Cross 20-21 *spoilers* (NOT rider of the year 2020)
Comments
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Lap 2
Betsema looking cool. Alvarado closing though.
Evie notably loses a bunch of seconds in the sand. I guess there's not much call for it when you're an XC racer from the Malverns. as if to prove the point, she's the QOM on the bridge by a second
Worst closes gap to Brand at 12 s to Betsema
Betsema
Brand & Worst (playing games) 11s
Alvarado 36 (wow!)
international chasers 41-50We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
Lap 3
J-pow Backing Worst. Not sure I see it....yet, although she monsters the entry into the sand
They shut me up completely as Brand & Worst close the gap to Betsema who must have had a shocker that lap
Now Worst goes down in the sand, up & running but chain is off. Mended before the bridge tho
....
I missed it but Brand has closed gap to Betsema and pure-powers away forcing mistakes from Betsema (though to without her own)
Brand & Betsema
Worst 8
Everyone else 39s
We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
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Getting distracted!
Final Lap
Worst smashes it into the sand. This is her move. Brand holds on. Betsema less so, but recovers along the beach. Brand rejoins the course with a slight lead. Being first up the bridge (21%!) is going to be useful.
Betsema looks to be flagging. She's also the least likely to want a sprint.
Worst uses her sand prowess to regain Brand's wheel
Sheer pain sprint up the bridge!
Betsema after the strong start has been distanced and looks to have nothing left. Hopefully, she can hold on for a consolation 3rd. (However she takes the final lap QOM over the bridge...)
Ding dong battle at the limit now between Worst & Brand...Worst slides out!!!!
Brand has ~ 4s
Worst looks to be done. unless Brand makes a mistake.We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
Brand FTW!
Full on war of attrition!
Worst and Betsema in 2nd & 3rd
30s)(
Clara Honsinger in 4th
Kastelij
Alvarado
Evie Richards 7th
(40s)
Cant 8th
meh, you can look at the results now...
Marianne Vos (12) looks furious. Got to wonder quite why she's botheredWe're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
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Is the commentary on the bbc website meant for an American channel? Seemed to spend more time speaking about clara honsinger than the race0
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According to her Instagram, it was the first time she's ever ridden sand, so to finish 7th at the World Champs - having not been able to get over to races recently - is really a very good result indeed!ddraver said:
Evie notably loses a bunch of seconds in the sand. I guess there's not much call for it when you're an XC racer from the Malverns. as if to prove the point, she's the QOM on the bridge by a second
you may have guess I have a strong "little sister" vibe with EvieWe're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
I thought she rode a great race - just behind the outgoing World Champion; as already said it's not a track for a XC racer - no real climbs/descents, etc Yet there were a few in the top 15 with Brandau, Lechner & Tauber having excellent races.ddraver said:
According to her Instagram, it was the first time she's ever ridden sand, so to finish 7th at the World Champs - having not been able to get over to races recently - is really a very good result indeed!ddraver said:
Evie notably loses a bunch of seconds in the sand. I guess there's not much call for it when you're an XC racer from the Malverns. as if to prove the point, she's the QOM on the bridge by a second
you may have guess I have a strong "little sister" vibe with EvieAll Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."0 -
We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
MvdP takes his third straight title, 4 in all now. WvA 2nd, Aerts 3rd. Pidcock 4th, got caught out in the first lap and really didn't enjoy the sand. He was flying up the bridge, but there was nowhere near enough of it to make up for the amount of beach.
Decent race, would have been a little more interesting if wout hadn't punctured in the lead.
In all, I think too much sand and not enough on the rest of the course to make up for it. Strongly favoured brute force and expertise on sand, which is a bit too specialist to make for a balanced race.Warning No formatter is installed for the format1 -
Dutch and Belgian took all but one of the top 12 positions. Well done to them and they can only beat those that turn up....but it doesn't look like much of a World Championship.“You may think that; I couldn’t possibly comment!”
Wilier Cento Uno SR/Wilier Mortirolo/Specialized Roubaix Comp/Kona Hei Hei/Calibre Bossnut0 -
I didn't watch unfortunately.
I think it's a bit like having a road World Champs in Qatar, has to be done sometimes but certainly not one for every year. Obviously heavily favours the Dutch & Vlaamse. What other countries are so stupid to have invented beach racing!We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
I admit to being an infrequent watcher of cyclocross but I found the sand parts very exciting. Those boys look like they’re on motorbikes!0
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“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!1
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Watched the men's on catch up. First season I've been following CX much... consequence of being indoors more...
So noobie questions, as not worked it out myself.
Punctures as in WvA today. (He was way ahead, I stepped out for one of those, back and MvdP is overtaking...) Why don't they run tubeless? Or do they?
What pedal systems do they use? Lot of off / on, lot of slip slide. I see the Shimano SPD banners. I use SPD on all my bikes, but I do unclip a lot on my gravel / mud sorties.0 -
They run tubular tyres at crazy low pressures (sub 20 psi). If they puncture they have to ride/run to a pit to swap bikes. Often the tyre pressures are so low it's difficult to tell...
Yes, 'MTB' pedals
I'm dogshit at it as I am with all cycling but there will be a local league near you if you want to have a go. It's exactly as Type 2 Fun/horrible as it looks.We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver1 -
They can run cx tubulars at much lower pressures than they can tubeless and lower pressures mean more grip. Brand yesterday was running her Dugast tubulars at 1.1 bar/16 psi. You can't run tubeless much below 25 psi in my experience. The pros have a support team, including a mechanic, who will likely have a store of tubulars that they are ageing before they use them, as this aids puncture resistance. All UCI sanctioned races have a pit and there will be two opportunities a lap to use it so the consequences of puncturing are fairly small, as you can ride on a punctured tubular. You can't really do that if your tubeless tyre fails.orraloon said:
Punctures as in WvA today. (He was way ahead, I stepped out for one of those, back and MvdP is overtaking...) Why don't they run tubeless? Or do they?
It's also partly tradition though, pros have run tubulars since before tubeless existed, and it's one of those learned behaviours that persists.
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WVA has such torque - I favoured him in the sand: but MVDP has no weaknesses. He’s an absolute beast. They both are. We’re watching two era defining athletes at their prime. Can’t wait to see how those overhyped old tossers Sagan, Van Avermaet, etc cope with them in the Classics...1
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ocdupalais said:
Can’t wait to see how those overhyped old tossers Sagan, Van Avermaet, etc cope with them in the Classics...
I expect it will work in Sagan's favour as he will no longer be the no 1 favourite and the two Vans will be too preoccupied by their hype to notice.Twitter: @RichN952 -
Well it worked for Mads P. I'm interested to see how Quickstep react to such a threat to their one day dominance.RichN95. said:ocdupalais said:Can’t wait to see how those overhyped old tossers Sagan, Van Avermaet, etc cope with them in the Classics...
I expect it will work in Sagan's favour as he will no longer be the no 1 favourite and the two Vans will be too preoccupied by their hype to notice.
Mainly though I'm excited to see how Pidcock goes on the road. I'm expecting great things from him (though not necessarily in his first season)Warning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
It killed it didn't it?No_Ta_Doctor said:
Decent race, would have been a little more interesting if wout hadn't punctured in the lead.
Although my punditry was as per usual lacking because I called Wout champ when Mathieu crashed early on !
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I'm not convinced he'll be a classics guy. At least not the cobbles. More an Ardennes type I think. But mostly a stage racer.No_Ta_Doctor said:
Mainly though I'm excited to see how Pidcock goes on the road. I'm expecting great things from him (though not necessarily in his first season)Twitter: @RichN950 -
MvdP slipped, fell and accidentally unclipped up the incline and still won. He is head and shoulders above the rest. Whilst WvA may have punctured (near one of the best places on course to do so), he did not have the power of MvdP imho.
It was a great WC and a display of class by MvdP.
(I was rooting for WvA).seanoconn - gruagach craic!0
