I think it's too soon to draw this conclusion. Namur was the ideal course for Nys to take a scalp in MVDP's return: he had the technical advantage on nearly every section until the last lap, and there are few sustained power sections.
On a typical course, when van der Poel puts in his move he puts in an attack to get a gap, and then stays on the gas for half a lap. No opportunity to do so at Namur. He said himself in his interview that he decided early on that he would wait until the end of the race to make a move. Perhaps that was cope but I don't think so. Nys' crash changed the race but not the result, imo.
On a course like Antwerp next weekend I'd expect the true lay of the land to become more clear.
MVDP riding with training energy today. The course dictated caution, to avoid a crash, but the result was never in doubt. He only used his horse power when he needed to, but he could have opened the throttle at any point, and kept using it, if that's the race he wanted to ride. Nys was never going to win, unless Mathieu somehow took himself out, like he did on the MTB this year.
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I don't think it will be that close, unless Wout shows up in worse shape than he ever has. Trying to judge how Nys will do against Wout, based on how he rode with MVDP today, I don't think is a good measure. MVDP was well within his ability today. I think MVDP's ride today was focused on not crashing and hurting himself. He clearly was not in top technical shape, but that will change.
It was pretty obnoxious to watch. He was being a real punk before he took himself out, and the crash only seemed to amplify him being a complete ***. Never really liked him or Iserbyt. They make perfect teammates, becasue they're perfectly easy to hate.
Couple of other notes:
Strohmeyer is not going to get a ride in Europe with rides iike that. Currently watching Bruner killing the field in the US Championship. I think Strohmeyer should have been here today, instead of mid 2nd half of the field in Namur.
Anyone know why Mason DNF'd?
Lastly, Del Grosso's 14th is good, but I was hoping for a top 10, which he was close to, but faded away from later in the race.
Strohmeyer is not going to get a ride in Europe with rides iike that. Currently watching Bruner killing the field in the US Championship. I think Strohmeyer should have been here today, instead of mid 2nd half of the field in Namur.
Anyone know why Mason DNF'd?
Lastly, Del Grosso's 14th is good, but I was hoping for a top 10, which he was close to, but faded away from later in the race.
Nys finished ahead of Wout in 2 of 4 head-to-heads last year. I don't see why this year should be any different.
MVDP, as you note, rode within himself but if healthy and upright is near unbeatable.
Apparently, both Sweeck and Kamp left Pauwels because they were unhappy with their colleagues.
...because Wout had taken a major fall in the Vuelta, and seriously injured his knee, but you guys pretend all you want.
After another World Cup podium, Fouquenet is in excellent form - but no team from 1st Jan.........We all know if she was Bel/Ned she'd have done enough for a contract; but that's not how it works, and Helen Wyman on commentary mentioned the difficulties of 'foreigners' on Belgian CX teams......
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At the World Championships his race was over after 15 seconds of the junior race due to a pile up after the start, so he did make it further on this occasion.
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No but I'm equally puzzled after an average start Cam was proceeding well making top 10 before apparently running out of steam after yesterdays effort falling rapidly back to the very rear of the race, then ticker came up DNF.
I still expect Wout to be best of the rest, but not so far ahead of everyone else that he can't be beaten by a non-MVDP competitor on the right kind of course. Nys also appears to be much stronger than last year.
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There's an interesting dynamic between the Sauces and ex-sauces. I think it's safe to say there is no love lost there. I like Sweek and the way he races but he does become a pouty little boy on occasion, I don't care for Kamp, I think he rides over his head a lot and takes others out with him. If there is a bunch of bikes going in different directions in the middle of a corner chances are good that Kamp started it. The teamwork between the Sauces is as obvious as it is because none of the other teams really seem capable of executing it at all, that said I really don't care for Iserbyt. I do like the way Vanthourenhout races especially this year without Iserbyt in the mix.
Vanthourenhout knows how to win and how to ham it up for the crowd. And there is clearly a beef with Kamp. I doubt he pulls the same shenanigans with anyone else.
Lars van der Haar did some pretty obvious and effective teammate duty for Nys yesterday.
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Yes he did. I thought about that as I was writing but didn't want to go any further off the point. It is a pretty recent improvement. When he was together with Toon Aerts there was very little of that and while they didn't actively sabotage each other there were certainly times where one of them was pushing the pace while the other was going in the pits.
That's fair, though if it's the Wout of 2022-23, Nys miiight have the same chance as Pidcock did that year (my favorite year of cyclocross ever), but I'm not sure I buy that he is at the level Pidcock was that year. Nys was challenged by Mason a few weeks ago. Neither MVDP, Wout, nor Pidcock would have been challenged by Mason at any point in any race in that year, with Mason at the best he ever could be.
Maybe Wout will never return to that level, but if he does, Nys is not in his class.
Regardless, the next 3 weeks will be fun to watch, as they always are, though only Nys being at Diegem is disappointing. I wish there were more stair->remount->finishing straight races.
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Any Fem news? I check the startlists every week, hoping to see her back.
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