Pro race cross thread *spoilers*

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  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    "Milton Keynes, a town in northern capital, London" :D

    Anyway, I've only ever been to one big cross race, the Worlds in 2007 and it was ace! Defo going to this. :D
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    op.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    "Milton Keynes, a town in northern capital, London" :D

    Anyway, I've only ever been to one big cross race, the Worlds in 2007 and it was ace! Defo going to this. :D


    :)

    Yeah, me gonna go too....
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Just saw that Vos didnt win yesterday.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Paul 8v
    Paul 8v Posts: 5,458
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Just saw that Vos didnt win yesterday.
    Really? Must have had a mechanical!
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  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,549
    Nope. She went off hard, over estimated her fitness as it was her first race back after a long break from racing, then couldn't respond when Compton came past her. Nikki Harris was only a few seconds behind her at the finish, an excellent performance from her.
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Oops...

    http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/videozon ... st=7.37770
  • Paul 8v
    Paul 8v Posts: 5,458
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    Oops...

    http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/videozon ... st=7.37770

    "Marianne Vos rides along the pit area at the time they are driving leak. She returns and can still switch the bike." :shock:
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  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Makes sense to me (or maybe not...)
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    'lek rijen' which, word for word does translate to 'leak' and 'driving' means puncturing. :P

    [/buzzkillington]
    _
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Belgian cross nationals live now, start in a few minutes. Obviously one of the biggest races of the year:

    http://sports-livezz.com/7/110/
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Nys wins, easily. Albert abandoned halfway
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Dull race, was over after about 20 minutes. Disappointed. :(
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    Just to say, take note of another of our tribe:
    http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/britis ... en/results

    Only turned 16, 4 days before Santa came down your chimneys.

    Both junior and U 14 titles added to Abergavenny's bulging trophy cabinet.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Just to say, take note of another of our tribe:
    http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/britis ... en/results

    Only turned 16, 4 days before Santa came down your chimneys.

    Both junior and U 14 titles added to Abergavenny's bulging trophy cabinet.

    Been a good weekend for the James family and the club (Graham Edwards who has been excellent at passing on 20 odd years of experience to the kids grabbed 3rd in the over 60s). I put it all down to the coaching :wink:
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Uk Cross Champs:
    http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/lat ... pions.html
    Contador is the Greatest
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    Anyone else stay up for the US Nationals?

    Boring races on a pretty dull looking course. Both elite races were won on the first lap and almost no close racing in either top 10.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • alihisgreat
    alihisgreat Posts: 3,872
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    Anyone else stay up for the US Nationals?

    Boring races on a pretty dull looking course. Both elite races were won on the first lap and almost no close racing in either top 10.

    yeah I watched it because I'm a big fan of Powers and follow Behind the Barriers... it will be interesting to see how competitive he is in Europe for the Worlds.
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    ALIHISGREAT wrote:
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    Anyone else stay up for the US Nationals?

    Boring races on a pretty dull looking course. Both elite races were won on the first lap and almost no close racing in either top 10.

    yeah I watched it because I'm a big fan of Powers and follow Behind the Barriers... it will be interesting to see how competitive he is in Europe for the Worlds.

    Can't see him pulling up any trees, despite the commentators insistence that he's going to blow us all away. Page was reasonably competitive there and he's had nothing in Europe all season. The US courses are generally more forgiving with less running too.

    Van Der Haar is the only non-Belgian I can see doing anything at the Worlds.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,549
    Stybar might, if he rides.
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    andyp wrote:
    Stybar might, if he rides.


    Good point, I'd forgotten about him. You'd think he'd ride. Even if it's just for the novelty of riding there from the house and riding home again!
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • alihisgreat
    alihisgreat Posts: 3,872
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    ALIHISGREAT wrote:
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    Anyone else stay up for the US Nationals?

    Boring races on a pretty dull looking course. Both elite races were won on the first lap and almost no close racing in either top 10.

    yeah I watched it because I'm a big fan of Powers and follow Behind the Barriers... it will be interesting to see how competitive he is in Europe for the Worlds.

    Can't see him pulling up any trees, despite the commentators insistence that he's going to blow us all away. Page was reasonably competitive there and he's had nothing in Europe all season. The US courses are generally more forgiving with less running too.

    Van Der Haar is the only non-Belgian I can see doing anything at the Worlds.

    Page lost 3 minutes to Powers over an hour? Don't really have a context to judge whether that's a relatively big or small amount of time though? Seems like a lot of time to me?
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,549
    I think Jeremy Powers is the best male US cross rider but he's caught in the dilemma where committing to racing a full season in the US will diminish his visibility in his home market, but if he really wants to cut it at world level, then he needs to race full time in Europe.

    He's good enough to be in the top ten, maybe even five, in the world, but he can't achieve that on a diet of US racing.
  • alihisgreat
    alihisgreat Posts: 3,872
    andyp wrote:
    I think Jeremy Powers is the best male US cross rider but he's caught in the dilemma where committing to racing a full season in the US will diminish his visibility in his home market, but if he really wants to cut it at world level, then he needs to race full time in Europe.

    He's good enough to be in the top ten, maybe even five, in the world, but he can't achieve that on a diet of US racing.

    Its an interesting discussion to have regarding racing vs. training (Team Sky for example found that racing wasn't actually particularly effective training.. and often not hard enough) because Powers has ridden less competitively in the US so far this season, then he took more time to train in the run up to nationals and is obviously in great form now.

    I think its fair to say that he'd need to spend time in Europe to acclimatize etc. but I'm not sure if actually racing that much is that important? and by that I mean he could do an easy domestic season with a training block before nationals, then go over to Europe for a bit of racing and another good training block before Worlds.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,652
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    Anyone else stay up for the US Nationals?

    Boring races on a pretty dull looking course. Both elite races were won on the first lap and almost no close racing in either top 10.

    Yep. Though it looks like the single most exciting bit of the course wasn't on camera:

    mg_2822.jpg?w=810
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    ALIHISGREAT wrote:
    andyp wrote:
    I think Jeremy Powers is the best male US cross rider but he's caught in the dilemma where committing to racing a full season in the US will diminish his visibility in his home market, but if he really wants to cut it at world level, then he needs to race full time in Europe.

    He's good enough to be in the top ten, maybe even five, in the world, but he can't achieve that on a diet of US racing.

    Its an interesting discussion to have regarding racing vs. training (Team Sky for example found that racing wasn't actually particularly effective training.. and often not hard enough) because Powers has ridden less competitively in the US so far this season, then he took more time to train in the run up to nationals and is obviously in great form now.

    I think its fair to say that he'd need to spend time in Europe to acclimatize etc. but I'm not sure if actually racing that much is that important? and by that I mean he could do an easy domestic season with a training block before nationals, then go over to Europe for a bit of racing and another good training block before Worlds.


    The big difference between Cross in the US and Europe is the courses... In the US, the same course is used for the juniors as for the elites as for the 3/4 race. It's a participation sport.

    In Europe, however, the course generally only gets used for the elite men and women and, as such, is much more technical. The twisting, muddy descents you see in Namur etc have no equivilent in the US, they may have a sandpit, but they have nothing like the sandy drops they have at Koksijde.

    The reason why US 'crossers who base themselves in the US don't generally perform in Europe is that... Courses tend to be dryer (outside of NE), faster and less technical.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Vos getting bossed by :
    kfcrip.gif
    Contador is the Greatest
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Vos getting bossed by :

    Is this a question? The other two riders are Katie Compton and Sanne Cant.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Ah no - meant to write Compton.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Paul 8v
    Paul 8v Posts: 5,458
    Cyclocross on Eurosport tomorrow night, British championships.
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