When you have a company like Coca-Cola sponsoring a whole classification, you can be sure there's some serious bang for the buck involved. Not only is the prize money hightly noteworthy, but the whole surrounding event-factor stands out. The day before the big opening race of the Trophy, Coca-Cola and the race organization have invited tons of families and fans to enjoy the event the way possible. This is considered the big kick-off for New Zealand, who have several riders in the elite class and are certainly aiming for even more races for the future.
For the Tekapocross the race organizationa and Coca-Cola have organized a line-up that can be at best described as a little festival. Some local bands play their tune, a ferris wheel gives you a look of the Tekapo Lake. Families can enjoy the track or some of the many entertainmant stands.
Sure, cyclo-cross purists will be distuged by this sight. They care about the bike, the race and beer. Here, you get softdrinks, autograph sessions and giant mascots running around. Pandas all over the place, Daniel Martin what have ye done?
The real highlight are the many personal press conferences, the people can visit though and ask questions to their riders. Some of the riders have been invited, some havn't. Some were forced to come, like Francis N. Vague.
Francis, Francis... how fast can you go uphill?
That really depends on the slope, kid. Maybe we race against each other one day and you'll find out.
Francis, Francis... when did you start cycling?
Pretty early on, under the age of 10 but older than 6.
Francis, Francis... do you want to marry a female cyclist? Who one do you think is pretty?
Female cyclists are very attractive but I'm too young to think of marriage yet. I havn't the right woman either yet.
Francis, Francis...
There were a ton of children questions. They enjoyed riding their bikes, showed off their New Zealand National Jersey. Joy For Everybody, except maybe some of the riders.
Thankfully, there were some real journalists present too.
Your opinion on the race?
It will be carnage. My legs are really eager, I can't wait to ride the race. We had two off days now. Today, this tuesday, was easily enough to get to know the parcour and it definitely suits me.
You had a fantastic start when it comes to classifications, but in one-day classics not so much till now?
That's true. I won Blaarmeesen and came 3rd in Melbourne. 1st and 3rd in two classifications, that's not too bad for now. I don't think about the Coca-Cola Trophy yet. What I think about is how I can win tomorrow.
In terms of classics, yes - it's true. I havn't been all too good at them till now, although I finished two times quite respectably. Honestly, they wern't always in my favour. I'm sure other classics may play more to my strengths.
When you think about Blaarmeesen, where's the difference?
Blaarmeesen was a tough race but it was cyclo-cross at its core. Tekapocross is maybe the new era of cyclo-cross, a bit of a guideline and pattern. It features single characterics and brings them to a high, high level. It's extreme in its own aspects but it does not include so many traditional parts. It lacks the technicality we have come used too. So, a guy like Verboven may really have a big shot for tomorrow.
You mentioned Verboven: He has won recently the U23 race in Gieten; the one you won last year. Some thoughts on that?
Congratulations to him. I caught a summary on VIER. An entertaining race. Of course I know many of those names still from the Junior and U23 ranks like Schiltz, Visconti and Nazarov. They are stunning guys, I'm sure one or the other will get his break-through this season, similiar to me. If not this season, then next. Only a question of time. Me personally I'm glad to be riding in the elite level full stop by now. I couldn't imagine going back to the U23 competitions, at least not now. Maybe when I get my mouth stuffed by Cornelis one more time [laughs]
The race features multiple short hills and of course the Coca-Cola hill. Do you think it's legitimate to reduce this race to its up and down structure?
At the first look, yes. It's where the action will happen and where the gaps appear. It's a true hilly classic. It's hard to imagine the downhill or the tough, trail surface to have signifcant effect, except for maybe one or two crashes. I've expierenced the wind gusts in my training rides; when you know what to expect you can anticipate it very well. Maybe it's even possible for some surprising action later on.
Who will you be paying special attention to?
Well, I think it's many of the same names who will look to win tomorrow. Add to that guys like Verboven and you have a solid line-up of riders. Cook was extremely strong in Blaarmeesen and he looks to be in perfect shape for this race. On top of that, he has definitely the motivation to go full out, seeing as how he came close several times to winning a race but still lacks the top spot so far.
Carlisle has missed Melbourne so he might be fresher than most of us. Cornelis had a perfect weekend - yet again. So, he's surely here to win. I'm not sure about Lipawsky, maybe he has kept himself back on purporse lately but on a normal day, he can definitely score his first win too.
Special thoughts on this race?
Yeah, it's something different alright. We race in the evening, that's always great. I expect some stunning scenery. With the many hills, some refreshment in the technical zone is really a good idea by the UCI. But the most special thing is the uphill finish. I love that kind of finish.
So, are you here for the win or for the time to win overall?
I want to win the race like any other, that's my primary goal. I cant' think about a classification before it has even officially begun.
Edited by Shonak on 29-12-2014 21:04
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
It was tough, but everyone will have a course that doesn't suit them, this was mine but thanks to the team, I could limit my losses and I still came 10th. I'm definitely in contention for the world cup. What about Tekapo? Any surprises with not being a favourite?
Yeah, I guess it was touch and go for wether or not I was considered one. I'll still race like I am though.
So you think you can win?
You never really know until the day I guess, but hopefully.
ok, Sylvain À bientôt
À bientôt
5th. 5th! I came 5th in Melbourne! I'm so happy, maybe this means I can win the continental champs, which hopefully will be warm and sandy. I was up there following all the big moves, until eventually I couldn't hang onto Cornelis.
For this next race, Tekapo, I'm not really sure. The race doesn't really suit me. But it isn't too bad. The hill will be decisive though and I don't think I have that in me. So I guess we'll support Arda, maybe Munoz.
Since I last spoke I had come out of the Saturday Classic event half-hearted with my mind set on the World Cup race. Eventually I had to finish for 14th in Melbourne, although that's 12 point on the board and my World Cup campaign underway. I set myself a target of a top 10 but it seems I had underestimated the sand sections and was able to really get going throughout the circuit.
Soon I will be racing the Tekapocross in New Zealand. It will kick start the Coca-Cola Trophy and sees all four competitions kicked off and the season well and truly underway. It's not a technical circuit but one dominated by hills, this is one for powerhouses and the road riders that like going up hill. I'm hoping to ride steady and cling onto the front riders for as long as possible. My pick for the race is Rudy Verboven if he can stay on his bike tomorrow. I'm aiming for a top 10 finish again, why not? You've got to aim high! For now I will be enjoying this mini festival they here tonight where I will be chatting with other riders, journalists and fans.
We're gathered here for the start of the Coca-Cola Trophy. It's a brand new competition, replacing the Bpost Bank Trofee for a far more international competition. The circus around it already proves they want a larger-than-life approach of this trophy. The biggest purse of all three competitions, I'm sure this makes for an attractive cup for both young and old. So let's get this race going!
Weather Conditions
Temperature: 19° C
Precipitation: Dry
Wind: 3 Beaufort
Start Line: Lots of happy faces at the start line today. A lot of kids and families here, too, which is nice to see. Coca-Cola made a real event of this race, we see mobile restaurants, a playground for the children. Name it, it's here. Including 62 official UCI riders.
After missing the Sunday race, Carlisle will be fit and keen on a nice race here. While the details of his non-start are still a bit blurry, it's not a serious illness or injury, he was looking very strong on the warm-up this afternoon.
But there are only two favorites today. After an exciting duel in the Blaarmeersen, I think we can expect the same two names to duel for the victory on a likewise route here at Tekapo Lake. Elliot Cook and Francis N. Vague may differ 6 years, they are both newcomers on the professional scene. Cook, obviously a late-bloomer and Vague a massive talent. Let's see who of them is the strongest today. This is their profile, their time to shine, but they won't share it.
Lap 1: An original start shot by Coca-Cola, with a bottle-cap blowing off a huge Coca-Cola bottle. Everything for the show, I guess. Some riders aren't really aware that this is the start shot, we see Ketso Tembi looking around while everyone else has started. Poor guy, he's completely lost here.
Bohdan Honchar has been pretty invisible so far this season, but on a profile as this, he can finally hope to do something today. He's taken the best start of the bunch. Vague and Cook are eager, as expected. Tane Tahawira with a very fast start. One of the natives racing here, he'll be looking for an early attack.
And so he does. On the first little climb, Tahawira is off! Behind him we have the Lipawsky brothers, Cook, Cornelis and Smith, so they won't step up to the pace just yet. Tahawira is going solo for a suicide attack. Although the Coca-Cola intermediate sprint after 3 laps offers a nice financial bonus for whoever crosses first! No time bonuses in this trophy, but lots of extra's to be earned if you want to race for it.
The heat is making an impact, Timi Kokkonen is just dying already, sweating like crazy. Is this on the limit, I think so. These crosses should be raced in the morning, as the Australian crosses.
Tahawira with a 6 second lead now. It's hill after hill after hill here. It hasn't rained in weeks here, so the ground is hard. Without the grass, this could easily be a road race. Luckily we have some screwed up patches of dirt alongside the river, leading up the the finish.
And a bummer for Sylvain Lipawsky. Flat tire and it's a long way to the technical zone. More than 1 km, this will cost a lot of energy...
(...)
Lap 2: Tahawira crosses the line first. He's got around 8 seconds on the first group. The Coca-Cola Hill has split up the peloton. As we expected, the candidates for the victory are already at the front. This is not a route where you come out of the shadows in the final lap.
We'll have 7 laps today, long laps here, long laps of a little over 8 minutes. Following Tahawira closely are Akdeniz, Verboven, Vague, Cook, Cornelis, Van Drenthe, Bernard, Carlisle, Bauer and Mazzarelli. Schiltz and Hira are not far behind of them.
Tahawira is already starting to hurt and the ten chasers almost have him already. He won't write a long story here today, that's for sure.
Bakari is already fed up with all the uphills and downhills and decides to leave his bike at the finish line, he steps away from the route, over for him.
Sylvain Lipawsky crosses the finish line almost 2 minutes behind the leader. This is a dramatic start for him in the Coca-Cola Trophy. He's looking demoralized, surrounded by his team mates who are working hard to bring him back.
We're approaching the Coca-Cola Hill. It's already plainly obvious that this will decide the race. There are another two minor hills after this one, but you can make the real difference here. Cornelis with some race initiative, and Tahawira is caught! Mazzarelli catches up with Cornelis. They're off with the two of them.
The downhill is not very technical, but extremely fast.
Mazzarelli crosses the finish line first. This is what the boy can do without alcohol in his body. Nice to have him back. An early time measure:
And I'm afraid the rest is riding for a distant place. Big differences early on, this is about what we expected. In other races, you might hang on even if you're not as strong, but uphill, all rules are off. You get to the top or you don't, there's no cheating gravity.
Mazzarelli can't follow Cornelis going downhill. Mazzarelli, not a bad descender himself, really has to sprint to catch up every time they've descended. Cornelis has finally kicked-off his season, right on time.
Mazzarelli takes a fall! Oh what a bad moment, Cornelis is gone now. Tough break for the young Italian. He jumps back on his bike, but his pedal is broken. He will have to run to the technical zone to get a new bike. He'll lose a minute here. Game over.
More abandoning as Blazej Dobransky can't manage anymore. Probably the heat. But the fact is, this is his second abandon in two races. For a man who always finishes, this is a confirmation of what we already feared: this is his year too many.
Cornelis is losing his pace. He's not looking too good now. I'm afraid he's gone too early. In this warm weather, that can be deadly for a race as this. Oh dear, he's really slacking now, this is sad.
Lap 4: Already over halfway now. Tiredness can be read on everybody's faces. The situation is changing constantly at the front. Here's the current situation:
Arda Akdeniz, James Carlisle, Elliot Cook, Francis N. Vague, Lachy Bauer.
Nicky Van Drenthe, Dries Cornelis: 37 seconds.
Gregory Bernard, Rudy Verboven: 56 seconds.
Matt Mazzarelli: 1 minute 11 seconds.
And let's see where the rest is...
Josiah Bennett, Nic Hashir, Craig Hepptern and Jack Smith clock in at nearly 2 minutes already.
Lipawsky is 2 minutes and a half behind. His classification is in danger, but he's working hard to limit the damage.
Cook is keeping the pace very high on the Coca-Cola Hill here. Nobody is cracking as yet, though!
Rudy Verboven with an attack now! He wants to move forward. A bit late to fight for the victory, but it seems he's adapted to the warm weather, finally. We're seeing a real strange cross here. Coca-Cola wants their spectacle, but I'm not sure I'm all for it, this way.
Frederick Muller abandons after breaking his chain on the Coca-Cola Hill. Too bad as he was having a decent day and was riding for the top 15 here.
Lap 5: The race continues. We see Vague and Cook coming more to the front more often. I think they're about ready to start the real battle. They've been laying low so far.
On one of the shorter, but steeper hills, Vague places an attack! Cook takes his wheel instantly! They're off.
Carlisle with an amazing downhill and we have three leaders. Bauer and Akdeniz seem to have cracked now, this pace is too high for them.
We're approaching the Coca-Cola Hill. Will we see an attack here?
Almost at the top, Carlisle is setting the pace, now. We're getting the message that Akdeniz is already half a minute behind. That went fast. Hope he can recover a bit for the finale.
Rudy Verboven has found Cornelis and Van Drenthe and they're upping the pace again. They're about 53 seconds behind. What a race, what a race!
Lap 6: Two laps left now. The three leaders are definitely the strongest in the race today. They're leading over Bauer with 19 seconds. Vague attacks! Cook saw it coming and has no difficulty holding the wheel. Carlisle follows closely.
And Vague again, this time on the downhill! What a daring move! He's off alone now.
Between two hills, Cook and Carlisle manage to bring him back together, though. They're pretty much equal here. Will we see a sprint for the victory after all?
Meanwhile, Shay Gormley is suffering a lot. Already 3 minutes 40 seconds behind, he can kiss this competition good bye.
Lap 7: We're going into the final lap. This is the situation.
And here it is. The final climb of the Coca-Cola Hill. Will it be enough to separate these three leaders? We expected a duel between Cook and Vague. Carlisle being here is a nice bonus, but shouldn't be so surprising. Cook launches his offensive! Vague counters his attack! Carlisle is following every move, but is keeping himself in the background. Cook and Vague have no eye for him. Cook attacks again, and this is one hell of an attack!
Vague has troubles bridging the gap, but it looks like he's doing it! Carlisle is dying on his bike, but he won't let Vague go. They reach the top. Cook is a few seconds ahead of Vague and Carlisle.
Two more hills. With a perfect downhill, Vague and Carlisle reconnected to the front of the race. They're keeping their pedals still now. Cook and Vague look each other in the eye, riding side by side.
Carlisle isn't going to let this happen, he attacks on the right! Cook sees it happening and looks at Vague. Vague is looking at Cook, this is fantastic. Boys, there is someone riding away, the victory isn't in each other's faces, it's in front of you!
Vague finally steps down on his pedals, but it might be too late. Carlisle has taken 10 seconds. Or rather, has been given 10 seconds.
We're approaching the final straight line. Carlisle turns the corner, he can't believe it himself. He takes a stylish bow and raises his arms. Don't take it too, easy, James, it's a time classification! But he can't help himself. A first victory in the professional ranks. Well done!
Vague and Cook sprint for place 2. And it's Cook who takes it. The promised duel turned out to be a battle for place 2, who would've expected it.
Nearly half a minute later, we see Bauer cross the line. He must be happy about his race today. The crowd is cheering him on loudly!
Further down the field, we spot more Coca-Cola Trophy favorites. Cornelis will finish on nearly a minute, Mazzarelli will take more than a minute, while Sylvain Lipawsky loses more than 2 minutes today. What a battle!
Full Result
1
James Carlisle
58'16"
2
Elliot Cook
0:07
3
Francis N. Vague
s.t.
4
Lachy Bauer
0:28
5
Arda Akdeniz
0:37
6
Rudy Verboven
1:00
7
Nicky Van Drenthe
s.t.
8
Dries Cornelis
s.t.
9
Gregory Bernard
1:04
10
Matt Mazzarelli
1:26
11
Craig Hepptern
2:12
12
Jack Smith
s.t.
13
Josiah Bennett
s.t.
14
Nic Hashir
2:19
15
Sylvain Lipawsky
2:29
16
Andrew McLaughlin
s.t.
17
Alfonso Munoz
s.t.
18
Lue Khamse Khamphan
3:12
19
Christian Schiltz
3:19
20
Pierre Lavigne
s.t.
21
Ronnie Hira
s.t.
22
Philipp Smart
3:42
23
Marcus Flinch
4:01
24
Matt Claveren
s.t.
25
Shay Gormley
4:13
26
Timi Kokkonen
4:36
27
Tane Tahawira
4:51
28
Bohdan Honchar
s.t.
29
Robert Wells
s.t.
30
Pierre Lipawsky
s.t.
31
Mohuti Sow
5:02
32
Milan Vermeulen
5:16
33
Vladimir Stoyevski
5:38
34
Ketso Tembi
6:01
35
Ewan Wilson
s.t.
36
Jannik Stolz
s.t.
37
Abdullah Saboor
s.t.
38
Lars Van Hennep
s.t.
39
Thijs Van Lookeren
s.t.
40
Michael Bollinger
s.t.
41
Ali Acord
6:12
42
Rik Van Fleming
6:21
43
Hafthor Eldfjallsson
6:31
Coca-Cola Trophy
1
James Carlisle
58'16"
2
Elliot Cook
0:07
3
Francis N. Vague
s.t.
4
Lachy Bauer
0:28
5
Arda Akdeniz
0:37
6
Rudy Verboven
1:00
7
Nicky Van Drenthe
s.t.
8
Dries Cornelis
s.t.
9
Gregory Bernard
1:04
10
Matt Mazzarelli
1:26
11
Craig Hepptern
2:12
12
Jack Smith
s.t.
13
Josiah Bennett
s.t.
14
Nic Hashir
2:19
15
Sylvain Lipawsky
2:29
16
Andrew McLaughlin
s.t.
17
Alfonso Munoz
s.t.
18
Lue Khamse Khamphan
3:12
19
Christian Schiltz
3:19
20
Pierre Lavigne
s.t.
21
Ronnie Hira
s.t.
22
Philipp Smart
3:42
23
Marcus Flinch
4:01
24
Matt Claveren
s.t.
25
Shay Gormley
4:13
26
Timi Kokkonen
4:36
27
Tane Tahawira
4:51
28
Bohdan Honchar
s.t.
29
Robert Wells
s.t.
30
Pierre Lipawsky
s.t.
31
Mohuti Sow
5:00
32
Milan Vermeulen
s.t.
33
Vladimir Stoyevski
s.t.
34
Ketso Tembi
s.t.
35
Ewan Wilson
s.t.
36
Jannik Stolz
s.t.
37
Abdullah Saboor
s.t.
38
Lars Van Hennep
s.t.
39
Thijs Van Lookeren
s.t.
40
Michael Bollinger
s.t.
41
Ali Acord
s.t.
42
Rik Van Fleming
s.t.
43
Hafthor Eldfjallsson
s.t.
Don't forget that every rider finishing over 5 minutes or DNF/DNS will be put back 5 minutes in the classification.
Edited by Ian Butler on 02-01-2015 12:32
You look disappointed, don't you? Well, no, well, well, hmm, uhm, well, to be hoooooneeeesst, yes, a lot. Looks like I overrated my actual shape, but I have to say that today I really started to dream about a win, or at least a podium, but that fuckin' fall made all my ambitions fade out and nonetheless I managed not to lose faith in myself, but hey ho, still Coca-Cola trophy is like the Giro d'Italia, messing up a stage, or, in this case, a race is enough. Though, 1 minute is not that much and I can still manage to gain some minutes in the next race, especially I'm totally looking forward to that cross in Aosta, the only major race that is going to be ran in Italy, but I already plan to be in 100% shape for the next race 'till the end of November, after that the really cold days are going to kick off. But it doesn't mean that I'm not going to aim to anything, not at all, I'll fight 'till the end.
Is there something we can save of this race? Sure, I haven't lost a sprint *laughs* And still, I finished 10th, that's still a spot in the olympus of the cyclocross.
And what about yesterday's festival? Haha, good memories. I was one of the most popular riders, I can remember that there were a lot of kids, and all of them were asking for an autograph, how could have I said no to even one of them? And yeah, there only was Coca-Cola, so I haven't ran the risk of getting drunk, than goodness, phewwww *smiles*
Thank you Matt, as always good luck for all the upcoming races! Thanks, see you
Hey guys, it's Lachy here.
I can't believe what we just accomplished as a team today. Tane's solo, Ronnie 's helping me and Josiah and his gutsy performance towards the end. J put in a phenomenal performance to help me and come 13th. And I am absolutely over the moon in 4th when nobody thought we would do anything apart from attacking early on. I must thank the fans, We all do. Throughout the race, from Tane's attack to me, and Josiah sticking in there, and Ronnie grinding it out. You even gave the A*ssie a huge one, just cause he's with us. Just joking Michael, you were amazing! I am simply so proud of all of us.
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant." [ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
Not really happy that wheelsucker won to be honest - I'll shake Jimmy's hand and caps off I didn't think he had it in him to follow my wheel. But i guess I concerned myself too much with Franny Vague and not really enough about Jimmy. He found a kick from somewhere and took the win. I think something is a bit fishy as he didn't race in Melbourne for some reason yet here he was fresh as a daisy. I don't think it was his fault per se I just think regulators need to look at these guys taking days off.
Coca-cola trophy is about time and I felt the tactic here was to try and put time in to the guys who are suspect on climbs. As I suspected Grandad didn't like much about todays race - this guy though is still strong as a bloody ox - when I finished I expected him to be back with the knackers but there he was finishing like a minute down. I think me and Franny are going to have to take time in this bugger where we can. Still a lot of other guys have now got a major time defecit Smithy for example is way way down now - so job done there.
Onto Franny Vague - as I say the guy seems to have me marked out. I hope we don't cancel each other out - I was borderline letting him go at one point and forcing that lazy bastard Jimmy Carlisle to do a bit more work but as I said this Coca Cola classification calls for time gains so it was wise to keep working today. I do think i general we need to think about letting each other have a hit out. When I crosses the last Coca Cola hill with a gap I saw it was Franny pulling me back and it was vice versa at other times. Some other wheelsucking tosser gets the win - sorta feels unfair.
I was a bit surprised we didn't see some other names doing something today - I guess me and Franny are the best bike riders here in cross. The others I guess will look to use dirty tactics such as running and jumping when the time comes.
I am still feeling very good about things - this is the second race where if things had gone my way I could have won. I look at the leaderboards of all competitions and there I am sitting quite nice. The Cookie monster goes stateside next - I think conditions will remain mild and this is how I like it. Eager to see the courses out there I think they may be more technical, so going to need to get working on that.
In a big tent Francis N. Vague takes seat at the table for the obligatory interview. Naturally, Coca-Cola bottles are right in front of him in this red tent. It's basically a normal interview, but it's just that little bit bigger. Talk about Formula 1 if you want to imagine. Francis doesn't look like he really belongs here but he plays along like a good little boy. He is fresh looking, took a shower already. On the podium, Francis looked anxious, almost pissed off. The way he shook Cook's hand was in a respecting, appreciating manner whilst the short handshake with Carlisle looked more to be a clap. Probably simply the disappointment to not have won.
So, where you racing for the win today or racing to beat Cook?
Stupid question. Any blind fuck sees that racing for the win means racing to beat Cook - especially on a course like today. What else should a rider try and do than to drop this guy. If I had dropped him significantly and kept him at bay, I'd been clear. It's unfortunate that Carlisle was hanging in there too, doing his best Simon Gerrans impression. Shit, Rik Van Fleming himself is probably proud of him. But well, congratulations to him I guess.
You sound disappointed?!
Yeah, this sounds horrible but I wanted to win today. This is a new competition and now Carlisle is its first winner. This would have been the stuff for history books [sighs loudly] 3rd place is alright I guess. At least, Cook and I pushed each other to the maximum effort and thus gaining shit ton of time onto other riders, first and foremost Cornelis. The Cookie Monster has been an extraordinary opponent once again. His attack on the Coca-Cola climb in the last lap was the stuff of legends.
What could have been your winning move?
I'm not sure that depended on me. If Cook had decided to immediatley react on Carlisle, I could have followed Cook and profit from his slipstream, you know. And it would have probably been the same winning move for Cook. We were focused on each other and surely, we are to blame for that. But we are talking about a few seconds in a race that lasts an hour. We have each put in huge turns in the last few laps, placed multiple attacks. Sometimes, it's not enough. [seems to drift away with his thoughts] But well, to conclude: I hope Carlisle won't get such a win another time. He'll be marked better in the future.
Metaphorically speaking, you have kept a cool head today, though?
The race was off to a very fast start. I guess some guys wern't used to the real efforts of multiple hilly laps again after the last flat courses... For example, it's good to see that Cornelis is still human - or should I say, he's human again? Probably some guys wanted to show off their muscles, their approach to racing was futile to be honest. Others have shown some great wits like Van Drenthe. He got his Top 10, I'm sure there'll be a lot more still to see of him this year.
Overall, how do you think the opening was, how was the start to the new Coca-Cola Trophy?
I have to give you two answers: As a race, it was a real battle. Uncommon weather conditions that we havn't been used to lately too much. A immense parcour, who was asking for enormous sacrifices and willpower. It was quite a spectale and I think the sponsor and the race organization are happy with the coverage they got. On the other point, there's the whole event-type of thing. They got a freaking Ferris Wheel here. For me as a Belgian who only knows a beer tent with some drunk music on the sideslines, this is even more uncommon than the weather here at this time of the year [laughs] But it works, it's fun to be here. Seeing as Lachy Bauer finished 4th for the New Zealand crowd, I'm sure they are already excited for next year.
1st, 3rd, 3rd - you rank amongst the top three in each classification. How will you fair with this situation as a youngster?
That's worth nothing at this point, especially if I fall apart in the USA next week. The races there don't suit me best but maybe that's alright. This way, maybe I can shift the pressure to perform to other riders despite my high position in the classificaiton. I'm happy with my season opening, but it's only been October. What's important is what comes next in November and December and what happens in 2015.
Any preferable competition after those 3 races?
I only think in races I like and I love racing, so... that should be your answer, I guess?
Next up is America, have you already thought about those races?
No - when should I have had time to do that? When I stepped out of the shower?! [laughs] I will have a long flight to the states, plenty of time to think about what my strategy will be then. I guess I have to think in a 3-race pattern rather than jump from event to event next week. But I'll have to recover first a bit.
Edited by Shonak on 30-12-2014 20:04
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
Rik Van Fleming denies what Vague declared in his last interview, that Rik Van Fleming would be proud of Carlisle's ride:
"James Carlisle showed actually too much initiative by attacking late on. I can not be proud of such a sneaky move. This was too risky, too much action! I'd be only proud of him if he outsprinted those two goons (Vague, Cook) on the finish line, just to rub it under their nose. It's the best way to win!"
Asked about the upcoming races in the States, Van Fleming muses happily about his chances. "I can definitely see myself taking a win or podium there." Of course, he's probably the only one who does.
Blazej Dobransky has been clearly upset and points fingers at everybody but himself for his 4th abandonment in his career. There seems to go an almost flawless record. Die-hard fans of the czech CX dinosaur already worry about him, some suggest he should quit before his legend is ruined. But quitting - that's no word for Dobransky. Maybe even, pulling through till the bitter end, will be his greatest race finished?
But back to the present: When journalists asked him if he is really too old for racing by now, Dobransky shook his head: "No, no, no! You know what the problem was? Coca-Cola, yes Coca-Cola. They gave me lots to drink and made my belly hurt! I thought this was supposed to be Zero Sugar?! But my belly hurt so much, argh argh.. when I climbed I thought I had so much power but it disappeared and I feel really sick now. Please, please warn the children... damn you free coca-cola drinks!!"
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
After the Tekapocross in New Zealand we could finally reach the World Champion again. Dries Cornelis is walking around with mixed feelings. 'That perfect weekend has been extremely good for the morale, and gave me a lot of confidence. However, I somehow just cracked yesterday.'
He was very clear about the cause of his failure. 'There's no turning around overconfidence. This may, correction, will not happen again. Later on the races will be more technical and even better to me and I expect to shine there.'
The world champion is already a minute down in the Coca Cola Trophy. 'Of course, a minute is a hell of a lot time to make up again. However, nothing is impossible. Once I find the legs from this weekend again I don't think it'll be easy to stop me.'
The week of rest seemed to be liked by Dries. 'I'm glad we get a week of rest before we start crossing again. I'll take a plane to the United States soon and acclimatize a bit there before getting ready for the next few races.'
Naveed Alinejad is having a quiet first year at the pros. 'I can't say I didn't expect this. At my age it's very hard to shine already, especially if you have a living legend leading your team. Results don't matter to me for now, I now try to get experience.'
The consequence of that is a bit of a lack of results. 'As said, I don't mind. I don't have any specific goals for results this season. I'll try to shine in the continental championship though, where a top-5 of Asians should hardly be impossible.'
A relatively experienced Belgian has been riding around for years without results, but this season he's growing. His name is Lars Lejeune. 'Before, I would never have expected to even ride top-20s. Right now, I'm even approaching the top-10 at some rare occasions. I'm starting to surprise even myself with this.'
Whether there is growing potential Lars didn't know yet. 'That's hard to predict at my age. I feel like I've already made some big steps this season, but the next step, top-10s is even more difficult to make. I hope my team can support me in that, but hopefully it should also be possible at own force.'
Central Park, New York City. Several volunteers are setting up fences, tents, a crossover bridge. Most people passing by don't even seem to notice it, but some stop and look at one of the numerous posters on the trees. They scratch at the top of their heads. "Cyclo-cross?"
After a week's rest, the riders are checked into fancy hotels for the second Superprestige race of the season. At the start of the season, the Superprestige called this race 'the ultimate new race of the new dawn of cyclo-cross'. While this might be a strong statement, it's true in a way. With Central Park organising the cross, we've been further than we've ever been. The sport is growing, that's for sure.
Tomorrow, Francis N. Vague defends his Superprestige lead against riders like Cook, Cornelis, Carlisle and others on the muddy underground in Central Park. It's hard to pick a favorite, the profile isn't hilly, nor are there cobblestones. There is a bit of sand and you need some bike handling, but other than that, it could go either way. With enough rain, the ground could turn into a mud festival, and then the stronger riders will come to the front. If not, it'll be a fast race full of turning and sprinting.
Race Information
Country: United States of America
City/Place: Central Park, New York
Classification: Superprestige
Starting Time (Elite Men): 13h30
Favorites: Dries Cornelis, James Carlisle, Shay Gormley, Pierre Lipawsky, Michael Bollinger, Kimi Hakinnen, Jack Smith, Thijs Van Lookeren.
Record: New
Race History: Central Park will host its first cyclo-cross event. At 12h, there is the women race. At 13h30, the men start to compete in the Superprestige classification. If the race is a success, cyclo-cross may return here on a yearly basis.
Route Information
Technical: 3
Sand: 2
Uphill: 0
Cobblestones: 0
Limited space makes for a very twisty, turny profile. Lots of bends make for a difficult race to move up a lot. Miss your start and you might never see the front of the race again. The underground is relatively soft, and with enough rain it can turn into mud and dirt. With even more rain, it might be wiser to leave your race at the finish line and run the course.
There is one bridge, so the climbing has been reduced to a minimum. The riders have to ride through sand on three occassions. In two of those sections, the sand actually runs quite deeply.
Overall, we'll see a nervous race. A very small profile with constant turns, there is no place where you make a fast pace. Time trialists will curse this profile, while strong and technical riders might see their chance. But foremost, with the current weather predictions, the runners will be very happy. It might just be possible that about 1/4th of the entire profile has to be run. Cyclo-cross? It might just turn into cross country running with a bike on your back.
Expected Weather Conditions
Temperature: 11° C
Precipitation: Rain, Heavy.
Wind: 0 Beaufort
This awful season continues for Hafthor Eldfjallsson, with the heat proving just too much to bear down in Australia and New Zealand. Winter can't come fast enough with a current average finishing position of 35th - 39th if you take out the one promising performance in Hertford.
Hafthor was quite critical of the Coca-Cola Trophy organisers. They may be new to organising Cyclo-Cross, but organising a race at such a time, to have to force riders to handle with such heat, was quite unacceptable!
Disappointment after disappointment, when will it end? Hopefully at some point this season, but if not, there is always the great hope of the Alpe d'Huez race next season. Guaranteed ice races, now why didn't anybody thing of that before? And taking place in a town with great links to cycling, it sounds like the best route design in the history of Cyclo-Cross!
Although the Melbourne World Cup was his weakest race of the season, Schiltz can leave Oceania somewhat content Top 20 finish in Tekapocross, the first race in his targeted Coca-Cola series.
It should have been much better, riding in 11th place early on. The plan was always to limit time damage but with the extra heat, and perhaps trying to race too hard, Schiltz slipped away.
While 19th is good on paper, conceding such a big gap to 17th and above is quite a blow. Consistency can hopefully see him rise the standings, but already that is looking like quite a tough ask.
He came, he saw, he failed to finish. The free coke was nice though!
That Prick
He stole my girlfriend then he came to here with her to make me more depressed.I could have killed him there.But the others stopped me.A horrible man.He shouted to me then,then I said'Fuck off'then we fought.And the girl was on his side of course.Then I went away.
We were finally able to interview Arda Akdeniz thanks to Francis Vague as well.
Now the chat between Francis and Arda after the horrible day of Blaarmeersen
What happened,Arda?
That guy came here,the stealer Oh shit.Did you fight?
Yes Crap.
Yeah. Let's find the guy,and give him his lesson
Yeah.
When we came here there was a note which in it he was saying Haha stupids
We then went away
The user formerly known as 'The Schleck Fan' Gracias Alberto.
The rain that has been pouring down these last few days has finally stopped. However, the terrain is just soaked. The underground is as soft as can be, there are pools of water everywhere. If you fall down in one of them today, you're soaking wet and extremely cold.
There aren't as many people as we might've expected, which is a shame, but those who are here seem excited. They're eager to see this first Central Park race unfold. So let's not keep them waiting.
Weather Conditions
Temperature: 10° C
Precipitation: Dry
Wind: 0 Beaufort
Start Line: As the route is today, we'll see a strange race. A slow start means the end of your race, today. There is no coming back on these narrow lines. Those at the front line look ready to sprint their guts out in the dirt, to get to the front.
We finally see Max Power again. He's not 100% but he wouldn't disappoint the crowd. Starting on the 5th line, he hasn't a chance of doing anything noteworthy today here, though.
Lap 1: We're off! The crowd cheers loudly. As expected, it is a blitz start. Due to the tough terrain, though, the pace isn't so high. It's hard to move at all through this thick mud, but they're doing it!
Eldfjallsson is known for his explosiveness and he proves this once again today. First in the corner. Rik Van Fleming with a good start in second. We haven't seen him a lot this season, but here he is.
The leader in the Superprestige, winner of the race in the Blaarmeersen, Francis Vague, turns the field in third position. He'll be looking to defend his lead here.
The riders are having a tough time in this mud.
(...)
Bakari has gone down, after Vladimir Stoyevski bumped his rear wheel. He's soaking wet and can't continue.
Other riders are in difficulties, too. This is a real tough terrain. You have to push the pedals so hard and even then the pace is low, very low.
Lap 2: We'll have 12 laps today. So far there hasn't been a lot of action.
Lap 3: Finally we're starting to see some differences. Tariq Faizullag, Shay Gormley, Dries Cornelis, Sylvain Lipawsky, James Carlisle, Mohuti Sow, Sven Van Vliet, Rik Van Fleming, Sven Welling, Elliot Cook, Michael Bollinger, Francis Vague, Matt Mazzarelli, Timi Kokkonen and Hafthor Eldfjallsson are the strongest today. There is a gap behind them, a gap which won't be bridged anymore today, I reckon.
Ronnie Hira has taken a dramatic start and in this terrain, there is no way back for him. Too bad, he looks in good shape.
Lap 4: Sven Welling has been caught with a flat tire and is gone from the head of the race. Vague won't be able to count on his team mate to defend his Superprestige lead now.
Lap 5: The race unfolds without any important events. This is not the most exciting cross of the season, unfortunately.
And finally, an attack! Cornelis tries to get away! But he slips and hits the ground, gone is the opportunity.
Lap 6: Van Fleming is having a real off day, after his good start. He's already dropped to a 19th place.
Lap 7: Over halfway now. The crowd is getting rather bored. If it weren't for the occasional slip-up, they'd have already left.
Lap 8: And finally, the action begins. On this tough terrain, they waited long enough but now Sylvain Lipawsky is making is a move. Gormley, Faizullag, Cornelis and Carlisle follow. Vague chases with his eye on the point at the finish.
Timi Kokkonen has some really impressive running sections. And it's not unimportant, since 1/4th of the route is to be run.
Lap 9: With only 3 more laps, here are some differences.
Sylvain Lipawsky, Dries Cornelis, Tariq Faizullah, Shay Gormley.
Francis Vague, James Carlisle: 10 seconds.
Timi Kokkonen, Matt Mazzarelli, Michael Bollinger, Hafthor Eldfjallsson, Mohuti Sow: 16 seconds.
Elliot Cook, Jack Smith: 29 seconds.
Artem Sakalau: 32 seconds.
Ronnie Hira: 36 seconds.
Hira is riding around impressively, coming back in this route is not easy, but he's doing it!
And now Cornelis attacks! Faizullah, where the hell did he come from? He counters eaasily. Lipawsky follows, too. Gormley is suffering now, having a tough moment!
Lap 10: Three leaders now. It remains status quo.
Lap 11: Just two more laps and it starts to rain. Ali Acord abandons, this rain was the last straw for him. Carlisle would definitely be at the front if it weren't for all the running, too bad for him.
Meanwhile, Cook is dropping back a bit, too. This is not his terrain, not at all. This is good news for Vague.
200 meters before the finish line, Lipawsky places an attack! Nobody can follow him.
Lap 12: Lipawsky already has 5 seconds on Cornelis and Faizullah. The final lap, now!
We focus our action on Vague, who is trying to save his classification. Gormley and Carlisle are eager to jump on his band wagon.
This race is already almost over, it's flown by.
Sylvain Lipawsky takes his first of the season. Cornelis has to be content with a 2nd place and Faizullah puts himself on the map here today with his first podium!
Vague will remain leader as he finishes 5th. Or will Lipawsky come even?
I guess we must say this cross was not the biggest success, unfortunately. The crowd was only mediocre, the terrain was more about placement then real crossing. Should this be part of the Superprestige? We don't know.
Full Result
1
Sylvain Lipawsky
60'42"
2
Dries Cornelis
0:12
3
Tariq Faizullah
s.t.
4
Shay Gormley
0:15
5
Francis N. Vague
s.t.
6
James Carlisle
s.t.
7
Michael Bollinger
0:19
8
Matt Mazzarelli
s.t.
9
Hafthor Eldfjallsson
s.t.
10
Timi Kokkonen
s.t.
11
Mohuti Sow
s.t.
12
Ronnie Hira
0:32
13
Jack Smith
s.t.
14
Elliot Cook
0:34
15
Artem Sakalau
s.t.
16
Andrew McLaughlin
0:44
17
Sven Van Vliet
s.t.
18
Thijs Van Lookeren
s.t.
19
Jannik Stolz
0:51
20
Matt Claveren
s.t.
21
Ewan Wilson
0:57
22
Nic Hashir
1:04
23
Arda Akdeniz
s.t.
24
Sven Welling
s.t.
25
Philipp Smart
1:21
26
Craig Hepptern
1:33
27
Lars Van Hennep
s.t.
28
Gregory Bernard
1:47
29
Rik Van Fleming
2:05
30
Blazej Dobransky
2:15
31
Nathan Starc
s.t.
32
Bohdan Honchar
2:41
33
Lachy Bauer
s.t.
34
Josiah Bennett
s.t.
35
Bert Vos
3:12
36
Nicky Van Drenthe
3:14
37
Lue Khamse Khamphan
3:42
38
Mikel Hammarling
s.t.
39
Lars Lejeune
3:49
40
Alexey Tesler
s.t.
41
Robert Wells
s.t.
42
Mustafa Moli
4:01
43
William Burbank
4:11
44
Marcus Flinch
s.t.
And let's see what that's done to the Superprestige!
Superprestige
1
Francis N. Vague
26
2
Sylvain Lipawsky
25
3
James Carlisle
23
4
Matt Mazzarelli
20
5
Dries Cornelis
18
6
Elliot Cook
16
7
Shay Gormley
14
8
Tariq Faizullah
13
9
Nic Hashir
11
10
Jack Smith
10
11
Michael Bollinger
9
12
Craig Hepptern
9
13
Lachy Bauer
8
14
Hafthor Eldfjallsson
7
15
Timi Kokkonen
6
16
Frederick Muller
6
17
Mohuti Sow
5
18
Alfonso Munoz
5
19
Ronnie Hira
4
20
Josiah Bennett
3
21
Artem Sakalau
1
22
Arda Akdeniz
1
Vague keeps his lead after a good showing today. Anything can happen still, with 8 manches left in this trophy. See you in Seattle, for the second race in the Coca-Cola Trophy!
Mud all in his face, all over the jersey. Naturally, Vague disappeared for a while until he showed up cleaned up to answer the journalists' questions for the debut race at Central Park.
So, Francis the most important thing: You are still in the lead after the race?
Yeah, and still a point lead. All the same, really. It's been one hell of a muddy affair but I kept working and keeping myself at the front. This was vital. I kept telling myself: Don't lose ground, don't give in. Maybe if it hadn't been such a thin parcour with deep, deep mud I would have finished lower. The running and rain were an advantage.
After some misfortunte lately, Lipawsky has really risen to new heights today. Any comment on his performance?
Very good race by him I guess. I tried to keep an eye out for him, Mazzarelli and some other guys who were close in the classification and I'd aimed to follow them. Unfortunately I wasn't able to respond, he certainly made a come back. Surely he was riding with some anger after his unfortunate race Tekapocross.
What did you think of the race in general. It's new and people seem to have been somewhat disappointing?
It's racing. It's not an entertainment or soap opera. You don't tune in TV and can expect us riders to perform miracles. I agree that the course has been maybe a bit too much of a barriacde at times. But it awarded aggressive riding right from the start and such races are needed too. It was still a great idea to race at such a prestigious location like the Central Park. Americans are a different audience than we Europeans but there are some lovers of the sport too nonetheless and people cheered. Maybe New York is just not the best city for Cyclo-Cross? The city that never sleeps probably rides very little as well.
With two more races this week of course the question is: What comes next?
I've thought about my racing schedule a lot this week. Seeing how I am doing very, very well in the Superprestige Classification I really start dreaming. So, you'll find out soon enough. Seattle and Portland will be fun races though.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
What's up guys, it's Ronnie here,
Well that was exhausting, I had a crazy as start and then I spend the whole race solo, and without being cocky I reckon I did pretty well, almost good enough for the top ten again. Michael was consistent as usual, but I think not winning is getting on his nerves. I am ready to leave, Tanē loves the big lights, though he hasn't got to pose naked for any mags yet, don't worry, and Lachy and Josiah, well, they can't wait to get out of here.
But that isn't why I'm here.
Spoiler
Josiah's girlfriend is having a baby this week, and we didn't want to get distracted, but now we know it's this week, we would like to tell you. We are all on such a high about it and I'm sure J and the boys will only improve because of this.
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant." [ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
The second bout of three this week. The course is a bit like Tekapocross or Blaarmeersen, but with a slighter bigger emphasis on bike handling and a bit less on climbing. Without sand or cobblestones, we should see a few riders cheery at the start of the race.
James Carlisle is leading the Coca-Cola Trophy after winning the first race, but with Cook and Vague right behind him, we'll see an exciting race. Just 7 seconds between those three, and with this uphill profile, they have all the chance to battle it out between them! With Cornelis already at a minute, some riders might have a hard time kicking back in this trophy. But anything can happen. Coca-Cola wants to make a much more attractive race than in New York. You will enjoy the show, that's all left to say.
Race Information
Country: United States of America
City/Place: Seattle
Classification: Coca-Cola Trophy
Starting Time (Elite Men): 14h30
Favorites: Francis N. Vague, Elliot Cook, James Carlisle, Sylvain Lipawsky, Jack Smith, Dries Cornelis, Matt Mazzarelli.
Record: 2x John Willis (2009, 2010)
Race History: A relatively new race, John Willis is the first and only rider to have won it twice. He is also the oldest winner, at 35 years in 2010. Remarkable fact is that there is not a single winner of this race in this peloton. But again, that may be because only now it is part of a bigger trophy.
Route Information
Technical: 4
Sand: 0
Uphill: 4
Cobblestones: 0
The course is full of nice obstacles. Of all American crosses, this one has followed the Belgian traditional profile the most. There are two sets of two jumping bars, at 39 cm, which not a lot of riders will take. There are a few bridges but the Greenland Hill takes the cake. Not nearly as long as in the Blaarmeersen or in Tekapo, this is still a noteworhty natural climb. Why? The ground is terrible, it's like there are little leprachauns in the ground pulling at your wheels constantly, you're constantly pulling backwards instead of forward. So power will come into play, too. The downhill is extremely tricky, too. It's not fast, but only a trained CX rider can keep on his bike on the oneven terrain.
With some rain, this might just turn into a real Flandrien Cross. And that in America! We're curious to see it unfold. There aren't a lot of places where the riders will have to dismount. We count one big stair and one double U-turn where it might be advantagous to dismount and run.
Expected Weather Conditions
Temperature: 8° C
Precipitation: Rain, light
Wind: 1 Beaufort
That's more like it! New York was all about the start, with a tight twisty circuit making it hard to overtake. Perfect for Hafthor, who is amongst the best starters in the field. Sure enough, he was 1st into the first corner, and that was half the battle done.
A boring race followed, which was also ideal, and while not quite cold enough for Eldfjallsson to really push for the top of the standings, he was able to deliver a great 9th place. The first Top 10 of the season, and his first Superprestige points.
Christian Schiltz skipped the trip to New York and went straight to Seattle. The prospect of a more Flandrien race is much more appealing, and as previously mentioned, the Coca-Cola trophy is a big target for him. He now knows the course better than anyone, and that can only help come race day.
Francis N. Vague looks confident ahead of the Seattle race. The mudfeast in New York has left seemingly no signs of fatigue, but rather made him more confident in his own abilities. He's leading Superprestige and by the looks of it, he came here to take over lead in the Coca-Cola Trophy too. In the light rain a few hours ahead of the start, Vague got caught up by a journalist whilst doing a light warm up ride on the parcour.
Francis, how was the flight?
Very good. We were caught up a bit at the Airport but we shared a few laughs with some locals meanwhzile. We traveled here in no-time then, which I was really glad about. I could focus the past days on this race.
Sounds like you are very motivated for today's race. Any insights into your plan?
It's a parcour that suits me very well. I have the handling to get through it fast and the legs to make my rivals suffer. It feels strange to repeat it over and over but I'd love to win today. Blaarmeesen is already a bit of a.. distant memory, I need to refresh that feeling of winning a race. Maybe I'm a bit addicted [laughs] Looking at my previous races at Blaarmeesen and Tekapocross, my race tactic worked really well so far. But maybe I need to switch it up a bit soon.
Will you hold back in regards to tomorrow. You are listed as one of the favourites for the World Cup?
No, I decided to skip Portland tomorrow and instead focus entirely on today's race, giving my best. I can't keep talking about how I race to win races but then start thinking about each and every classification as soon as I'm well enough doing for a few races. I have to keep my plans in mind, appreciate my roots.
Have you seen your contrahents already?
Yeah, I saw some guys. They look all fit and seem to have recovered well enough from the mudfest in New York. Of course, faces can lie. Legs don't. We will find out more once the race is on. Recovering well from New York is not a given, it was a tough race despite the lack of "real" race action.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
A minor update in the Coca-Cola Trophy. The time classification rule for DNF or DNS has been slightly tweaked. Those riders will now be put at 5 minutes at every race, 5 minutes from each winner, instead of adding 5 minutes on their general classification.
This measure, however, should not come into play for the top 10 of the trophy. Missing a race is still considered final for your hopes of winning the overall classification.
Nicky Van Drenthe
Tekapocross - Report
New York - Preview
Eldfjallsson
Schiltz
Bakari
Duinencross
Hertford
Hobart
