Of course, Francis N. Vague has had plenty of free time to train in the past week. His injury has hit him hard and put him out of contention of Superprestige Classification the past week, but the young lad is determined to make the most of his Coca-Cola ambitions.
Speaking of Coca-Cola, Vague has been seen early with his trailer wagon in Aosta, already making recon rounds two days prior to the official arrival of the bunch. Someone is clearly burning to take back time onto Elliot Cook and James Carlisle. The recent downward spiral of things, from disappointing results to crashing and some misfortune happenings, clearly has to stop at some point. Since no journalists are present in Italy at this point, only a few instagram-photo shots have surfaced as evidence of his passionate rides.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
After the disaster that was South Africa, Coca-Cola is back, this time in a safer environment, a more traditional cyclo-cross country, Italy. Aosta Valley hosts a cross that's been around for a while. Besides hosting the National Championships in 1987, the cross hasn't been an important event on the calendar. Until now...
Race Information
Country: Italy
City/Place: Aosta Valley
Classification: Coca-Cola Trophy
Starting Time (Elite Men): 14h
Favorites: Matt Mazzarelli, Sylvain Lipawsky, Lachy Bauer, James Carlisle, Elliot Cook, Dries Cornelis.
Record: 5x Giovanni Brocci (1970, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976)
Race History: The race is an old one, but only now it's recognized as a masterpiece put together by the profile builders. It has been noticed by the Coca-Cola Trophy and features in this first edition of the Trophy.
Route Information
Technical: 3
Sand: 3
Uphill: 4
Cobblestones: 0
The profile is a spectacular one. The Aosta Valley offers the inevitable climbs necessary to make the race hard. Besides the hills, there is a crossover stairway and plenty of sections through the sand. The sand, however, is not as we know it at the beach. This is hard sand, next to the farmer's fields. We shouldn't expect a sand expert here at the top of the table, but the sand could definitely get in the way for the victory of the day.
Expected Weather Conditions
Temperature: 3° C
Precipitation: Cloudy, Chance of Rain
Wind: 2 Beaufort
Welcome to the Aosta Valley for the only Italian race in this 2014 - 2015 season. We're approaching the season midway point, and so far we've had 9 different winners for the 16 races. Matt Mazzarelli could make that 10 different winners if he wins on his home turf today.
The battle for the Coca-Cola Trophy is still very open so expect a race within the race for those seconds.
Weather Conditions
Temperature: 4° C
Precipitation: Rain, Light
Wind: 1 Beaufort
Start Line - It's raining here at the start line. The temperatures are not very high and the lack of sun makes it feel even colder. At the start line is Coca-Cola Trophy leader Elliot Cook. By taking his first professional victory in Lee Valley, he's taken another big step. He could really put it into his main contenders Carlisle and Vague today. Carlisle is struggling with his form and Vague has just returned from an injury.
Several names are missing from the start list today, though. Jack Smith is still out on what appears to be an even more severe injury than originally thought. His season is over - and dare we say even his career? Max Power, Mikel Hammarling, Amadou Bakari are other names missing. With Rasterhoff covered in 5 cm of snow, Hammarling will save energy for tomorrow's race.
Lap 1: We're off! As we've come to expect from him, Hafthor Eldfjallsson is blasting his way to the front of the race. Rudy Verboven is in second, after missing a few races.
The first hill is the toughest one, not because it's steep, but because the riders climb it askewed instead of head-on. With the rain, the ground is muddy and slippery. Most riders are chosing to run here instead of ride.
Shay Gormley gets hindered by a stumbling African rider and loses quite a few places.
Meanwhile, a front group is slowly forming. We count about 15 riders. But there's no time to list them all now, as Elliot Cook is putting the screws on, everybody is fighting to keep up with this fast pace. Cook has definitely not missed his start here today. Mazzarelli is riding around third. A lot is expected from the Italian for this race.
Cook continues to grind it out. We see Vague moving forward, trying to avoid dropping of the pace. Carlisle is already being spotted in 20th position, about 15 seconds behind. We have a feeling today won't be his day either. The riders tackle the steepest climb of the day, and descend now.
Over the stairs, be careful here, they're verr slippery with the rain. Ouch and Vague misses a step and hits his knee on the stair, has to hurt!
Lap 2: The riders make their way over the finish line. It's a very long profile. We'll have 7 laps today. Let's list the 10 leaders. Their names are:
Elliot Cook, Hafthor Eldfjallsson, Christian Schiltz, Matt Mazzarelli, Sylvain Lipawsky, Tariq Faizullah, Frederick Muller, Dries Cornelis and Lachy Bauer.
It's amazing to see Faizullah here. He's really confirming after his impressive race in the ExCel Center. Schiltz has been putting his cards on this Coca-Cola Trophy for a while now. It's paying off for sure. He's growing steadily. It won't be long before he'll start contending for the top spots, we're sure.
And now Mazzarelli moves to the front. He wants to be in front for the sand, which isn't exactly his specialty. Cook won't let the Italian pass him, though, they're riding shoulder to shoulder. The crowd is roaring wildly at this manouver. But it's Cook who wins it as he heads into the sand first.
Bernard and Moli are trying to chase this group but they're losing terrain. Looking at the quality here at the front, we'd say the winner is within these 10 leaders.
Lap 3: Dries Cornelis moves to the front now. Cook has to let him pass in a technical turn. Eldfjallsson is in second position now. We're at the askewed climb now. Oh and Cornelis slips away and takes Eldfjallsson with him! They're both down! Cook passes them and accelerates. Vague is right on his wheel and follows. Mazzarelli and Schiltz follow Cook's move, too.
We're approaching the sand, where Cook can turn on the heat again. It's great to see this sprint to the start of the sand section every single lap. This time it's Vague who overtakes Cook in a late move but he's going into the sand first and he's forced Cook in a bad position in the sand, causing Cook to dismount and run the entire section. Lipawsky manages to reconnect with the front.
Schiltz seems glued to Vague's wheel. The young rider from Luxembourg now takes off his sunglasses and throws them at the mechanical staff. Cook's only out of the sand now, he's about 5 seconds behind Vague, Schiltz, Mazzarelli and Lipawsky.
Vague looks behind and finally sees they have a gap over Cook. He gets into time trialing position and keeps the pace high. Cook should bridge the gap quickly or he's gone!
Muller and Bauer are still keeping their options open for the victory of the day. Cornelis and his companions are getting behind too far, I think. Carlisle is already a minute behind. Is that 'goodbye, classification?' We expect so.
Vague decides to ride on the askewed slope! Lipawsky won't risk it and decides to dismount and run. Mazzarelli and Schiltz are forced to run, too.
Cook approaches - and dismounts, too. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses, it's a sign of intelligence.
Vague needs 33 seconds to overtake the lead from Cook. He only has 9 seconds now. He's away now, though! Lipawsky, Schiltz and Mazzarelli are chasing hard. Cook looks like he's hurting. Not the best legs today?
It's rare but it happens, a technical mistake by Vague in the downhill. Mazzarelli uses this to rejoin the head of the race. Lipawsky is back, too. Schiltz tries to reconnect, takes some risks - and crashes! His front wheel slipped away in the mud and he's fallen on his left side.
Lap 5: This race is taking a toll in the back. Naveed Alinejad seems to be growing stronger, though. He's moving up and has his sights set on the top 15 of the race. Sven Welling has hit the ground, now. He seems pretty hurt, but he's continuing. He's a strong guy. He was doing better without Vague and we were hoping he'd continue that string of performances with Vague back...
Vague is turning the pedals fast. He has so much style and talent, it's frightening. Remember this boy is only 19 years and a few months old. Is this the future of cyclo-cross? A lot of people are expressing their doubts at the young boy's tough schedule, though. We've seen other talents waste away after a few years after pushing their limits too much, too young.
Cook is cracking now! Vague sees this and this will definitely motivate him! In the background, Cornelis and Eldfjallsson have left Faizullah behind. It'd be great to see him snatch a top 10 place here today, though. If Faizullah could finish top 10 here, that'd mean a lot. ExCel was great, no doubt, but this is a real tough, straining race!
Mazzarelli feels the eyes of all bystanders on him, but at the moment he's content to let Vague do all the work. Vague is thinking about the classification now. Cook is already 15 seconds behind now. Schiltz is still fighting for his life to stay in front of Cook. He's about 11 seconds behind the head of the race.
Lap 6: Two more laps. Mazzarelli makes the crowd crazy with an attack uphill! Vague seems to have no problems with this acceleration. Lipawsky leaves a meter, two meters... But he uses the downhill to his advantage and reconnects. Cook is losing ground by the minutes, now. At the moment, he's still leading the Trophy, though.
Bauer and Muller have been riding in limbo for too long, now. They won't be coming back to the front of the race. I think our winner is at the front. if Vague can keep up this pace and maybe drop Lipawsky and Mazzarelli? But he's only returning after an injury and it's still one and a half lap. What does Mazzarelli have up his sleeve?
Lap 7: We're turning onto the final lap of the day. We're in for an exciting finale. Vague, Lipawsky and Mazzarelli have a 26 second lead on Cook now. Schiltz is still somewhere in between.
Mazzarelli with another attack! Vague just keeps the pace high and Mazzarelli doesn't manage to get enough meters to stay away.
Cook hits the ground! Was it a sudden loss of concentration, fatigue? He's very quick back on his feet, though. Vague approaches the stairs, Lipawsky and Mazzarelli glued to his wheel.
Schiltz is very strong to fend off a chasing Cook. Talk about progress. Compare this strong professional with the young boy at the start of the season, I don't recognize him.
Only one more obstacle for the three leaders. Vague is giving everything now. Every second count. Mazzarelli and Lipawsky are liking this, their minds are already at the sprint.
They're coming onto the final straight road. Lipawsky gets out of the saddle and starts the sprint. Mazzarelli follows him. Vague doesn't look like he's going to sprint. He's still in his time trial position.
Lipawsky, Mazzarelli... 50 meters left. They're side by side now. Vague is finally getting out of the saddle now, too, every second counts, every second counts! Mazzarelli tries to block Lipawsky in at the left side, they're shoulder to shoulder! And so they pass the finish line! What a close finish!!
And who was it? We'll have to await the finish photo to see who won. Vague is being put on 1 second. Schiltz crosses the line, 24 seconds behind the - still unknown - winner. And here's Cook! 31 seconds. That means he hangs on to his lead in the Coca-Cola Trophy, by 2 seconds! This has been a major thriller!
Lipawsky appears on our screen as the winner now. Has this been confirmed? Yes, it has. Sylvain Lipawsky wins the Aosta Valley race!
And here are Bauer and Muller.
Cornelis crosses the line 4 seconds before Eldfjallsson.
And Faizullah managed to hang on for a 10th spot. Great race for the Afghan.
A sole Becker fist was all that was needed, to see that Francis N. Vague has been thorougly satisfied with his ride in Italy, despite losing the victory in the last meters of the race.
Francis, it's great to see out of the commentary box and back in the mud. Your take on the race?
It was very tough on us riders. Some awful conditions, and a real hardened test. Coca-Cola has done well to prepare a demanding course in a stunning landscape. It's marvellous how they take a solid event of the past and re-invent it. It was fun to race here.
You certainly seemed to enjoy yourself.
Yes, it had just a nice vibe to it. The sprints for the sand, minor duels, lots of position fights. Even a rare technical slip-up by Cornelis, and myself. I think people got to enjoy a great race. After the past solo-runs of some riders, a real fight to the line has been a welcome change, I guess.
Early in the race, you misstepped at one point. Fear of another injury?
For a brief second, yes. Such situations are normal in the rain, on the steps. But I could continue right away and it reminded me that I had to be careful all the time, despite my burning desire to do well here today. The legs felt great, my arm was a no-issue today. I couldn't have asked for a more fitting return to racing after the past week... well - that's not true, I could have won.
Did it have something to do with the competition-free time you were forced to enjoy?
No, I've done enough races in my time already to be completely focused and to know the feeling, the moves and so. A week of not riding against the other guys doesn't change that. Not even a lifetime could.
Putting time into Cook was a main objective today?
I think I can be very pleased with today's result. I don't know how he raced exactly, but when I saw that he dropped off a bit, it was natural to race against him at that point. To put time into him, to regain time. The classification is well within reach again. It's just a shame I couldn't finish off today's performance with the win. I would have loved to be on the top step and snatch away the podium kiss from Mazzarelli's girls [laughs]
Some words on Lipawsky and Mazzarelli?
They did a good job of staying on my wheel. I tried to drop them on numerous occassions and get the win out of it. Even risking to ride on the askewed slope, which worked out great. To make the race tough is always a good idea in such conditions. It didn't fully work out but a 3rd place is a welcome result after my string of disappointment in recent weeks. I might not have even got that if Schiltz didn't crash.
Schiltz is really making some stunning progress.
He's been a great talent and rival in the junior ranks. It may took initially some weeks for him to adapt, but he's here now and he's pretty much here to stay. It's nice to see our generation taking matters in our hands and showing ourselves in such a way.
Edited by Shonak on 07-02-2015 21:35
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
I cross the line, right next to Matt and suddenly my vision goes a bit blurry, I crash off my bike into a patch of grass and vomit, somebody hands me a coke, I'm not sure if it's medicinal or commercial, I manage a 'Grazie.' and gulp it down. About a minute later I think about the race. Who won? I ask around, but not many people understand my poor Italian, I look for Pierre, but I can't see him. The Coca-Cola big screen is showing a replay of the finish, I watch, but I'm none the wiser to who won, a fan runs up to me, asking for a photo or a signature, obviously knowing that he won't get one from Matt. I can't understand his fluent Italian, but he hands a pen and paper to me so I give him my signature, the screen is showing the finish again. Still nobody can tell, but they are mentioning something to do with Francis, they switch to a photo-finish, I watch, I still can't really tell the result, maybe me? I listen to the announcers, they start with a blur of Italian, I hear my name, reporters rush to me, Did I win? A French reporter gives me some details. Before questions are fired, I answer them all diplomatically before being escorted to the podium. I smile and wave my hand, still pretty disorientated, We descend the podium and I thank Matt for the good race and Vague for the work on the front. I find Pierre, apparently he abandoned about halfway, he congratulates me. I thank him for the early help with positioning.
My form approaching it's peak for the Christmas classic. So hopefully I can improve upon my position in a couple more classifications, I'm still celebrating this victory though.
Sometimes you have to admit your not really on it - and here in Italy I allowed myself to feel a little too relaxed. The adreenaline just wasn't there, I had been fending off lots of ridiculous questions from the press out here about fueds with riders and my sordid off the bike affairs. Hell I thought the British press was bad.
On the course it was clear the tifosi were mad on Matty M - the guy was racing really hard today early on he was right on my shoulder. Great to see this shrinking violet show that sort of spirit - he struck my as a bit of a asssucker in the past but here he was really good.
I actually went pretty well in the first half - I was think that the sprog Vague would have no stamina after his 'injury'. It appears however that the little blighter was playing up his injury to take a break and freshen up. Of course if anyone else did this the UCI would be all over us like a rash saying things like Cyclo-crossers don't skip races and all that. Bugger them, I will fight tooth and nail to stop the little mistress from getting his mitts on this Coca-Cola thing.
I was suffering at the end there and yes I learnt a lot about myself and I really need to tell the media to get lost. GF has been banished back home - she mentioned something about breaking up - frankly good riddance I want to get on with cycling again.
It was an experience here in Italy - I think this should be a good course for me really, I didn't do myself justice and paid a bit of a price. Still look forward to coming back even if I am seen as the enemy! We have a transfer up to Netherlands next - I think I might pull a Vague and take a race off - betya I'm not asked to do commentary! Nah I want to concentrate on getting a bit of my condition back I am suffering a bit from a slight cold - I'll watch it I fancy the French Lip do some damage this guy loves the mud and shyte.
The Superprestige continues in the Netherlands. Rasterhoffpark is the place where the classification might get turned upside down again. With Carlisle's form dropping by the race, his lead of only 2 points will not suffice if he has an off-day. Elliot Cook could end up leading two classifications after this weekend. That being said, Cook might not even appear at the start line here.
If Cook decides not to start, Lipawsky might have free reign to overtake Carlisle in the Superprestige!
Race Information
Country: The Netherlands
City/Place: Rasterhoffpark
Classification: Superprestige
Starting Time (Elite Men): 14h30
Favorites: Shay Gormley, Sylvain Lipawsky, Michael Bollinger, Dries Cornelis,
Record: 4x Blazej Dobransky (2006, 2008, 2010, 2011)
Race History: Rasterhoffpark is up to its 10th edition. 4 of those have been won by Dobransky, but the last was 3 years ago and he's not been in form all season. Rasterhoffpark offers a nice route for both riders and spectators and it has been rewarded by being part of the Superprestige since 2010 now.
Route Information
Technical: 4
Sand: 4
Uphill: 2
Cobblestones: 0
The climbs are short and steep. True climbers won't be able to show their strength on this terrain. This is a profile for the powerful riders. There are long, flat sections, short climbs, short and straightforward downhills and three large sand sections.
With enough rain, a big chunck will have to be run, so that might affect the race in a big manner. Either way, we can expect a strong yet technical rider to prevail on this course.
Expected Weather Conditions
Temperature: 0° C
Precipitation: Rain
Wind: 1 Beaufort
A few minutes after his finish in Aosta Dries Cornelis was available for the cameras. He didn't seem the happiest man in the world. 'An eighth place is always disappointing for me. I felt I had some good legs in the race. However, it apparently was too good.'
The crash effects luckily didn't seem to be too severe. 'I managed to recover quickly. The only blow I took was a short psychological one. However, I'm over that now, and feel ready for the next cross. Rasterhoff should suit me very well, as its slipperiness calls for my technicality. I will try to do what I can to prevent a sprint there, but on this surface I'd be very surprised if it were to become one.'
While the favourites were fighting out a race for victory, Naveed Alinejad surprised the rest of the field with an 11th place. The young Iranian himself was very surprised with that. 'I had not expected to see myself riding in the front again. Although the top-10 was very far away I did manage to distance some strong riders. I'm confident I can keep this up, and get a top-10 this season. At least in my mind it's feeling very good.'
The Continental Championships will maybe be a chance to show himself. 'I think I could end up as the best Asian. I'm in a growing shape and to beat Faizullah there would be a big step. If I manage to complete that step, who knows what'll happen next season?'
No chance for tactics in the latest Aosta race, but that is no bother for Schiltz, who has been doing things indepentently of his team all season! And what a race it was, the best of Schiltz' career to date. His focus on the Coca-Cola trophy is really coming to the fore.
An early selection of 10 soon become 4, but as Vague turned the screw and Mazzarelli and Lipawksy went chasing after him, a risk by Schiltz led to a crash, and that was the end of his podium hopes.
He fought hard for the rest of the race and secured a fine 4th place. It is likely that he would have been 4th with or without the crash, so maybe it just lost him some time. Not too much though as he ultimately finished at 24 seconds.
This now moves him into 9th of the Coca-Cola standings, but it will be tough to climb much higher with a huge 2 minute gap to 7th. A whopping 3'12 of his 4'30 deficit to leader Cook came at the increasingly frustrating Tekapocross event. But it just shows how good he has been since then.
It had to happen eventually, and finally we have had a Coca-Cola Trophy race which Hafthor Eldfjallsson has taken seriously, after past instances of not caring or simply not showing up.
Unfortunately the wayward and again World Champion Dries Cornelis took Eldfjallsson out early in the race having been in a front selection of 10. Fortunately, the damage from that 10 man group has already been done, and Hafthor was able to secure a 9th place finish.
There appears to be confusion over the state of the Rasterhoff course. At Aosta we were told it was covered in 5cm of snow, but in the preview no mention of the same? It is a course that suits a powerful rider so is good for Hafthor regardless, but clarification on that detail could make a notable difference on the likelihood of a top result. Whatever the weather, Hafthor aims to move in to the Top 10 of the Superprestige standings.
Ten frigging minutes... ten minutes is all it took for someone down at UCI HQ who must have some sort of alert on my blog to give the ole' monster of cookies a three line whip sort of call.
"Ahem... could you clarify the nature of your injury they asked... I told 'em I couldn't be arsed to take the night flight to Holland for some freeze fest. So errrr... he went you're not actually injured... anyways I told the jobsworth to get someone important on the line and he hung up."
Anyway I didn't think much of it until a guy from my team woke me up at midnight hammering down on my door. My squad are Dutch you see and despite the embarressment of having some Drunk Dutch dude on their team they desperately need me to race up in Rasterhoff. I tried to reason with the cronie that we had talked of this after Aosta - I had lost a bit of Stamina after blighty and this head cold from the week. I was going to dial it down a bit and ramp it up for Switzerland's christmas classic.
Then I saw some bespecelled berk in the car with him with a UCI clipboard - he approached and started some speil about how my duties were to ride in this race and that. The bugger bored me to death and I just went and got my duvet and joined them in the car. I guess I am becoming just another brick in the wall.
So here I am in Holland and I got here what at 5am - slept okay to be fair in the back of the car. Just going to give this a go - actually looking at the Superprestige thing I am in a good place thanks to that win back in Blighty - and these cross losers are so lame that I might even get some points even for showing up even after my ridiculous journey!
Going to wear some special thermals to keep Cookie's conkers nice and snug.
After watching the twitter feed closely, a big fan of Eldfjallsson went to check the Rasterhoffpark personally to inform the rider from Iceland of the state of the route.
The fan answered on Eldfjallsson's twitter account with the following message:
Snow and frozen ground @rasterhoff give 'em hell #Eldfjallsson #superprestigeCX
Tonight's forecast is freezing temperatures, so there's little chance of the ice clearing for tomorrow's race.
Edited by Ian Butler on 08-02-2015 21:04
I'm back guys! After attempting suicide because I had discovered that I lost the race right after I was going to have a party with all my friends and family, I'm back to write a cool nice blog post about my latest race! It's really sad to tell, let alone to live, something like this. Meh, let's take a look at it:
Finished race exhausted and was waiting for the official result, even though I was quite sure to win. Minutes were slowly flowing and I was going to piss myself off with the officials that were tarrying to announce my win, when a guy with a strong Aostan accent told me that I won and Sylvain already had got more than what he deserved after wheelsucking all race long.
Sooo, happy as a clam, I ran away from all the journalists and jumped right into my brother's car, that in the meantime was tuned to a local radio that was telling my race... turns out that I didn't win and they were still analyzing the photofinish with some odd-named equipments.
Here's how it roughly looked like:
How can you tell who won basing only on this pic, uuh? Well, fuck it, I'll try to leave behind all the anger because I was really hoping to take in Italy my first pro-win, in front of all the crowd screaming my name all race long, shouting even louder when I was attacking. I'm also quite disappointed about my training, lots of days away from the already few leisure and now, this is what I got: my bland attacks are still pale as fuck. But hey ho, c'est la vie, what I can do about that? Uhm, maybe something I can do would be a sort of sprinting training camp... I'll probably lose part of my climbing skills, but I will be led to wheelsuck more often - that's how the others win!
Next race won't suit me because of the too much sand and the icy weather but I'll do my best, trying to keep my energies for some more interesting ones, hoping to fuckin' win one of them with a good margin in order to avoid to see another photofinish...
Wish me good luck, because I really need it right now.
Francis, so your opinion on the course this year?
I know it really well from the Junior competitions. It's a nice profile. It doesn't suit me ideally but in the past, the ice and snow played it my favour to make it all the more technical challenging. I havn't ridden against the scandinavian specialists on their special turf so far, so I look forward to this little extra challenge. If there's rain, it's okay too.
You have ridden on ice & snow yet this season, whilst your competitiors already did. A big disadvantage?
It surely doesn't help me, but I've trained a lot, I've experienced snow in trainings and races before. I don't make a habit of overthinking such details, I'll be racing fast from the start. There's little time for comfort in such a race, you need to be at the top of your game right away. In other races you might come back, here I think if you're gone, you're gone for good. The climbs demand for powerful riding, no space to drop in your performance. Limit mistakes, ride hard, win race. It sounds simple. It'll be a tough enough race though.
You are out of Superprestige Classification so far, due to a crash and missing out an additional race. How much does it hurt? Do you still have hopes?
As an athlete I always want to try my best and give it all to win. I've had a great run up to Lisbon but the points system in Superprestige doesn't allow to skip one race, let alone two. I took a decision for my health and put my own ambitions aside. I might regret it now, especially since they made the course easier later. But this is in the past. Right now, I want to win Rasterhoff.
Any tip on who's your favourite for the overall victory now in Superprestige?
I don't really care about it since I'm out of contention. It's all the same to me really. At the end of the day, I lost it this year. For me, it's all about winning SP races now and enjoy being a wildcard, who might not be of much importance to my competition. Attack, Attack will be my motto.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
Welcome to Rasterhoffpark for the sixth manche in the Superprestige. After today, there are only 4 races left. For the overall victory in the Superprestige, it is believed there are still 5 contenders, with a 6th very dark horse. Carlisle, Cook, Lipawsky, Mazzarelli and Cornelis are all within 10 points of one-another. With 5 races left, including today's race, anything can still happen. Vague is sixth in the standings, with 39 points. It should be game-over for the young Belgian, but with his talent, we can't count him out entirely just yet.
Weather Conditions
Temperature: -4° C
Precipitation: Snow
Wind: 1 Beaufort
Start Line: Well, Cook decided to turn up for the race. His sponsors must've decided the Superprestige is worth fighting for, and we all agree. The weather conditions are not in his favor, though. The sand has been mostly neutralized by the frozen underground and the layer of snow that covers the track.
The ice specialists could all be found with a smile on their faces this morning. Team Odfjell will be looking for their second victory of the season today.
It's snowing more and more here at the finish line. This will be a very cold race!
Lap 1: We're off! Eldjfallsson with a very fast start, as we're used of him. Ever since he's in the top 20 in the UCI Classification, he's been starting on the second row, so that makes it easier to bash away quickly. If he can get into the top 10 of the UCI Rankings, he'll be a front row starter.
Sven Van Vliet looks keen to do something in his home race, he moves forward impressively, but he slips on the ice and hits the fence, that has to hurt!
We're witnessing total chaos here! Several riders are on the ground, or standing at the sidelines with their bikes, being held up. Most higher placed riders are through, it's mostly the back lines that have been caught up.
Sven Welling chooses the high road and is off alone at the front. Tariq Faizullah moves up and joins him at the front. Our young Afghan is very optimistic today, we'd love to see this more often!
Lap 2: We'll have 8 laps today, about what we expected. Welling and Faizullah are keeping the pace high at the front. Only seconds behind them is a group of five riders; Hammarling, Kokkonen, Hakinnen, Eldjfallsson and Vague. Cornelis, Cook, Lipawsky and Van Vliet are even further behind. Van Vliet, who has recovered well from his fall, is riding a great race today.
Faizullah overtakes Welling right before the turn and - ouch he hits the ground, exactly where Van Vliet went down one lap earlier. He takes down Welling, too!
That means Team Odfjell are in front now, along with Hakinnen and Vague. Their first chaser is now Cornelis, who has broken away from his group, at 7 seconds. Cornelis must sense that he can't let these guys ride away on this ice terrain. Meanwhile, the gaps are growing larger. The profile is so dangerous that many riders are avoiding all risks. Meanwhile, the head of the race is moving very fast, so we don't expect many finishers today.
The differences are huge. Team Odfjell is putting down a monster pace. But will they be able to play the team game to their advantage? With 3 out of the 5 riders at the front and the gap increasing, only a victory could make their day.
Hammarling moves to the front to attack. He goes! Vague is right on his wheel.
Kokkonen tries to keep Vague's wheel, with Hakinnen glued to his. This attempt is going nowhere, they're all still together.
We're approaching a long section, for the powerful riders. Hammarling decides to take this corner very wide - Oh and Vague takes the inside and steps on his pedals. He's got a gap, and a long straight, icy, section ahead of him. He's in his time trial position, going strong. Hammarling is bend over his steering wheel. Now he's shaking his head, losing ground.
Vague takes the climb with style, Hammarling is moving less smoothly. 4 seconds is the verdict. Odfjell will have to react straight away. Hakinnen is just waiting, at the back of the group. It's up to the Scandinavian team, now.
Carlisle is fighting his way back. The head of the race is long gone, but a top 10 could still happen for him, if he starts one hell of a race now. He's in 15th position. This proves once again his dimishing form. Once on the podium of all three classifications, he's dropping rapidly in all classification. Will he still be leaders of the Superprestige after today?
Lap 4: Vague has 9 seconds on the chasing group. Hakinnen is making Eldfjallsson, Hammarling and Kokkonen very nervous. They have to chase Vague but that Hakinnen is on their tail, ready to strike as soon as they catch Vague. That's a factor they'll have to deal with. A very tough situation for the team mates.
Meanwhile, Cook has caught up with Cornelis in the background. This is already 41 seconds behind Vague, who is on fire.
A perfect run through the technical section from Vague. He's gaining ground by the second, doing this. For Eldfjallsson, it's not moving fast enough in the chasing group, he rushes off alone. Hammarling and Kokkonen let him go and watch Hakinnen. He should react, but it seems he can't.
Hakinnen remains to hang on at the tail of the group. I don't think he can do any better... Hammarling now realized this, too, and accelerates. Kokkonen blocks Hakinnen and so the two rivals are left alone in the wake of Vague's escape.
The situation is as follows: Vague is off alone. Eldfjallsson is chasing, about 12 seconds down. Hammarling is 20 second behind. Hakinnen seems to have woken up, finally, and tries to bridge the gap to Hammarling.
Lap 5: The race is taking a toll on the non-ice specialists. Many riders are calling it quits. Meanwhile it has started to snow harder and harder. It's getting more difficult to see. If things get any worse, the race could be canceled, let's hope it doesn't come to that!
Vague rushes past us. Eldfjallsson is now keeping a status quo at 11 seconds. Hammarling, Hakinnen and Kokkonen are further behind. Nobody's sure what to do in that group. With a team mate up front and a rival in the group, they're a bit lost. So it's Hakinnen who picks up the pace, but he's not giving 100%. What a strange race this is.
Cook has now left Cornelis behind! Cook is fighting for every spot. Lipawsky is further down, doing damage control.
Ouch, Dobransky has hit the ground pretty hard. He must've not seen that patch of ice. His race is over, let's hope his career is not, he looks pretty badly hurt. Christian Schiltz went down with him, too, but he's better off. He gets back on his bike and tries to find a way through this mini-snow storm.
Vague is now close to crossing the finish line a fifth time.
Eldfjallsson is doing well to stay status quo, but he should've made the move forward earlier, I think it's too late now. I think Vague is gone for the victory. If you move forward, you have to connect quickly. He's been at 10 seconds for over a lap now. Eldfjallsson won't bridge those 10 seconds. If he could, he would've done it by now.
Maybe he's just waiting for a mistake on Vague's part, but he's riding around with some safety build in, now.
Vague tackles the steepest climb smoothly. Here comes Eldfjallsson, and... He's made it, too, nice one! His back wheel slips away now! He manages to correct is, what a display of technicality, he's learned a lot these past few weeks. Oh but now his front wheel is caught in a wrong trail and he goes down nonetheless!
He's quick back on his feet, but the damage is done. Vague is out of sight, and that's a tough mental blow for the chaser.
Lap 7: Two more laps. The gaps are so big, we can already guess the top 10 of this race. Only the race for place 3 is still wide open, with Hammarling, Hakinnen and Kokkonen together.
Here comes Carlisle, he's in 12th position. That 10th spot is slowly starting to be a lost cause. With Cook still going strong to hold off Cornelis, it's very possible Carlisle loses his Superprestige lead here.
Andrew McLaughlin has caught up with Faizullah now, and so we can have a close battle for the 10th place as well.
Eldfjallsson is now 27 seconds behind Vague. This is game over. Without accidents, Vague wins today's race. But in this mini snow storm, we should be careful to call a winner two laps from the finish.
Visconti and Lejeune are impressing today. They're riding around for a place in the top 20 today, a good result for both of them. Still, the biggest surprise today is Faizullah. The Afghan seems to handle the ice and snow well. He's still good for a top 10 today, but he'll have to shake off McLaughlin in the process. It won't be easy!
Lap 8: We head into the final lap! Vague has 30 seconds on Eldfjallsson, this should be in the bag.
There are only 32 riders left in the race. Don't be surprised if we'll have 25 finishers today. The least amount of finishers so far this season was in Lee Valley, with 29 riders making the finish line.
Cook is not looking so hot right now. Cornelis has neared again, and is now 10 seconds behind the controversial rider from Great Britain. It's looking better and better for Cook's Superprestige, though.
Vague makes no mistakes. A perfect race, and he knows it. The final 500 meters are all about enjoying the moment. He salutes the technical staff and now he takes the final turn. He waves at the crowd and rides towards the finish line. And, we don't believe it, pulls out a wheelie! Snow or no, Vague crosses the line on one wheel. Now he's being guided towards the tents, he must be freezing.
Eldfjallsson crosses the line 21 seconds later. He was the best of the rest today.
Hammarling with a late move to shake his team mate and Hakinnen on the final small climb. And with success! Hammarling finishes on the podium. Kokkonen outsprints Hakinnen for place 4 and so Team Odfell scores 2 - 3 - 4 today. Must sting, though. Cook is 6th and is the new leader of the Superprestige. Cornelis is 7th, Lipawsky 8th.
Sven Van Vliet is the first Dutchie across the finish line, in 9th. Well done, today.
And now the sprint for place 10 between Faizullah and McLaughlin... Oh and the Afghan misses out by centimeters.
Carlisle is 12th and manages to limit the damage at least a bit today.
What a race it's been. 26 finishers. The snow has taken quite a few scalps today. We can only wonder what it would've been if Bakari was still in this professional peloton. What if... We see a lot of riders undercooled, which is understandable. The podium ceremony is postponed by 10 minutes because Vague is undercooled, so we hear.
With a second layer of clothing, Francis N. Vague stepped on the podium and enjoyed the dutch & belgian crowd in Rasterhoff. The belgian flag was only hanging on half pole, in respect of a recent tragic loss for the race organizer.
The much needed victoy after his recent injury gave Vague all smiles. It was a further motivation boost on this weekend, following the Coca-Cola race in Italy. Instead of a kiss from the podium girls, Vague gets a cuddle hug, with the girls rubbing him on the shoulders to warm him further up. Later, he is swarmed by dozen of reporters.
Francis, Francis! Great victory by yours today, want to share some thoughts with us?
It was a real difficult race. I expected it to be real tough but I think anyone's expectations got exceeded. Cold, frozen. Barely any sighting in the second half. It was tricky to keep the balance at times but I was feeling great on the bike, was in touch with the surface and confident in my racing. Riding on ice is all about balance and confidence. It's also nice that my teammate Sven Welling scored some points today, a sign that we really prepared well for this race today.
Yet still you made a wheelie at the finish line, why?
A moment of joy, shouting out it for the world to see. The past weeks havn't been easy. Especially lots of pressure and harsh words from my peers. I was called arrogant, cocky, what-not... I do not forget such actions. I might as well use this to my advantage. It only motivates one further for top performances and I'm glad it worked out today in such a way. At the end of the race, I just felt that the wheelie pushed it all back.
Team Odfjell were the big favourites for today but you pulled one on them today, didn't you?
I was really impressed by their team performance earlier in the season, and I studied that race a bit in my injury-time. Team-wise, they are exceptional strong under these terms. Eldfjallsson especially is not only a specialist anymore but a fantastic contender as well in many other races. They put in a heavy pace right from the start, I was glad to be able to take advantage of that. It was really important to stay right there in the beginning if I wanted to achieve a win here today. Having a team with several top riders can be an advantage but it also means that you only succeed when you win under those conditions. They raced in that way, they raced to win - and this is something I always appreciate. It's not a given. I'm glad I could stick my attack to the end though, and not get caught up in tactical schemes.
You are now 14 points down in Superprestige Classification...?!
Stop it, I know what you are asking. 14 points is a lot, really a lot. I was in a lead by merely a few points and people already wanted to congratulate me. Because it's really that hard to gain back points. You need your rivals to have a really bad day. I do not wish that on my competition, I'm concerned with myself enough.
But yeah of course, Cook hasn't won the classification yet. There are still 4 races left. I try my best, I try to win races. Today has been a day to enjoy. Today has been really, really good for me in terms of rankings. My competition has been further down and thanks to Odfjell and Hakinnen I could really catch up in terms of points. But it's still 14 points. I have a long way to go. I'll see how it goes.
Do you hope for more icy races this season?
After today, definitely. I know I'm not bad on ice & snow, and I'm really motivated by this performance today. Team Odjfell will make racing on ice always really special. In Cyclo-Cross, we are used to racing on slippery surface. Mud can be dangerous, roads can be. Anything really. But ice & snow are a whole different thing. Alongside sand, it gives this extra incentive. This special wow-factor to a race, that you don't always get. The wow-factor you can't plan on, really. It's also lots of fun. Except if you crash, crashing is always bad.
Next week will be tricky. Fuji Cross and two Classics.
Yeah, indeed. Travelling from Switzerland to Japan, and Christmas in between. I'm not happy with the race schedule. That's why I skip the Chrstimas Classic. I have to focus on Coca-Cola competition. As a compensation I'll ride in Shanghai though. Not sure about the Continental Championships though. I might skip them, we'll see.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
Just about thawed out from that frostfest - some Dutch dick thrust some superprestige trophy in my face. Whaddya know the ole cookie monster now leads that standings too... God knows how I raced like bambi on ice out there. But this slogfest of a cross season just continues from place to place.
Of course fresh as a daisy Franny is now taking the utter piss - he put all the ice maidens to the sword. I have always said that Vague was the real deal and here he goes rubbin our faces in it. Quite literally actually I got behind his dirty wheels in the early going, hey it had to be early coz no way can I keep with the sprog out in these conditions. Anyway splat went a load of crap in my face - I guess it makes a change from beer getting poured in my face. Seriously though did they geld the mistress in his break or what? The guy don't feel the cold and his mewing is of a ever so slightly higher pitch... I gotta get the bugger back to school I think the Christmas Classic maybe the one - what? he is skipping it? Well that shows the coward for what he is really - sorry the guy has got some of the wrong people around him at the moment, I want him to race the right way.
I chatted to Dries, you know the old bastard before and after todays race. I banged on about wanting to miss it - he was pretty nonplussed about this he said you just have to race and race. I guess I saw a few of the other crossers missing races here and there and I was thinking of strategy... nah only the mistress gets to miss races, fair enough I am a big boy and can take my medicine. I respect Dries I really do, he just gets out there and entertains day after day.
So yeah I led the superspecialbombasticprestigous award for excellence competition thingee... not going to get hung up on it. That said it is nice to get some more jeers from the drunks who turn up in the freezing cold to boo me. Jimmy wheelsuck looks utterly shagged by the way he aint cut out for this circuit now - I am in it for the long haul now - where next Switzerland? Let's go Mr UCI official man with glasses.
P-p-p-p-pick up a Penguin!
Wait.... that doesn't seem right.... Pick up a podium! There we go. On the podium today, feels amazing. Validation for a lot of hard work on and off the bike through the season. Massively helped by an incredibly icy route. Most riders gave up or crashed out. Managed to stay upright and in contention most of the way.
I think perhaps i should have had more from the race. We had three guys in the lead group for most of the day yet we never really got ourselves organised. I tried a few moves and got countered. A counter-counter from a teammate would have worked well or greater disruptive work when i did get some sort of gap. But we were 2nd and 3rd so ultimately it has to be called a success.
Big jump in the rankings as well! I get to move forwards a start row for the next race, massive advantage in this type of event. Still in the midst of a cold winter there's a few more cold, and hopefully icy, events ahead of us that i can do well in. Huge motivational boost today, even through some of the heavy atmosphere surrounding the event organisaztion. Chappeau to everyone involved in the running and for giving me the chance to get a result
Jack Smith has selected to retire permanently from cyclocross. He is recovering well from his various surgeries on his hip and leg, but will not be returning to cyclocross racing. Thank you for your continued support.
Additionally, Nic Hashir would like to let the public know his continued disdain for UCI terrorism, as he believes the investigations into his personal life are unwarranted and outlandish.
-BP Public Relations
"America. Show a nipple on television and the whole country goes ape-shit." -DubbelDekker
Christmas is a time of presents and celebration. Champagne and other alcoholic drinks. But for cyclo-cross riders, it's a busy time with no time to relax. On Christmas Day, we have the traditional evening Christmas Cross.
With whole Western Europe covered in a hard winter, we're more than likely to see another ice cross tomorrow.
Race Information
Country: Switzerland
City/Place: Genève
Classification: Classic
Starting Time (Elite Men): 18h00
Favorites: Francis N. Vague, Timi Kokkonen, Hafthor Eldfjallsson, Mikel Hammarling, Kimi Hakkinen, Dries Cornelis
Record: 6x Jack Wylle (1972, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1981)
Race History: The Christmas Classic is almost as old as Christmas itself. Well, maybe not that old, but still. It was first raced in 1926, organised by local enthusiasts. It's been in Genève since 1932. Jack Wylle was dubbed 'Santa on a bike' when he won the race for the fifth time in 1979. He won it a sixth time in 1981 and has been the organiser of the race since 2001.
The route changed drastically after making a bid for the World Championships in 2008. They decided to adopt the new profile for the Christmas Classic, offering a more diverse route.
Route Information
Technical: 2
Sand: 5
Uphill: 4
Cobblestones: 2
The route for the Christmas Classic is not an easy one. Especially with the hard winter all over Western Europe, we can expect a dangerous profile. The Christmas Classic is widely sought-after, but they'll really have to fight for it this year.
The race starts pretty drastically. After a short sprint, the riders head downhill in a sharp descend. After which, they tackle a cobbled climb. There are lots of sharp and small climbs on the profile, but also one larger one, where the difference can be made.
The sand is the main attraction, but with this tough winter, it's to be seen if the sand will make an impact. One day before the race, there is snow and ice on the profile, yet the sand remains loose. Tonight we'll have freezing temperatures, but will it be enough to have a completely frozen underground? That remains to be seen.
The finale offers lots of chances to avoid a sprint. The final climb is a real tough, short but extremely steep sandy climb. All that's left then is 55m flat road.
Expected Weather Conditions
Temperature: 1° C
Precipitation: Cloudy
Wind: 0 - 1 Beaufort
There are rumors of a new African race for next season. With Struibaai getting canceled nearly a month ago, the UCI suffered major image blows. Next year, Struibaai will be back on the agenda, and now it's being said that another African race might make its entrance, in the World Cup.
Edited by Ian Butler on 18-02-2015 17:51
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Hammer Time
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Christmas Classic - Preview
