I've had a pretty busy week, but now I'm going to the Netherlands for a proper week of preparation for the world's, that'll be it, just solidly preparing for it.
Ostrava was a great race for me, I've had some bad races recently but that race was a good boost for my morale and it proves that I can keep up with Cornelis if I need to, it looks like he'll be the man to beat for the worlds.
As for the next two sandy races, I'll try to watch the online stream if I'm not busy training at the time. Also, Damien (Regösser), Pierre and I have each chipped in for a small monetary prize for most competitive, 750 Swiss Francs at each race, just to encourage everybody to burn a little bit more energy , so good luck guys.
As for the rumours with the Mapei merge, I have no idea what is going on there, I'm not really letting it get to me yet, I'll wait until after the Worlds to think about this stuff, all I can say is that I might not be ready to race with Matt, so I'll be walking if he comes along.
After a long career Dries Cornelis can finally add the brutal race of Ostrava to his list of victories. He does feel very happy. 'It's probably the most beautiful race I'd never won yet, so of course winning it is very important to me. I'm glad that after such a long effort I can finally get the reward for this.'
Even the Superprestige itself looks within reach for him now. 'It's not really a goal of mine this season. After all, the World Cup already is in the pocket, and the World Championship is more important to me. However, winning the Superprestige is very prestigious and I wouldn't mind at all winning it.'
The Coca-Cola Trophy will be concluded in Abu Dhabi. In an evening (read, late-evening!) cross, the riders will fight for one last time, one last hour. Coca-Cola couldn't have asked for a better conclusion to their first edition of this trophy with Elliot Cook within a minute from Francis N. Vague on this sand circuit. Cook is bound to take back some time on Vague on this terrain, but Vague is not just anyone. Though is a minute enough?
Coca-Cola has organised many great crosses and we feel the overall balance of the Trophy is positive. Struibaai was definitely a down, but other races had a lot of vibe. The sand in Abu Dhabi is the playground for a final show. With the race finish at around 22h and a World Cup race on Sunday, some riders might skip the race or save their legs. Still, that should only pose a minor problem. We expect a beautiful evening with a beautiful winner, holding the trophy, at the end of the day.
We'll see you in Abu Dhabi!
Race Information
Country: United Arab Emirates
City/Place: Abu Dhabi
Classification: Coca-Cola Trophy
Starting Time (Elite Men): 21h
Favorites: Shay Gormley, Max Power, Ali Acord, Michael Bollinger, Elliot Cook, Mustafa Moli, Thijs Van Lookeren.
Record: New
Race History: When this race was made public, it made a lot of controverse. The route was bought with Sheik money, they said. Nobody ever actually tried to deny this, but instead Coca-Cola went on about their international trophy. And they had a point, to some extent. The Coca-Cola Trophy took us from New-Zealand to the States, to Brazil, to Italy, to Japan, to Ukraine and finally here, in the United Arab Emirates.
Everyone is curious about this 'sand weekend'. Cyclo-Cross is in a new era, where it's no longer restricted to mud trails in Belgium. It takes riders across theme parks, river beds and, yes, sand. You can be for it or against it, but that's the way it is, now. Abu Dhabi is ready to host a race from the New Dawn!
Route Information
Technical: 1
Sand: 5
Uphill: 2
Cobblestones: 0
Expect a straight forward race. The original profile had only 7 turns and was 100% sand. After some modification, the route now includes over 20 turns and even several climbs. The pancake flat profile was tuned with some man-made dunes, some small, but also one large: the Sultan Al Nahyan Dune, named after the crown-prince of Abu Dhabi.
The ground is still 100% sand, but it differs on some places. The sand at the finish is thicker and is easier to ride across than the sand at the beach side, which is deep and loose. Still, expect a powerhouse sand rider at the top of the table. after a more than decent showing in Ostrava, Shay Gormley is the man to beat on this terrain.
Expected Weather Conditions
Temperature: 17° C
Precipitation: Dry
Wind: 4 Beaufort
There's little time to talk. Vague has taken a look on the course, he gets stopped by various reporters but in the end, he only holds for a belgian one, he came to appreciate during his travels. But even for him, only a quick chat is possible since a seemingly nervous but still confident Vague has some sand he has to get used to.
Francis, a showdown looms upon us. Nervous?
Of course, but that's a good thing. It means that I'll be focused and ready when the race starts. This is where it counts now. I took a proper week of rest, hardly any training. The form is there, the legs feel fine. Just enough training to keep the form. I feel fresh.
It's a unique course that's waiting for you, a true marvel of a challenge. All Sand, No Fun for you?
You could say that, I hope it won't turn into quicksand. It'll be a difficult race for all of us. Some might handle it better, some worse. In the end, I think every rider will have problems. We will have to know when to dismount and ride with very little pressure in our tires. The only thing that matters for me is keep enough time onto Cook. Everything is else does not matter tomorrow.
Speaking of Cook, he will surely put on the pressure right from the start. Do you intend to follow or ride your own pace?
The important thing for me is to know that when I cross the finish line, that I gave everything I could, and even more than that. Cook is determined to get this trophy, but so am I. I'm still the leader and I plan to defend it. At the end of the day, I want to ride like a champion, not like a coward.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
Welcome to (Cyclo-Cross Through) The Scope, where we'll be looking into the Cyclo-Cross scene.
Today, we only ask questions, we don't answer them.
2014 - 2015 Season
The cyclo-cross season is nearing an end. We're at the end of January, so in about one month we say good bye to the sport for 8 months. With only a handful of races left (well, two hands full), let's take a look at the classifications, only weeks before they're all decided.
World Cup
The World Cup is a sure thing. Dries Cornelis will add another World Cup to his impressive palmares. The fight for place 2 will be exciting, as Eldfjallsson has come to threaten the Kiwi Hira.
Ranking
Name
Points
1
Dries Cornelis
213
2
Ronnie Hira
141
3
Hafthor Eldfjallsson
137
4
Sylvain Lipawsky
118
5
James Carlisle
113
6
Matt Mazzarelli
112
7
Gregory Bernard
107
8
Shay Gormley
97
9
Mikel Hammarling
94
10
Jack Smith
84
Superprestige
The Superprestige is all but fought. With another two races (in one weekend), anything could still happen. Elliot Cook is well on his way to win this trophy, but one off-day could ruin all that. Sylvain Lipawsky will take advantage of any small sign of weaknesses.
Ranking
Name
Points
1
Elliot Cook
89
2
Sylvain Lipawsky
88
3
Dries Cornelis
84
4
James Carlisle
78
5
Francis N. Vague
78
6
Matt Mazzarelli
67
7
Hafthor Eldfjallsson
50
8
Shay Gormley
39
9
Lachy Bauer
36
10
Tariq Faizullah
33
Coca-Cola Trophy
The Coca-Cola Trophy ends tomorrow. Only one more race and we'll have our first winner of this trophy. It seems to come down to a battle between Cook and Vague.
Ranking
Name
Time
1
Francis N. Vague
06h03'12"
2
Elliot Cook
+0h00'52"
3
Lachy Bauer
+0h01'38"
4
Dries Cornelis
+0h02'21"
5
Matt Mazzarelli
+0h03'14"
6
Sylvain Lipawsky
+0h03'35"
7
James Carlisle
+0h04'30"
8
Christian Schiltz
+0h06'10"
9
Arda Akdeniz
+0h06'46"
10
Nicky Van Drenthe
+0h09'27"
Podium Places
Let's also take the table of victories and podium places so far. With the World Championships close, let's see who's got the most chance, statistically, to win the Rainbow Jersey.
Name
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Dries Cornelis
6
4
1
Francis N. Vague
5
2
4
Elliot Cook
2
4
3
Sylvain Lipawsky
2
2
3
Hafthor Eldfjallsson
2
2
0
Shay Gormley
2
1
0
Rudy Verboven
2
0
1
Lachy Bauer
2
0
0
James Carlisle
1
1
2
Mikel Hammarling
1
0
4
Mustafa Moli
1
0
1
Thijs Van Lookeren
1
0
0
Robert Wells
1
0
0
Fred Markson
1
0
0
Matt Mazzarelli
0
3
1
Ali Acord
0
2
0
Tariq Faizullah
0
1
1
Ronnie Hira
0
1
1
Michael Bollinger
0
1
1
Max Power
0
1
0
Kimi Hakinnen
0
1
0
Jack Smith
0
1
0
Christian Schiltz
0
1
0
Andrew McLaughlin
0
1
0
Timi Kokkonen
0
0
1
Sven Welling
0
0
1
Josiah Bennett
0
0
1
Gregory Bernard
0
0
1
Farai Olujimi
0
0
1
Eddie Goldenberg
0
0
1
UCI Classification
And if the podium places aren't enough to work out the odds, we have the UCI Classification. Cornelis looks on course to win this classification. Matt Mazzarelli might try a final effort to finish 4th, his favorite spot!
Ranking
Rider
Points
1
Dries Cornelis
2388
2
Sylvain Lipawsky
1931
3
Elliot Cook
1884
4
James Carlisle
1734
5
Matt Mazzarelli
1633
6
Francis N. Vague
1479
7
Shay Gormley
1390
8
Hafthor Eldfjallsson
1369
9
Gregory Bernard
1099
10
Christian Schiltz
1000
10 Questions
With 10 races left in the season, we are left with 10 questions. At the end of the season, we'll know it all. At the moment, we don't know any of the answers just yet.
1. Who will become World Champion?
2. Who will win the Superprestige?
3. Will Vague withstand Cook for the Coca-Cola Trophy?
4. Will Matt Mazzarelli take that hard-fought-for victory, or end the season dry?
5. Who will end up on top of the head-count (number of victories?)
6. Will James Carlisle finally return to his early-season shape?
7. Will Blazej Dobransky retire at the end of the season?
8. Can the upcoming talents Schiltz and Faizullah handle the upcoming sand races?
9. How will Bakari handle the Arenberg Classic?
10. Will supertalents Eddie Golberg and Fred Markson ride the UCI World Championships with the Elite Men or will they fight out an epic battle in the U23 Championship?
Edited by Ian Butler on 26-03-2015 09:44
Don't know why people speculate about my future. I have stated that I want to race until 2018 to take part at the Olympic Games, hopefully. Contrary to popular belief, I am not getting too old for this.
Even if that stands on my banner.
I feel now fitter than in my roaring twenties. But back then, I was living like a spoiled brat. Training too little, paryting too hard after each win. Could have won more, yes. But now I am all ascetic, with what I eat and drink and how much sleep I get. Some may say I should start enjoying life, embrace retirement. But why would I retire from what I love the most?
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
As the sun sets over the Abu Dhabi skyline, a grinning Lachy Bauer makes his way into the Coca-Cola press tent to meet the awaiting journalists. The youthful looking Kiwi is shown towards a makeshift desk and takes a seat. Whilst a Coca-Cola PR man explains to the interviewers how things will run, the Wellingtonian checks his phone and his Hurricanes cap. The official's muttering to Bauer is dismissed with an 'all good bro' and a wink. As the Fonterra man picks up the mic and tests it the first journalist pipes up.
You go into tomorrow's race looking too far to touch the trophy, bust a very safe bet for the final podium spot. How are you going to handle the race from a tactical standpoint?
I'll be the first to say that I need to race against Dries Cornelis and not Franny or Cookie. He is very good on sand and could take a decent chunk of time on me, but I'll do everything I can to stay in third.
At Fonterra-Genesis you have one of the best sand teams in the world, in particular Michael Bollinger. You must be quietly confident with the talent around you?
Yeah I believe in these guys physically, Mikey is one of the best in his own right and Ronnie too, and now I definitely feel more confident myself now. But just as importantly we trust each other and we know we can get the job done. What's definitely nice is we all know the score this weekend, all in on the overall tomorrow and then on Sunday J and I fly to the Cauberg to start on-location prep and Michael and Ronnie show you what they got in Oman.
Which brings us to the Worlds themselves, and you are being tipped as a outside favorite and big top 5 contender. How do you feel now there I just under a week to go until the big day?
Yeah no cobbles no sand is music to my ears and I am confident enough to handle any technicalities they throw at me. Top 5 is the goal, it may be a challenge but that's exactly what we all need, I can't wait to get into it, I'm chomping at the bit already. One eye on Cornelis tomorrow, one eye on the Cauberg next week.
Your team-mate and friend Tanē Tarawhira has been in hospital for a while after his gruesome crash a few weeks ago in Sweden, can you give us an update on his condition?
Yeah he's stable now, almost out of hospital and definitely doing ok. Slowly but surely, it's all about heading back to Northland and starting the long recovery now.
After a few more questions the journalists are out of steam and Bauer slips away into the night to rest up for the big day, throwing his Coke can into the nearest bin.
Here we are, it's hard to believe. The season is nearing an end, as we finish our first classification today. The Coca-Cola Trophy shall have its very first winner in about an hour from now. We will see a race within the race with only 52 seconds between Vague and Cook. A sizeable gap, but with the terrain in Cook's favour, a turn around is not improbable.
Weather Conditions
Temperature: 16° C
Precipitation: Dry
Wind: 4 Beaufort
Start Line: Lots of nervous faces. A man inside a giant Coca-Cola can will give the start shot to this race. Sheiks, Coca-Cola and cyclo-cross. You can say what you want, but we live in interesting and diverse times!
The wind is blowing hard today, that might come into play. We don't expect a lot of tactics today, this is a course on strength. Power will take the upper hand over smarts today. The biggest favorite for today's course, Shay Gormley, is fortunate to have both.
Sylvain Lipawsky isn't here today. With Mazzarelli not being the best sand rider, he could've had the chance to move up to a fifth position in the Coca-Cola Trophy. There has been a lot of criticism on Lipawsky for not being here today, but in the end, that's his choice. Let's take a look at the top 10 before our final race, what is possible?
1
Francis N. Vague
06h03'12"
2
Elliot Cook
+0h00'52"
3
Lachy Bauer
+0h01'38"
4
Dries Cornelis
+0h02'21"
5
Matt Mazzarelli
+0h03'14"
6
Sylvain Lipawsky
+0h03'35"
7
James Carlisle
+0h04'30"
8
Christian Schiltz
+0h06'10"
9
Arda Akdeniz
+0h06'46"
10
Nicky Van Drenthe
+0h09'27"
The Coca-Cola-can man is moving to the finish line. It'll be a slow start through this sand. Rather them than me, jumping on the bike in this sand.
Lap 1: And we're off for the final hour of Coca-Cola this season! It's been a beautiful trophy and we hope to see it return next season. Max Power blasts his way through the sand here, what a powerful start! Elliot Cook sees an opportunity to hurt Vague early on and moves with him.
They immediately take about 10 meters on the rest of the pack, wow! Vague is in around 25th position, not the best start. But in this sand, it's understandable. He'll have to go through a wall to keep the trophy today. I think it'll be the hardest hour of his season.
Dries Cornelis is having a tough time, too. But he'll pull through. He has a reputation in the sand of being a slow starter, but near the end there is nobody who ploughs through it better than him, when he finally gets under steam. Still, last couple of years he's lost a bit of his touch in the sand.
And there is Gormley, he appears at the front of the chasing group. Power and Cook are already 7 seconds ahead.
Oh and now they have their noses right in the wind. Cook manages to ride 10 meters, but you won't get any further in this deep sand with this wind head on. They'll have to dismount and run this 230 m stretch. Don't underestimate this! It'll change the race. A 230 run through the deep sand with bikes on their backs, and that for 10 or 11 laps. That's more than 2 kilometers in total.
Lap 2: Power crosses the line first, with Cook on his wheel. They have 7 seconds on the first chasing group. We'll only have 9 laps, that shows how slow this first round has been.
Amadou Bakari already has enough of this. With this wind, you constantly get sand in your face. He pulls over and forfeits.
And Gormley is riding hard and has destroyed the chasing group. Only Bollinger managed to hang on, a strong performance from the Australian. He's really grown this season and looks ready for a powerful performance today.
We try to find Vague. He's moved up a few places and is now in 20th position. He's 19 seconds down on Cook, though. Will this turn into a slaughter? Where is Bauer?
Bauer is in the second chasing group. He's keeping a close watch on Cornelis, who can threaten his podium spot in the Trophy.
Meanwhile, his team mate Bollinger is up there with Gormley. He can play the team card for now and let Gormley do the work. Gormley, the only rider in a one-rider team, could really use a team mate next season.
Lap 3: And now Bollinger and Gormley have caught Cook and Power. The four seem to work together well. Cook is trying to win the Trophy here. Power, Bollinger and Gormley will want to ride for the victory of the day.
Bollinger's relays are short, though. He's caught between personal glory and Bauer's podium place. Though with Cornelis behind, he shouldn't have to worry about that all too much, go for it, kid!
And now Vague has fought his way to the front of what is left of the peloton. With no rider ahead of him, he might do better, choosing his own trajectory. We measure 21 seconds behind Elliot Cook.
Let the games begin!
Lap 4: We miss some regulars at the front of the race. The likes of Mazzarelli or Eldfjallsson don't seem cut out for a race heavy on sand like this. They're riding a unanimous race here.
Vague has reached the 230 run. He seems to win back some seconds here. Cook is not the best runner, that much is known. Power, Bollinger and Gormley don't impress off the bike, either. This plays to Vague's advantage.
And there is Sven Welling! Vague will be happy to see him. Welling puts himself in front of his team mate and rides hard.
The gap to the four leaders is 23 seconds. Vague's last two laps were much better than his first two. Cook needs a minute to win the trophy.
Welling seems to be keeping the gap level. Status quo as we head into the fifth lap. There are still five laps to complete, so everything is wide open. We see an annoyed Cook, though. The front group is not working as well together anymore. Bollinger is playing the team card too much and isn't riding. Gormley and Power couldn't care less about the classification and are playing mind games already. So we see Cook taking the lead and keeping the pace high.
Ouch and Matt Mazzarelli goes down frontally in the sand. He gets up and spits out a lot of sand. Doesn't look like he hurt himself, but it's not the best way to defend his classification. Don't forget that Mazzarelli is fifth in the Trophy.
Lap 6: And now Welling disappears from the front lines. Vague is on his own. He seems to be growing more confident, though. He's now 26 seconds behind, but at this moment, the Trophy is still his.
And Elliot Cook must've heard us. He accelerates at the front! From the saddle he makes a way throug the sand. Bollinger and Gormley are biting down hard to keep up. Power looks more confident, he seems made for riding on the sand. It's almost as if he created this course!
Lap 7: Cook's acceleration has split the field even further. But the four leaders remain together. The others have stopped relaying, though. Cook needs as many seconds as possible for the Trophy, and they know that. So now it's a waiting game for them.
Cook seems untroubled and keeps the pace high. We head into the 230m run again. At this point, Vague can always see Cook in the distance. It must give him motivation!
Oh and Cornelis tries to shake loose Bauer now! He moves away from the Kiwi!
Oh and is Vague cracking now? He tumbles and kneels in the sand. He has no choice but to keep going, though. You can see he's suffering, and the seconds are ticking away mercilessly.
Lap 8: Only two laps remain! Let's hit chrono, again!
Vague is losing time fast, now. Is this where the Coca-Cola Trophy is decided? Cook has 2 laps left to take another 10 seconds and then he can lift the Trophy! On this course, you can lose a lot of time once you crack!
Vague changes bikes, looks like he has opted for different tires now.
Cook's head is almost between his legs. What an effort by the Brit!
What's happening now? Something must be wrong with the transponders... No, it's no mistake. Vague has found a second breath and has taken back 2 seconds. This is top class, top class! We see him on camera, now, running through the sand. Never give up, that's his mantra!
Lap 9: Bauer is keeping the gap to Cornelis limited. Cornelis needs 40 seconds to get on the podium, so that won't be happening today. Bauer will finish third in this Trophy. But places 1 and 2 are still wide open!
Cook continues to give it all. But he, too, is showing signs of fatigue! And Power senses that, he moves onto the attack! Bollinger and Gormley answer the attack and go with the American.
Vague is keeping the gap status quo at 40 seconds. Those different tires must've given him wings! He still has 12 seconds to spare and one lap to ride. The Trophy is within reach, but he mustn't crack now!
And there is the final 500m straight! It's all sand, so we'll have a strange, slow and hard sprint. Power goes from far, he rushes through the sand! Bollinger has his wheel. Gormley is in third!
And now Cook enters the final 500m. He'll finish fourth, but more important are the seconds!
Power is losing speed, only 50 meters left now.
And Bollinger overtakes him! Bollinger takes a length, two, three, what a sprint!
Michael Bollinger wins his first professional race in Abu Dhabi with a formidable sprint in the sand! Power crosses the line second, he lost 2 seconds in those last 50 meters! Gormley is third.
Cook is fourth and is 7 seconds behind Bollinger. So to win the Trophy, Vague needs to finish a minute behind the winner.
Alinejad wins the sprint of Sow and Cornelis, 26 seconds down.
There are Bauer and Acord. 31 seconds.
Van Lookeren and Sow, 34 seconds.
And there is Francis Vague! He crosses the line... 40 seconds. That means he wins the Trophy! Francis Vague wins the Coca-Cola Trophy ahead of Elliot Cook and Lachy Bauer! He raises one fist. He tries to get off the bike now but he can't lift his leg high enough and falls down. He's completely wasted!
What a thriller this Trophy has been, to the very end. We thank the riders for the seven beautiful races, we thank Coca-Cola for their great organisation and we thank you for watching. See you tomorrow for the World Cup race!
After the winning ceremony for Bollinger, Vague and the two runner-ups were welcomed on the stage. In a fine ceremony, which at times resembled more a corporate event marketing gig, Vague got flowers, the trophy and some applause from the Dubai cross fans. However, with belgian fans missing out on the race and Vague's on fanclub stuck at the airport, it was a bit of an awkward final. Vague didn't look like it mattered much. His head just cooled off, yet still only barely looking proper after an intense race that had demanded everything from him.
Congratulations Francis. Your first thoughts after the finish line?
"Thank God I've made it." It was a deep sandy hole that dragged me one level deeper in each lap. I've fought hard but I also wanted to do it in proper manner. There would have been no point in chasing Cook for half the race, just to bonk afterwards. I think I've done it as good as possible. I need to become better for the sandy terrain, but I can worry about that in the off-season.
Time for celebrations?
A little maybe, but not much. Of course I will rest now for this week and recon the Cauberg. The World Championships are my big target this season, and the win of the Coca-Cola trophy a mere week before is a huge boost for my confidence. Today was a huge energy drain, I need to recover properly.
Walk us through the race, will you?
I don't know how much of the race panned out. From the start, I really had a narrow view. There was me riding, and then there was Cook dashing off. He was a little guy in the back of my mind, always urging me to go faster. It was good when I had some space to ride my own race and neither be stopped nor challenged by other riders. Sven did help me greatly. There was some real strong headwind and that really helped me to save some energy and recover even a bit. In the last two or three laps, I wanted to really push for this thing. I did not want to go down. At least I had the obligation to make it a thrilling race. Of course I had to risk it, otherwise I would have lost it anyway. My coach shouted from the sideline that I was losing the trophy. With a new bike, I got a bit of a second wind really. In the last two laps I was really deep in the red zone. I sorta even was missing the energy to fall down, after the finish line [laughs]
Cook really went all-out today. Similiar to your racing in FujiCross and Lviv.
Yeah, it didn't make it easy for anybody today. Especially me of course. He's a great rival. One that demands of you to be in best shape to perform. I think the Coca-Cola organization was really happy with how the competition panned out in the last few races. For them of course it doesn't matter who wins, but it's important that it's thrilling from the start in New Zealand till the Finish in Dubai. And it's certainly has been a great ride from here to there and all around the globe.
This is your first overall win. Your the first winner of the Coca-Cola Trophy. Something special for both, you and the race organization?
Yeah, the first win of a competition is always special. It's an excellent feeling. Coca-Cola have put up a huge competition here, that is really entertaining to all involved. It's maybe a bit of a pathway for the future. One that Cyclo-Cross can follow. I'm proud and happy to be the first winner of it. It's certainly been a fantastic premiere. For me, it's hopefully the first stepstone to a great future and fantstic palmares, a new dawn.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
Well that is that, Coca Cola have got their poster boy and well I have to settle for not quite good enough here. Hats off to Franny who won it for me when I was slightly off over in Japan. Been a great little comp and for me has seen me and Lachy Bauer emerge as new breed challenging the Flemish old boys club.
I'll be honest though it was a thrilling race and if I had any allies in the lead group I could have stolen it off of Franny. I am absolutely set to give Cross a really good go next year and I will be looking to dominate in the shyte. Franny is vunerable here and I don't think the other three wheelsuckers who were with me have much improvement in them. I know that I need to work hard on my running for these types of races - I can ride in some deep shyte but not when is is really fine.
Franny is going to be short odds in the world and if Belgium get behind him then he will be unstoppable. I am going to give it a go - not really that motivated by it but the guys in the paddock say it really is the ONE race every year that the world watches. Besides the atmosphere will be electric and team sponsers will be aorund in the VIP tents. I need to get myself cosy with a better team - I will give my team credit this year they have given ole Cookie monster a chance but I need teammates at times. Just imagine if I had a shyte flea up with me in Abu Dhabi.
Going to nip off to Oman - may well be a low key race. The gutless ones will skip it for sure to get over and try and pick up some groupies at the worlds. Franny should finally be in luck I think, he should have loads of dosh to splash around no doubt some gold digger will get their paws into him.
I have had some contact with some of the sheikhs here who may be interested in sponsoring a team - I was pretty clear though I am not carrying some johnny come lately prince who fancies a fun ride in the cross events. We already have seen the return of one class clown in that thong wearing pimp Bakari. Don't need another.
And the day will live forever. What a race, what a trophy, what a team. The entire hour, from Ronnie gassing it to launch us, to Michael's games (I had to shout at him that I'll be fine) to him crossing the line in disbelief, and me holding Dries to five seconds. But the icing on top was when Ronnie dragged himself through in 30th, last out of those brave souls who finished, glanced at the timeboard and punched the air, his trademark grimace turned into a grin of delight.
The celebration only included a few cokes (shut up), we resisted alcohol (looking at Matti and Rudy), with me and J flying out tomorrow morning and Michael raring for a double tomorrow, Ronnie by his side.
Until the Cauberg,
Lachy
Edited by jandal7 on 22-03-2015 18:09
Welcome in Oman. After the success that is the Tour of Oman, the sheiks have decided to throw in a Cyclo-Cross race as well. As part of the World Cup, the course had to be more than just sand, contrary to the one in the United Arab Emirates.
And so we have arrived at a new race, the final race before the World Championships. The final race before the Worlds is always a strange race. Almost half the favorites for the Worlds are usually absent, half bluffing and playing hide and seek and a minority trying to get one more big showing and tank some confidence before the Worlds.
Usually, the latter wins the race, but more often the winner of the World Championships can be found in the former categories. Looking at the statistics, the chance of winning the race before the Worlds and taking the Rainboy Jersey the following weekend speaks for itself: out of the 65 World Champions, only 7 had won the race leading up to the Worlds.
Race Information
Country: Oman
City/Place: Suhar
Classification: World Cup
Starting Time (Elite Men): 21h
Favorites: Shay Gormley, Michael Bollinger, Dries Cornelis, Elliot Cook.
Record: New
Race History: The Sahur Sand Castle Race is a new one. Its profile is more interesting than its counterpart in the Coca-Cola Trophy. As part of the World Cup, it offers 150 UCI points for the winner, so the battle for the best starting position in the World Championships is on!
Route Information
Technical: 5
Sand: 3
Uphill: 2
Cobblestones: 2
Sahur features some sand, as it's raced next to and on the beach. But Sahur is so much more than that. There are many climbs along the way, both man-made and natural. Add uncountable twists and turns, two jumping bars and even a passage between some rocks and you've got the route for tomorrow's race. The entire lap will be beautifully lit by artificial lighting, in the colors white, red and green.
The race is hard to predict, but to win, you'll need to be able to handle your bike well on lots of different terrain. Technicality is a must, riding through sand is required and acceleration is a plus.
The final 300m offer a nice tarmac road for those who want to contest the race in a sprint.
Expected Weather Conditions
Temperature: 18° C
Precipitation: Clear
Wind: 2 Beaufort
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. This is the Suhar Sand Castle Race, the final race before the World Championships. This is all about form and bluffing, but there are lots of UCI points at stake, and everyone wants to start in pole position next week.
Weather Conditions
Temperature: 18° C
Precipitation: Clear
Wind: 2 Beaufort
Start Line: Lots of favorites are not here, we're thinking Vague and Lipawsky. They've decided to skip today's race and head to Valkenburg early.
Lap 1: And we're off to a flying start, with Eldfjallsson putting the pace on immediately. But the start line is short and the riders head into the first corner. A very technical profile, the riders will twist and turn constantly today.
And there we see Max Power. He's lacking real skill on the bike, but is making up for it through his power, at the moment.
Lap 2: We'll have 8 laps today. Michael Bollinger, Shay Gormley and Elliot Cook have made the jump forward and it seems like we're watching a rerun of yesterday's race, with the same four riders at the front!
But this time, there are different things at play. Gormley seems nervous, has he set his eyes on the World Championships? The course is for climbers, he's anything but. Still, he can use his power to get up the climb. Talent like him always finds his way to the front, somehow.
Lap 3: Gormley, Cook, Bollinger and Power are the four strongest in the race today, without a doubt. Their advantage clocks at 17 seconds already.
Power is struggling, now. The technicality of the race is costing him too much energy. He's still hanging on, though.
Welling, Cornelis and Faizullah have teamed up in the chase, now. And even further down, we see Mazzarelli, Schiltz and Alinejad. Remember some of those names for the Worlds next week. I expect Schiltz to fight for a top 10 place there. Mazzarelli is always good for a podium, or at least right next to the podium. But I have a feeling he'll put up a good show in Valkenburg!
Lap 4: Power has dropped out of the lead group now, where Gormley is keeping the pace very high. He's trying to break his companions with a constant, high pace. Cook doesn't seem to bothered, though. Bollinger is still in heaven after his formidable victory yesterday.
Power is 3 seconds behind the front group. He bends but he doesn't break!
Lap 5: Gormley is like a steam train. He powers on through. Bollinger and Cook let it happen. Their advantage to Welling, Cornelis and Faizullah is up to 33 seconds. Max Power has disappeared from the front completely after a broken chain 400 meters from the technical area.
Lap 6: Alinejad breaks loose from Mazzarelli and Schiltz now, impressive! He's been up-and-coming these last few weeks. What does that learn us for next week?
Lap 7: The one-but-last lap. Still no attacks at the front, a very special race so far.
Lap 8: And then, it happens! Elliot Cook decides he has enough of his companions, he accelerates from the saddle on a mild slope. Gormley and Bollinger step on the pedals, but Cook is riding 3 kph faster! Amazing attack by Cook!
And it suffices, he's nearing the finish line. A third victory and with this he puts his name right up there with Francis Vague's as top favorites for the World Title next week in Valkenburg!
Bollinger was close to a perfect weekend and finishes 2nd, Gormley 3rd. Further in the top 10 we find Faizullah, Welling, Cornelis, Alinejad, Mazzarelli, Schiltz and Verboven.
Thanks for being with us, see you next week for the World Championships!
With a decent 5th place at Suhar Sand Castle Race, Sven Welling has confirmed his status for BKCP - Powerplus Team once more. But even more importantly, with his current form, his selection for the Belgium World Championships is basically a given.
"I've had some worries but I don't think that the National Coach looks past me like he did in past years", explained Welling. The routinier missed four World Championships due to injuries or lack of form in the past five years. "It's time to change that for good." Blessed with surprisingily little to no injuries, Welling might be in for a second spring, however he admits that the legs as of old injuries still hurt at times.
"I like riding in this terrain, it's tricky but very satisfying when you master it", is his explanation for the solid 5th place in Suhar. "Cook was very strong today, I couldn't hold wheels to the front group." In regards to what this means for the World Championships: "Cook's form seems to be right but the course is drastically different in Valkenburg. I outsprinted Dries in the finish but I don't think he went all in this race, he looked very calm."
Welling is also within the Top 10 of the World Cup by now. Thanks to some consistent scoring he might be in for a great overall result. "Of course I want to stay in there. It shows my consistency and I'm proud of that. There are two races still left, I'll be fighting hard to keep in there."
Edited by Shonak on 25-03-2015 08:27
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
Exactly one week before the World Championships, the UCI have revealed the final Start List. National Team Managers have submitted their list yesterday at the latest.
Some remarkable names on the list:
Francis N. Vague is listed as Belgium's leader. But Belgium is known for riding against each other. With a new National Coach, perhaps the unity is restored? Will Dries Cornelis work for Vague if he gets the chance? Or vice versa? We'll have to find out.
Elliot Cook has been selected. There was no way around him anymore, though the National Coach tried his best. But given his results this season, Cook is starting as Great Britain's leader. The bad relations with the coach and his fellow countrymen may bring problems, however.
Matt Mazzarelli brings two domestiques to the World Champs for Italy: familiar face Mario Guido and winner of two U23 races this season Ricardo Vieto.
The United States leave Max Power at home and bring the two U23 stars Fred Markson and Eddie Golberg. This leaves a chance for many riders in the U23 to win their World Title.
Here is the full list of riders for the upcoming 66th edition of the World Championships:
Welcome in Valkenburg, the Netherlands. We are here for the 66th Edition of the World Championships, the single biggest race of the season. Valkenburg has a rich tradition in cyclo-cross and this is the third time that Valkenburg hosts the World Championships. In 1965, Joop Uyttenhove conquered his first of two World Champion titles here. In 1992, the famous Pieter Gasthuys took his sixth World Champion title with a sprint on the slopes of the Cauberg.
For the first time in decades, the Dutch miss a top favorite for this event. The past season has been dramatic for the Netherlands. With the retirement of their star rider, a new star has yet to stand up. Maybe he will arise on the day that it truly matters?
Race Information
Country: The Netherlands
City/Place: Valkenburg (Cauberg)
Classification: World Championships
Starting Time (Elite Men): 15h
Favorites: Francis N. Vague, Elliot Cook, Matt Mazzarelli, Sylvain Lipawsky, Lachy Bauer, Dries Cornelis
Record: 7x Pieter Gasthuys (1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1996)
Race History: The World Championships were first held in 1950, where Marcel Peters ensured Belgium took the first edition. The striped-jersey is the most wanted jersey in the world, and only a few riders have the honor of wearing it in their careers. Dries Cornelis was the last winner, in 2014, and is here to try and add another year to his term. Pieter Gasthuys, cyclo-cross legend, holds the absolute record with 7 victories. It is yet to be seen that someone will ever break that record.
Route Information
Technical: 4
Sand: 0
Uphill: 5
Cobblestones: 0
The profile is much suited to the uphill riders. The Cauberg is the main event, though it won't be climbed completely. The riders turn into the field halfway, for a dangerous and tricky downhill. It is expected the riders will ride 8 laps, which means the (part) Cauberg will be climbed a total amount of 8 times. After the downhill, there is a section for the powerhouse riders. Straight forward, with their noses in the wind. Having a team mate can help you here. If you're riding solo, this sap all your strenghts. A solo victory from the start seems unlikely this year.
After the straight sections through the fields, we head into a more technical area. The woods offer many twists and turns, as well as some dangerously placed trees you should avoid. There are more bumps in the road, as well as two bridges.
After the passage through the woods, the riders find themselves in a field again. The ground is much more muddy here, though. With some rain, this could turn into a real mud festival. There is a stair to be climbed, as well as one very tricky muddy climb, which is only 3 meters long, but also 3 meters high, which means most riders will have to dismount.
Coming out of the field, the riders have to take two jumping bars, set at 37,5 cm. A height enough to scare the rookies. The specialists will take the jump flawlessly. The question is, what will the mediocre jumpers do? Take the risk, or risk losing time?
After the jumping bars, we get into the final 400 meters. There is another 100 meters of ploughing through the dirt, along with 2 U-turns. After that, we turn onto harder terrain, with a sharp bend breaking in the true finale: A 200m sprint on the slopes of the Cauberg. The finish line is placed on 200 meters, which means the percentages go up to 4%. Not too steep, but for a sprint after such a race on cyclo-cross bikes, it'll be hard enough. Timing is off the essence, here!
Not much of note of late. Just cracking onwards in my racing. The Worlds will be fun if not a great result. Perhaps us Odjfell guys can team up to do something seeing how good we usually are as a team? After the Worlds i don't really have any races to target that hard either. Time to wind down a bit.
TDF
So my season has finished! I gave absolutely everything i had in Abu Dhabi but there was just a better rider out there in the end. That run section was probably the deciding factor, losing time and meters i then had to burn more energy to get back. Bahrain was runined by a mechanical but the course was far too technical for me by then anyway.
I'm heading home after watching the Worlds from the course itself. US TV has asked me to bea guest pundit which i said yes to alongside other media obligations around the event. Can't wait to get back to Texas and relax for a couple of months. Not too long though because i really to get practicing on the CX specific skills like jumping and running.
No news on a contract yet but i've been talking with a few teams and something will definately happen so i will be back next season a lot stronger and a lot better.
Welcome to the 2nd edition of The Scope. It's the most exciting time of the year, as the World Championships are just around the corner! Everywhere on the internet, we see lists of top tens. We can speculate all we want, we'll only find out on Saturday and Sunday.
But let's, by all means, speculate all we want.
World Championships - Women
Let us begin with the race on Saturday. The women battle on the exact same lap as the man, only with fewer laps. We could see a surprise but Polish Ada Marlow has been unbeatable this year. The 23 year old won 18 races out of the 19 races she started in. She can practically do anything, and that includes a top sprint. Another decent bet would be the French Christiane Dufort. A two time World Champion, her season was filled with bad luck and injuries, but her last two races seemed better and last week she was the first one to beat Marlow this season.
Christiane Dufort Ada Marlow
Marianne Van Distel Ljuba Vanek Kiyoko Sato
Lieve Van Amstel Els Decruynaere Laura Severijns Stella Woods Ella De Roy
The race is live on Eurosport 2 at 14h, GMT +1 time, Saturday.
World Championships - U23
Onto the next category. The U23 men will fight on the same day as the Elite, albeit a few hours earlier. But, as usual, it will be an interesting race to watch the development of the weather. The pros will look with great interest to this race in order to rightly choose their tires and tactics.
Stan Van Overberghe Peter Christianson Thomas Devriendt Pieter Van Dyck Jan Souçek
The race is live on Eurosport 2 at 12h30, GMT +1 time, Sunday.
World Championships - Elite Men
The main event is, of course, the Elite Men World Championships. A Dutch rider winning the Rainbow Jersey on the Cauberg seems unlikely this year, but there are plenty of other nations more than ready to take the jersey home.
Belgium has come with the strongest line-up by far. With wonderkid Vague and outgoing World Champion Cornelis, they have two absolute killers on board. Rudy Verboven seems a dark horse, easy to forget but when you find him on your wheel in the final lap, it's over.
The biggest rivals of the Belgium team are Elliot Cook, who should enjoy the full support of Great Britain. Whether that will be the case, we shall see. Matt Mazzarelli has yet to win his first professional race, but everyone knows it's just around the corner. It's never happened before that a rider wins his first professional victory in the World Championships, but Mazzarelli is no ordinary man.
Sylvain Lipawsky is a consistent rider, and is definitely a good bet for the podium. Winning here will be hard for him, with the amount of climbing. Lastly, the name Hafthor Eldfjallsson is appearing on several lists as a decent outsider. The Icelandic rider has beaten Vague in the Continental Championships and is renown for his flying start.
Luxembourg has two strong uphill riders with Bernard and Schiltz, but will their rivalry stand in the way of riding a good result? It has happened before.
Lastly, don't forget the formation from New-Zealand. They didn't come here as tourists and have a good team surrounding Lachy Bauer and Josiah Bennett. They don't back down from playing the game hard and are a force to be reckoned with.
Francis N. Vague Elliot Cook
Matt Mazzarelli Dries Cornelis Lachy Bauer
Hafthor Eldfjallsson Sylvain Lipawsky Gregory Bernard Christian Schiltz Rudy Verboven Tariq Faizullah Josiah Bennett
The race is live on Eurosport 1 at 15h, GMT +1 time, Sunday. The broadcast starts at 14h15, with summaries of the U23 race, the Women race and a preview in the studio with Jack Smith, retired cyclist.
Favorites & Their Races
So let's take a look at some of the favorites and their finishes this season.
Francis N. Vague
Spoiler
Duinencross
12th
Blaarmeersen
1st
Great Hertford Classic
22nd
Hobart Sunny Classic
9th
Melbourne Beach Race
3rd
Tekapocross
3rd
New York
5th
Seattle
1st
Portland CX
No Result
Lancaster Challenge
3rd
Anfotagasta
11th
Rio Cross Challenge
16th
Lisbon
Injured
Bristol
Injured
Lee Valley
Injured
ExCel Center Circuit
Injured
Aosta Valley
3rd
Rasterhoff
1st
Christmas Classic
No Result
FujiCross
2nd
Shanghai
No Result
Continental Championships
2nd
Torku
No Result
Hagfors Cross
1st
Lviv
1st
Ostrava Circuit
7th
Abu Dhabi Sand Circuit
12th
Suhar Sand Castle Race
No Result
Elliot Cook
Spoiler
Duinencross
11th
Blaarmeersen
2nd
Great Hertford Classic
33th
Hobart Sunny Classic
5th
Melbourne Beach Race
7th
Tekapocross
2nd
New York
14th
Seattle
3rd
Portland CX
No Result
Lancaster Challenge
2nd
Anfotagasta
6th
Rio Cross Challenge
3th
Lisbon
3rd
Bristol
12th
Lee Valley
1st
ExCel Center Circuit
38th
Aosta Valley
5th
Rasterhoff
6th
Christmas Classic
1st
FujiCross
5th
Shanghai
16th
Continental Championships
7th
Torku
No Result
Hagfors Cross
2nd
Lviv
5th
Ostrava Circuit
9th
Abu Dhabi Sand Circuit
4th
Suhar Sand Castle Race
1st
Cook has more races under his belt than Vague. Vague is, of course, younger than Cook, so that might explain the difference in race days. Cook has got a win in his last race, so he'll have the confidence. Plus, he's almost always been the better rider uphill during the season. Vague does have the technicality to hurt Cook, so we should see an interesting battle. The jumping bars might prove decisive, and we know who's got the upper hand there. Another interesting observation is that Cook has never won with Vague at the start line. Vague always manages to sneak up at him in some way.
Or, put next to each other:
Race
Francis N. Vague
Elliot Cook
Duinencross
12th
11th
Blaarmeersen
1st
2nd
Great Hertford Classic
22nd
33th
Hobart Sunny Classic
9th
5th
Melbourne Beach Race
3rd
7th
Tekapocross
3rd
2nd
New York
5th
14th
Seattle
1st
3rd
Portland CX
No Result
No Result
Lancaster Challenge
3rd
2nd
Anfotagasta
11th
6th
Rio Cross Challenge
16th
3th
Lisbon
Injured
3rd
Bristol
Injured
12th
Lee Valley
Injured
1st
ExCel Center Circuit
Injured
38th
Aosta Valley
3rd
5th
Rasterhoff
1st
6th
Christmas Classic
No Result
1st
FujiCross
2nd
5th
Shanghai
No Result
16th
Continental Championships
2nd
7th
Torku
No Result
No Result
Hagfors Cross
1st
2nd
Lviv
1st
5th
Ostrava Circuit
7th
9th
Abu Dhabi Sand Circuit
12th
4th
Suhar Sand Castle Race
No Result
1st
Matt Mazzarelli
Spoiler
Duinencross
6th
Blaarmeersen
4th
Great Hertford Classic
No Result
Hobart Sunny Classic
7th
Melbourne Beach Race
No Result
Tekapocross
10th
New York
8th
Seattle
2nd
Portland CX
4th
Lancaster Challenge
4th
Anfotagasta
2nd
Rio Cross Challenge
17th
Lisbon
7th
Bristol
14th
Lee Valley
6th
ExCel Center Circuit
6th
Aosta Valley
2nd
Rasterhoff
No Result
Christmas Classic
15th
FujiCross
6th
Shanghai
10th
Continental Championships
17th
Torku
20th
Hagfors Cross
3rd
Lviv
13th
Ostrava Circuit
13th
Abu Dhabi Sand Circuit
25th
Suhar Sand Castle Race
8th
Dries Cornelis
Spoiler
Duinencross
2nd
Blaarmeersen
12th
Great Hertford Classic
8th
Hobart Sunny Classic
1st
Melbourne Beach Race
1st
Tekapocross
8th
New York
2nd
Seattle
9th
Portland CX
1st
Lancaster Challenge
7th
Anfotagasta
3rd
Rio Cross Challenge
6th
Lisbon
1st
Bristol
9th
Lee Valley
8th
ExCel Center Circuit
1st
Aosta Valley
8th
Rasterhoff
7th
Christmas Classic
2nd
FujiCross
8th
Shanghai
20th
Continental Championships
4th
Torku
16th
Hagfors Cross
6th
Lviv
2nd
Ostrava Circuit
1st
Abu Dhabi Sand Circuit
7th
Suhar Sand Castle Race
6th
Lachy Bauer
Spoiler
Duinencross
No Result
Blaarmeersen
8th
Great Hertford Classic
28th
Hobart Sunny Classic
21th
Melbourne Beach Race
35th
Tekapocross
4th
New York
33th
Seattle
6th
Portland CX
16th
Lancaster Challenge
6th
Anfotagasta
21th
Rio Cross Challenge
8th
Lisbon
9th
Bristol
27th
Lee Valley
No Result
ExCel Center Circuit
13th
Aosta Valley
6th
Rasterhoff
No Result
Christmas Classic
No Result
FujiCross
1st
Shanghai
8th
Continental Championships
1st
Torku
No Result
Hagfors Cross
5th
Lviv
12th
Ostrava Circuit
21th
Abu Dhabi Sand Circuit
8th
Suhar Sand Castle Race
No Result
We see some interesting things here. Cornelis is extremely consistent and Mazzarelli, too, albeit a bit further down mostly. Bauer is a man who peaks for some races. So he's more of a question mark for the Worlds, but he can come close, very close, if he has his mind set on it.
Or, put next to each other:
Race
Matt Mazzarelli
Dries Cornelis
Lachy Bauer
Duinencross
6th
2nd
No Result
Blaarmeersen
4th
12th
8th
Great Hertford Classic
No Result
8th
28th
Hobart Sunny Classic
7th
1st
21th
Melbourne Beach Race
No Result
1st
35th
Tekapocross
10th
8th
4th
New York
8th
2nd
33th
Seattle
2nd
9th
6th
Portland CX
4th
1st
16th
Lancaster Challenge
4th
7th
6th
Anfotagasta
2nd
3rd
21th
Rio Cross Challenge
17th
6th
8th
Lisbon
7th
1st
9th
Bristol
14th
9th
27th
Lee Valley
6th
8th
No Result
ExCel Center Circuit
6th
1st
13th
Aosta Valley
2nd
8th
6th
Rasterhoff
No Result
7th
No Result
Christmas Classic
15th
2nd
No Result
FujiCross
6th
8th
1st
Shanghai
10th
20th
8th
Continental Championships
17th
4th
1st
Torku
20th
16th
No Result
Hagfors Cross
3rd
6th
5th
Lviv
13th
2nd
12th
Ostrava Circuit
13th
1st
21th
Abu Dhabi Sand Circuit
25th
7th
8th
Suhar Sand Castle Race
8th
6th
No Result
Sylvain Lipawsky
Spoiler
Duinencross
3rd
Blaarmeersen
6th
Great Hertford Classic
No Result
Hobart Sunny Classic
10th
Melbourne Beach Race
10th
Tekapocross
15th
New York
1st
Seattle
4th
Portland CX
2nd
Lancaster Challenge
12th
Anfotagasta
12th
Rio Cross Challenge
14th
Lisbon
4th
Bristol
16th
Lee Valley
2nd
ExCel Center Circuit
4th
Aosta Valley
1st
Rasterhoff
8th
Christmas Classic
3rd
FujiCross
4th
Shanghai
12th
Continental Championships
10th
Torku
No Result
Hagfors Cross
4th
Lviv
8th
Ostrava Circuit
3rd
Abu Dhabi Sand Circuit
No Result
Suhar Sand Castle Race
No Result
Hafthor Eldfjallsson
Spoiler
Duinencross
No Result
Blaarmeersen
34th
Great Hertford Classic
18th
Hobart Sunny Classic
39th
Melbourne Beach Race
39th
Tekapocross
43th
New York
9th
Seattle
No Result
Portland CX
29th
Lancaster Challenge
15th
Anfotagasta
8th
Rio Cross Challenge
No Result
Lisbon
No Result
Bristol
1st
Lee Valley
7th
ExCel Center Circuit
5th
Aosta Valley
9th
Rasterhoff
2nd
Christmas Classic
10th
FujiCross
1th
Shanghai
7th
Continental Championships
1st
Torku
2nd
Hagfors Cross
7th
Lviv
4th
Ostrava Circuit
6th
Abu Dhabi Sand Circuit
22th
Suhar Sand Castle Race
15th
Christian Schiltz
Spoiler
Duinencross
26th
Blaarmeersen
24th
Great Hertford Classic
No Result
Hobart Sunny Classic
14th
Melbourne Beach Race
28th
Tekapocross
19th
New York
No Result
Seattle
14th
Portland CX
23th
Lancaster Challenge
No Result
Anfotagasta
No Result
Rio Cross Challenge
No Result
Lisbon
24th
Bristol
No Result
Lee Valley
17th
ExCel Center Circuit
8th
Aosta Valley
4th
Rasterhoff
24th
Christmas Classic
7th
FujiCross
7th
Shanghai
2nd
Continental Championships
No Result
Torku
5th
Hagfors Cross
18th
Lviv
No Result
Ostrava Circuit
4th
Abu Dhabi Sand Circuit
16th
Suhar Sand Castle Race
9th
Tariq Faizullah
Spoiler
Duinencross
27th
Blaarmeersen
35th
Great Hertford Classic
No Result
Hobart Sunny Classic
15th
Melbourne Beach Race
No Result
Tekapocross
No Result
New York
3rd
Seattle
30th
Portland CX
9th
Lancaster Challenge
27th
Anfotagasta
30th
Rio Cross Challenge
27th
Lisbon
39th
Bristol
28th
Lee Valley
No Result
ExCel Center Circuit
2nd
Aosta Valley
10th
Rasterhoff
11th
Christmas Classic
16th
FujiCross
19th
Shanghai
15th
Continental Championships
16th
Torku
21th
Hagfors Cross
No Result
Lviv
24th
Ostrava Circuit
8th
Abu Dhabi Sand Circuit
18th
Suhar Sand Castle Race
4th
Lipawsky has known some very fine races, but also drops out of the top 10 often. Eldfjallsson, on the other hand, has grown gradually this season and has really flourished during the hard winter. His last races in the sand were tough, but he did manage to finish on a decent spot, showing is excellent form. Perhaps Eldfjallsson is the man in form for the Worlds.
Schiltz and Faizullah have both grown, too, during this season. They are good riders and are sure bets for the future, but it might be too early for them to challenge for the victory. A top 5 does seem possible for both of them, maybe more so for Schiltz, though. Faizullah hasn't really challenged for the top places much, but the analysts all agree he's definitely one to watch!
Only one man out of the top 20 won't be starting here. Jack Smith has retired from the sport after an injury. So that means Timi Kokkonen will take the final place on start line 2. With Eldfjallsson on the front row, a fast and aggressive start seems guaranteed. Cornelis, not the fastest starter, will have to be careful to not miss his start!
Podium Places Season 2014 - 2015
Name
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Dries Cornelis
6
4
1
Francis N. Vague
5
2
4
Elliot Cook
3
4
3
Sylvain Lipawsky
2
2
3
Hafthor Eldfjallsson
2
2
0
Shay Gormley
2
1
2
Rudy Verboven
2
0
1
Lachy Bauer
2
0
0
Michael Bollinger
1
2
1
James Carlisle
1
1
2
Mikel Hammarling
1
0
4
Mustafa Moli
1
0
1
Thijs Van Lookeren
1
0
0
Robert Wells
1
0
0
Fred Markson
1
0
0
Matt Mazzarelli
0
3
1
Max Power
0
2
0
Ali Acord
0
2
0
Tariq Faizullah
0
1
1
Ronnie Hira
0
1
1
Kimi Hakinnen
0
1
0
Jack Smith
0
1
0
Christian Schiltz
0
1
0
Andrew McLaughlin
0
1
0
Timi Kokkonen
0
0
1
Sven Welling
0
0
1
Josiah Bennett
0
0
1
Gregory Bernard
0
0
1
Farai Olujimi
0
0
1
Eddie Goldenberg
0
0
1
Clash of Generations
Lastly, a small word on the age of the peloton. This season has been truly unforgettable to far. Never before have so many new professional riders made such an impact on the races. Truly only Dries Cornelis was able to resist the upcoming youth and still grab prizes. For others, the transition was very sudden.
This World Championship seems like the last chance for the old generation. Cornelis will want one last World Title, before finally handing things over to the youth. But it won't be easy.
We'll see you on Sunday!
The Scope
Edited by Ian Butler on 23-04-2015 10:23
With Through The Scope picking Vague as the World Champs top favourite and Belgium's national coach appointing Francis to be Belgium's captain, the past days have been turbulent for the young kid from Walloonia. Het Nieuwsblad caught the Belgium's hope for a in-depth chat about his chances, the team & the rivals.
Congratulations on obtaining the captain spot. Did you think this could happen at the start of the season?
I'd lie if I didn't have hopes. I planned to at least get a free-role in the World Championships since I wouldn'd want to waste this special race just to follow wheels. Back in the junior ranks, I learned to peak very well for major events. Two World Champion-jerseys are prove of that. But Dries did a stunning season, snatching the World Cup in an seemingly easy way. I think Belgium can be happy to have such a solid line-up of riders and still representing the top of our own sport. It's important we take benefit of that in Valkenburg.
Do you plan on giving orders to Dries?
[Laughs] If we end up riding side-by-side of course we'll talk but I don't think I'm in any position to give a rider like Cornelis orders on what he has to do. Maybe the national coach can do that for me from the sidelines if he thinks it's important.
The Belgium team harbors 5 excellent cross riders, and thus still has a depth of riders that no other nation achieves?
I think that many nations took a huge leap forward in recent years. New Zealand or Great Britain in particular. We still have some amazing depth, which is an advantage for us. But it's also a burden of responsibility in terms of the action. Maybe from the quality, we've gained even a little bit more as a national team, compared to recent years. The team was really focused in the past on Cornelis. Now we have a wider tactical array of options. That should help.
What do you mean exactly by that?
Well, look at Verboven for example. He can easily outsprint anyone in the field, and he's able to hold his own on the Cauberg, that much is certain. If Cornelis and me end up alongside him in a group, than we can attack on multiple occasions, whilst he can wait for the likely sprint. With a little bit of luck, we have three guys up there in the finale. On the best of all days, we may end up with all 3 medals. But of course, in such a case everything would have to run perfect for us of course. That's not likely going to happen. The other nations will treat us their biggest rivals likely.
That's sounds charming... 3 medals for Belgium, but some tough competition is waiting for you in Valkenburg. Which medal would you pick then; the third of three medals or Gold out of 1 medal?
Gold obviously. I'll race for the rainbow jersey in Netherlands. If I end up second fine. If I finish tenth, okay. I want to finish the race knowing I gave it all to win the jersey. Getting silver and thinking "If there only was one more lap", that'd be a annoying. Far more annoying than going for the killing move and maybe only getting a tenth place out of it.
So, you are racing for Gold. What if Cornelis ends up being upfront...?
Belgium public expects Gold from us. I plan to race in a way that makes that happen. But I also want to race for Gold myself. It's a fine balance I need to achieve here. Cornelis and I are teammates in this race but I don't expect him to hand anything over to me either. It's the first World Championships for me with the pros, the first time I share a teamspot with Cornelis. He's an amazing rider and I hope we can cooperate in a way that helps us both.
There's maybe even one more tougher opponent this season you had to duel than Dries. Elliot Cook. The entire season has been a bit of a back-and-forth between the two of you. Do you believe the rivalry will peak at the World Championships, a race that suits both of you particularly well?
I've won the Coca-Cola competition, whilst he took a win in Suhar. I think both of us are in fine shape but different than to other races, it's not down to Cook vs Vague. Or Vague vs Somebody else. It's the World Championships. Everybody is 100% motivated and most of the riders have built up shape just for this race. It's the day where it counts the most. No rankings, no day after. Cook and I have been mostly at each other throats because the rankings did it that way for us. Superprestige, Coca-Cola, you know... Either way, at the World Championships you bring home a medal or you go home empty. Maybe sometimes it looks like I put too much focus on Cook as a rider, but in Valkenburg, it's a field of equals. Bullshit like in Tekapo or in Japan won't happen this time around.
But, there are always some riders that are more equal than others?
Yes. Of course. I won't turn an blind eye on Cook and I see him as the top favourite as well. But guys like Mazzarelli, Lipawsky or Bauer have all shown that they can be very, very good on a course like this. Verboven, too. Or Hafthor. The Icelandic rider has shown in Tabor that he can be in tip-top shape for the major events.
The betting odds are pretty unanimous in that either Cook or Vague will come out of the winner of this race. When you look at the results this year, the hilly classics have been mostly between you two.
Well, we did get three of those shining stars. So it must come from somewhere and it must count for something I guess. Of course, I'm happy to be in such fine shape and to be racing for the victory is a great feeling. But all over performances have been rather close at times. We got lucky in various occassions, by example cuz other riders crashed or had a puncture.
Your opinion on the course?
I know it very good, it's a course I've ridden multiple times on in the junior days, and I've won here too. It's important to know what you're in for when you head into the Cauberg, but the Cauberg may be important but I don't think it'll be the point where the race is decided. It's going to be some point afterwards likely. I'll hope in my favor then.
How important will be solid start? Haftor is famous for cracking up the pace right from start, whilst Dries...
I'll look to be in the first group right from the start. Maybe Dries will be there already as well. This will give us some tacticl advantage, the more of us in the blue jersey are up there the better. But Valkenburg isn't a race where everything is decided on your startnumber or the way you sprint in the first lap. It's a tough, tough race and you'll have to save your energy at times. Especially with the headwind going strong this week.
Just in time of the World Championships, there have come rumours up regarding a, uhm romantic relationship with polish Ada Marlow. Any comment from your side?
[Laughs] What's this, a paparriz tabloid paper, or serious sport journalism? We have done some rides together in past weeks. She's in talks to join BKCP-Powerplus. That's all I can say about this matter.
And your own contract with BKCP-Powerplus? Belgium fans certainly want to see you remain in this or another belgian team.
BKCP-Powerplus is the first team I'll talk to, for now my contract is still running for next season either way.
With Netherlands in a bit of a limbo right now, do you think some dutch fans will cheer for you guys, or will they prefer to just clap for whoever isn't belgian
[Laughs] We'll see. What I know for sure, is that the Cauberg will be flooded by belgian flags. I hope that some dutch fans find my racing entertaining or appreciate my presence. It's unfortunate that a top tier rider is missing right now for the dutch people but guys like Van Drenthe may be there soon.
Last question, how do you handle the pressure of the Belgium public. There's a lot of talk going on.
Honestly, I prefer it by now to have pressure on my shoulders. It's worse if no one expects anything from me. That people have huge expectations from me is alright. This shows me that I'm doing things right. To be called top favourite, is not only a sign of respect and appreciation but it also gives me the confidence to take control of a race, and that's an advantage I believe.
Edited by Shonak on 26-03-2015 12:40
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
When the three Kiwi riders leave the World Championships course and see the awaiting journalists, Lachy Bauer and Ronnie Hira sneak away with sly smiles etched upon their faces, whilst Josiah Bennett turns towards the inevitable interviewers with a grimace. Whilst one journalist runs off after Bauer, the others resign themselves to outsider Bennett.
You enter the race as an outsider and top 10 contender, but also in employment as the loyal lieutenant of podium contender Lachy Bauer. How are you going to tackle the race?
Sorry, but it's the worlds, and y'know mate. But I can say that though in other races that suit us I usually go in the first lap, Vague and Cook have publicly stated they aren't standing for the tiniest of their rivals going for it early.
Name is your top 10 if you aren't there.
Starting at the top it's tough but, *pause*, I'm gonna say Cook. Despite, or knowing him, in spite, of Vague's form and the descent, I think it would be just like him to pull a big finger to Belgium, and, let's be honest, Britain. Vague to come home a defiant 7 seconds back.
I may be biased, but I'm picking a long game of cat and mouse with lots of time gap changes on different parts of the course, between Bauer, Cornelis, Mazzarelli and Lipawsky, with Cornelis attacking in the penultimate descent but being caught by Lachy and Matt on the final acsent, dropping Sylvain in the process. Dries then wheelsucks resignedly to third in a tight sprint with Lachy, 15 seconds down on Cook before Matt is Matt and tries his best, a second down after a tactical sprint. Lipawsky another 10 seconds back.
Then wait 28 seconds, and Verboven just edges out Carlisle, having both wheelsucked Greg Bernard (two seconds back). Then Schiltz overtakes a defeated Eldfjasson & Faizullah for 10th another 3 seconds back, having rode at his own pace the whole day.
And with you?
Unfortunately I think I might be one of the poor guys getting wheelsucked in the minor top 10 places. Hopefully I can finish with Eldfjasson, Faizullah, Schlitz and Bernard though, maybe outsprint them for ninth, you never know.
Edited by jandal7 on 27-03-2015 06:22
, so good luck guys.
Abu Dhabi Sand Circuit - Preview
Suhar Sand Castle Race - Preview 
Hammer Time
TDF
![imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg](https://imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg)
Christiane Dufort
Ada Marlow
Marianne Van Distel
Ljuba Vanek
Kiyoko Sato
Els Decruynaere
Stella Woods
Kurmanbek Nazarov
Fabrizio Lorenzi
Farai Olujimi
Peter Christianson
Elliot Cook
Lachy Bauer
Hafthor Eldfjallsson
Sylvain Lipawsky
Gregory Bernard
Tariq Faizullah
