Race Thread

[lemon cheese cake]

On a nationalistic note, another good performance by first year Cat Ferguson, who hasn't raced much this year. Hopefully she can do a fuller program next season. And sorry Shirin, but Ava Holmgren is my new favourite rider based purely on their ridiculously cheerful personality.

She did a bit of track racing this year at the end of the Christmas period, so one will have to wait to see what she does from now on. It was similar with Pidcock as he went to the same races in Alkmaar as a junior. She was won the RR and TT at the European Youth Olympics which I think Pidcock did quite well in. So, she's following in some decent footsteps.

 

[DNP-Old]

Hoogerheide is about to see some more rain. With the margins being very small in this junior generation, this will shift balance of power. If we're purely looking at it from a logical standpoint, Leo Bisiaux is the man to beat, but if the course is affected and it becomes a heavy engine race, Seppe Van Den Boer or Viktor Vandenberghe will like their chances. Interesting to note is Andrew August, who will be starting on the front row. He races very little compared to the rest and has seen his fair share of bad luck, but he has posted some very good lap times. He could be the big surprise here. Also there's the battle of the first years between Remijn, Thompson and Seixas.

If the consensus of the season is respected, it'll probably look something like this:

• * * * : Leo Bisiaux
• * * : Yordi Corsus, Viktor Vandenberghe
• * : Seppe Van Den Boer, Guus van den Eijden, AJ August
• : Ian Ackert, Senna Remijn, Vaclav Jezek, Matthias Schwarzbacher, Wies Nuyens

 

[RedheadDane]

Michael Vanthourenhout for the triple!?
Or Lars van der Haar!?

Or, for a really surprising result:

Michael van den Ham (procyclingstats.com)

But probably not...

 

[DNP-Old]

AJ and Schwarzbacher already done for after that huge crash, sad.

 

[DNP-Old]

Fastest lap: AJ August. Life is unfair.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Nice win for Bisiaux, who is a talent, but if he makes it to the CX Elites I'll be surprised......I'm guessing he wasn't on sponsor correct equipment.(BMC/Campagnolo)

And of the 4 wins so far, 3 are already on road teams.....

 

[stonerider]

Nice win for Bisiaux, who is a talent, but if he makes it to the CX Elites I'll be surprised......I'm guessing he wasn't on sponsor correct equipment.(BMC/Campagnolo)

Yeah I noticed the "no name" frameset he was using.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

The expected win for Van Anrooij in the U23 race. Bäckstedt did her best to hang on, but it was always an impossible task. Burquier crashed and I think Schreiber did as well at some point, which helped Zemanová gain the bronze medal.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

As expected really; Van Anrooij wins, and Zoe is 2nd; a good race from the Czech rider Zemanova who possibly flew under the radar. It was never a course for Burquier, lots of raw power with the flat sections....not really her thing.
And Schreiber must have gone down somewhere....

 

[theyoungest]

As expected really; Van Anrooij wins, and Zoe is 2nd; a good race from the Czech rider Zemanova who possibly flew under the radar. It was never a course for Burquier, lots of raw power with the flat sections....not really her thing.
And Schreiber must have gone down somewhere....

Schreiber signed for SD Worx, the death of any cyclocross career...

All in all a wise choice by Van Anrooij to opt for the U23s, let's be honest, there's no way she would have beaten Van Empel on this course. Backstedt will be U23 world champion next year, you never know of course but in the current crop of talents I don't see anyone who is going to beat her.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

I wonder if Zemanova will attract any of the Belgian teams? If she was Belgian/Dutch I suspect she'd already be on one.

 

[stonerider]

The course is drying out...could shift the advantage to MvdP. All the mini accelerations could favor him. Let's hope for a mechanical free race and may the best man on the day win.

 

[Nick2413]

I’ve gotta go for MVDP. He wins by 8 seconds.

 

[glassmoon]

well... usual suspects already mopping floor with others.
let's see who is stronger or who will make grave mistake or bunch of small ones

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Boring course in the dry.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Van der pol much better on the bunny hops. But WVA can get back easily each time.

 

[RedheadDane]

I like this duel!

And imagine living in one of those flats.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

And imagine living in one of those flats.

Hmm, they said yesterday that it was almost impossible to get a flat on this course.

 

[RedheadDane]

Hmm, they said yesterday that it was almost impossible to get a flat on this course.

Not that kind of flat, silly.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Was just about to call him the Belgian Gerrans but he's hit the front finally

 

[Lequack]

 

[jono]

Legend! Wout should have learned from RVV '20.

 

[Tim Cahill]

That was a killer acceleration from VDP

 

[KZD]

Great sprint from Van der Poel to wins this! In these sprints from lower speeds he is the strongest.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Who would have guessed Belgian pozzato making a tactical error in the finale. Played into VDP's hands