Race Thread

[jono]

Namur course preview from Puck.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXGIqWTZCnM


Doesn't look particularly muddy, especially if tomorrow's dry weather forecast holds.

 

[Barkintheeye]

Good race with a strong field , Mason made much of the racing but paid in the end . Vandeputte was able to benefit from tactics sitting in. 2nd remains a great success!

Poor Vanthourenhout complaining about/falling victim to his own tactics.

Did MVTH have the stomach to complain? Not only was he acting really unlikable but also very unprofessional. He’s not a junior rider that just started racing CX. What is his problem really? The company manager should consider penalizing poor behavior.

 

[Sciatic]

Did MVTH have the stomach to complain? Not only was he acting really unlikable but also very unprofessional. He’s not a junior rider that just started racing CX. What is his problem really? The company manager should consider penalizing poor behavior.

I saw the complaining and lackadaisical effort, but I missed what set it off?

 

[Barkintheeye]

I saw the complaining and lackadaisical effort, but I missed what set it off?

Mid race MVTH had a scuffle with Ryan Kamp. It looked completely unnecessary and just a thing to assert dominance over Kamp. From an outsider perspective it looked like a thing directed specifically against Kamp and something MVTH never would do against eg Vandeputte, Sweek or more importantly Van Aert or Van der Poel. Kind of sneaky bullying showing poor sportsmanship and a deserving attitude. It later happened again but then it was more on Kamp to be fair. MVTH was shuffled back to a top third position and when trying too aggressively to pass Kamp he clipped his front wheel into Kamp’s rear wheel and went down. A ”play stupid games, win stupid prices”-moment.

I would have thought that afterwards you just shut up about it but apparently he continued whining…?

 

[pastronef]

ah shyte, VDP already 2nd from row 4 after 5 minutes

 

[TourOfSardinia]

MVdP down!

 

[pastronef]

ah shame Nys crashed. it's gone

 

[KZD]

Its a good thing for CX that despite winning, Van der Poel wasn't that dominant today.

 

[Bolder]

Nys is going to be a problem for VdP this season.

 

[Tim Cahill]

That was surprisingly promising.

 

[jono]

Nys is going to be a problem for VdP this season.

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.

 

[AmRacer]

Wout vs Nys should be interesting to see

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

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.

 

[Sciatic]

Mid race MVTH had a scuffle with Ryan Kamp. It looked completely unnecessary and just a thing to assert dominance over Kamp. From an outsider perspective it looked like a thing directed specifically against Kamp and something MVTH never would do against eg Vandeputte, Sweek or more importantly Van Aert or Van der Poel. Kind of sneaky bullying showing poor sportsmanship and a deserving attitude. It later happened again but then it was more on Kamp to be fair. MVTH was shuffled back to a top third position and when trying too aggressively to pass Kamp he clipped his front wheel into Kamp’s rear wheel and went down. A ”play stupid games, win stupid prices”-moment.

I would have thought that afterwards you just shut up about it but apparently he continued whining…?

Thanks for the explanation

 

[RedheadDane]

Any news on the Swedish kid, Aastrup?

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Wout vs Nys should be interesting to see

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.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Mid race MVTH had a scuffle with Ryan Kamp. It looked completely unnecessary and just a thing to assert dominance over Kamp. From an outsider perspective it looked like a thing directed specifically against Kamp and something MVTH never would do against eg Vandeputte, Sweek or more importantly Van Aert or Van der Poel. Kind of sneaky bullying showing poor sportsmanship and a deserving attitude. It later happened again but then it was more on Kamp to be fair. MVTH was shuffled back to a top third position and when trying too aggressively to pass Kamp he clipped his front wheel into Kamp’s rear wheel and went down. A ”play stupid games, win stupid prices”-moment.

I would have thought that afterwards you just shut up about it but apparently he continued whining…?

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.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

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.

 

[jono]

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.

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.

 

[logeardaddy]

Never really liked him or Iserbyt. They make perfect teammates, becasue they're perfectly easy to hate.

Apparently, both Sweeck and Kamp left Pauwels because they were unhappy with their colleagues.

 

[jmdirt]

Welcome back MvdP!
Nys very solid!

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

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.

...because Wout had taken a major fall in the Vuelta, and seriously injured his knee, but you guys pretend all you want.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

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......

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Any news on the Swedish kid, Aastrup?

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.

 

[CXXC]

Anyone know why Mason DNF'd?

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.