Cross 20-21 *spoilers* (NOT rider of the year 2020)

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  • gsk82
    gsk82 Posts: 3,599
    It's on the eurosport player
    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,697
    Sophie de Boer being very flirty with (one assumes) Mr Sophie. Nice to see her happy again, even if she's not at the same level she once was.
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,697
    edited December 2020
    Boys are off, Eli Iserbyt runs into trouble on the first climb...

    Vantourhout leads but all the names we're interested in a scattered around the top 15 due to start position weirdness

    Iserbyt appears to have broken the chain. Race over. Changes bike but wonder if it's worth carrying on. (he has series to win over the whole winter after all rather than twitterati battles)

    Pidcock, WVA Vntht MvdP closing (closes) the gap


    eeep, MvdP slides out on a root, back up quickly, but will have to re-close the gap again though

    Lap2
    Everyone, bar MvdP, off and sliding on the hill before the cobbles. The girls have chewed that up nicely

    MvdP struggling again, Vntnht ahead, from WvA, MvdP and Pidcock. The CX specialist showing the others how it's done at first.

    All the BeNELux pit, Pidcock doesnt and retakes the lead. Maybe a few psi less for MvdP. Pidcock has 7s

    Lap3
    Vantournhuit (sp?) dropped, As we hoped, Pidcock v MvdP v WvA

    MvdP closes the gap to Tom, WvA distanced

    tell a lie, All 4 back together again i actually missed that...

    Lap 4 (of 9)
    Mostly settled down. Pidcock stretches, others pull back. Repeat

    repeat no longer. Pidcock snaps the elastic and gains ~7s


    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    What does one expect to happen now? I found a UK live stream which is fab.

    looks like a procession through an assault course.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,697
    edited December 2020
    Start of Lap 6
    Pidcock
    MvdP +3
    Wva +8
    Vantournuit +8

    Pidcock better on the second half of the course. MvdP clearly the strongest of the other three but WvA and Vntnt clinging on

    (whisper it on this forum, but Wout's Bianchi CX bike does look rather good in the mud. Celeste shining through).

    Pidcock possibly has the edge over MvdP on the technical sections.
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,697
    edited December 2020
    J-Pow obsessing about Pidcock not changing bikes like the others are. (as far as I can see his Specialized isnt much dirtier than the others on new ones)

    WvA has closed gap to WvA

    Pidcock still has 7s

    2 to go

    Pidcock looking slightly ragged on the descents now. Still fast tho.

    I feel like WvA may be dragging MvdP closer though...?? Yeah they re back! 1.5 laps to go. Typical WvA just griiiinding the others down whilst Pidcock and MvdP do short sharp attack

    All three take a new bike and WvA rolls through to the front. All 3 press pause for a sec. MvdP takes it up.

    MvdP pulling ahead, WvA in the middle. Gaps Streaatching
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,697
    edited December 2020
    FInal Lap
    MvdP
    WvA +1
    pidcock +2

    MvdP hurls himself down the descent. Maybe his best section over WvA.

    Looks like the fight going out of Pidcock, WvA not fancy but again, just wokrs the basics perfectly.

    MvdP explodes up the cobbled hill and down the off camber descent. MvdP with ~7s

    Pidcock distanced, WvA closing but will it be fast enough?
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • gsk82
    gsk82 Posts: 3,599
    Terribly predictable as always.
    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,697
    Not Quite

    MvdP
    WvA
    Pidcock

    Well that was fun!! Hell of a fight.

    Made my Self Isolation go faster for a few hours.
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    The rate they pulled Pidcock back there was scary. MvdP went from looking the weakest of the three to taking control.

    I don't like the way Pidcock drags his bike around when running. I can't imagine it's very efficient and I can see kids wrecking their bikes trying to copy him.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,697
    gsk82 said:

    Terribly predictable as always.

    I think youre being a silly billy there
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,697
    MvdP saying he and WvA had to ride together too pull back Pidcock. Hell of a compliment to Tom. He's been the only person to take a race to the kings of cross.

    Tom Philosophical, having fun with the Dutch Interviews :p
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • gsk82
    gsk82 Posts: 3,599
    The same to 2 as just about every other cross race for the past 5 years. It couldn't be more predictable.
    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • redvision
    redvision Posts: 2,958
    edited December 2020
    gsk82 said:

    Terribly predictable as always.

    Watched the full race, the first time I've actually sat and watched the whole thing, and I really enjoyed it. Might have ended predictably but still a great watch and fills the Sunday afternoon void during the road off season.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,549
    ddraver said:


    Evie up to 6th with her characteristic smile/grimace
    Ana Kay (UK) in 7th - confess Ive not heard of her at all

    Sanne Cant (back from a baby) in 12th

    Anna Kay has been consistently the best British cross rider since Wyman and Brammeier retired. Was regularly finishing top 5 at this level last season.

    Has Cant had a baby? Didn't know that.

  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,697
    Thanks,

    I think Sanne has, but it occurs to me that it could just have been a picture of her with 'a' baby. She's not really an open book in these respects
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    andyp said:

    ddraver said:


    Evie up to 6th with her characteristic smile/grimace
    Ana Kay (UK) in 7th - confess Ive not heard of her at all

    Sanne Cant (back from a baby) in 12th

    Anna Kay has been consistently the best British cross rider since Wyman and Brammeier retired. Was regularly finishing top 5 at this level last season.

    Has Cant had a baby? Didn't know that.

    I'd be surprised. She was 12th at the Worlds less than 10 months ago.

  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 52,312
    I thought that interview with Pidcock was quite funny when the interviewer said he was asked to ask Tom a question in Dutch.

    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,697
    The commentators suggested he is learning (he needs to for Dutch Nationality...?? #FuckBrexit) but I think the Sporza dude was a bit over enthusiastic...

    Fair play tho Tom
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • jimmythecuckoo
    jimmythecuckoo Posts: 4,718
    Really good race that.. hope it bodes well for the remainder of the cross season.
    http://fendrieneu.home.blog
    My blog and pod...
    Beers of Belgium Cycling Club UK
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 52,312
    edited December 2020
    Yes, and in the mix is a 21 year old usurper.
    Perhaps VdP won't dominate (96%) the rest of the races.
    High praise for Tom because it took 2 of the world's best riders to collaborate against him.

    Van Aert was humble in his interview. Surprised he mentioned his confidence.
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • webboo
    webboo Posts: 6,087
    pinno said:

    Yes, and in the mix is a 21 year old usurper.
    Perhaps VdP won't dominate (96%) the rest of the races.

    Van Aert was surprisingly humble in his interview. Surprised he mentioned his confidence.

    This might be more to do with last season when MVdP put in an effort and gapped everyone by at least 30 seconds-and kept it.Where as yesterday although in interviews MVdP talked of working together to bring back Tom although on the tv it looked like Wout towed him back. Then MVdP went over the top but Wout did close him down towards the end. So a bit more self belief and it would have been a sprint for the win.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,549
    It took MVDP a couple of weekend's of racing to get going last season too. He still won races, but it was by a handful of seconds each time in his first few wins, i.e. the European Championships where he won by 3 seconds.

    We'll see where he's at over the next two weeks. Although I believe he's not riding the World Cup round on Sunday, which is a surprise.
  • webboo
    webboo Posts: 6,087
    What was interesting to me that all the previous front runners were no where although Iserbyt had an excuse.
    Next week is fairly packed with races.
    22nd Ethias cross Essen
    23rd Troffee Veldrijden Herentals
    26th Superprestige Zolder
    27th World Cup Dendermonde
    Given there has been few double weekends it will interesting see how it pans out.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,697
    ddraver said:


    Evie up to 6th with her characteristic smile/grimace

    According to her insta story she fixed a mechanical running up the first hill, then had a puncture, then a crash so 6th perhaps not so bad all things considered

    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • arnuf
    arnuf Posts: 98
    andyp said:


    We'll see where he's at over the next two weeks. Although I believe he's not riding the World Cup round on Sunday, which is a surprise.

    He read your comment and now is doing sunday as well. Which makes for 7 races in 12 days.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    Where does Pidcock live? There must be a good chance of him being forced out of upcoming races.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,652
    RichN95. said:

    Where does Pidcock live? There must be a good chance of him being forced out of upcoming races.

    Not sure, but he's racing today, so I guess he's staying on the continent over Xmas - there's a world cup on Boxing Day.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    I assume he'll spend the rest of the season where the races are as there's no racing for him in the UK.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,549
    RichN95. said:

    Where does Pidcock live? There must be a good chance of him being forced out of upcoming races.

    He lives in Belgium during the cross season, along with the rest of the Trinity Racing riders.

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