Race Thread

[Logic-is-your-friend]

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's a strange analogy. Brand is more a "Wout van Aert" type of rider, compared to Alvarado who is more a "Mathieu van der Poel" kind of rider. Brand "ok" technique with a huge engine.

But sure, Mathieu can win. But i don't really see how Brand's win is testament of that. If Wout doesn't screw up tactically like in Flanders, i give him the best chances. He has to keep pressure on Mathieu, and keep the pace high. If he grants Mathieu time to recuperate, Mathieu will take it. If it's "balls out" from start to finish, i think it suits van Aert more.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

That's a strange analogy. Brand is more a "Wout van Aert" type of rider, compared to Alvarado who is more a "Mathieu van der Poel" kind of rider. Brand "ok" technique with a huge engine.

But sure, Mathieu can win. But i don't really see how Brand's win is testament of that. If Wout doesn't screw up tactically like in Flanders, i give him the best chances. He has to keep pressure on Mathieu, and keep the pace high. If he grants Mathieu time to recuperate, Mathieu will take it. If it's "balls out" from start to finish, i think it suits van Aert more.

#IRoot4Wout !

 

[wheresmybrakes]

Here's hoping for an outsider to win, just to kick sand in the faces of the big 2. I don't normally watch much cross, mainly the reason it being either a 1 or 2 rider race, depending on how many of the big 2 are racing.

 

[Wyndbrook]

I'll be interested to see what Vas can do; she already has an U23 silver medal at the MTB Worlds, behind Lecomte, but ahead of Alvarado on a climbing course. I think it's a course that probably isn't ideally suited to her, but she may be good enough to medal.

Well she was second last year, so most likely she will want to win.

 

[Wyndbrook]

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.

A day too late perhaps, certainly badly impacted Meins race and did not help Kamp either.

 

[Zoef-Lightning]

He would have been 3rd Belgian today. He should definitely have been selected, it's a crying shame and the first cracks in the "objectivity" of Vantourenhout. *** decision not to bring him and take cannon fodder instead. No disrespect to some of these guys, but the long term vision of taking some of them instead is laughable at best.

Nys is an excellent runner, and the most technical adept of all U23. He would definitely have had excellent placement going into the sand, but would have suffered on the hard sand sections.

As a light weight, Nys would not have had any chance today. And he was not selected based on his and others results, and the fact that he gave up too often. He was warned by Vanthourenhout he had to perform in the Belgian championship...... but Nys gave up that day too.

 

[Pantani_lives]

As predicted today is the only dry day of the month. That's probably a disadvantage for WVA, who won a cross with a lot of mud in Dendermonde. MvdP has the better statistics and a lot of wins on sand. It has to be between those two. I think Pidcock will become the third dog in the future, but this year is probably to early for him.

1. MvdP
2. WvA
3. Pidcock

I don't think the other Belgians and Dutchmen have a chance to win, although a medal for one of them is possible.

Three triple world champions are starting today, but no one talks about the third. Zdenek Stybar seems to be past his peak at 35, and he hasn't focused on cyclocross lately.

 

[Black Betsy]

What time is the race? Surprisingly enough I can't find the time nowhere, even on CN
Eurosport (EU) , despite advertising the event, only showed it recorded yesterday, with the usual tiresome breaks and mediocre commentary Rant over (keeping it civil here, I even ignore GCN)!

 

[the delgados]

Tiz Cycling not working over there?

Thanks for the reminder; I forgot about that.
Fingers crossed.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

I think at this stage in his career, Pidcock is still course dependent; he's a good climber and very good technically. This seems to be a track for power and sand skills. Aerts and/or Sweeck may get ahead of him. Saying that, I would have said that year - and he finished 2nd.

 

[Mick Dundee]

Three triple world champions are starting today, but no one talks about the third. Zdenek Stybar seems to be past his peak at 35, and he hasn't focused on cyclocross lately.

Let’s hope someone returns this favour to him today... but doubt he'll be anywhere near.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Bad decision from Vas, she could have bridged but chose a different route in the sand and lost whatever she had gained and then some.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Bad decision from Vas, she could have bridged but chose a different route in the sand and lost whatever she had gained and then some.

And she does it again

Now the other Dutch ladies leave her behind.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

The course today has definitely evolved in favor of Mathieu.

 

[postmanhat]

Looked away for a minute and somehow Vas pulled back 20 seconds!

Surely she won't take that same line on the beach again?

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Hmm, not sure that's the best line....In fact, it's not....it may well cost her.

 

[postmanhat]

Why does she keep doing that??? She could do the other line on leg, and still probably lose less time

 

[senna6541]

Noticed there are no planks on this course. Is that fairly common? Obviously you wouldn't have them in the sand. Guess a course like Namur doesn't them either.

 

[Winnen]

So we now have three World Champions who all where the best in their own category in Dendermonde. Coincedence? I don't think so. My prediction remains unchanged. Wout will win.

Enjoy everyone!

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Noticed there are no planks on this course. Is that fairly common? Obviously you wouldn't have them in the sand. Guess a course like Namur doesn't them either.

You mean the hurdles? Many courses have them, but that's a fairly recent trend. I think 25 years ago, only few courses had them. On here, there is only one section where they could have put them, and it was already too much twisting and turning there. It's definitely not something that fits every course.

As a light weight, Nys would not have had any chance today. And he was not selected based on his and others results, and the fact that he gave up too often. He was warned by Vanthourenhout he had to perform in the Belgian championship...... but Nys gave up that day too.

Since i have you on ignore, i only stumbled upon this by accident. Nys was having physical issues in the races he did not perform. Vantourenhout knew this very well. Nys deserved his selection based on the top end of his results. Who cares that in some races he finishes 35th behind some guy who is 32nd but never managed a top 10 all year? Vantourenhout chose to take others, who had also been having physical issues so it's a BS decision and frankly hypocritical. Nys has excellent technique and is a good climber, he would not have lost time on the bridge, would have gained time on the grassy section and would have been able to ride one of, if not the farthest through the sand. Nys is an excellent runner. He would have lost time on the hard section in the wind on the beach. He would not have had chance to win (did you even read what i wrote? I said he would have been 3rd Belgian, that means he wouldn't have come close to winning, but he would have done far better than other guys) but he might have been there to bridge the gap for Kielich.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Whoever thought of having a shot at gold, other than MvdP and WvA, knew it wasn't going to happen today after 1 minute.

 

[wheresmybrakes]

I'm really struggling to stay watching this. Bit of a bore with just 2 riders in with shout of winning out of 40 odd riders.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Mathieu under pressure, again making mistakes.

 

[spalco]

Crazy how much better the two are than everyone else, riding through sections all other riders had to get off the bike and race over after the first lap.

That said, van aert looks more comfortable.