and then LBL the next day, etc.) Also, MVDP's technical superiority says a lot about his "mentality" as well. You have to be plenty mentally tough to be willing to take the risks he can and does take on fast, dangerous technical sections. Anyway, hope we see a good race tomorrow. Very hard one to call. If they end up having to do a lot of running on the beach, I tip Wout. If MVDP can ride most of the sand, I tip him. The great thing is no matter what happens, they'll be right back at it at SB, SR, Flanders and Roubaix. Hopefully it will take another 10 years to know which one is ultimately the better bike racer.

This is getting out of hand. The good thing in my case is that it’s pretty much a general concession among pundits and cycling fans that Wout has a better mentality. Also good thing in my case is that I can be partial being a true fan of both. So I’ll gladly agree to disagree on this one.

As long as the racing is fair and hopefully no decisive mechanicals than I’ll be happy for either one of them because you cannot hide on this course. The best man will win and be a worthy world champion.

It would be hilarious if after all of this analyzing and predicting based on only two possible winners it turns out to be someone else.
 
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