Riders eligible for the U23 World Championships (need to be confirmed, otherwise they're not participating:

Mustafa Moli
Camilo Osorio
Josiah Bennett
Pierre Lipawsky
Milan Vermeulen
Mohuti Sow
Dirk Accostella
Stan Van Overberghe
Fabrizio Lorenzi
Pierre Lavigne

Hmmm, might be worth purposfully under-racing Markson next year so he'll be U23 Eligible. He'd certainly be an interesting rider to see in that race, rather than the WC where he'll be pretty much useless. And then again the year after, actually could do it quite a few times

Well, not sure yet if next year we'll have the same arrangement for starters. Might keep this system, might increase the limit (top 40) or might go back to the earlier system. Will depend largely on your reactions.

Anyway, the race preview!
Will also do a more detailed preview from The Scope, probably tomorrow.

Though the route is already written down pretty much in detail, so you can get to work and perhaps think of a good tactic

Also perhaps worth mentioning: I used the following pictures to try and envisage the route. Hope you see it, too, when you read the route with these pictures

Stan Van Overberghe will ride U23. Also very great preview! I had hoped for a finish in Siena itself though (maybe riding the full circuit and in the last lap it goes up that steep narrow road) but beauty of tuscany needs to be seen as well.

Yes Siena was an option but I decided to go for the white roads finish. Uphill finish would be great (perhaps a race idea for a new race next season) but decided to go with a less-climbing friendly finish. Now we have many potential winners.
With a Vuelta profile cyclo-cross, we'd only have a handful of potential winners

To Google Maps!
Can already think of a brilliant location to test out an Uphill finish as part of the NES competition... actually i can think of many more... i'll get to work

I still hope for a Velodrome finish one of these days just sayin.

To Google Maps!

Anyone else got suggestions?

Let the war begin


Also, a few new suggestions just because I felt like

Place (nation, city): Anchorage, Alaska

Technical information: [enter a number between 1 - 5, with 1 being very low / nothing and 5 being very high
Technicality: 4
Sand: 1
Uphill: 5
Length of 1 lap: 5
Cobbled sections: 0
Final sprint (length of the final straight road): 2

Other information: An early-season race ideally. Alaska is known to be very cold, but with the frost not striking entirely yet, the muddy, wet underground just outside the city the cross is very hard. The race is ideal for powerhouses.

Place (nation, city): Arcachon, France

Technical information: [enter a number between 1 - 5, with 1 being very low / nothing and 5 being very high
Technicality: 5
Sand: 5
Uphill: 4
Length of 1 lap: 5
Cobbled sections: 1
Final sprint (length of the final straight road): 2

Other information: A real beach cross. The race is very hard due to its presence of the dunes, and another, slightly unique feature. The bikes will get dirty on the beach, but the riders will have to see them clean up when riding through the sea for a small bit. Immediately after exiting the water a tough climb appears, and without a chance of accelerating properly the walking might prove to be decisive here. After a slippery, sandy downhill a 120° corner introduces a short finishing straight.

edit:
Place (nation, city): Bad Berka, Germany

Technical information: [enter a number between 1 - 5, with 1 being very low / nothing and 5 being very high
Technicality: 3
Sand: 1
Uphill: 4
Length of 1 lap: 3
Cobbled sections: 1
Final sprint (length of the final straight road): 4

Other information: Around this German town there are a few grassy hills. Two short, explosive climbs and a long climb, followed by a narrow descent through this woods make this a cross to not underestimate. The downhill does not consist of many corners, but it is not without risks.

Sorry but you are just copying Vuelta organizators now

I think he just copied the Rio Beach Cross more

Average Temps of around -5/-6 Centigrade (an average high of -2.4, average low of -8.5) i'd say frost will definately be on the ground (assuming it's November to match up with the other North American races) and that the ground itse;f will be more frozen than muddy

I know this because i was looking at basing a race in Fairbanks but decided it wasn't too feasable

Going for the triple post...

Quickly whipped up these two races. One with an uphill finish and one with a Velodrom finish.

Signal Hill


Cali


Alongside those. The Lee Valley race could easily finish on a Velodrome, seeing as the course is already right next to it. Bristol can shift it's specific location slightly to finish on a hill, it is a hilly city with plenty of options. Plus of mine i can see Twin Peaks, USA, ending on an uphill as well seeing as most of the race is already on hills.
That's just off the top of my head for now.

Temperatures are higher in Alaska next year due to El Niño, so it shouldn't be frost then

Bennett will start. And let the race wars begin, I still only have two this year But I recommend LLS's Whakapapa course over my other kiwi ones. Will make some more races with google earth () later.

Lee Valley finish in a Velodrome sounds mighty good.

..or maybe Sylvain is seen as a dark horse again?

Thanks for the nice preview jandal, it really makes the worlds exciting with multiple previews and views from different people alongside Ian's.

No mention of Kloet though?!

Now I have to try to work out some tactics.

EDIT: just got the Aosta joke with Sylvain that took me way too long...

Great stuff jandal, fun to read. (To me, Vague is technical superior to Matt though, because Francis' skill has been numerous times mentioned by Ian but that's just semantics..)

BRING IT ON IAN! (But please wait till I get my preps out haha)

Lovely preview, jandal. Really enjoyed it.

Want to keep you all updated with the current schedule:
I plan to do another in-detail preview by The Scope, much like last year's. I plan to do this this evening.
Saturday is a day of rest and also the last day to send in tactics.
Sunday will be D-Day. Can't plan ahead too much, but I hope to bring you the World championships report at noon-time.

I'll let you know if anything changes