Two days and I can't take it. The little part of me who is still that 15 year old kid in Britain four years ago, amazed at what he is a part of. I'm actually so excited just to race the elite World Championships. But I've had to be very professional, not letting that feeling of pure joy override my preparations.

There was a piece some days ago about my preparations by a journalist. I didn't buy into the prediction lark and didn't read any of the wave of previews coming out but this one was true. I've been reconnoitering the course, working mentally and physically as well as watching tales of similair courses. Twin peaks, Aosta Valley, anything to give me an edge or knowledge of my rivals, almost all of whom have been riding against each other for a season longer than me, in fact really I only began racing against them as such around America or Africa time.

I have been reading the other rider's blogs though, and boy do Lipawsky and Cook, amongst others, seem ready. Vague is confident as ever and Mazzarelli has been staying silent, though one look at him riding those Tuscan strade bianche tells you he's anything but switched off. I'm looking forward to racing with or against many of them, even if I don't actually see them for lack of being at the front.

My legs are good, they are fresh but I still feel the rythym I've been carrying around lately. Lviv was disappointing but I hope and think this course is less power and more explosive, my kind of thing. Lachy, too, has been here for a while and he seems ready for the challenge. He's been very gracious in giving up his leader's armband for me and I hope to deliver. Deliver what? Well, I'm not sure myself.

Well the Bauer is here to stay ladies and gentlemen, I've signed a contract with a PCT team which ensures I can have an almost full cross season as I hit my prime years. I'm excited to give the cross another go, next year I will be fresher and hopefully I can do this jersey proud like I haven't done for 12 months now.

Now we are here in Siena, my season goal and despite that not saying much due to it being a terrible season everything that has happened since Dunkerque last season is behind me, it's irrelevant, I'm here to help Milan get his result in any way I can and have a bloody blast while I'm at it.

I love this course, maybe not enough climbing but the technical areas and steep inclines are bliss and a sprint finish is music to my ears, even if it doesn't have an uphill drag. I've been practicing privately and with Milan for the past few days, he convinced me to come straight here and to be honest it didn't take much, for all its beauties I'm no fan of Ostrava, sure it has my favorite elements scattered around but the result isn't my style.

I try not to look ahead of the now but the triple whammy of Worlds, Ansbach and Kwaremont were great for me last year and I hope it can be my redeeming feature this year, even if it is a great domestique performance.

Kaixo

I had hoped to do a bit more in Czech Republic, but the cobbles were tough and I didn't want to take chances and get injured before the worlds.

Now I have all my focus on the world championships. It will be a hard, but if things go as when I won bronze in the continental championships earlier this year I'm optimistic.

~ Iban

The World Championships are approaching. This weekend is sacred for every cyclo-cross fan. They did their best to make no plans, except to sit in front of their television set to watch the previews, interviews, the race, the talkshow about the race and the after interviews. In two days they'll know who'll wear the rainbow jersey for the next year.



So let's start with the Women race on Saturday. They'll ride on the same profile as the men, as is traditional. However, they'll have fewer laps, riding only 45 - 50 minutes.

Last year, Ada Marlow was the absolute favorite before the race (having on 18 out of 19 races) and she didn't disappoint. They went into the final lap with four riders and was the fastest in the sprint. But this year, things are different. While Marlow pretty much has the World Cup in the bag, she isn't as dominating as she was before. She won 5 races in her World Champion jersey, but there's also Severijns from the Netherlands with 3 victories, 20-year old Hansen from Norway with 3 victories and, of course, Christiane Dufort, a two time World Champion and winner of the Eurasian Championships and four other crosses this season.







The race is live on Eurosport 2 at 15h, GMT +1 time, Saturday.


Then we have the U23 race. Always an interesting cross, and mostly in the same weather conditions as the Elite men, who ride only a few hours later. Last year, Jan Soucek made a somewhat surprising World Champion. He ended up making the leap to the pros and potentially a year too soon. Listerijn had just missed the podium but is now back as a top 5 candidate with the Elite men. While riders like Van Dyck decided to stay with the U23.

We have many candidates for this title, but one name springs to mind faster than others: Adrian Van Niek from South Africa. The boy seems unstoppable at the moment and he can do pretty much what he wants to. Add the Dutch rider Van Dyck to the list of top favorites. The course doesn't suit solo breaks and there aren't many faster than Van Dyck in a sprint finish.

Just below them are riders like Fumeaux, Vermeulen, Huser, Khan...








The race is live on Eurosport 2 at 11h30, GMT +1 time, Sunday.


Last but not least, we have the main event of the weekend. The Elite men will battle for an hour for the most prestigious jersey in the world. Last year, Sylvain Lipawsky plyaed his part as underdog well and took the victory right from underneath Cornelis' nose. It was a great day for Switzerland, not so much for Belgium, seeing Cornelis lose, Verboven lose it in the last lap and Vague seeing his chances ruined by a fall.

This year, the World Championships are in Italy. So Mazzarelli is a name to remember. He can handle his bike, he can climb. However, the second part of the profile is entirely against him. Long, flat sections and a very real possibility of the race ending in a mass sprint, these are not the kind of things Mazzarelli dreams of.

Francis Vague will be hard to beat. He can do pretty much anything and is fast at the finish line. But will the big Belgian team be a given or a curse for Vague? There isn't much unity in the Belgian camp. However, Vague can fare well on his own, and he still has his dear friend Welling to help out. Vague has been struggling to get a win lately, but he is a man who can be there when he has to.

And what about Elliot Cook? The Brit rides at a high level all season long. Does it take a toll this late in the season? If one man can ride away here and stay away, we believe it's Cook. On a good day, he can destroy an entire peloton. But even in the sprint he isn't without a chance. When the race is hard enough, it all comes down to who has the most left in the tank. And Cook's tank is a British model, unbreakable.

Of course we have the ones hoping for the above to make a mistake here and there and take advantage of it. They won't have to carry the race, but they can definitely make it. We're thinking of Sylvain Lipawsky, who can handle himself in any situation. Or Dries Cornelis, with all his experience always a danger. Christian Schiltz is a man who always excels in classics and championships, so expect him this Sunday. Milan Listerijn is eager to prove himself and skipped Ostrava to be a bit fresher here. He is a great all-rounder but it's hard to see him beating the likes of Vague or Cook here.

Will Baris Dao start? The Dane has worked himself up as a threat in about every race he starts. He has skill and has fast legs to lay his claim on several races. But the Dane has been out after a fall and it's uncertain if he'll make the start line. Even if he does, he'll miss race rhythm. It's too bad for him, but we don't see him becoming our next World Champion. Hafthor Eldfjallsson loves ice but has proven he can do well without, too. With mainly technical stuff, some climbing and some power come into play, he finds a good profile for his abilities.

Tariq Faizullah hasn't been named much, but might surprise. He hasn't been performing as he should this season, but he is talented, no doubt. Can he finally live up to his talent this Sunday? Fred Markson is a name to remember, too. Not for the win, but a top 10 seems obvious for a boy with his talents. Though is he up for the challenge? Iban Etxeberdea has grown a lot this season and might come into play for the top 5. But he'll need every thing going good for him, have that big of luck. Lastly, one final name for you: Estifanos Mutahi. The Kenyan has skill but has managed to stay under the radar so far. He has mad cobbled skills, climbs well, can handle his bike and is said to have a very decent sprint. Time to show it, Estifanos!









The race is live on Eurosport 1 at 15h, GMT +1 time, Sunday. The broadcast starts at 14h15, with summaries of the U23 race, the Women race and a preview in the studio with ex-crosser and analyst, Hughes Vanautreve.



The start list is fairly easy, the top 30 of the UCI Classification can start. But the system has received a lot of criticism and our online questionnaire shows that 83% of our site visitors would like to see the old system back next season.

Ranking	Rider	Points
1	Elliot Cook	2848
2	Francis N. Vague	2645
3	Dries Cornelis	2459
4	Sylvain Lipawsky	2264
5	Christian Schiltz	2248
6	Hafthor Eldfjallsson	1858
7	Matt Mazzarelli	1732
8	Michael Bollinger	1713
9	Eddie Goldenberg	1597
10	Baris Dao	1532
11	Milan Listerijn	1513
12	Shay Gormley	1419
13	Mikel Hammarling	1399
14	Iban Etxeberdea	1065
15	Naveed Alinejad	1009
16	Tariq Faizullah	983
17	Fred Markson	964
18	Sven Welling	835
19	Estifanos Mutahi	787
20	Lachy Bauer	737
21	Max Power	683
22	Rik Van Fleming	561
23	Jan Soucek	558
24	Rudy Verboven	536
25	Guido Visconti	515
26	James Carlisle	465
27	Gregory Bernard	451
28	Arda Akdeniz	401
29	Karol Konva	390
30	Ferdi Kloet	371

Going by this table, Cook would be absolute favorite today. But if we would calculate UCI Points per race day, Vague would probably end up on top. Still, there is no denying Cook's consistency and ability to power through an entire season. He has almost 1000 points more than the number 6, that's a huge gap. More so, he has 300 points more than Cornelis had last year at this point in the season.

Rider	Gold	Silver	Bronze
Francis N. Vague	5	5	4
Elliot Cook	5	5	4
Dries Cornelis	4	4	5
Christian Schiltz	3	2	1
Milan Listerijn	3	1	1
Matt Mazzarelli	2	3	1
Sylvain Lipawsky	2	2	2
Fred Markson	2	0	1
Michael Bollinger	1	4	1
Baris Dao	1	1	3
Mikel Hammarling	1	1	2
Hafthor Eldfjallsson	1	1	2
Eddie Goldenberg	1	1	2
Estifanos Mutahi	1	1	0
Shay Gormley	1	0	0
Lachy Bauer	1	0	0
Jan Soucek	1	0	0
Adrian Van Niek	1	0	0
Guido Visconti	0	1	1
Tariq Faizullah	0	1	0
Rudy Verboven	0	1	0
Rik Van Fleming	0	1	0
Camilo Osorio	0	1	0
Iban Etxeberdea	0	0	2
Peter Christianson	0	0	1
Naveed Alinejad	0	0	1
Mustafa Moli	0	0	1
Chris Young	0	0	1

Cook and Vague have had less one-on-one's this season, but looking at this table, their rivalry is very much still alive. Impressive figures only closely matched by Cornelis, who really came through in the second part of the season.


The youth has almost entirely taken over the cyclo-cross scene. We've seen riders fading into non-existence and retiring. Only Cornelis manages to uphold his talent in this young peloton. Cook is a generation in-between but came to the cross-scene late and actually has less experience than Vague, who's crosses since he was a little boy.

This route allows multiple riders to win. Riding away solo will be hard, and lesser riders can take advantage of that and mix it up in the final sprint. It's been a long time since we've seen such an open field for the title. I can easily pick 10 names that can win here Sunday. And there are only 30 starters.

Only one way we can find out...

We'll see you on Sunday!
The Scope

Looking at all the media fuzz surrounding Siena, you'd think le Tour starts in February now. But it's the Cyclo-Cross World Championships and due to the many UCI reforms and the Coca-Cola sponsorship, Cyclo-Cross has set out to be a local, but global phenomenon. Belgium has always been a bastion of it, Great Britain and New Zealand are following swiftly up the ladder though. The States have had a vivid amateur scene and with the latest young talents they finally manage to make the jump to a proper power in the Elites.

Francis N. Vague has been running around in his training kit for a while now. Like all the other Crossers he too took his fair share of time to inspect the course, and he pretty much likes it. It favors cooperative riding and whilst most Crossers out there have the habit of letting Belgium do the work, Vague is no stranger to fair alliances should the need arise.

It's true and almost exactly a year ago that Vague has crashed and fucked up his chances at the World Championships. Now it's a new dynamic, a new course. It's been a season we've well seen last year though. Vague was on a high throughout the first half but has been a bit of an enigma regarding his form since his short break around new year's eve. Of course, for someone like Vague racing means to win. It's been this way since he was riding the Juniors, fairly dominating his peers. If it was down to him, he'd prefer to come here with a winning streak rather than a downward spiral of almost races. But who wouldn't?

Ahead of the single most important cross of the season, Vague has found time for his mandatory conference. In this he talked about his various rivals and the belgian royalty cooperation. He hasn't been enthusiatic about Cornelis latest remarks. "He has done as he pleases last year, and every year before that. I'm not too bothered about it, I don't need him to win. I prefer to see Belgium on the top step but last year, when Verboven and Cornelis attacked I was left out of the equation, I wasn't allowed to do my own race. I crashed anyway, but you see my point?", reminisces Vague and shows signs he still hasn't let go completely of the missed chance of the rainbow jersey back then. He is still bitter about his own failure. And his team's actions. "Like I said, I wasn't allowed to race. It won't happen this time. If I fail I want it to be because I failed. Not because I wasn't allowed to contest because Cornelis was upfront." If it ruins Belgium's medals, so be it. Vague is no longer being hypocritical about it. With 6 riders on the line, Belgium doesn't care about medals. It cares about gold. Vague is the golden boy. It's only right he gets his chance to win it.

"Cook is way above all my rivals like he has been all season", states Vague when he has to choose his toughest opponent. And yes, the rankings say the same. The Briton has been a force all season long and has recently demonstrated a great form by topping Vague in the latest crosses, and even proving himself to be a moderate ice specialists. Great improvement towards last year. Luckily for M4zzarelli, Siena doesn't hold any ice and snow in February now. The homecrowd favourite and Italy's big CX promise, is racing with the pressure of All or Nothing. Much like Vague in this regard, but seeing Siena as his sorta home race, Mazzarelli needs to deliver. Vague sees opportunitiy in this and thinks Mazzarelli could be a race deciding factor with his need to do the work. "But we all have to work. There's no reason for tactical plays. There are no standings. No trade teams. There's only the rainbow jersey and us."

Lipaswky, Listerijn and his trade teammate Schiltz are other names up Vague's ladder. But the youngster hasn't really left anybody out. Be it either Goldenberg and his mate Markson, or the recent form rise of Iban and Mutahi. Vague has certainly done his homework in the last days and knows what's up for him. "It's a wonderful idea to place such a special event in Tuscany. They have done a fantastic job at proping up a fantastic stage for us to perform. The women, U23.. and us Elites Men. It's going to be exciting and wonderful. I hope everybody enjoys the weekend. It's a beautiful region, Strade Bianche is one of my favourite road races and I hope to ride it this year." Indeed, there's been talk of many Cyclo-Crossers such as Sven Welling and Vague to join the road season for a side adventure at Strade Bianche because of them hosting the World Championships. Vague describes the race as "best of both worlds".

But before Strade Bianche, there's this race here. And Vague is burning with a retained passion. He knows what he wants, but last year is still there in each answer he gives. He may only fix that nagging thought in the back of his mind by winning the rainbow jersey. And here's to do that, to win this race.

Some big names are at the World Championships. Of course this includes CX legends such as Gasthuys, Vandewalle and Visconti, but also road legends of the likes of Eddy Merckx and Rik van Looy. One name that hasn't been much associated with Cyclo-Cross up until now is the one of Team SKY. And more in particular, of Sir David Brailsford.

Team SKY, the brand in front of the Murdoch empire's conquest of cycling, is a double-edged sword for many fans but there's no denying that they do a fantastic job with their riders and have achieved great success in the past years.

Now, apparently the mastermind behind recent british international success on the road with Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome, has taken notice of the attractiveness of Cyclo-Cross to fans and athletes alike and has traveled to Siena in hopes of doing some proper scouting and do some talks with the many talents that lie in this field. Is this due to Elliot Cook's success? Does he want to seal the deal with James Carlisle? Or is Sir Dave Brailsford, mockingly referred to often as Brailsfraud, hoping to snatch someone for SKY Italia, aka meaning to sign Mazzarelli. Francis N. Vague has certainly taken notice of Brailsford and has stated at his press conference that "it's great to see road teams meaning to expand into the Cyclo-Cross domain possibly, but the recent development is also great. If they want to do it, it's fine and great. But you shouldn't make the mistake of thinking that road and CX are alike. Here are different rules." For what it's worth: Brailsford would certainly have the money to buy Vague out of his contract.

Happy to have made it to the World Championchips at last. Well, I could have been riding U23 but the team sees my potential and wants me to help Cornelis. Yeah, indeed Cornelis. They have been pretty clear that if it was up between the Old Lion and the belgian New Dream, Cornelis would get my help before Vague.

Although there's been talks of Vague joining Lotto-Fidea and I can't imagine them wanting to alienate Vague with such a move. They could advice me to help him to show him we are on his good side? But he has Sven Welling anyway and the former CX star has shown signs of his former greatness in Ostrava Circuit.

Me personally I'm just here to be happy here first. Secondly, I have the personal ambition of finishing Top 15. This is a big ask of myself but I have given my all to compete in the Elites and I've made it. I feel that this is less a challenge but more a reward for me. In the coming years maybe I'll develop enough to compete for the win, for now I'm good where I am.

My father has been invited to some fancy dinners with his fiercest rivals Vandewalle and Gasthuys. He enjoyed it pretty much he told me, and has said that Gasthuys sees great potential in me. These are some great words to boost your confidence and motivate even more for the upcomign race.

With me having an italian dad and a belgian mother, this is of course also partly a home race for me. I've decided to ride for Belgium back then because I've been living there all my life but lately I am more of a globe trotter and a true cosmopolit. Training and racing all over the world. My father has been welcomed here in Siena with great fanfare! They have loved him back in his days, when he was Italy's CX answer to the belgian sportif cycling dominance on road and cyclo-cross. Unfortunately my father was never able to race a World Championships in his home country but seeing this now, he is extremely proud of his compatriots. But maybe he should tell you himself.

When you look back at a long career in the sport there are always some things you regret. That you didn't a win once or twice. Maybe a few times. That you havn't scored enough points back then. That you crashed early in the season and missed out on the World Cup overall win.

But there's one thing I always missed. And that was a home race.

Aosta Valley and some minor crosses have been around, I've done and I've won them but on a professional level, I was always more bound to the Benelux side of things and have rarely raced home in CX. There were the big races. In Italy, we always had some small ones. I've found some success in my career thankfully, but nevertheless, Superprestige and World Cup were always a local thing. This also was shown by the fact that Italy was denied a World Championships in the 80ies despite my great success.

Now being here in Siena, it's beautiful to see it and see such a lifelong wish come true. Italy is passionate about cycling and we are in love with the dirt and the mud and the tough terrain, we burn with passion for Cyclo-Cross. I have had some talks with UCI officials and told them over the years it'd be great to see it in Italy. I had unfortunately no influece on the decision or the organization, but pushed now and then when I came across one of the stoogies from the UCI at one of my kid's events. I'm proud of the race organization and the comittee and the people of this city to realize such a huge project. They have done an outstanding job at organizing it and it's wonderful to see a city on the field and enjoy the riders training days ahead of the event.

We have come along way since the 80ies when I was racing. Cyclo-Cross is a global sport now, and it's wonderful development. To think that my child Guido may ride Olympic Games on a cross bike. The Winter Olympics! Looking back, you have to feel blessed for such a advancement. How tough it can be shows the road circuit with its many scandals and doping lies.

I've been invited by the race organization to numerous events. This gave me a bit too less time to train with Guido but he is fine on his own. I'm very proud of my son, he has been developing not only as a rider but also a personality. It's always tough when you are the son of former athlete but he is making his own way and leaving his own first footsteps in the Cyclo-Cross world. I wish him all the best for upcoming event. He has fought and trained hard to make it here to this event. For a while I was thinking he'd be a great U23 world champion but he's right in his decision: Racing here amongst the 30 best riders is an honour. You know the saying of 'better to reign in hell than serve in heaven'? Well in Cyclo-Cross, you get dirty either way but only in the Elites the eyes of all the Belgian public are on you. Imagine my boy fighting with Mazzarelli, Vague and Cornelis for the places. He's come a long way.

This has been also the opinion of my former archrivals Vandewalle and Gasthuys. We had some laughs over a buffet dinner at a press event. We met and laughed about old times. Gasthuys still looks like he could compete with the best, Vandewalle has gained a few pounds, but life is treating us all well and it's nice to catch up. We often see each other from the distance at the races but rarely talk because we are all concerned with our stuff. To take time and talk about 7 times Gasthuys beat us to the line at the World Championships is nice but also bittersweet road down memory lane.

Since I've won the World Championships once, no Italian has managed that feat. I hope for Matteo Mazzarelli that he can break this streak of non-success and crown himself king here in his home country. He is a great skilled rider but needs to work on his finisher abilities. He can deliver punches throughout a race but lacks a bit the race killing-instinct. Something that Gasthuys always was known for. That killer attack that would leave the other guys hanging for air. Mostly me. Now there's some real hype surrounding Mazzarelli but I'm sure he keeps a cool head. We Italians are hot heads but we are cool and calcutaing within a race.

I've been invited by race comittee recently to give away the medals at the ceremony. I'm not sure if this okay with the UCI but I'd love to have this honour.

Well that’s the World Championships up next. Yay I guess! I’ve been looking forward to this since when it’s been announced some months ago, and apparently, all the pressure is on me. You know what? I don’t give a fuck. This doesn’t mean I don’t care about the race; this means that I don’t care about what happens if I don’t at least podium. Well it’s obvious I want to, but lately it looks like I must do that, otherwise I ain’t no good crosser. Really guys, I just want to enjoy my time there, that’s all. I want all the crowd cheering for me, I want them to go crazy for me, but I don’t want to be the sole focus of the race.

That said, I’m pretty happy about how the route looks like. I was actually hoping for some more hills in the second half but I like it! It doesn’t perfectly suit me for obvious reasons but I already know where I can make a difference, where I can try my luck for real, and where I can potentially lose the race. I also know who I should watch out for the most.

Better alone than in bad company they say: this never sounded so true to me! Look at the climate around the Brits and the Belgians: the tension there could be cut with a knife. Cook hates his teammates with a passion, whilst the hierarchies are not completely decided yet among Vague’s and Cornelis’ team as I understand it. This can only play against them, I’ve never been so happy about not having a teammate, although I’m a pretty cool lad and would never hold resentment over anyone – let alone Lorenzi for example.
Nonetheless, I still think Cookie and Cornelis should be the ones to worry about the most, even if the latter won’t be the designated leader of Belgium: it’s not like this is that much of a team-sport after all. Have I forgotten about Vague? No. I just don’t think he is mentally ready for it at this point of the season. It’s a big mistake the one that Belgium would do putting all the pressure on him. But yeah that’d be good for me so I’ll shut up for now.

Speaking about Fabrizio, we talked about the new UCI rules etc. and yep, you can see that the guy is not happy about what those morons have done. Rightfully so! Why changing such a tried and tested system to something that was bound to disappoint most of the insiders? He doesn’t have the chance to prove his talent too often sadly and this was going to be that red-circled event in his own calendar until four assholes decided that this isn’t okay anymore. Well I feel so sorry for him, this definitely penalizes genuine, perhaps not top-talented riders like Fabrizio.

On another note, I’m super happy to have heard the legend Raphael Visconti is wishing me the best of the luck. This doesn’t happen every day, and it will be a motivation boost for sure. You gotta know that I’ve got a cool uncle-nephew relationship with him, even though we don’t get to meet too often anymore. It was him that partly made me what I am now and yeah, he’s right about my sprint but he knows that I’m hopeless hehe. Thanks for the kind words though, caro vecchio.

Last but not least, I’d like to instantly express all my disappointment about Brailsfraud’s potential decision of stepping into cyclo-cross. He can do what the fuck he wants, but this sport doesn’t need nor deserve him. I read that I could be one of the guys he is targeting. Hahahahah. Why would I leave Mapei in first place? Why would I leave the people that genuinely trusted in me? Why would I leave a place where I know I’ll be warmly supported whatever I do? Well I don’t know really.
Oh and I also read Cook would be their #1 target but you know what? He’s not that stupid. Yeah he probably isn’t too happy about his team as it seems but would he be any happier in a test laboratory in disguise? Not of course, knowing him.

But anyway, this is all talk. It’s great to see that cyclo-cross has gained so much popularity in the last few years, aided by the globalization of the average peloton, but I wouldn’t want this to become one of those mainstream sports people pretty much hate because of their ignorance, just like cycling. These are just my 2 cents though.

Matt.

It's almost sunset on the last day before the World Championships elite. After attending the thrilling elite women's race Milan Listerijn is taken aside by a UCI PR man. Apparently it's time to complete his duty and attend a short press conference. After much discussion the young flandriennes Kiwi submits and heads to the tent.

Finally. There's been much direct media silence from the riders, only Vague and Cornelis, apparently foes, have directly fulfilled their duties. Many prefer the UCI-sponsored press feed and blogging, it's all publicity for the UCI, not the media now.

Listerijn sits down and rejects the coca-cola and beer offered, just sipping mineral water. The UCI man introduces the 19-year-old unnecessarily and leaves us to our own devices. The first questions come. How are you? How is the course? Listerijn answers well and honestly but his mind seems to be elsewhere. Focused completely on 3pm tomorrow, this boy is.

"Yes I would take an alliance with many people to achieve my goals, it's nesscesary on this parcours. Nobody has offered a hand while out training and that's expected, whatever will come, will come." he says evenly while discussing tactics cagily. It's no surprise he's got the same view as the whole peloton. You can't solo or work alone here, not for a while. The NES winner has been here the longest bar Dao and training quite a lot. How much of a feel for this course does he have?

"Yes I know it well, some corners and stuff like the back of my hand but some are tricky and must be met on the day. I've been preparing mentally and physically and modtly on my power, without being arrogant I think I have a natural explosiveness and that is my strength, but in this sport and this race you need both." Rumors abound but he declined comment, sticking to his story that he's "waiting to hear from another rider and their choice, but I expect to know only when they announce to you." Braislford? Listerijn raises his eyebrows ins surprise but no comment.

What others think of him? He's been mentioned a few times as a top 5 candidate but never by his rivals directly, does that bother him? "On the contrary, I love it. If I go under the radar, that's great, If I stay under radar in 24 hours, not so great [laughs] Tier Two favorite huh? Lot to live up to but I hope they are right!" He's right. In races similair such as Hagfors and Luxembourg he proved himself? "No not necessarily, different races different routes different circumstances. I've never raced a one-off race near the top whilst everyone else treated it so, it will be interesting!"

"Yes riders trash talk each other, Mazzarelli and Cook especially bringing the fight to Belgium. I'll be on their side in-race if not in the press." he says smiling playfully. Focused, mature, determined. This is Milan Listerijn as we haven't seen him and we can only watch him prepare so evenly, so well. Is it going to pay off? Tomorrow at this time, we will know.

I didn't qualify for the elite world's this year but. I still get to race U23, which is pretty cool. My goal for the race is a top ten, I think it's doable but the course doesn't 100% suit me! I like the second part but not the first, so who knows what can happen if. I play my cards right.

I'm going to pick Van Dyck for the win here, I think the course will come down to a sprint in our race and he is fast, but I'm not going to worry about that and I'll just race for my own positions, this upcoming off season I'm going to try to lose some weight/muscle and become a more complete rider, but until I do that I'm really not on the same level on the hills and can't contest races that aren't very flat, I guess it's part of improving.

As for the elite worlds, my pick has to go to Cook, he's in excellent form and it'll be hard to stop him getting away here, but he isn't too talented as a sprinter, so if they come as a group, he could lose and riding solo is tough on this course. Which might give Sylvain the edge as he can win reduced bunch sprints.

I've got to go get some rest for the race tomorrow.

Pierre.

Ferdi is in Italy now, Ferdi will win the world championshisp. Ferdi will wear the rainbow. Netherlands brought equipment for Ferdi and mechanics for Ferdi, a crew to rival Belgium for Ferdi. Ferdi knows Netherlands knows that Ferdi will win. Ferdi's manager told Ferdi that Netherlands already spent money. Ferdi thinks they are keeping the pressure off. Ferdi's manager said that Ferdi shouldn't be here, Ferdi was lucky. Ferdi told him that Ferdi was conserving energy this season, Ferdi will win the rainbow. Ferdi's manager ignored Ferdi. Ferdi will prove them wrong.

Ferdi like cross better than the track, Ferdi thinks he is better at cross, but they gave Ferdi lower numbers a the track. People say Ferdi was better at the track. Ferdi tells them they haven't seen Ferdi win. They say that's because Ferdi doesn't win. Ferdi tells them they don't believe in champions.

Ferdi thinks Ferdi will win the rainbow. Ferdi thinks UCI will unhappy. Ferdi thinks they will give the Britains the rainbow or the Belgiums, when it should be for Ferdi and the Netherlands. Ferdi has to go, Ferdi will practise winning.

Wow, how good was Luxembourg! So much pressure on the shoulders of Christian in his home country, in a clear target race, and the Coca-Cola trophy factor too, but he delivered a flawless race for a fantastic victory. A 3rd win of the season, and surely the most memorable. To do it in a direct battle against his main Coca-Cola rivals made it all the more special.

After such a high, a low would not be unexpected. But not so in Lviv, as a dogged performance secured a fine 2nd overall position in the Coca-Cola Trophy.

And now it's time for the World Championships, with many tipping Schiltz for a medal. The Belgians are a fearsome team, but if they can trip over each other then who knows what opportunity that might bring. The course is a good one.



The temperature may be rising, but that is having no difference on the form of Hafthor. Always a strong finisher to the season, the recent performances of 5th, 6th and 3rd are a great indicator ahead of the World Championships. Last year he took 7th after an unhelpful sandy buildup to the race, this year he is in a much stronger position.

Away from the ice, Eldfjallsson is used to running his own race with no thought to team dynamics, and this only plays in his advantage while others are mixing it up in an unknown environment and unsure over whether or not to work for or against their compatriots.



Team BAKARI are sending their full backing to Estifanos Mutahi and Adrian Van Niek in the World Championships to represent the African Continent in style and stick a big finger up at the UCI and their blatant attempts to kill off African cycling.

All results in the elite race will have to have a big asterisk by them to note that they were achieved without having to face Amadou Bakari, while the in-form Mustafa Moli has been denied a chance to ride the World Championships, despite a fantastic performance in Ostrava.

And to make matters worse, the UCI have then allowed some of the European pros to sign-up to the U23 race, even though they have raced in the Elite category all season. This is hardly fair for Van Niek and the rest of his Under 23 competitors, who have fought it out in the U23 World Cup all season long.

Go on Mutahi and Van Niek, do it for Africa!

Welcome in the astonishing countryside of Siena, Italy. Today, it's a beautiful day for a World Championship cross. The sun has come through and there isn't a cloud in sight. Since it hasn't rained in a few days here, the ground is quite dry. The wind is blowing quite hard, in the attackers' disadvantage. The final straight sections are all faced with a head-on wind, making is easier to control an attacking rider.


We're half an hour before the Elite men cross. Whoever will win this amazing jersey, it's anyone's guess. Cook looks so strong, but riding away solo is a difficult task. Mazzarelli has the home crowd and the high form, but his sprinting speed is notoriously bad. Vague is cyclo-cross' golden boy, but has not seen the top of the podium since 2015. His last few crosses were good, but he didn't look 100%. Lipawsky is always a dangerous client. Only wins a few crosses a years, but he knows how to pick them. Schiltz is still learning so much and has evolved into a strong rider. He took the Eurasian Championship. Listerijn lacks the power to be an absolute top rider, but he's still growing and one of these days he'll be right up there with them. Cornelis has raced over 500 crosses in his career and has the advantage of experience.

So many names, only one jersey.

Weather Conditions


Of course, we have already seen two races here this weekend. The World Championship weekend started yesterday, with the women's race.



After her first podium ever here, one year ago, Hansen was now one of the top favorites. Still only 20 years old, she decided to show herself today and escaped in lap 1, along with the Italian Pirlo and the Canadian Woods.

They were soon joined by defending champion Marlow, Vanek, Poirot and Sato. It soon became obvious it would go between those seven. Behind them, things slowed down.

Halfway the race, Marlow (22) showed her incredible strength by taking the long, gradual climb for her account. Only Sato managed to hang on - sort of. At the finish line, Sato caught up with Marlow and we had two leaders.

The two girls looked like each other's equals and neither of them was able to shake off the other, despite multiple attempts. Sato had to acknowledge Marlow's superiority in the sprint, though. The 22-year old from Poland takes her second consecutive World Title.

1	Ada Marlow	POLAND	48'33�
2	Kiyoko Sato	JAPAN	s.t.
3	Giulia Pirlo	ITALY	0:23
4	Stella Woods	CANADA	s.t.
5	Hayley Hansen	NORWAY	s.t.
6	Ljuba Vanek	CZECH REPUBLIC	s.t.
7	Jeanne Poirot	FRANCE	0:36
8	Christiane Dufort	FRANCE	0:51
9	Marie Vandamme	BELGIUM	0:58
10	Laura Severijns	THE NETHERLANDS	s.t.

Just a few hours ago, the U23 race finished. The Elite men always try to follow this race one way or another, as it shows them a little preview for what's to come. It wouldn't be the first time the Elite men's race was fairly consistent with the U23 race.

Van Dyck and Van Niek were the absolute favorites for the race, but they decided to play it tactically. Going full gas from the start is not an easy task here, and there is so much at stake, they didn't want to throw their cards on the table too soon.

We had to wait for an attack by Milan Vermeulen, in lap 3, for the race to start properly. Christianson, Van Niek, Van Dyck and Huser all went with him. In the U23 race, we saw just how tough it is to get away on the second part of the profile. The wind just blows you back instantly if you don't have the power.

But if you're strong enough, it might just be done... Pieter Van Dyck, who was so disappointed after being outsprinted by Soucek last year on the Cauberg for the title, didn't want to risk a five-men sprint and rode away on the same spot as Ada Marlow. Van Niek hung on the longest, but the climb, despite not being very steep, is hard, and it just keeps going. Van Dyck had a 4 second advantage at the top.

The only way you can stay ahead in the finale is if you're not being chased fully. And that's exactly what happened. The four chasers spend just a little too much time on looking at each other. Their chase came too late and Van Dyck rounded off an impresive solo with the rainbow stripes. This result might motivate some riders to try their chance today. It can be done, but it's not easy.

1	Pieter Van Dyck	THE NETHERLANDS	55'24�
2	Robin Huser	GERMANY	0:07
3	Adrian Van Niek	SOUTH AFRICA	s.t.
4	Peter Christianson	AUSTRALIA	s.t.
5	Milan Vermeulen	BELGIUM	s.t.
6	Thibaut Fumeaux	NEW ZEALAND	0:21
7	Amir Khan	INDIA	0:39
8	Farai Olujimi	NIGERIA	1:04
9	Pierre Lipawsky	SWITZERLAND	s.t.
10	Matt Payne	NEW ZEALAND	1:14

In five minutes, the Elite men will start their World Championship race. Unlike last year, Vague was one of the last riders to appear here at the start line. There's a lot of pressure on his shoulders but the young man knows there's still so many years ahead of him. And leading the World Cup and Superprestige also must put some of the pressure off.

Cook never looks worried. Many things have been written and said about him, but he is such an added value to the cross. What a character, both in and out of the field. You are for or against him, but you have to respect what he does in the race.

Start Line: Two top favorites for today, but how many times do the top favorites actually win? Exactly. Matt Mazzarelli is on the front line, talking to Eldfjallsson. Two very dangerous clients, and both capable of riding away mid-race and not be seen again. But on this terrain, they must avoid going too early, the wind is unforgiving.

Listerijn is back on second row. After an absence of a few crosses, Baris Dao did make it back after his injury. Apparently his shoulder isn't 100% and he said in a pre-race interview he's just happy to be here and doesn't expect to race for the win. Instead, he'd like to build up form again and try to be there for the final classic weekend of the season. Ending the season with a good feeling is very different from ending the season in an injury or with bad results. After Dunkirk, there's a long seven months before the first cross of the new season.

This weather is perfect for the riders who don't run too good. If it had rained, part of the profile would have had to be run, but now they'll be able to stay on their bikes for most of the race.

It looks like we're about ready to start. Papers and sites were filled with previews and talk about this race, and now it's finally arrived. The crowd roars as cross-legend Pieter Gasthuys moves to the start line. 20 years after his seventh and last World Title, he has the honor of giving the start shot. Later, the 'Big Three' will all make an appearance on the podium. Gasthuys, Vandewalle and Visconti all together on a podium again. As if the riders didn't have enough motivation already to get on that top step, today!

We have one more minute before the race starts. So let's quickly give you the big three's prognosis, before we go live to the commentary box.

Gasthuys sees Cook being too strong today, with Cornelis and Vague on the podium, too.
Vandewalle things Vague will pull through today, with Mazzarelli and Cook second and third.
Visconti hopes for Mazzarelli to win, with his son and Vague next to him on the podium.

Lap 1: The crowd goes completely silent. What an atmosphere. Everyone is ready. We see banners of Mazzarelli, Vague, Lipawsky, even of Bakari. Gasthuys pulls the trigger and we're off! The riders are accompanied by a deafening noise, made by the many fans here. There are an estimated 15.000 fans here, a huge number!

Eldfjallsson takes his trademark fast start, but Vague is off very fast, too. They ride side by side and fight for who gets to turn right first. Vague doesn't risk it and lets Eldfjallsson dive in first. We now see all the riders pass here. Cook, Lipawsky, Mazzarelli, Listerijn, all a good start. Here's Gormley. Etxeberdea, Markson, Bauer. And only here is Cornelis. A bad start by the Belgian.

This part of the profile is brutal. It goes slightly downhill but the underground doesn't make for a smooth ride. Patches of grass and dirt everywhere. But Eldfjallsson is powering away and the pace is pretty high. He knows that if you can get away with a group, much can happen. On a course like this, it's hard to make up for a bad start. Because the best riders will be at the front, and you can't chase alone in the second part of the profile.

And now things turn technical. We see Mazzarelli move up a place. Most of the 30 riders are still together. Though we already see visible gaps further down the field. Vague now takes the lead over the wooden bridge. Eldfjallsson moves in second position.

We see Mutahi coming into the top 10 of the race. Visconti is moving up, too. One early conclusion is that the Belgians have completely missed their start, though. Besides Vague in first position, we have Visconti in about 14th position. Cornelis, Welling, Verboven and Van Fleming are all caught behind.

Of the favorites, Vague is the only one to jump the tree trunk. It does give him an advantage here. Mazzarelli attempts to jump but can't get high enough! He's lucky not to be down on the ground.

And here it is. The decisive factor on both the women and the U23 race. It's not steep at all, and on camera you can "hardly" see it, but it's a long, gradual section and the ground is so very unforgiving. It kills you slowly, and it seems to last forever. And now Cook decides to test his legs. Not an attack, but the pace goes up. And this is a beautiful camera shot. Look at all these riders, most out of the saddle. All struggling, almost the entire peloton. Things will start splitting up here.

Cook gets to the top first. Here we see Mazzarelli, Schiltz, Listerijn, Markson, Lipawsky, Vague, Mutahi, Eldfjallsson. A small gap, then we have Gormley, Etxeberdea, Visconti, Welling.

We get back on the white, Tuscan, road. Cook looks behind him to see what damage he has inflicted. He pretty much tore the peloton up all by himself. Mazzarelli eagerly takes the lead, now. It's not nice to say, but I think Vague is sort of relieved Cornelis is nowhere near at the moment. He can ride his cross, now.

This climb is less demanding, but oh so steep. The riders build up speed and then try to get to the top... Mazzarelli makes it, as does Cook. But Listerijn hits Cook's back wheel and has to set foot on the ground, and now blocks the riders behind him.

And so, Cook and Mazzarelli are off alone. Interesting development. Both look hesitant, though. It is still very early to go full gas. It could be suicide.

Neither wants to commit to his attack and so the chasers make up ground, lead by Vague.

Lap 2: And we'll have 8 laps today. Seeing as this lap was over 8 minutes, we might be in for a race over 68 minutes. So it was probably a good choice by Cook and Mazzarelli not to take the opportunity to go with the two of them with still an hour left to race.

It's early but Arda Akdeniz abandons. He must've had a fall or something off-camera. We have 29 riders left in the race.

Here's the situation: we have 9 leaders, followed by duo's and trio's. This might just mean Cornelis missed his shot. He crossed the finish line more than half a minute behind the race leaders.

And now there's some hesitation. Of the nine leaders, none are too happy to take the lead. And so we have an attack! Estifanos Mutahi decides to attack! He must think he will be dropped when the big boys go their chance and he wants to anticipate. Ah and he gets Eldfjallsson with him!

Neither risks jumping this tree trunk. And we also see Mazzarelli take another attempt but fail. He won't try it again, now. Last lap, we saw Vague, Goldenberg and Soucek jump it.

Mutahi and Eldfjallsson build up a lead of about 10 seconds, not too bad. But there's still a long way to go.

Eddie Goldenberg and Michael Bollinger have left Cornelis behind. If that's true, the old lion is not having a good day and that means he won't win today.

Lap 3: Our two leaders have 14 seconds. And now the chasers have decided it's enough. The gap remains about status quo.

We have a rider of Kenya and one of Iceland at the front of the World Championships. Cyclo-cross has really become a global sport, and we love it.

COOK ATTACKS! Oh what an acceleration! He decided to go on the long, gradual climb. Vague reacts immediately and you can see him go deep to keep up with the Brit.

Cook has thrown a bomb in the chasing group, the riders all are struggling on the long climb. The two leaders see their hap melt away!

Back on the white roads and we have Cook and Vague together. They're catching up on Mutahi and Eldfjallsson. Four leaders.

Behind them, we see the damage Cook has inflicted. The remaining five, Markson, Lipawsky, Schiltz, Mazzarelli, Listerijn, are now back together and decide to chase. Well, all besides Markson. When Listerijn asks him to relay, he shakes his head.

We hear Carlisle has gone down! He's out of the race. 28 riders left. And Cook is now officially alone, as if he wasn't already.

The four leaders have found each other and they have a nice gap back to the five chasers. Behind that, there's quite a gap. It's about those nine today.

Lap 4: And now Mazzarelli attacks out of the chasing group! It's not going fast enough and he doesn't like Cook and Vague up ahead. Schiltz follows him. The others want to, but are at their limit at the moment. Mazzarelli uses this technical section to attack, smart of him.

Vague and Cook are riding at a high pace. Mutahi drops off the pace and lets go. Three leaders.

And now, Lipawsky and Listerijn form the second chasing group. Markson refuses to do any work, to Listerijn's clear annoyance.

Cook always takes the lead on this long, fake-flat, climb. This is a perfect climb for him to develop his power and put the rest to the test. Eldfjallsson cracks! And so, at this 67th World Championships, we have Elliot Cook and Francis N. Vague at the front. Cook has impressed the most so far, but Vague is still here, and that's what matters.

Mazzarelli is the man in form and he has a perfect partner in Schiltz. The two pass Mutahi and actually decrease the gap to the head of the race.

They now pick up Eldfjallsson and it's two against three on the flat section of the race.

Vague relays but not 100%. Same for Cook. They are confident enough in their abilities and are not worried about other riders returning. That's playing a dangerous game.

And so, on the finish line, we have a regroup!

Lap 5: Let's hit chrono, exactly halfway the race!

Vague, Mazzarelli, Schiltz, Cook, Eldfjallsson.
Listerijn, Lipawsky, Markson, Mutahi: 18 seconds.
Gormley, Visconti: 39 seconds.
Welling, Etxeberdea: 46 seconds.
Bollinger, Faizullah, Goldenberg: 1 minute 8 seconds.
Cornelis: 1 minute 26 seconds.

Big time differences here, but that's to be expected. We can safely say it's between the first two groups. However, the chasing group will need to catch up soon or they'll end up caught behind for the rest of the race. 18 seconds is a lot, but not impossible to bridge, but they need to move fast!

But it's Schiltz who attacks at the front! Apparently the halfway point of the race is the perfect moment to start attacking for real! Cook reacts from the saddle. Vague catches up, Mazzarelli follows.

Eldfjallsson has to go deep but catches up, too.

And now it's Vague who attacks! It looks like he's pulling through and growing stronger lap by lap. It's not a full-out attack, though, and things stay together. Eldfjallsson is suffering.

Oh and now Eldfjallsson misjudges a U-turn and gets stuck with his pedal! He leaves a gap. And that's cracked him mentally, the gap grows immediately. So unfortunate for the rider from Iceland!

Lipawsky and Listerijn continue to do most of the work, with Markson having taken one turn only. The American is riding a strange race. Is he not good enough, does he hope to be brought back to the front and sprint for the win? Who knows. All we know is that Listerijn and Lipawsky don't appreciate it.

Lap 6: Vague has a flat tire! Look at his wheel, completely flat. But he keeps riding, he has to. He's wasting energy, though, he can hardly keep up with his group, now.

Luckily here is the technical zone and Vague changes his bike. He hangs off the back of the group, now, probably taking a rest for a moment.

And now, Cook attacks! He wants to win, he always does! A formidable attack it is. Mazzarelli and Schiltz are left in his dust. Vague doesn't even try to follow this time.

We hear Dao has left the race. Apparently he's disappointed to abandon his first World Championship but he's happy with his ride and he's happy to be in the saddle again. Nice to see him back in the field, but a tough race to make your comeback after an injury.

Schiltz, Mazzarelli and Vague keep their heads cool and relay together. Cook has got 9 second lead.

Lap 7: The second part of the profile wasn't too kind on Cook. He now has 4 seconds left. The three chasers have to go deep to bring him back, though. And now Cook gets back in the terrain he likes more. The rolling part of the profile.

Listerijn wants to shake off Lipawsky and Markson, but the two hang on! The cooperation seems lost in this chasing group. And now Markson goes off! And he's clear, a nice timing, too!

Vague jumps the tree trunk. Mazzarelli doesn't attempt it anymore. It's harder than it looks.

Cook still has 4 seconds. A small lead, but it's Cook. You need to completely close the gap or else he's gone again.

The crowd goes wild as Mazzarelli heads up the steep climb first, followed by Vague and Schiltz.

And now Cook is up to an impossible task. We're one lap and a half from the finish. Cook is 5 seconds ahead and now has the long, straight, head-on wind, section coming up.

Cook is going fast, though. He picks up Soucek, who gets doubled and has to leave the race, now.

Vague, Schiltz and Mazzarelli don't hesitate a second, though. They all take turns and diminish the gap to Cook. On the finish line, it's 3 seconds.

Lap 8: Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding! Last lap!

Elliot Cook is leading the World Championship race after multiple impressive attacks. But has he underestimated the competition? Or the length of the race? we're now at an hour of racing with still a full lap to go. Will 3 seconds be enough?

And now Mazzarelli decides to go for it. He attacks! He hopes to bridge the gap and then go for it. Vague and Schiltz leave a small gap. One meter, two meters...

Mazzarelli has caught Cook! Vague jumps the tree trunk and is also back at the front! A small moment of hesitation is enough for Schiltz to reconnect with the front, too.

And so, ladies and gentlemen, we have four leaders again. What a situation in this final lap! We can already conclude nobody is dominant today. These four are the strongest, without a doubt, but only one can win the jersey!

Behind them, Markson is free of Lipawsky and Listerijn.

The four leaders are playing poker, now. Nobody wants to take the others to the finish line. Least of all Mazzarelli, though, and so he attacks on the long climb! Cook has wasted a lot of energy in his attack and tries to follow. Schiltz and Vague are quick to react. Mazzarelli keeps going. For him, it's all or nothing, now. He can't take them to a sprint!

But at the top, Vague overtakes him. A mental blow! He looks behind. Schiltz and Cook are hanging on, too. This was Mazzarelli's best chance, but he just lacked the power to shake them off.

Vague goes first on the steep climb. Schiltz, Cook, Mazzarelli, they all reach the top without having to dismount.

And so we enter the second part of the route. There are no major climbs or obstacles left. Four leaders, half a lap left. Four candidates for the win.

Cook attacks! Again! In a mad final attempt, we wants to shake off his competitors! The wind is in his disadvantage, but he's got a gap. And now, Schiltz bluffs. Mazzarelli, too. What a dangerous move! It's up to Vague, now!

Vague waits. But Cook's getting away!

Over the bridge, Cook's got a small lead over the three others, now lead by Vague. And Vague now goes 200%! He flies over the bridge and it looks like he is possessed, now. He's making a major sprint of it. Schiltz follows. Mazzarelli digs down deep in Schiltz' wheel.

Cook looks so dead. He's used so much energy this race. But there is the finish line! Just 100 meters left.

Vague is sprinting from very far out. A desperate final attempt not to lose the World Championships. Schiltz and Mazzarelli nearby.

70 meters left. Cook looks behind him. He gets out of the saddle to give it all he has. But he's out of energy!

40 meters left and Cook gets passed! Vague is still going strong, but there's still 40 meters left.

Schiltz now makes his move! Mazzarelli wants to, but doesn't have the speed to surpass Schiltz or Vague. The crowd is going crazy, but it looks like there won't be a miracle for the Italians today!

Schiltz gets next to Vague but now has his nose in the wind fully, too. A thrilling sprint between the two BKCP leaders. Schiltz or Vague, Vague or Schiltz?

Oooooh! Ten centimeters! The difference is only ten centimeters, but it's enough!

It's enough!

Francis N. Vague is our new World Champion, after an impressive sprint from very far out! Schiltz did his best but came short 10 centimeters to become the new World Champion. Matt Mazzarelli puts Italy on the podium, but no victory. It always would've been hard for him to win here, though.

And Cook is fourth. He opted for an aggressive approach today, as always. It was a big risk and it almost paid off. Hat off to him, but no medal to show for it. Arguably the strongest rider throughout the cross, but you can't always cash that in.

Markson is fifth, a great performance and hopeful for the United States.

Listerijn outsprints Lipawsky for place 6. Both were strong today, but this result proves they are still subtop. The best of the subtop, but subtop.

And the revelation of the day: Estifanos Mutahi hung on to an 8th place. Congratulations!

Eldfjallsson took a big mental blow and lost a minute and a half in the end. 9th place for him. A strong start, perhaps a bit too strong. It was a long race.

And a sprint for place 10. Gormley or Visconti?
It's Guido Visconti!

Well, we have a new World Champion. And nobody will dispute the fact that he has earned it. Perhaps not the most strong rider today, but like Gasthuys once said: "What makes a true Champion? Well, if you can still win even on an off-day. Winning on good days is easy if you're the best. The real trick is to do it when you're not the strongest that day."

And that's what Vague did today. His last 200 meters are for the history books. Was Cook stronger? Perhaps. But Vague was the fastest and managed his energy the best.

We've seen an amazing race here in Siena. Thanks for being with us. See you next week for the Superprestige weekend! Will the new World Champion already take his first victory in this jersey next week? See you in Ansbach!

1	Francis N. Vague	BELGIUM	68'24�
2	Christian Schiltz	LUXEMBOURG	s.t.
3	Matt Mazzarelli	ITALY	0:01
4	Elliot Cook	GREAT BRITAIN	0:03
5	Fred Markson	UNITED STATES	0:27
6	Milan Listerijn	NEW ZEALAND	0:35
7	Sylvain Lipawsky	SWITZERLAND	s.t.
8	Estifanos Mutahi	KENYA	1:11
9	Hafthor Eldfjallsson	ICELAND	1:27
10	Guido Visconti	BELGIUM	1:42
11	Shay Gormley	IRELAND	s.t.
12	Iban Etxeberdea	SPAIN	2:01
13	Sven Welling	BELGIUM	s.t.
14	Tariq Faizullah	AFGHANISTAN	2:25
15	Michael Bollinger	AUSTRALIA	2:31
16	Eddie Goldenberg	UNITED STATES	s.t.
17	Dries Cornelis	BELGIUM	2:56
18	Lachy Bauer	NEW ZEALAND	3:04
19	Naveed Alinejad	IRAN	3:09
20	Gregory Bernard	LUXEMBOURG	s.t.
21	Karol Konva	CZECH REPUBLIC	3:22
22	Rik Van Fleming	BELGIUM	3:37
23	Ferdi Kloet	THE NETHERLANDS	3:52
24	Mikel Hammarling	SWEDEN	4:05
25	Max Power	UNITED STATES	4:22
26	Rudy Verboven	BELGIUM	4:56

Despite losing a top 5 place in the last lap, Milan Listerijn fights to the line, sprinting as hard as Vague did just for the prestige of it.

Milan, tell us. Are you pleased, are you disappointed?
I'm both, to be honest. Um, obviously to do as well as I did on not my kind of course was good and me and Lipawsky were never going to catch the front four. I'm just disappointed in the lack of ambition by Markson, maybe we were a lost cause but we didn't know that for certain, he attacked away after doing no work, and took the top five spot. I think it's a ashame as I feel Lipwasky and I deserved to duke it out for the fifth spot and especially knowing despite Markson's sprint I could have won the top five spot, is hard to swallow.

You say you couldn't catch the front four. Why not go with them?
Look, I tried. Almost every attack I attempted to follow and some I did, I just couldn't get the power to stick with them.

Vague won, would you say he deserved that?
Oh absolutely, he's one of the hardest workers in the sport despite maybe being overconfident in his abilities sometimes. He's worked for this and I'm not sure how he won it but I'll watch the highlights when I get back. He's come a long way from that boy who knew he was special because he could demolish the junior field, now he's the best in the elites. Chapeau.

What about yourself? Do you have dreams of taking the rainbow jersey here?
Everyone does, and I'd be lying if I said otherwise. Maybe not next year or the year after, but one day I want to be fighting at the top there. I need to improve my power though. It's something I'll work on over the NZ winter, maybe get into rowing as a pastime.

And your near future in CX?
Yeah obviously now after Worlds I'll be more active in the hunt for a contract, I've had another talk with the team where I'll most likely end up, it seems sorted. On the racing side, I'll finish the Superprestige then take a break until Dunkerque, I'm racing for the win there.

The golden boy is right there where he always wanted to be. He crowded himself World Champion in the last centimeters in the most dramatic finish imaginable; putting in all on the table, ready to go out without a medal but the chance of becoming the youngest Cyclo-Cross World Champion to date.

It's understandable that Vague has collapsed in the arms of his mother after 68 crucial minutes of racing that took all of him. Sure the flat tire and Cook's constant attacks did not help, but the final 15 minutes of the race were exhiliarting as well as exhausting.

As the Belgium hymn fades out on the podium and leaves a tearful boy with a fulfille dream behind, the many belgian fans applaud and raise their banners and cowbells in celebration of its new heir to the Belgium's Cyclo-Cross dynasty. It's only fitting that Vague received the golden medal from his life-long idol Gasthuys.


Francis, an easy question: Gasthuys didn't bet on you. What did you say to him on the podium?
He actually said that he was very happy he was wrong about it. To be fair, he almost would have been right, except that no one phantomed that Cornelis would be so far down early on. And I replied to him, uh... what did I say? I think I said something like: 1 down, 6 to go [laughs]

It's a big task you have ahead of you then. Let us know how it was in the past hours. There was a lot of pressure on your shoulders.
When you race for Belgium in this sport, there's always pressure. Especially on this level. In the end, it suited me that Cornelis made a statement of wanting to win; he has still lots of support and is one of the greatest riders this sport has ever seen. It allowed me to keep a calm head, but also because my results wern't that convincing lately that I would have been called lone top favourite. In fact, I believe my legs were way better in Valkenburg last season but this time I had the luck to come back when I did. Cook's attacks were a true force and hard to contain. I was lucky that I had the flat tire close to the technical zone. I was just thinking, ride through with this and don't let anybody notice it.. It worked out somehow. I've learned a lot in this race, I feel like I've burnt out a myriad of light matches and the last one could set up a fire.

The race was really tough, and it lasted longer than usual. Did this matter a lot?
I don't know.. As soon as I knew that the race was going to be a lap longer, I've wanted to conserve some energy. Guys like Cook and Mazzarelli were so eager and instead wanted to make the race tough, which is understanable when you have your best form possible, but also lack the sprinting legs for a finish against someone like, uh well me.. Schiltz and I were thus good at hanging on. It may be surprising but when I've been in the last lap, to me it was a simple race against guys I've been racing for a year now, or even longer. Sure there was the thought of the rainbow jersey and the many fans at the sideline, but the focus of the race just allowed me to push it all a little aside and just holding the thought of crossing the line first. It's a moment of zen and clarity really. But yes, I was fairly exhausting crossing the line.

Schiltz and you are trade mates and you both made a final dash in the last hundred meters.
I congratulate Christian sincerely, he has done a fantastic race. When I decided to go after Cook with all I got I knew that I could lose it all but I was also hoping that I had conserved more energy than others and that I was able to fend them off from the back. It's a classic rookie mistake, to start your sprint too soon. But you have sometimes no other option than go out with a bang. I did this. Christian was in my wheel and would have almost beat me to the line.. Maybe 10 meters more and he'd be in rainbow jersey now. BKCP designers surely don't have it easy at our quarters: First Eurasian champion shirt and now the World Champion shirt to design. But I'm sure they enjoy doing it.

The race action never stopped. How did you know when the right moves happened?
It was really a race of selection and elimination from the get-go. You had to be always upfront. This is not unusual for Cyclo-Cross, it's full-gas for an hour and everybody is giving its all. But this time you also the factor of a strong wind, which made it almost impossible to get back to a group. This race of elimination effectively meant that we as a group couldn't just stop the pace of course in fear of others coming back, but also for me it was stale as we had to catch Cook together. It sounds awful but the best tactic was to keep one, two guys around and be upfront always. I knew that if I wanted to win I wasn't allowed to waste energy.

Some words on your other competition surely are in favor.
Well.. Cook did exactly what everybody thought he'd do and I think he made the World Championships a very entertaining event to watch, same goes for Hafthor and others. But Cook was really outstanding and treated the climbs like he was devouring them. Cookie Monster, eh? But you can't ust have guys attacking, you also need some to hang on. Schiltz and I were this time around like that. This was my role this time, I knew the course and how to treat it that I could win. If I had the legs to outrace Cook here today I would have done so.. I look forward to more attacking ground at Oude Kwaremont.

Indeed the Superprestige is close to being wrapped up. Can you believe it that you could now win the Cyclo-Cross triple of World Championships, Superprestige and World Cup. Even better maybe claimining those two titles in the rainbow jersey?
Yeah, I would have taken that deal at the start of the season, but who wouldn't? [smiles] It's really a huge relief after the past few weeks where my lead has decreased in both competitions to a portion of its former size. I'm hopeful to keep in both competitions the lead, this boosts my confidence and motivation a WHOLE lot. Oude Kwaremont and the Ardennes Cross in particular will be amazing experiences for me in front of my home crowd, and I promise my form will be right there to take it home.

This sounds all like a fairytale. Does this motivate you also for the next season or is it a hint that other, maybe bigger things lie at the road for you?
No, no... right now I am so happy at Cyclo-Cross. This sport is taking an amazing direction and it's shaping up so beautifully, I want to be part of it. The road does not allure me right now, I will do some races like the event at Strade Bianche and some Belgium races of course but I can't imagine going full roadie as of yet or any time soon.

Also, can I just say that this victory is for my grandmother who is watching hopefully from the television in the hospital. Can't wait to embrace you and put that trophy on your chimney!

Blue Bell CX

We will begin by congratulating Fred "Radio" Markson on finishing 5th in the World Championships. The 19 year old has had an up and down season but his talent is undeniable and that was proven on Sunday. He rode a tactically clever race and topped it with real strength.

On the back of that we will confirm that Markson has re-signed with Blue Bell CX for next season. He'll be taking another shot at the NES but beyond that we don't know his plans, far too early to decide such things.

In addition we've re-signed Max "TDF" Power. With two seasons under his belt now, the Texan is taking steps forwards and we have belief he can challenge for a win or two next season. As well as being big for out marketing.

Finally there is Eddie "Goldie" Goldenberg. He's well on his way to being a big international star. This season he has taken his talent and shown it to everyone. The big result is still missing but he's come close to winning the NES and is still aiming for the World Cup podium. He hasn't yet put pen to paper but we are confident he will.

It's time for one of the most beautiful weekends on the season: the finishing Superprestige weekend. For decades now, the Superprestige is decided in a thrilling two-day final, with Ansbach and the Kwaremont Cross on the schedule. The Superprestige looks in favor of fresh World Champion Vague, but does he have the legs to defend his lead?

Coming out of the World Championships, many riders will have had to wash down disappointment, others will have been celebrating. With these two important days in succession, is everyone ready?

It looks like the weather will bring us rain, and lots of it, making the cobbles even tougher to master.

Race Information


Route Information

Expected Weather Conditions


Superprestige


Most Recent Winner: Shay Gormley

Naturally when you turned on your TV or your radio in Belgium this week, Francis N. Vague was likely going to be mentioned at some point. After his performance in Siena and the close season finale in both SP and World Cup, the hype in Belgium is nearing some borderline-fanatic obsession.

However, whilst radio show comedians and sport journalists enjoyed their talk of Vague , the new World Champion is limited his appearances to only three hand-selected programs, two including Sporza and one national TV. BKCP management was keen on shielding him off and keeping him focus, to give him the chance to acutally complete the triple.

Now in Ansbach, Vague is looking fit and determined as ever. The 20 year old lad is by far too professional to get his head in the clouds too much, although he admitted that he celebrated a bit on the night to monday, but that he was also too exhausted to stay up longer than 2 AM. The next morning a newspaper showed Vague leaving the rented sporsbar by belgian national team under the arm of Sven Welling, however this was not because of alcohol, but rather the fatigue.

It's safe to say that this Superprestige Weekend will probably see some little celebration too, if Vague manages to seal the deal for good. The cards are in his favour. Both Ansbach Cross and Oude Kwaremont saw close matches between Cook and him. At Oude Kwaremont he will be extra motivated but before he can write himself into its history books, the challenge of the pavé in Germany is awaiting. Vague is aspiring to top his last year performance and sees the increased technicality through rain as a bonus to his skills.

Dries Cornelis announces retirement
Following the extremely disappointing World Championship for Dries Cornelis, he has confirmed his retirement at the end of the season. 'At the beginning of the season I told myself I'd retire if I wouldn't become World Champion. It may sound as a shock for you, but my retirement was planned. After winning Ostrava I felt very ready for the race, but at the day of the race my legs didn't help. The outcome was very disappointing. I will of course still finish the season, and hopefully picking up the World Cup at the end. It's far from unlikely I can achieve that.'

Of course, Dries has decided to stay connected with the sport. 'I will stay with Lotto-Fidea, trying to be of added value for the extremely large amount of talent our team currently has. If Francis Vague joins the team, that would be a dream for me. I hope I can still be of help for them, even though Francis might already have passed me in terms of quality by quite a margin. Furthermore, I will remain an ambassador for the sport. Of course, getting the sport to the Olympics are part of my priority, but what I also want to do is make the sport accessible and visible for everyone on the planet. A step in globalization has been taken already, but we could use quite a few more steps.'

On a possible return, Dries did not have much to say. 'Who knows? When I feel like it I might always give it a try. What's the worst that can happen?'