Race Thread

[Axel Hangleck]

And Belgium, not sending any women.......

You can't force them to go, so I don't know what the answer is. But it's not giving up the US rounds...that would be a massive mistake.

Start lists:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1577292877390036993

View: https://twitter.com/cyclocross24/status/1577292877390036993

 

[Sciatic]

And Belgium, not sending any women.......

You can't force them to go, so I don't know what the answer is. But it's not giving up the US rounds...that would be a massive mistake.

Start lists:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1577292877390036993

View: https://twitter.com/cyclocross24/status/1577292877390036993

Brand, Van Empel, Betsema, and Worst are there, that’s not so bad a field with the North Americans?
trying to remember—did something happen (illness, injury) to Magalie Rochelle and that’s why she’s not on startlist?

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Yeah, she's ill - having a rest and trying to get ready for later on in the season.

 

[postmanhat]

Brand, Van Empel, Betsema, and Worst are there, that’s not so bad a field with the North Americans?
trying to remember—did something happen (illness, injury) to Magalie Rochelle and that’s why she’s not on startlist?

Yes, pretty much everyone who's started their season is there it seems? Plus Honsinger, who won the Trek Cup on Friday in her first race of the year.

Evie Richards will also be there, but only supporting her team-mates, as she's 'too slow to race' at the moment. Only one way to solve that problem Evie.

 

[stonerider]

Evie Richards will also be there, but only supporting her team-mates, as she's 'too slow to race' at the moment. Only one way to solve that problem Evie.

Evie has had some issues this year...hopefully she can get everything sorted and come back strong.

 

[lemon cheese cake]

Maybe she'll surprise me when her injuries/illnesses are sorted, but I really struggle to see her competing at the front of cx races unless it's Namur style. And even then I think she's stuggle to top 10. The front appears to be a lot more competitive these past couple of/few seasons than when she was pulling those rides off.

 

[lemon cheese cake]

Despite retiring a couple of years ago, Nikki Brammeier came 2nd in the National Trophy series in the UK today.

 

[lemon cheese cake]

Well those barriers at the Trek WC look pretty rubbish!

 

[Monte Serra]

Impressive win by Van Empel and good to see Alvarado being competitive once more!

 

[Jumbo Visma Fan :)]

Dominant win by Iserbyt yesterday, not surprised.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

The women's race was as expected; very good close racing between the Dutch ladies.....Van Empel looks in very good form, and looks to have made a jump. How long can she keep it up? But it was good to see Alvarado back at the front of a race and Brand appears to be trying to ride into form; the Euros in Namur are in a month....that's her course.
Vas is still racing in Hungary/ Czechia, so who knows how good her form is? Puck will be back soon after an excellent summer on the MTB. And Burquier is still racing MTB in France, so who knows if she will turn up.

The men's wasn't quite as good, Eli got an early gap, and went away - despite Sweeck looking to close at one point. Lars completed the podium, but will miss next week - but will return for Tabor. A nice competitive 5th for Thibau, as well.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Despite retiring a couple of years ago, Nikki Brammeier came 2nd in the National Trophy series in the UK today.

I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not. Great for her to show what an excellent rider she still is, but also a demonstration that the level below Kay isn't exactly world class. Backstedt is on a rest, as is Harnden who is an Enduro rider, who does a bit of CX and has just finished the EWS season.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Excellent woman's race despite the lack of mud.
Alvarado just like she was,

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlTqI7ASHrM

 

[lemon cheese cake]

I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not. Great for her to show what an excellent rider she still is, but also a demonstration that the level below Kay isn't exactly world class. Backstedt is on a rest, as is Harnden who is an Enduro rider, who does a bit of CX and has just finished the EWS season.

I was just remarking at the performance to be honest, but putting it like that does create some perspective. I think the likes of Maclean Howell (4th in last year's junior worlds) should progress well and it was her first elite/u23 race. There are riders like Amira Mellor who were missing from that so she might have been closer to Kay, but those de 2nd to 9th were spaced out just over a minute, so it's still fairly close behind.

In terms of Pieterse and Vas, we should at least get a good indication of how they are against each other as I think they're both racing a C2 in Oisterwijk in the Netherlands next weekend.

 

[stonerider]

I read Pauline Prevot has signed with Ineos and said she plans on racing some CX this winter. Women's CX racing is fire! Tom is going to share his Pinarello CX bike with her.

 

[lemon cheese cake]

Quite a number of riders starting their season in the forthcoming days, including a certain Mr Stybar. He races in Slovakia in Dohnany Sat and Sun, while Line Burquier starts in Switzerland at Steinmauer on Sunday. As I wrote above, Puck Pieterse will race for the first time this season in the Netherlands in Oisterwijk alongside Blanka Vas. Then in Ardooie in Belgium on Thursday, I've heard Quinten Hermans and Zoë Bäckstedt will begin racing.

On mentioning Vas, and to answer the question of @stonerider , Vas was doing a training session with Lars Boom at the Tom Dumoulin Bike Park yesterday so he's definitely still working with her.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Both Burquier and Pieterse won their first races of the season; I expect big things from the pair of them. It looks like it may become a year-long battle, whether in CX, or MTB.

 

[lemon cheese cake]

Seeing clips on instagram, Bentveld was also looking pretty strong which is obviously shown by the fact she wa s ahead of Norbert Riberolle, van Alphen and not far behind Vas or Pieterse either.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Something else I've noticed, is that both Honsinger & Backstedt seem to be running Sram, when on the road they use Shimano......

 

[postmanhat]

Great to see Pieterse and Burquier starting so strongly. Just adds to the potential for the season. As already noted though, Bentveld coming in third was really impressive. She seemed to be getting closer to Zoe Backstedt towards the end of last season (?), so maybe she's continuing a rapid progression.

 

[postmanhat]

Maybe she'll surprise me when her injuries/illnesses are sorted, but I really struggle to see her competing at the front of cx races unless it's Namur style. And even then I think she's stuggle to top 10. The front appears to be a lot more competitive these past couple of/few seasons than when she was pulling those rides off.

You're probably right, but it's very hard to tell as she's only ridden a handful of CX races in the last two seasons. In the meantime, she's progressed to being one the best MTB riders in the world. So it would be interesting at least, to see if that improvement transfers to cross.

 

[postmanhat]

I read Pauline Prevot has signed with Ineos and said she plans on racing some CX this winter. Women's CX racing is fire! Tom is going to share his Pinarello CX bike with her.

I think I read that she's targetting the Euros initially(?), and if so she should be racing fairly soon. Knowing her and Ineos, her schedule will be totally focussed on The Worlds?

 

[lemon cheese cake]

Something else I've noticed, is that both Honsinger & Backstedt seem to be running Sram, when on the road they use Shimano......

Honsinger has the same paint job on the frames as last year, so i'd assume they're the same bikes as last season. With Backstedt maybe it's so they have consistency throughout the team meaning wheels with different tyres can be swapped between riders. Plus I don't think the mens EF team are directly sponsored by Shimano like for instance Jumbo, or Ineos and i'd assume that carries over to the slightly connected womens team, meaning technically they're free to use what components they want.

 

[lemon cheese cake]

What are the current rules on organisers having to hold a junior women's race? I seem to remember things changed slightly due to covid, but as far as I can remember they were originally introducing a Junior womens world champs (Duebendorf 2020), followed by a World Cup series the next season (2020/21) and then the season after (2021/22) all races would have to have one.

I ask this as:

• None of the belgian races have had one so far (despite two having enough juniors to warrant one),
• Oisterwijk also didn't (and had enough for a decent field)
• The BC National Trophy and some of the spanish races have had good sized fields
• Some of the US races have had pitiful numbers in the junior womens races
• The swedish uci elite races this weekend had barely enough riders to make it worth having an event.

 

[Gwbert]

Does anyone else feel for Sweeck? I feel like if he could have gone over the top of Iserbyt, he would have won, but man he fought hard 2v1 for that. Think he’ll have the edge in mud though (until wva returns ofc)