Race Thread

[Didinho]

Completely changing the topic top level cross is back on the telly on Saturday.

Later time than normal today:
Woman 16h15 (in 20min)
Men 17u30

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Different year, same dominant Van Empel.

The most interesting thing about today was Casasola being able to mix it up with Alvarado and Brand, the ill-timed mechanical causing her to have to run half a lap was a shame.

 

[theyoungest]

Well, that was easier than expected given Van Empel's lacklustre showing on the road. Alvarado was quite strong, and she'll probably say she could have stayed with Fem without that mistake... problem is she always starts making mistakes when she has to hold off Fem.

Casasola strong, but unlucky. Wouldn't have made the podium regardless.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

 

[Coffeeplanter]

As expected, Van Empel hits the CX and immediately starts dominating. She just ain't build for that road and XCO life, too mediocre in both.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

As expected, Van Empel hits the CX and immediately starts dominating. She just ain't build for that road and XCO life, too mediocre in both.

She's an enigma, she looks imperious in CX, but distinctly average elsewhere. However, she's only 22, so plenty of time to improve on the Road. Unfairly, she's compared to Puck, who looks comfortable whatever discipline she rides.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Iserbyt is such a nasty individual.

 

[ManicJack]

Iserbyt is such a nasty individual.

Complete d*ck move.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Ban incoming you would think, bizarre behaviour

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Iserbyt being interviewed on Sporza right now, zero apology.

 

[ManicJack]

Ban incoming you would think, bizarre behaviour

If he isn't banned it's BS. The fact that they just pulled him off course is a good sign.

 

[ManicJack]

Thibau is a reverse Van Empel.

Almost looks like he gave up.

 

[theyoungest]

As expected, Van Empel hits the CX and immediately starts dominating. She just ain't build for that road and XCO life, too mediocre in both.

A bit harsh on someone who until 4 or 5 years ago was still primarily a football player.

Her rise in CX has been meteoric, from zero to the best in the world in 3 years. In road cycling it doesn't seem to be going as fast, I don't really know why, sometimes it seems she lacks a bit of grinta. Something Pieterse has in spades. Last year (her first proper road season) was actually better than this one.

 

[Coffeeplanter]

Not ideal for the exposure of CX, but for the racing aspect it'd be good if Wout and Van der Poel would stay away for a winter.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

It isn't a CX season without at least one cross where Van der Haar wins after riding in second groups for about three-quarters of the race.

 

[Ricco']

Ask MVDP which world title he cares more about, CX or gravel. When the main contenders at the gravel worlds see it as an afterthought, the sport has a long way to go before it overtakes cyclocross in prestige. It's more of a hobby, a bit of fun after the real season. So in that sense the pickleball comparison is actually not that far fetched.

And bike brands are all over gravel because that's what sells...

Brands want to cater to middle aged amateurs with thousands to splurge. What's more enticing to them after a week stuck in an office? Doing laps on someone's backyard on nasty conditions like a hamster or go on an expedition into the unknown through backroads far from any civilization?

 

[theyoungest]

It isn't a CX season without at least one cross where Van der Haar wins after riding in second groups for about three-quarters of the race.

Van der Haar has completely switched in profile from the beginning of his career. He used to be Van der Holeshot, starting like a rocket, and now he's become a diesel.

 

[dougvdh]

Van der Haar has completely switched in profile from the beginning of his career. He used to be Van der Holeshot, starting like a rocket, and now he's become a diesel.

How many other current riders have been consistently been in the top 5 for the last 10 years? He continues to impress for his consistency.

 

[AkaiD]

About van Empel and mountain biking: Before 2023, she only competed in some junior and under-23 races during the summer (van Empel started cycling at the end of 2019, competing at a local/national level). At the beginning of 2023, she signed with Jumbo-Visma and was crowned cyclocross world champion in Hoogerheide. From there, she participated in some second-tier road races and then transitioned to mountain biking, where she achieved the following results:

• Nove Mesto World Cup: 17th position in her first elite race in the discipline (ahead of riders like Laura Stigger, Teochi, Lill).
• Lenzerheide World Cup: 16th position ahead of Sina Frei, Neff, Courtney. In this race, she was in 9th place at the start of the final lap, but a fall dropped her to 16th.
• European Championship: 10th place, ahead of Berta, Indergand, etc.

All these results were achieved without the support of a specialized mountain bike team and with a new bike (Cervelo ZFS-5 and ZFH-5) that only she and Milan Vader were using. In summary, she’s a rider who, in her first contact with the elite category, after a very limited stint in the lower categories, has shown she’s among the best in the world (top 20), with much room for improvement in various aspects. Sina Frei herself recently won a World Cup race, when at the beginning of the year, she was in the top 20 - top 30.

I believe her decision to step away from mountain biking is influenced by her team (Visma), for whom her presence on the road is much more valuable than in MTB, a discipline with a smaller audience. Hopefully, in the future (she’s 22), she’ll return to that discipline, as I believe she can compete at the highest level.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

An apology of sorts, no doubt written by the team, and not making it a personal apology to Kamp.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1845156228600647751

View: https://x.com/IserbytEli/status/1845156228600647751


So what happens now? What panel determines a sanction here? How soon will anything be enacted (most weekends it would be relevant for it to be within 24 hours)?

And what was he playing at when he climbed over a fence back onto the track and started cycling in the wrong direction?

 

[Barkintheeye]

Iserbyt being interviewed on Sporza right now, zero apology.

To me it’s odd that he hasn’t learnt this after so many years as a CX rider. Poor showing of him to say the least. Remember that time when Van der Poel’s foot got stuck in Van Aert’s front wheel (Zolder 2017?). Must’ve been a moment of serious frustration for both of them but they didn’t show it.

CX is otherwise the perfect cycling discipline for anger management. There’s always something bad happening, you fall, you get run into, you’re being pushed, divebombed, your line being cut, someone makes a mistake, falls and blocks you etc. After a couple of races most people realize that this is how it is and stop complaining about it. Generally there’s very little shouting during the races and everybody’s carrying on. Afterwards you just shake hands.

 

[theyoungest]

An apology of sorts, no doubt written by the team, and not making it a personal apology to Kamp.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1845156228600647751

View: https://x.com/IserbytEli/status/1845156228600647751


So what happens now? What panel determines a sanction here? How soon will anything be enacted (most weekends it would be relevant for it to be within 24 hours)?

And what was he playing at when he climbed over a fence back onto the track and started cycling in the wrong direction?

He's making it about something Kamp said. Well, too bad, mr. Iserbyt, we didn't hear that, and we did see you purposefully trampling on your opponent's equipment. A suspension is in order.

 

[Ricco']

It wouldn't be a true season start without Pauwels Sauzen's braindead anthics towards the rest of the field.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

About van Empel and mountain biking: Before 2023, she only competed in some junior and under-23 races during the summer (van Empel started cycling at the end of 2019, competing at a local/national level). At the beginning of 2023, she signed with Jumbo-Visma and was crowned cyclocross world champion in Hoogerheide. From there, she participated in some second-tier road races and then transitioned to mountain biking, where she achieved the following results:

• Nove Mesto World Cup: 17th position in her first elite race in the discipline (ahead of riders like Laura Stigger, Teochi, Lill).
• Lenzerheide World Cup: 16th position ahead of Sina Frei, Neff, Courtney. In this race, she was in 9th place at the start of the final lap, but a fall dropped her to 16th.
• European Championship: 10th place, ahead of Berta, Indergand, etc.

All these results were achieved without the support of a specialized mountain bike team and with a new bike (Cervelo ZFS-5 and ZFH-5) that only she and Milan Vader were using. In summary, she’s a rider who, in her first contact with the elite category, after a very limited stint in the lower categories, has shown she’s among the best in the world (top 20), with much room for improvement in various aspects. Sina Frei herself recently won a World Cup race, when at the beginning of the year, she was in the top 20 - top 30.

I believe her decision to step away from mountain biking is influenced by her team (Visma), for whom her presence on the road is much more valuable than in MTB, a discipline with a smaller audience. Hopefully, in the future (she’s 22), she’ll return to that discipline, as I believe she can compete at the highest level.

She was actually 2nd in the U23 XCO European championships in Portugal, behind Puck, and ahead of Giadia Specia, and Sofie Pedersen.
There is a very good XC MTB racer in her, but I don't see it happening, unless she leaves Visma; they tolerate CX, but don't seem to want riders doing MTB.

 

[theyoungest]

She was actually 2nd in the U23 XCO European championships in Portugal, behind Puck, and ahead of Giadia Specia, and Sofie Pedersen.
There is a very good XC MTB racer in her, but I don't see it happening, unless she leaves Visma; they tolerate CX, but don't seem to want riders doing MTB.

Visma signed Milan Vader for the express purpose of having him do both MTB and road, culiminating in the Olympics. Unfortunately he had this severe crash at Pais Vasco in one of his first races for the team and it never came to fruition. With Van Empel they abandoned the MTB trajectory when it became clear that qualifying for the Olympics was an impossible task.

They're also still in the trial and error phase of forming a women's team. A complete management overhaul last year, this year again some of their main riders leaving, it doesn't seem to be going very swimmingly. Not a great environment for the very shy and reticent Van Empel to develop, I imagine.