Race Thread

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I remember! I even recall someone - you? - making analyses of his height based on "Here he is, standing right next to some other guy who's definitely not tiny, and looking about as tall."

Yup. That was me.

 

[postmanhat]

48 hours to catch our breath before all 3 are apparently scheduled to ride the Exact Cross on Friday? Didn't expect that for the least prestigious series.

 

[RedheadDane]

I would never do such a thing. I'd use French pigs or something.

I admit, for once, I wrongly accused you of that particular bit of crazy. It was Toby...

 

[DNP-Old]

48 hours to catch our breath before all 3 are apparently scheduled to ride the Exact Cross on Friday? Didn't expect that for the least prestigious series.

 

[theyoungest]

48 hours to catch our breath before all 3 are apparently scheduled to ride the Exact Cross on Friday? Didn't expect that for the least prestigious series.

Which series it is doesn't matter for these guys, I guess the UCI would like to see it differently but they really don't care. What does matter is the starting fee...

 

[lemon cheese cake]

While it's definitely the big 2.5 in terms of height and consistency if Pidcock has another couple of races like this, he surely has to defend his title in Hoogerheide.

 

[Wyndbrook]

I've said earlier in this thread, that if it was anybody else, you'd completely write them off. But, 2 weeks before Les Gets she finished 2m30 down on Lecomte.....
As for Evie, I've got no idea how she'll go; she'll start towards the back as she has so few points from the last 2 seasons - and it's basically prep for the early season MTB races.

She has been riding some local league races, I saw her win on my local course a few weeks ago.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I admit, for once, I wrongly accused you of that particular bit of crazy. It was Toby...

Well he is the usual offender isn't he?

Getting back to the race, I was also rooting for Pidcock. He might have lost the sprint anyway, but his mistakes on the last lap certainly didn't help.
But defintiely a great race, where momentum kept switching throughout and nothing was decided until the very end. But unlike yesterday, there were three riders in it.

A shame that Iserbyt wasn't strong/weak enough to really be battling anyone but himself, but at least he seems to have recovered from the Val di Sole crash.

 

[lemon cheese cake]

Slightly further back in the field, with Lidckock not on scheduling the national championships, it should be a good battle with Cameron Mason getting 2 world cup top 10s and Thomas Mein edging him tonight.

 

[jono]

A shame that Iserbyt wasn't strong/weak enough to really be battling anyone but himself, but at least he seems to have recovered from the Val di Sole crash.

On a day when Pidcock is making the Big 2 a Big 3, I think this is the best Iserbyt can ever hope to do. I thought Lars/Michael would dust him but he did well.

 

[Didinho]

Hope this means we get the best Mathieu on the road this year, wouldn't mind that. Normally he gets a little better after training camp but now he's worse than before. Really strange. As a fan it's hard to see him like this, because everybody knows what he can here in Diegem. But great for cyclocross duels now.

 

[senna6541]

Tough one for MVDP fans. Thought he had this with the way he was riding the sand into the barrier section until he blew himself up. Still like the way things are trending for him. It's been a long time since he's been able to string together proper training and racing blocks injury free. So not necessarily surprising that his depth isn't quite there against the likes of Wout and Pidcock and this extremely high level. It's all still in front of him in CX, and then hopefully he goes in to the road season full force. On to the next one.

 

[Wvv]

Bit late to join the party, but man ... what a CX race that was! Best one in years, with these ever changing scenarios. It felt like cyclocross in the days of Nys, Wellens, Albert, Stybar ... Loved watching it unfold this way.

Happy for Wout, finally able to add Diegem to his palmares, after 9 (!) consecutive wins for Mathieu (6 of them at pro level). Kudos Pidcock for putting up such a fight. And very well done by youngsters Nys and Haverdings.

 

[stonerider]

Imagine a world where Ferrand Prevot didn't have chain issues...

Damn Shimano...not good for off road action.

 

[stonerider]

Anyone who didn't expect Wout to get the best of MvdP in the 3rd race in a row hasn't been studying these athletes recently (2021/2022) on the road. Wout recovers way better than MvdP...just a fact! MvdP would have won today if this was the first race of this block instead of the 3rd race. MvdP is better when fresh.

 

[Barkintheeye]

Anyone who didn't expect Wout to get the best of MvdP in the 3rd race in a row hasn't been studying these athletes recently (2021/2022) on the road. Wout recovers way better than MvdP...just a fact! MvdP would have won today if this was the first race of this block instead of the 3rd race. MvdP is better when fresh.

That's very likely true. Wout has a stronger aerobic capacity which almost always equates to faster / better recovery between efforts. Drawback is slightly less anaerobic capacity where MVDP is superior and it gives him that extra punch that can distance him from the rest.

Mathieu looked superb in Zolder and it came down to a minute mistake on the final lap which opened up for Wout. Not to take anything away from Wout but is was that miss by Mathieu close to the sprint that handed him the opportunity. I believe both were at their absolute limit and then mistakes are bound to happen -- this time by MVDP.

 

[lemon cheese cake]

Damn Shimano...not good for off road action.

Shimano's perfectly fine for riding off road. In fact a large majority of the euro pros excluding Baloise Trek use it with only the occasional As Helen Wyman described in commentary, when you've spent a long time on one thing it can take a while to get used to. The last time she probably spent time on Shimano was 2016 when she rode for Rabobank. Anyway this is the first mechanical she's visibly had since the issues at Koppenberg so it's not like it's a weekly occurence. Her small injury is more of the problem currently.

 

[senna6541]

That's very likely true. Wout has a stronger aerobic capacity which almost always equates to faster / better recovery between efforts. Drawback is slightly less anaerobic capacity where MVDP is superior and it gives him that extra punch that can distance him from the rest.

Mathieu looked superb in Zolder and it came down to a minute mistake on the final lap which opened up for Wout. Not to take anything away from Wout but is was that miss by Mathieu close to the sprint that handed him the opportunity. I believe both were at their absolute limit and then mistakes are bound to happen -- this time by MVDP.

Agree with both comments. Especially given the inconsistency in MVDP's training over the past couple of years. Still, win or lose, it is MVDP who has made these last three races - compare them to a race like Dublin when he was not there. And he was quite close to snapping the elastic last night before he took that bike change that helped Pidcock get back and then Wout. Still, MVDP obviously lacked that little bit of endurance to keep the gap - but that could change before Hoogerheide. Maybe wishful thinking, but given where he is coming from, I see MVDP as the one of the three that has the most ceiling over the next 5 weeks. On to Loenhout.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Shimano has a 2x/1x system with GRX which features a clutch system......yet very few use it. I would love to know why......tradition/weight?

 

[theyoungest]

Tough one for MVDP fans. Thought he had this with the way he was riding the sand into the barrier section until he blew himself up. Still like the way things are trending for him. It's been a long time since he's been able to string together proper training and racing blocks injury free. So not necessarily surprising that his depth isn't quite there against the likes of Wout and Pidcock and this extremely high level. It's all still in front of him in CX, and then hopefully he goes in to the road season full force. On to the next one.

I don't know, Mathieu looks like he lacks a bit of (muscle) mass. Of course he has a different physique than Wout but the difference is quite striking right now. I don't know if that's because of a lack of depth, a lack of strength training, or whatever but there was a time when in a fast cross like Diegem he could simply ride Wout off his wheel with sheer power and explosiveness. He doesn't have that anymore.

 

[stonerider]

Shimano's perfectly fine for riding off road. In fact a large majority of the euro pros excluding Baloise Trek use it with only the occasional As Helen Wyman described in commentary, when you've spent a long time on one thing it can take a while to get used to. The last time she probably spent time on Shimano was 2016 when she rode for Rabobank. Anyway this is the first mechanical she's visibly had since the issues at Koppenberg so it's not like it's a weekly occurence. Her small injury is more of the problem currently.

Wout should be on SRAM 1/1/2023 going forward. We'll see how he does with it.

 

[lemon cheese cake]

Shimano has a 2x/1x system with GRX which features a clutch system......yet very few use it. I would love to know why......tradition/weight?

Interestingly, in the 777 team van Alphen and Kay both use Grx rear mechs with 2x Ultegra rings, while van der Heijden uses 11spd Duraace and Worst uses 12spd Duraace. Meanwhile on the other Roodhooft brothers team, last season Pieterse used Grx rear mechs with 2x Duraace rings but this year both her and Alvarado are using 12spd Duraace.

 

[Barkintheeye]

I don't know, Mathieu looks like he lacks a bit of (muscle) mass. Of course he has a different physique than Wout but the difference is quite striking right now. I don't know if that's because of a lack of depth, a lack of strength training, or whatever but there was a time when in a fast cross like Diegem he could simply ride Wout off his wheel with sheer power and explosiveness. He doesn't have that anymore.

It would be interesting to have facts on that. I think he looks much heavier than last seasons eg when he won in Oostende. It could be that both Van Aert and Pidcock have upped their levels which makes it tougher for Mathieu to lose them?

 

[Gwbert]

It would be interesting to have facts on that. I think he looks much heavier than last seasons eg when he won in Oostende. It could be that both Van Aert and Pidcock have upped their levels which makes it tougher for Mathieu to lose them?

Mathieu was able to lose them, but they were able to drag him back. I wonder if Mathieu had kept his powder dry he could have put it all in the last lap or so?

 

[jono]

If we ignore his history in the Diegem race, it would seem the least likely of the 3 consecutive races for MVDP to win. It's a race with lots of paved climbing, really, which should favor the proven road climbers, Wout and Pidcock. Mathieu won the hardest, heaviest race (Gavere) by a good margin, was a missed pedal from sprinting for the win at Zolder where Pidcock wasn't a factor (got his rest), and then was by far the best rider at Diegem for 6 laps. Blew up in the end. He'll be disappointed and maybe concerned, and I would have liked to see him do better, but I don't think it's time to dismiss his chances for the rainbow jersey.