Race Thread

[Axel Hangleck]

He has won the Junior race in Hamme......

In other news, Zoe Backstedt is now a Red Bull athlete, joining Blanka Vas as RB sponsored regular CX racer........
I wonder whether any Dutch riders have been offered a RB deal, and turned them down, or their teams have not allowed it. Or cycling isn't big enough in the Netherlands......there are no Dutch RB cyclists.

 

[theyoungest]

I wonder whether any Dutch riders have been offered a RB deal, and turned them down, or their teams have not allowed it. Or cycling isn't big enough in the Netherlands......there are no Dutch RB cyclists.

I think it's a decision by the local Red Bull branch per country... there's quite a famous Dutch RB athlete, nobody will top him in terms of exposure anyway so why bother I think in terms of winter sports, speedskating gets way more airtime so there's a Red Bull-sponsored speedskater, which is probably more interesting than an RB cyclocrosser.

Van Empel today looked like the Van Empel before her crash and illness in December. Quite similar to last year, the January training camp seems to have done her a world of good.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

X²O Badkamers Mens Standings

 

[DNP-Old]

He has won the Junior race in Hamme......

Just jumped from 37th to 25th on the ranking. Just needs to do better than Max Oertzen tomorrow and he will be right there on row three in Tabor.

That being said, based on how the season has been developing Sparfel will win the World Cup tomorrow. He needs to defend 13 points to Viezzi, who got the better of him earlier in the season but who also has been fading as of recent. Sparfel has won all of the last 3 world cups, so it is no question as to who the favorite is.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Go Pro lap with Puck

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2ertZ8-DQw

 

[DNP-Old]

Everybody stay calm: Albert Withen Philipsen is on a rampage in lap 1.

 

[DNP-Old]

Albert Withen Philipsen is currently leading the race... History will be made in Tabor.

 

[DNP-Old]

Mechanical, shit.

 

[DNP-Old]

Big drama. I think Sparfel just lost the world cup because he came last in a sprint of 3, including his countryman Jules Simon. This reeks of Nys in Pijnacker.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Big drama. I think Sparfel just lost the world cup because he came last in a sprint of 3, including his countryman Jules Simon. This reeks of Nys in Pijnacker.

A shame for him, but in my opinion, off-road racing is every man for himself......

An Italian World Cup winner - what is next for him?

The women's race was won by Slovakian Viktoria Chladanova, ahead of Ferguson, Langenbarg. Celia Gery wins the Overall World Cup.

 

[theyoungest]

Go Pro lap with Puck

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2ertZ8-DQw

She's trolling Lauren Molengraaf during the lap about how she didn't win the junior Worlds last year. She has no mercy

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Canada, US and even Australia with more Elite riders in the women's race than British riders......

 

[KZD]

Vas reaching her peak shape in perfect timing but Van Empel is almost unbeatable in these sprints.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

2.5 years since a non Dutch World Cup win.......I was hoping Vas could do it again.......

 

[theyoungest]

The only reason Vas was even in the frame is because Van Empel held back. In this form you can't beat her (in cyclocross at least).

I don't know what was going on with Pieterse, last week on the recon video she said she had done less training because of knee pain, maybe this caught up with her. But that's not great news for next week either.

 

[RedheadDane]

Way for Iserbyt to not win the World Cup overall:
He'd have to be kidnapped, and then Nieuwenhuis would have to beat VDP.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Bentveld wins the U23 World Cup.......will she still be at Pauwels-Sauzen come the 2024/25 CX season? Both her and Zemanova need to be on a WT team to make progress - as their rivals all are.

 

[DNP-Old]

Ron Pimhaar should be ashamed of himself.

 

[DNP-Old]

THI-BAU! THI-BAU! THI-BAU!

 

[pmcg76]

2.5 years since a non Dutch World Cup win.......I was hoping Vas could do it again.......

Only 3 Dutch ladies in the Top 10 in their home race today, the least this year apart from Val Di Sole when only 3 Dutch ladies took part and finished 1-2-3. Also, 7 different nationalities in the Top 10 today. Even though it ended in a sprint, Fem still looks a level above. I was expecting the other 2 podium places at the Worlds to be between Pieterse, Brand and Alvarado, but Vas could really upset things as she appears to have come into Top form at the perfect time.

The race behind MVDP sure will be interesting next week, 5-6 contenders I think.

 

[theyoungest]

I was expecting the other 2 podium places at the Worlds to be between Pieterse, Brand and Alvarado, but Vas could really upset things as she appears to have come into Top form at the perfect time.

Certainly, Tabor is also a course that suits Vas. But it depends on whether Pieterse gets back to full fitness, then you get a different race.

 

[logeardaddy]

If Kevin Kuhn shows off the Intermarché jersey for a certain number of minutes, does his contract give him a free shopping spree?

 

[Barkintheeye]

Strong ride by TNys. Didn't expect him to be able to stay as long as he did on the wheel of Van der Poel and I also thought he would blow himself up.

And what's going on within the Trek-Baloise team? Ronhaar sprinting against Nys, When Lars vdH was up in the front Ronhaar closed the gap instead of letting Iserbyt do it. Trek-Baloise not a happy-ship?

BTW Van Empel looked unbeatable at Hoogerheide. Completely calm and collected and really solid even on the sketchy sections. Also Brand looked technically solid yesterday and nice to see Blanka Vas finding her form for the WC.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Van der Poel trained hard to get supercompensation next week. Well that's what most will do. I don't think he'll wait until lap 5 in Tabor. But he'll try and murder lap 1.

 

[theyoungest]

And what's going on within the Trek-Baloise team? Ronhaar sprinting against Nys, When Lars vdH was up in the front Ronhaar closed the gap instead of letting Iserbyt do it. Trek-Baloise not a happy-ship?

Van der Haar did something similar to Ronhaar in the European championships. I think from then on he's decided it's every man for himself, because before that he was actually riding in service of the team quite often, maybe even a bit too often.