Race Thread

[Axel Hangleck]

So, questions to be answered at Worlds:

1. Do the Dutch women sweep the elite podium? If so, who takes the third step?

2. Do they sweep all 3 women's rainbow jerseys? I think yes (Fem, Shirin, Lauren).

3. How many of the 9 podium spots do they take on the women's side? I say 6.

4. Is Mathieu back? Or does Wout level the score of rainbow jerseys?

5. Which Belgian full-timer (Laurens, Eli, or Michael) take the third spot on the podium?

I honestly don't know enough about the men's junior and U23 categories to know what questions to ask there.

1; Yes; Alvarado looked strong, and Worst peaks for championships.....Brand?? Possibly; but did she still have road training kms in her legs on Saturday?
2: Yes; hard to see them not winning all three.
3: 6 is a good shout; I think their least successful race will be the women's U23; Shirin to win, and the other medals to Backstedt & probably Schreiber....

 

[theyoungest]

Six medals for the Dutch women seems unlikely, unless you count the mixed relay. I think realistically only Molengraaf and Van Anrooij will pick up a medal in the youth categories. Then it's 5 medals at best.

 

[jono]

Six medals for the Dutch women seems unlikely, unless you count the mixed relay. I think realistically only Molengraaf and Van Anrooij will pick up a medal in the youth categories. Then it's 5 medals at best.

You don't think they snag a silver or bronze in U23 or juniors?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

You don't think they snag a silver or bronze in U23 or juniors?

There are quite a lot of riders who are better than/on the same level as the second best Dutch junior, so they won't win one there.
Bentveld has a chance in U23, but she'll need a great deal of luck. It's more likely that she'll be battling for 5th.

 

[theyoungest]

The planks on the Hoogerheide course have been moved, they're now so close to the finish line that they could potentially be decisive. Great news for Pieterse and Van der Poel.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1620064349116334083

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Ooh that's interesting....One of the CX Twitter accounts had thought they weren't going to have them.......Good to see that they're in.

 

[Barkintheeye]

My impression is that Hoogerheide is a course that changes dramatically with the weather. Quite easy when dry but really tricky when wet. Adding barriers and potentially other lines to make it more decisive is good.

 

[pmcg76]

1; Yes; Alvarado looked strong, and Worst peaks for championships.....Brand?? Possibly; but did she still have road training kms in her legs on Saturday?
2: Yes; hard to see them not winning all three.
3: 6 is a good shout; I think their least successful race will be the women's U23; Shirin to win, and the other medals to Backstedt & probably Schreiber....

I wouldn't overlook Persico for a podium spot either. She hung longer with the young guns in Benidorm than just about anybody this year. Looked great, but think she had a virus and missed the weekend races so hopefully doesn't knock her form. I will go for Alvarado though.

In the U-23s Line Burquier is a podium possibility as well, though she probably had her worst race of the season yesterday. She did go well at Europeans in Namur. Based on form, should be Van Anrooij ahead of Backstedt with Burquier, Schreiber, Zemanova in the battle for the other podium spot. Think Bentveld, Fouquenet are podium outsiders.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Yes, good points; Persico has the engine, but sometimes the skills are lacking.....And I agree about Burquier, however Namur is very much like a XCO course; with the climbs and descents.....I have noticed on a lot of flat courses she hasn't got the power of the others; and there isn't much climbing in Hoogerheide....

 

[Berniece]

A lot of folks thought Wout had kind've "broken" MVDP after Koksidje and Zonhoven. My guess is that's not the case. 94-44.

I agree. A lot of people think WVA was much better purely because he won more races and some with a big margin, but those that he won with a bigger margin were due to mistakes, had nothing to do with level MDVP was at. I always felt MVDP was actually the better rider during most races, but was sometimes too eager and lost too much energy, or made a mistake in the last round that gave Wout the possibility to come back. Eventually Wout can always rely on his sprint, and that's why he won more.

I expect MVDP to win but not sure what strategy he should use during the race. Attack multiple times, make it as hard as possible? He made that mistake during the Christmas - New Years races, and I don't think that has effect on WVA, since he has a bigger engine and will come back on easier sections. He could go all out on technically more difficult parts, and hope to make the difference there. But I wouldn't advice him to rely on his sprint either.

 

[theyoungest]

Yes, good points; Persico has the engine, but sometimes the skills are lacking.....And I agree about Burquier, however Namur is very much like a XCO course; with the climbs and descents.....I have noticed on a lot of flat courses she hasn't got the power of the others; and there isn't much climbing in Hoogerheide....

Burquier definitely lacks a bit of gabarit, as they say in Flemish/French, meaning she lacks a bit of body. Van Anrooij is small as well but she also has that raw power. To really succeed in cyclocross she'd have to work on that, but maybe she won't because in XCO being so light is an advantage.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Yes, Van Anrooij may be small in height, but looks powerful. Burquier is quite tall, but looks like a climber; and as XCO is her main discipline I wouldn't expect her to change too much. As I mentioned earlier, she's not connected to any of the major road teams like a lot of the other youngsters - so one guesses she sees her future on the MTB.

 

[theyoungest]

Yes, Van Anrooij may be small in height, but looks powerful. Burquier is quite tall, but looks like a climber; and as XCO is her main discipline I wouldn't expect her to change too much. As I mentioned earlier, she's not connected to any of the major road teams like a lot of the other youngsters - so one guesses she sees her future on the MTB.

Yeah, I just realized she is actually quite tall. Doesn't look that way, maybe because of her posture on the bike, always a bit huddled.

 

[lemon cheese cake]

After his strong performances this season, Gerben Kuypers signs with Intermarche from 1st March for their cross programme. Currently Thijs Aerts isn't performing that strongly compared to his u23 years (maybe that'll change with a change of trainer in the Wellens brothers), but if he starts getting better, they've got a good squad next season with him, Kuhn and Kuypers (plus the u23s of Baers, Vermoote and maybe Molengraaf).
https://www.wielerflits.nl/nieuws/g...rjarig-contract-bij-intermarche-circus-wanty/

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Kuhn is an interesting one; he's on the EF-Nippo development squad....as well as riding for Tormans during the CX season.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

20 years ago today

'They could have gone to the beer tent but they stayed - and liked it'

Fifty years after the first men's world title, a group of women came together to demand their right to race through the mud and pain for a cyclocross rainbow jersey.

www.bbc.com

 

[Barkintheeye]

20 years ago today

'They could have gone to the beer tent but they stayed - and liked it'

Fifty years after the first men's world title, a group of women came together to demand their right to race through the mud and pain for a cyclocross rainbow jersey.

www.bbc.com

Nice article but this quote is just hilarious:

Van den Brand: "I don't know if the level now is higher than our level, but it is wider. It's nice to see a lot of girls can win. In my time it was me, Hanka Kupfernagel or Marianne Vos and a couple of French girls. The top is wider now."

I am almost 100% sure that the women's level is massively higher today than in those times and 99% sure that the same is also for the men. This is of course driven to a large extent by a few outliers - PP, FVE and SVA in the women's league and with a new generation of up and coming riders such as ZB, LM, MS etc and of course MVDP, WVA, TP but also others like MV, LS, EI etc - but overall the starting fields looks to have become significantly more competitive compared to older generations (I guess this might be a flammable topic) like that of Niels Albert and Sven Nys or Mario de Clerq and Bart Wellens generations.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

I really do think the level is far higher now; in terms of talent, speed & technically......especially on the women's side. Which, no disrespect, wasn't anywhere near as competitive in the early 00s.

 

[Wyndbrook]

There is no mention of the relay race on my GCN listing, is there any coverage being made available
I quite enjoyed it last year.

 

[Wyndbrook]

I really do think the level is far higher now; in terms of talent, speed & technically......especially on the women's side. Which, no disrespect, wasn't anywhere near as competitive in the early 00s.

I agree, but I like the way Daphny suggests she would be competitive now.
A great racer anyway.

 

[noob]

Does anyone know if wc will be streamed on UCI website? Eurosport live has become so crazy expensive without any option of yearly subscription reduction.

 

[jono]

Do we know when the order of riders for the relay will be released?

 

[Axel Hangleck]

There is no mention of the relay race on my GCN listing, is there any coverage being made available
I quite enjoyed it last year.

It's down to the local organiser providing coverage; last year the US organisers provided the means for the Relay to be covered live. The XCO Relay at the MTB Worlds is very rarely covered live....only Lenzerheide in 2018, recently had live coverage.

 

[Wyndbrook]

It's down to the local organiser providing coverage; last year the US organisers provided the means for the Relay to be covered live. The XCO Relay at the MTB Worlds is very rarely covered live....only Lenzerheide in 2018, recently had live coverage.

You're right, but it's the first official relay champs, mixed seems to be the way to go to keep in with the IOC.
Seems logical to me for the UCI to ensure coverage is provided.

 

[theyoungest]

Tibor del Grosso doing the course recon. Super dry, super fast.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGV2aRQMHNQ