Cyclocross 2023/24 **Contains spoilers**

pinno

andyrac said:

The UCI don't choose the calendar....it's Flanders Classics - the more rounds, the more hosting fees they get; it's exactly the same how F1/WRC works......the FiA don't have anything to do with the calendar, apart from publishing it.

In MTB, there's no doubt that the World Cup is THE series to do; other series wouldn't dream of hosting events the same weekend. CX needs to be the same...8-10 rounds with events spread over the weekend. Other weekends are free for X20, Superprestige, ExactCross.......

So you agree there's too many World cup rounds? I get the feeling that by threatening riders from events when they don't turn up, they are trying to monopolise. Moves like that will shoot themselves in the foot. If you have a world cup where the top guys can't race, then it becomes a hollow trophy.
Fewer rounds = less points available and that means for those serious about the overall, missing 1 event would severely reduce their chances.

JimD666

To a certain degree though how hollow are the other CX series? Once MvDP, WvA and to a lesser extent Pidcock come back into it , aren't the others pretty much racing for the minor places?

pinno

JimD666 said:

To a certain degree though how hollow are the other CX series? Once MvDP, WvA and to a lesser extent Pidcock come back into it , aren't the others pretty much racing for the minor places?

Not really.

Sweek, Van der haar, iserbyt and Toon Aerts have won the last 4 editions of the Superprestige. You have to go back 5 years for a MvdP win.
Of the last 5 UCI world cups, WvA is the only one you have mentioned in the last 5 editions to have won it overall.
Iserbyt and Toon Aerts have shared the last 4 editions of the Badkamers trophy.
The 'big 3' don't do enough rounds of each series to be able to win it anymore.
Iserbyt (and others) have learnt to go like the clappers in the early part of the season because less points are available when the any one of that 3 race.

orraloon

The mens' finish for podium places was a bit close in the Essen race. 🤔

JimD666

I'm going for congratulations to Silas Kuschla. Highest placed non-Belgium.

In 11th.

👏👏

webboo

orraloon said:

The mens' finish for podium places was a bit close in the Essen race. 🤔

I thought they were going to need a calendar to time the rest of the field in.

Pross

Started watching the women’s race from Val De Sole earlier (I assume it wasn’t live?). That was rubbish, if you’re going to deliberately race on snow at least groom the circuit a bit.

seanoconn

Pross said:

Started watching the women’s race from Val De Sole earlier (I assume it wasn’t live?). That was rubbish, if you’re going to deliberately race on snow at least groom the circuit a bit.

Above freezing, so not necessary apparently. Looked rideable. Lovely looking venue at least.

r0bh

Looked lovely but boring races.

orraloon

Men's race is another v tight finish, just like yesterday.... Pretty cool riding through the snow though.

andyp

I think it's important for the World Cup to test riders abilities over a range of different conditions, not just Belgian mud.

webboo

andyp said:

I think it's important for the World Cup to test riders abilities over a range of different conditions, not just Belgian mud.

But do they need to use a totally snowed up course, Shirley they could have used something at a bit lower altitude.

andyrac

andyp said:

I think it's important for the World Cup to test riders abilities over a range of different conditions, not just Belgian mud.

Agree. I wish more people would understand this; CX has to be more than just mud.....One thing CX really doesn't have enough of are climbing courses. If you're a lightweight climber, then CX is not the sport for you.

andyrac

webboo said:

andyp said:

I think it's important for the World Cup to test riders abilities over a range of different conditions, not just Belgian mud.

But do they need to use a totally snowed up course, Shirley they could have used something at a bit lower altitude.

Yes, they do. They're trying to get in the Winter Olympics, and need to demonstrate it can be held on snow/ ice.......
I personally don't think they will succeed; not enough countries take CX seriously.....you only have to look at World Cup Top 10s.

andyp

webboo said:

andyp said:

I think it's important for the World Cup to test riders abilities over a range of different conditions, not just Belgian mud.

But do they need to use a totally snowed up course, Shirley they could have used something at a bit lower altitude.

It's clear that the UCI would like cyclocross added to the Winter Olympics, so they wanted a race included in the World Cup that was going to showcase the sport on snow.

webboo

I might wrong here but in order for a sport to be in the Winter Olympics is it not supposed to take place only on snow or ice. While cx can take place on those it doesn’t need too therefore it doesn’t fit.

Pross

andyrac said:

andyp said:

I think it's important for the World Cup to test riders abilities over a range of different conditions, not just Belgian mud.

Agree. I wish more people would understand this; CX has to be more than just mud.....One thing CX really doesn't have enough of are climbing courses. If you're a lightweight climber, then CX is not the sport for you.

I’ve got no problem with them racing on snow and ice but arguably the lack of any preparation to the snow meant it was more like riding in deep mud. They were just running with their bikes as much as riding them, I switched off as I was bored with it.

Two of the CX races I did in my first season were in snow back in the early 90s when the races were very amateur and not governed by many rules by BC (thigh deep stream crossings were a regular feature and one course needed a rope to pull yourself up a bank!). I used to ride a road bike with standard calliper brakes and the only concession to being off road was the tyres. The one course in the snow involved riding down a bank at the side of an artificial ski slope which was a bit scary. I did stop using my Time pedals after that one.

seanoconn

andyrac said:

webboo said:

andyp said:

I think it's important for the World Cup to test riders abilities over a range of different conditions, not just Belgian mud.

But do they need to use a totally snowed up course, Shirley they could have used something at a bit lower altitude.

Yes, they do. They're trying to get in the Winter Olympics, and need to demonstrate it can be held on snow/ ice.......
I personally don't think they will succeed; not enough countries take CX seriously.....you only have to look at World Cup Top 10s.

Not enough countries take or are able to take winter Olympic sports seriously. CX would garner interest with its inclusion. Personally I’d love to see it included, with only 15 winter Olympic sports atm and staging the event would be pretty easy compared to most.

But have to agree with webboo, it’s not a snow or ice sport and would stick out like a sore thumb.

takethehighroad

Tom Pidcock is back, and with a very impressive ride at my favourite race of the year in Namur

He was a little way back on the grid so was 19th halfway round the 1st lap. He dropped his chain on the 2nd, but fought back to take the lead at the end of the penultimate lap.

He punctured on the last lap but was close enough to the pits that it didn't have an impact.

Next race is the night time one in Mol tonight, which seems like the best to attend on a Friday night in Belgium, before the World Cup in Antwerp tomorrow and a couple of days off before we're back in action in Gavere on Boxing Day

seanoconn

Enjoy the night CX. Start time says 2pm today? That’s not night is it?

arnuf

It will start in two hours, so I guess not.

As a warm-up here's Sporza's 30 min. compilation of last seasons battles:

https://sporza.be/nl/2023/12/21/wva-vs-mvdp-een-duel-met-een-abonnement-op-spektakel-in-2022~1703192090836/

daniel_b

Just taken out a 1 month sub to Discovery Plus, should allow me to watch 8 of the most interesting CX races over the next month.

orraloon

Been away doing a pre Christmas visit dahn saff to family and friends so had a catch up. Didn't MvdP look stressed in his race?

Still have the Eurosport annual sub working, supposed to run until end June but who knows what the megacorp muppets will do.

Webboo2

MVP didn’t have much trouble today, Wout looked like a bit of an also ran.

pinno

Wout said that he had a team presentation the day before so it wasn't ideal prep for him.

I also think MvdP is stronger in the sand. Lets hope for a muddy event and perhaps a bit more running which should even things up a little.

TP in the mix wouldn't be a bad thing either.

Pross

Women’s race at Antwerp was good with a decent contest between the top 2 for much of the race. MVDP making the others look ordinary on the sand sections so far after a terrible start. Left Wout for dead after catching him. Pidcock with a slow start again and not really moving up in a fairly closely packed top 10 (behind MVDP who is flying now he’s in front).

Webboo2

I haven’t seen the mens race yet but wouldn’t Pidcock be at the back of the grid so it would look like he had a slow start what ever he did.

Actually he wasn’t doing too bad at the start given his grid position however I think getting knocked off on the second corner probably didn’t help.

Dorset_Boy

Only saw a little, but heard that MvdP had an early issue and was in 28th during the first lap. He then anihilated the field again.

r0bh

Pidcock has been ill all week apparently

daniel_b

MvdP in a totally different league, dominant display, and didn't look to be near his limits.

If he stays injury free, looks ominous for any CX race he chooses to take part in.