Race Thread

[KZD]

Incredible race, Pidcock's resilience was remarkable always coming back in a course that didn't favour him at all and Van der Poel had everything to win but made the mistake on the deep mud sector and Van Aert was stronger in the sprint.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Amazing stuff. This has easily been the best holiday cross racing at least as far as I can remember.

 

[RedheadDane]

I do too but I love it a lot less when Wout is winning.

I don't care who wins, I just love great racing!

 

[Barkintheeye]

That’s going to be a dent in Van der Poel’s confidence

 

[jono]

Pidcock should be the one taking the most confidence from this race. Clearly the other two didn't really consider him to be a threat in the sprint or they wouldn't have let him back. But to finish right with them on a course tailor made for Van Aert is a feather in his cap.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

What an absolutely fabulous series of races we've had. I'm a bit sad for Van der Poel, I really thought he had it today.

Yeah, he definitely deserved the win today, but rest assured, the shoe's been on the other foot plenty of times in the past. Many times Van Aert had been better or equal, but lost due to one too many error.

 

[theyoungest]

Today Van der Poel really seemed the strongest. That has to give him some confidence at least.

 

[tobydawq]

Yeah, he definitely deserved the win today, but rest assured, the shoe's been on the other foot plenty of times in the past. Many times Van Aert had been better or equal, but lost due to one too many error.

I know that.

Van Aert played the sprint really smartly today, launching the moment Mathieu looked forward again. He doesn't lose many sprints. Of course the most important one back in 2020 must still nag from time to time but he seemed to have learned from that.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Cx suffers enormously as a spectacle when one rider is predictably the strongest. The whole thing is just a muddy parade. But when top 2 or 3 are evenly matched it really is a completely different sport.

I think I got off on the wrong foot by trying to start watching it during the period when VDP was boringly dominant. These ultra competitive races are just great.

 

[theyoungest]

Pidcock should be the one taking the most confidence from this race. Clearly the other two didn't really consider him to be a threat in the sprint or they wouldn't have let him back. But to finish right with them on a course tailor made for Van Aert is a feather in his cap.

This wasn't a 100% Van Aert course. There was mud of course but there were also a lot of slippery corners where Pidcock is better.

 

[jono]

Today Van der Poel really seemed the strongest. That has to give him some confidence at least.

The last two races the paved sections have been his undoing: the climbing passages at Diegem which favored Pidcock and Van Aert, and his poor tactics in this race ending up on the front into the headwind finish every lap. I understand why it is, but it does seem strange that such a technical sport always ends with a paved road straight.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Van Aert saying Mathieu was technically far superior, and that there was no section on the course where he (Wout) could hurt the others because there was no place where he could unleash his power. So he has constantly forced to hang on. He left a few meters between him and Tom for the sprint, to be able to launch the sprint at high speed.

 

[Bonimenier]

Cx suffers enormously as a spectacle when one rider is predictably the strongest. The whole thing is just a muddy parade. But when top 2 or 3 are evenly matched it really is a completely different sport.

Exactly my thoughts as well. This past week has probably done more for the interest in and the potential growth internationally of CX than the last couple of seasons combined.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

The last two races the paved sections have been his undoing: the climbing passages at Diegem which favored Pidcock and Van Aert, and his poor tactics in this race ending up on the front into the headwind finish every lap. I understand why it is, but it does seem strange that such a technical sport always ends with a paved road straight.

Yeah, as much as I love the sport, it's not as technical as I wish it was. Too much emphasis on power over skill/ technique.......but it is what it is.

However, MvdP has been getting gaps, but hasn't got the form to keep them, and when under pressure there have been little errors; when on top form he doesn't usually make them.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Yeah, the past week or so has been as intense as it was in battles between Nys, Albert, Stybar, or Nys, Groenendael and De Clerq. With that difference that outside Belgium/Netherlands/Czechia nobody cared about that.

Yeah, as much as I love the sport, it's not as technical as I wish it was. Too much emphasis on power over skill/ technique.......but it is what it is.

However, MvdP has been getting gaps, but hasn't got the form to keep them, and when under pressure there have been little errors; when on top form he doesn't usually make them.

Huh? Van der Poel has been able to dominate the sport for years based on little more than technical supremacy, while Van Aert has always had the watts.

 

[DNP-Old]

Van Aert saying Mathieu was technically far superior, and that there was no section on the course where he (Wout) could hurt the others because there was no place where he could unleash his power. So he has constantly forced to hang on. He left a few meters between him and Tom for the sprint, to be able to launch the sprint at high speed.

This has been the case for the entire week. Van der Poel just casually strolling to a nice lead due to incredible intangibles, but unable to hold onto it, let alone increase it. With another month of training, gaining endurance and form, he could be invincible once more.

 

[jono]

Huh? Van der Poel has been able to dominate the sport for years based on little more than technical supremacy, while Van Aert has always had the watts.

I think you overstate the case here. Van der Poel has more power than any other rider in the field aside from Van Aert. And Wout's technical skills in the field are hardly holding him back. These are the advantages each rider has in the rivalry, but their "weak" points are still, of course, world class.

 

[tobydawq]

Yeah, the past week or so has been as intense as it was in battles between Nys, Albert, Stybar, or Nys, Groenendael and De Clerq. With that difference that outside Belgium/Netherlands/Czechia nobody cared about that.

Whatever. There's no really good reason to be upset that more people around the world have found the sport or snobbish because you have followed it for longer than many of us.

 

[theyoungest]

The only unfortunate thing is that whereas men's cyclocross has taken a turn for the better with the arrival of the Big Three, women's cross hasn't had its Big Three in the same race for a month now, which makes it quite a bit less exciting. Just at a time when a lot of non-cyclocross fans have tuned in.

 

[jono]

The only unfortunate thing is that whereas men's cyclocross has taken a turn for the better with the arrival of the Big Three, women's cross hasn't had its Big Three in the same race for a month now, which makes it quite a bit less exciting. Just at a time when a lot of non-cyclocross fans have tuned in.

Who is #3 after PP and FVE?

 

[theyoungest]

Who is #3 after PP and FVE?

Van Anrooij.

 

[Barkintheeye]

The only unfortunate thing is that whereas men's cyclocross has taken a turn for the better with the arrival of the Big Three, women's cross hasn't had its Big Three in the same race for a month now, which makes it quite a bit less exciting. Just at a time when a lot of non-cyclocross fans have tuned in.

Well let us hope that the trajectories of Van Empel, Pieterse, Backstedt, Schreiber, Van Anroij and Alvarado coincide. Then the women’s races will be something to behold!

 

[TourOfSardinia]

That last time we saw Wout beating MVdP in this kinda way when he took the 2018 Worlds.
MVdP had been dominant all season until this moment.

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

 

[Bonimenier]

That last time we saw Wout beating MVdP in this kinda way when he took the 2018 Worlds.
MVdP had been dominant all season until this moment.

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

What do you mean with this kinda way? The only resemblance between that race and those now are the winner.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

What do you mean with this kinda way? The only resemblance between that race and those now are the winner.

I just meant
After that Wout Victory MVdP matured and generally trounced Wout in head to heads (with rare exceptions)
- but now the tables have begun to turn again.