Race Thread

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stonerider

Nov 14, 2009
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Axel Hangleck said:
I watched the first CX Hairs podcast of the season on You Tube.......
Cyclocross Radio Ep 347 | Cyclocross Is Still Here



It has to be said, the top US cyclists are not in CX, but Road, MTB, Gravel/ Lifetime GP........If they want to have a paid career, then CX isn't the sport to go to.
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CX in the USA is a participation sport. We don't support the pro racers very well financially. It makes financial sense for the best cycling athletes to gravitate towards road, gravel, and XCO racing.
 
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Axel Hangleck

Jan 7, 2017
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theyoungest said:
Van Empel announces she'll return for the cross season, and she's not returning to road racing (except in preparation for the winter). She just doesn't like it.

For a while I actually thought she was going to retire altogether, so this seems like good news for cross fans.
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I saw this on Twitter, and I wonder where her future lies. Visma surely didn't sign her to concentrate on CX, and use Road for CX prep........I applaud her honesty. I recall Dutch MTB rider, Tom Schellekens, signed for Visma, and left after a season, as he wanted to prioritise XC racing.........
 
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theyoungest

Jan 11, 2010
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Axel Hangleck said:
I saw this on Twitter, and I wonder where her future lies. Visma surely didn't sign her to concentrate on CX, and use Road for CX prep........I applaud her honesty. I recall Dutch MTB rider, Tom Schellekens, signed for Visma, and left after a season, as he wanted to prioritise XC racing.........
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Different situations... Van Empel had a general lack of motivation, it sounds like she had some kind of burnout. She said she didn't feel anything when winning that 3d world title. Also, in terms of exposure, even if she doesn't race on the road she'll still be one of the more visible riders on the women's team.
 
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ChewbaccaDefense

Nov 5, 2013
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stonerider said:
CX in the USA is a participation sport. We don't support the pro racers very well financially. It makes financial sense for the best cycling athletes to gravitate towards road, gravel, and XCO racing.
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Yeah, it is a different feel. I race a little here in N. Cal (just did a CX clinic this past Saturday, actually), and it isn't the same feel as the bigger gravel and MTB races I went to this year. When there are Fireball handups and stuff, the vibe is just more of a party, friends racing friends kind of thing, that doesn't really travel. Everybody has their local thing, but there isn't much intertwining.
 
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jono

Jan 31, 2021
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ChewbaccaDefense said:
Yeah, it is a different feel. I race a little here in N. Cal (just did a CX clinic this past Saturday, actually), and it isn't the same feel as the bigger gravel and MTB races I went to this year. When there are Fireball handups and stuff, the vibe is just more of a party, friends racing friends kind of thing, that doesn't really travel. Everybody has their local thing, but there isn't much intertwining.
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Interesting perspective. Where I live (Canadian prairies) there no big gravel events nearby, so the provincial gravel events and provincial CX series draw mostly upon the same pool of riders in slightly different combinations.

To me the CX events feel like a bigger deal because there are more spectators, even if many of those are other riders waiting around for their own races.

It is lamentable that professional CX in North America does appear to be in a death spiral, but the idea of being a full time CX pro is a bit odd. Even most of the Euro cross peloton are riding lower level races in Belgium and smaller tours much of the spring and summer. It would truly be surprising if a North American cross pro found a way to make 2.5 month season lucrative.
 
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Axel Hangleck

Jan 7, 2017
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To be honest, CX is his weakest discipline - and doesn't play to his strengths......flattish, heavy mud courses aren't really suitable for a lightweight rider.
I don't blame him for giving the Road more of a focus, but he'll still do the odd XCO race to keep his eye in - and probably win.
 
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