Ansbach, Germany. Not a single German in the peloton, but that doesn't seem to bother the crowd. It has remained dry and so the atmosphere is fantastic here. We're ready for the - always spectacular - finishing Superprestige weekend. Cyclo-cross fans even dare call this the 'greatest week of the year', meaning the World Champs followed by this weekend.
Whatever they call it, we're broadcasting it all live. Enjoy!
Weather Conditions
Temperature: 6° C
Precipitation: Dry
Wind: 0 Beaufort
Start Line: Well, it sure does look beautiful. Sylvain Lipawsky is shining in his Rainbow Jersey. After his amazing victory last weekend, most fans agreed Lipawsky will be a beautiful World Champion. The curse of the rainbow jersey is rarer in cyclo-cross than it is on the road, but the truth is that the jersey brings a certain responsibility, and you need to be twice as strong if you're wearing this jersey.
Riders like Vague, Mazzarelli, Bauer, Cornelis, Verboven and Cook will be looking to wash down the disappointment today, perhaps with a victory. This and the Superprestige are all at stake today. The profile asks for a Flandrien cyclo-crosser. So bring him on, we say!
Lap 1: The riders are off. Vague makes a strong impression and takes the lead. Eldfjallsson is in second, Cook in third. Then we see Mazzarelli, Cornelis, Gormley and Lipawsky. Bauer is nowhere to be seen, same goes for Hira, not the best start for the New Zealand team.
And there is Rudy Verboven. A fourth place in the Worlds, yet so close to the victory. He is riding his final weekend of the season. After this, it's all eyes on the road. Bauer and Hira are both big names on the road as well, so we'll have to see what crosses are left for them.
And, on a profile as this we could've expected him to make an appearance, there is Mikel Hammarling. He must be feeling good and the cobbles will feel familiar!
We're a bit over halfway lap 1 and we have a first attack! Shay Gormley accelerates after a U-turn and rushes away in the sand. Nobody makes an attempt to follow, it's still early, after all. Cook keeps the pace high. He's got the burden of defending the Superprestige this weekend, Gormley poses no threat to him so he will let him go. The more points are gone, the better.
Lap 2: We'll have 7 laps here. We hear Dries Cornelis has gone down on the cobbles. Not a good start for the old lion. It's strange seeing him without his Rainbow Jersey again.
Gormley has a lead of 15 seconds. Cook continues to keep the peloton on one line. He's leading the chasing group. Vague is in second, Mazzarelli in third, then Eldfjallsson, Verboven and Lipawsky.
And what's this? Bauer is bringing Hira back to the front. After a bad start, it seems they're making up for it with style!
Christian Schiltz is caught with a flat tire, bad moment as the pace is quite high!
Lap 3: And there we have Hira, appearing at the front. And he's putting the pedal down. And there is Bauer, he shoots past Hira and now Hira keeps his legs still. Great team work!
Bauer wants to bridge to gap the front alone. Meanwhile, Hira wants to draw out the other riders to ride. Cook is having a tough moment on the cobbles, but there is Verboven!
Hira nestles himself in Verboven's wheel, and the pace is high now, be sure of that! Cook, Vague, Mazzarelli and Lipawsky all look like they're passing.
Bauer is not quite bridging the gap to Gormley, though. He's caught in a no-man's zone for the moment. In fact, Gormley continues to ride away!
That's the current top 10. Gormley is not making any mistakes, and puts the pressure on Bauer. Hira sits comfortably at Verboven's wheel while he sees him gap the distance to his team mate Bauer slowly.
Don't forget who's out there. Gormley is not just anyone and if they don't get that gap down, he's gone for good.
We're getting a race within a race now, as Cook is riding away from Lipawsky. Vague, Hammarling and Vague jumps on his bandwagon and so the World Champion is alone. He is not looking as sharp as last week. Lipawsky is one point down on Cook in the Superprestige. This move gives Cook some breathing room for tomorrow!
And Verboven is closing in on Bauer! He's giving quite a show, that's good to see with our eyes on the upcoming road season!
Lap 5: Well, it's looking good for Gormley. 31 seconds. I'm afraid it's over! But that doesn't mean this race gets any less interesting.
Mikel Hammarling makes a move in the background! Cook and Vague can't quite follow his move and get left behind. Cook and Vague are together alone once again, but not in the usual position. The cobbles are not their thing, I think it's safe to say that.
What's this? Bauer is standing at the side of the road, bent over his bike. Chain problems? Yes, it would appear so. He shakes his head and throws his bike over his shoulder. It's running to the next pit, now, but that's quite a while. And so we get Verboven and Hira in position 2 and 3. But Hira loses his team card and so Verboven forces Hira to do part of the work.
And this seeems Carlisle coming back from the dead! He's catching up with Vague and Cook. It might be too late for the victory of the day, but we're certainly liking what we see!
Lap 6: We're going into the penultimate lap here. Let's see the situation as it is now.
In-cre-dible, Gormley continues to put more time between himself and his chasers. This is an impressive ride, no doubt about it.
And what about Hammarling? He's slowly closing the gap to Verboven and Hira! The fight for the podium has begun!
And now Hira moves onto the attack! Verboven is right on his wheel, he won't be surprised!
The riders move into the final lap...
Lap 7: Gormley can start his honorary round. If he stays upright, he's got this. Meanwhile, Hammarling is losing a bit of his shine, as Verboven and Hira stay out of his reach.
An attack! Carlisle leaves Vague and Cook behind. Cook tries to react, but Carlisle moves faster on these cobbles. We get through the sand now, Cook looks over his shoulder and notices Vague is in trouble. This is a sign for him to keep up his effort!
We also see Bauer coming back from the distance.
And the battle for place 2 is open! Hira wants to shake Verboven at all costs! That's understandable, anyone is lost against Verboven in the sprint. But going into the final lap with Verboven was a mistake on Hira's part. Verboven won't want to repeat last weekend's loss. He's not letting go of Hira here.
But that's all for silver, because here is the man of the day: Shay Gormley. He raises his arms, a third victory this season for Shay Gormley, and this is a beautiful one!
There are Hira and Verboven. Hira tries to surprise Verboven and goes early! But Verboven counters easily and outsprints Hira for place 2.
Hammarling crosses the line fourth, tired but seemingly content.
And there is Carlisle, as fifth. Followed by Cook. Then Vague and Bauer, Claveren. And the brand new World Champion, Sylvain Lipawsky, finishes 10th today.
What do we remember most about today? Shay Gormley is back in top shape and is absolute favorite for tomorrow's race. More cobbles, more power. But that's for tomorrow, thanks for being here today!
Ansbach Cross has made the trip to Germany worth it. Some points earned and more importantly, I kept the race rhythm for the Ardennes Cross. With me sitting on fourth after the race, I've distinct hopes to make the podium for the Superprestige Classification actually.
The Superprestige remains as a huge goal. Since I missed two races, the gap onto the Cook & Lipawsky has built up enormously but if I can still finish on the steps here, it might be a worthy consolation prize and enough motivation for next year to make me win this thing. My team manager is already talking about the possible schedule for after the Cross season, but frankly I don't want to think that far ahead.
What about Francis N. Vague? The children glance in excitement, whilst an old man comes out of the pub and shouts in a hardly understandable flemish accent, "Kid is good but he needs to proof tomorrow that he can become a flandriennes, some day!"
What does he mean by that, asks the reporter?
"He can win all he wants. Kwaremont Cross will be the race where we can decide on day if the Walloonish brat was worth it to cheer for, or if he's just a forgettable, hyped-up no-goodie." The old flandriennes prefers to have a storm tomorrow rather than sunshine. "The Kwaremont Cross was once the hardest and most spectacular Cross in the world. It needs to earn this status again!" You can't smell his strong beer stink through the TV but one can imagine the promilles in his milky eyes.
But the old man has a point: Indeed, for Francis N. Vague, it may be more than the race for third place. At the World Championships, he has lost the credit of the public. Especially of flanders public who were willing to back him in favor of their home-champion Cornelis. He and BKCP - Powerplus demanded a lot ahead of the race - and gave back none. Even the media, who have treated Vague particularly well throughout this campaign, have been doubtful and at parts even disrespectful and angry with Vague. Simply crashing out wasn't good enough after all those promises. Vague promised a fight, and went down in the first round with a white flag waving. The always critical belgian crowd, who is as beautiful in their love as it is unforgiving, needs to experience consolation soon when Vague races. Preferably already at the Oude Kwaremont.
Whilst Francis himself remains coy to the media since the World Championships, his father was there to answer some questions. Asked what this race means to Francis, Vague Senior had following to say: "He has already been a keen admirer and big fan of the Kwaremont Cross. I've shown him videos of Pieter Gasthuys establishing his legendacy here. I think both the Kwaremont Cross and Ardennes Cross are extremely important to him and Belgium. To win both of them is an admirable goal and a life-time motivation by my son."
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
thecxreport.com | Air New Zealand Cyclocross Special
After Lachy Bauer secured New Zealand's first ever medal at the Cyclocross World Championships, Air New Zealand launched the opportunity for two mates to travel free to witness the end of the Cyclocross season. I caught up with them to see what they thought of the Superprestige finale among others.
Michael Garesh, 22, and best friend Richard Highfield, 21, scored the trip of a lifetime when Michael correctly answered 23 questions out of 25 on this season of cyclocross to win the deal. They arrived in Ansbach and met with Lachy Bauer and Ronnie Hira and got VIP passes to watch the team performance for the ages, with Bauer selflessly towing Hira to a podium finish. They are now training with Bauer on the Oude Kwaremont and enjoying the atmosphere around the final race of the Superprestige.
'I really believe in those two again tomorrow, Lachy has come so far on technical sections and cobblestones, and this course suits Hira, but maybe too many hills but I'd expect him to be supporting Bauer to the hilt. Bollinger doesn't look bad either.' analyses Highfield.
When the subject turns to the rest of the season, one race lights up Garesh's eyes.
'The Arenberg Cross could well be the first victory for Ronnie. The cobblestones suit him and he'll be ultra-motivated for the win.'
On the subject of tomorrow, both give the same answer: Verboven. The Flandriennes has all the skills needed, cobbles and hills, a good sprint and superb-looking form.
'He sounds like he really wants it after the World Championships.' says Garesh. Highfield also believes in Shay Gormeley after Ansbach.
' He may not be phenomenal over the hills but the World Championships and Ansbach proves he can do it. He looks in good nick.'
And where will Bauer finish overall. With Gormley above him in 8th it looks hard, but Eldfjasson could crack. Michael says 8th, Richard predicts Bauer to stay in ninth. But wherever he finishes, expect him to put on a show.
Ok, I've been persuaded by the PR man to do this and it's not a bad way of letting my feelings on the last two races. So let's go, hope you enjoy the insight from the riders view!
World Championships
Start Line: I'm in the zone, chatting to Mikey, Ronnie and Sylvain, just trying to relax. I motivate myself by thinking In Ansbach, I'll be on the front row. Not far off!. It works
Lap 1: I try and follow Vague, he's taken a weird twist of the handlebars, maybe it was a push, maybe a mistake, we all do it. I'm a much better starter now, but I still can't shake it. Michael shoots off though, I follow him. Josiah's right behind us, it's a perfect beginning. I sneak into fourth in front of van Fleming. I'm in the front group, nice, we've got a gap, great. I risk a backwards glance and see Josiah playing the team card and sitting on. Perfect.
van Fleming doing some surprisingly good work up the Cauberg for Franny, it's easy enough to play him at his own game for the moment but I mutter a kudos to the Belgian coach.
Lap 2: All I remember is status quo, but Cook is looking furious and is chasing us hard. Rikki still towing, but he looks tired, and me, Hafthor and Sylvain are exchanging looks.
Lap 3: Rik van Fleming is still working, but Matti, Cookie and Rudy join up. Schiltz and Cornelis a moment later. I ask at the pits for Josiah. He's crashed following Dries, poor guy. Belgium look unbelievably good, everyone else is on edge, waiting for vF to implode and Belgium to make a move.
Lap 4: The plan was always to go with a minor favorite's attack and go with that instead of waiting for the big boys, that's been my undoing at various races. When Verboven went, it couldn't have been a more perfect opportunity. Sylvain was the only big name to react straight away to me, I still don't know if he would have gone if I didn't reach so quickly, but I think he would've. Cornelis decides to join the party and we have a break of four.
Belgium looks perfect, Chef and Matt think whatever the hell they thought, and they actually let us get a gap. All of us multiple times winners this season, all of us threats, and we get a freaking gap. As soon as Sylvain and Dries joined I was about to cruise it and give up hope for this attack, but we made it.
Lap 5: This is my chance, Sylvain thinks it too. We're outnumbered but ready to do work. All or nothing, this is our chance. As I think we're all feeling, rather 20th and tried than 5th and nothing. Verboven and Cornelis start riding hard. I ask Rudy why th e change. He tells me Vague totaled. This changes the dynamic. Most interesting of all, it means that we have even numbers with the chasers, and 13 seconds to boot as we roll over the line.
Lap 6: There is much speculation as to what was said between me and Sylvain as we rode a few metres away from the Belgian duo. Somebody asked me if it was an alliance, another if we were discussing dirty tactics to rid ourselves of Verboven. It was obviously something similar to the former, as the latter would be just cheating, even if it wouldn't technically be so. Anyway, what was said is that we had to shake Verboven, he'd obviously have it in the bag if he came to the finish with us. We knew where Dries was, he's not a selfish guy, he'd work for Verboven if we tried to force them into anything, and as I said, we were in no position to half-arse it.
Lap 7: Cook and Mazzarelli are beasting it, it looks like regroup time until Sylvain instinctively both increases the gap and tries to shake Verboven at his weakest point: the woods. I follow with ease but bloody Dries bloody Cornelis is guiding him in his angelic lines that he manages to follow in technical areas like this.
Anyway, it does the job for the dastardly duo behind us, we're back to ten seconds and they're fading. They've obviously been gunning it in the hope of some wheelsucking before the finale.
Lap 8: I attack up the Cauberg, hoping to weaken Verboven and Cornelis and then have some room to force Sylvain into starting off, as I have a gut feeling I'll sprint better. But he unwittingly tows Verboven. I'm slightly pleased to see I've gotten rid of Cornelis, but he guns it on the flat and works for Rudy.
Then came the vital moment. I thought I could really compete in the sprint with Verboven gone over the jumps, but a slight wheel slip and I'm off Sylvain's wheel. I try and back it up but it's no use. Cornelis starts and I'm riding tempo, hoping my friend Sylvain can take it. I manage a grimace as he takes it, good on him. I cross the line in third, demount and collapse. The fight, the chance of my life and I cock up at the final hurdle. But it was undoubtedly the proudest moment of my CX career and I put as much fight as the next guy, probably more. Somebody asked me if the attack cost me, but it hurt the other two as well and if I stuck with them it would have been an even playing field.
Hope you enjoyed a view from the pack, I'll do this for Ansbach and maybe keep it up for big races!
Edited by jandal7 on 31-03-2015 08:27
All good things come to an end. The same goes for the Superprestige. It's a tradition as old as the stones of the Kwaremont itself. Since we can remember, Kwaremont Cross concludes the Superprestige in one final hellish ride. Nobody ever won this race easily, and few riders come here just for fun. The Kwaremont Cross is one of the toughest crosses around and with the final points of the Superprestige up for grabs, it's usually a hard fought for race.
Elliot Cook is in pole position to take home the Superprestige. After losing out on the Coca-Cola Trophy, the Superprestige is definitely a step up. But he'll have to survive the famous Kwaremont cobblestones!
Yes, today we return to Belgium, the heart of cyclo-cross, for one of the most traditional races around, to conclude the trophy that breaths cyclo-cross the most. The fans all expect a Flandrien to conquer this race, and their hearts. The winner of the race will receive a Kwaremont cobble out of the hands of the Kwaremont hero Pieter Gasthuys himself.
Race Information
Country: Belgium
City/Place: Oude Kwaremont
Classification: Superprestige
Starting Time (Elite Men): 15h30
Favorites: Shay Gormley, Rudy Verboven, Ronnie Hira, Mikel Hammarling, James Carlisle
Record: 10x Pieter Gasthuys (1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1995)
Race History: The Kwaremont Cross is older than human memory. Well, at least my memory. The Kwaremont Cross has brought forth legends, mostly. Looking over the list of winners, we almost only see giants of the sport. A young Pieter Gasthuys took his very first professional victory here, on the slopes of the Oude Kwaremont. In the next fifteen years of his career, his dominance was reflected in this race. On the Kwaremont, he was practically unbeatable. The Flandrien got his own museum only 200 meters from the foot of the climb. If you're coming to see the race, this is definitely worth checking out!
Route Information
Technical: 3
Sand: 0
Uphill: 5
Cobblestones: 5
A killer profile. OF course, the riders don't ride the Kwaremont all the way up. With 2.2 kilometers, they'd have to go down and you'd quickly have a race route of more than 5 kilometers. Instead, the riders start the race in the field. The Kwaremont Cross doesn't feature a single meter of tarmac. This is a factor you can't underestimate. Usually, some tarmac allows the riders to recover - if just slightly. But this race goes through the field, directly to the Oude Kwaremont.
They get on the Oude Kwaremont at about 600 meters in. So they're immediately close to the steepest sections of the climb. The riders take on about 500 meters, going through the toughest section of the climb. They turn back into the field just before the famous church. From there, it's one big downhill back to the start. The downhill isn't as steep, but carved out with some tricky bends and some U-turn sections.
Once you get back to starting level, there is still some route left in the field, going over a large bridge. The finish line is no longer on the Kwaremont itself. Since 2010, the finish line is drawn in the field right before the Kwaremont, so there is only a 100m straight line. The new finish allows riders to potentially return after they've been dropped on the Kwaremont and sprint for the victory.
But don't let that climb fool you. It's about half a kilometer of climbing on badly placed cobblestones. On cyclo-cross bikes, you may as well be spending 3 minutes on each climb. Add the extended downhill and the final section in the field, and you may have a lap time of around 7 minutes, meaning the Kwaremont could easily be climbed 9 times! That's 4,5 kilometers of climbing in one hour of cross!
The ground is quite loose and you constantly get the feeling that something is pulling you back, even if you're going downhill. Don't expect a fast race from this profile. History shows us it's not that uncommon to see riders breaking down completely. With the Superprestige far from over, a breakdown could have dramatic effects.
Expected Weather Conditions
Temperature: 2° C
Precipitation: Fog
Wind: 0 Beaufort
Rik Van Fleming has caused quite some action in the World Championships, leading Vague and the rest in the initial laps of the parcour. The former Belgian National Champion has been pleased with his own performance, however was keen to point out the flaws of his compatriots: "That Vague crashed was his own damn fault. You don't ride so risky on a parcour like that, most of you all you don't ride like that when other riders are next to you." He congratulated with begrunching teeth Cornelis, a former long-time rival of his. And was keen to point out that Verboven was doing a great job. "You have to think that he wasn't our main gun. But when he attacked, it forced the hand of Cook and Mazzarelli, who were wildly regarded as Belgium's most dangerous opponents. He did great in the finish."
Van Fleming's initiative in the race may be down to the new team unity of the belgian squad, however the routinier was not shy to point out more monetary reasons: "Truth is, I'm still searching for a contract for next year. Now the season is long and I'm still with Topsport Vlaanderen for now, but I definitely had to show myself this time around, and what better place than the World Championships?", says Van Fleming smilingly, willing to cash in the late bloom of his career.
After a solid performance at the World Championships, Guido Visconti is looking forward to take on the legendary parcour of the Kwaremont Cross. "To race here will be soo damn exciting."
He is eager to point out his own father's result at the Oude Kwaremont. Generally considered as the "third-in-line" of his Generation behind Cyclo-Cross Giants Gasthuys and Vandewalle, Raphael Visconti always just fell a bit short on the Oude Kwaremont, despite being reclaimed northern specialist. He came second a stunningly 6 times here. "My father has already shared some tips with me. I think I'll do good tomorrow." Guido certainly wouldn't mind if he could extend the family line of second places here at the Oude Kwaremont, at least for now.
The youngster is even shy to look out for the first points of himself. "It'd be amazing to get my first Superprestige points here. I've done pretty well at Ansbach Cross, why not step up my game a bit here?", he says laughling. However, the opposition will be fierce and the Oude Kwaremont a remarkable challenge for those young legs of his.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
At the sidelines of Kwaremont, there are a large number of supports nonetheless. The tension between Cornelis followers and the Vagueists is certainly a bit felt though. There have been reported a few brawls over the area, just some drunk belgians tossing a bit of their rage around whilst the general consenus of the people here are happily singing their tunes, spectacting the wonderful costumes or just soak in the atmosphere. There are always a few black sheeps. But still, most of the public is still bitter about the lost gold medal in Valkenburg. At least in terms of Rudy Verboven everybody is inclined to agree that he'll be Belgium's best shot today. When you ask the crowd about Vague then, most give an answer of disbelief. "We shouldn't expect anything from him this season. I think he's really sunken deep. He's no more talking to the media and fans." - "He'll need time to process the defeat." - "Next season he'll strike back" - "He's just riding to get some form for Ardennes Cross, damn Walloonia!" - "He's still a kid", they remind the people.
But it's actually much simpler than that: Vague is just tired of the talk. He is tired of hearing himself talk for now. He needs a result. More properly, he wants a win. And then he can start the talk again. And Kwaremont isn't the craddle of Cyclo-Cross for nothing. And he isn't hailed as Belgium's next big thing for nothing either.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
Away from the hustle and bustle of the fans surrounding the finale of the Superprestige in mere hours, away from the press surrounding the Superprestige overall favorites, two dark horses for the day guide each other over the hills and cobbles of the legendary Oude Kwaremont. The duo of Lachy Bauer and Ronnie Hira proved what they could do yesterday in the Ansbach cross, riding in the two front groups after falling behind until Bauer's chain slipped after jumping slightly too enthusiastically in his chase to track down eventual winner Shay Gormley. Hira finished behind top sprinter Verboven and finished third on the day.
As Bauer demounts for a drink Hira goes to answer the questions waiting for him as he waits.
Hi Ronnie. First off, how do you feel about yesterday?
Great. Lachy showed how far he's come on the stones and I felt form coursing through my veins once again. I know, even more so today, we can compete as a duo before I go for it.
Gormley showed what a beast he is, I'm still tipping Rudy but he looks in good shape, including the Worlds where he came a respectable 10th. I tried to pull a Spartacus and outfox Rudy, but he's such a good sprinter it's not funny.
And today?
Yeah I like a hill or two myself and with Lachy that shouldn't be a problem. It's mildly technical so I'll push Rudy there. Jimmy C could be a problem but his form is dodgy to put it mildly. Mikel, welll he looks a threat on a cold day, luckily I like it like that too. Hopefully we can take him out over the hills. Shay, wow I haven't the foggiest, it's got to come down to tactics or forcing a mistake with him.
You make it very clear you're taking the race to your rivals.
I sure do, with Lachy by my side hopefully we can play the team card. To quote, of all people, Charly Wegelius: "When you have 20 people at the front and they all want to win, that's when a real domestique becomes invaluable." With Lachy he can do his thing, if it's like yesterday but with a better start I really believe in ourselves.
You two look very determined, what would it mean for one of you to take the win?
For me, I really want to take a victory before season's end, be it here or somewhere else. But here? Today? It would mean the world.
But how long do you have? Obviously you have the road season to get back to...
Yeah usually I would have begun now, but the CX has kept me in tip top shape and the end-of-season cobbles keep me well prepared for the big beggining in Omloop & Kuurne. Then Tirreno, MSR and the big quadruple. I've got two titles to defend there.
Lachy had the same schedule but with Paris-Nice, MSR and RVV before the Ardennes, or so he tells me.
I wanted to say a quick hi on my blog here - it seems amazing that the end of the season is just two weeks away. All good things and all that - I am sure I am not the only crosser who is looking forward to getting to the end of the season. However I remain focussed on a few key goals, in particular tomorrows Kwaremont cross and the Ardennes Classic.
I should imagine the Ardennes could be the last really big clash between myself and Francis Vague. The little bugger has come across all serious since what happened at the worlds - I think he feels like he had some sort of divine right to win the thing. I am not sure the Belgian's are taking to him yet, they are not ready to let Cornelis go I guess.
The worlds was one almighty cock up from team Blighty's point of view. Jimmy C is a complete cocksuck and I have no qualms about saying that. The wheelsucker was up to his usual tricks in todays race in Germany - I just hope Franny can overhaul him tomorrow for the podium it will tarnish the whole experience. He came up to me at the startline and told me that he was going to take it easy in the early going at the worlds complete opposite the the plan. No shock to me that he was out of it after lap one. Just one team-mate would have been helpful there. Lipawskiy though is a good champ a real racer that one and I can certainly tip my hat to that.
Kwaremont tomorrow is as bit of a big one for me - I should really be able to lift that superduper crown. The new world champ old Lippy will be a dangerous one, but he needs a thunderstorm I would say to help him. He can climb for sure but not as well as me, so I will be putting the hurt on as much as I can there. I am doing okay on the pebbles - as long as they are dry i am just about holding my own. Certainly looking forward to improving on them on the off season. I am never going to be the technical whizzkid but as long as I can keep the power on I should be okay.
Kwaremont, the Ardennes and Arenburg certainly emote a feeling of the great road classics. I love De Ronde, La Doyenne and Hell of the North they are the sort of races I would love to race in some years time. Not that I think I would win those sorts of things - but just to say I have done em. When I was Franny's age I still wanted to race the Tour de France but having got closer to it I realise what a media scrum that would be. I would also have to tow a team line or some BS like that. That aint for Cookie - I am getting success now thrashing around on the dirt, shyte and whatever the clowns throw at us and I am lovin it.
Hello and welcome to another edition, this time I'll be covering the how the break won the World Championships, the Superprestige final weekend an an exciting new thing I'm going to try.
World Championships
Well the most important race of the season is now behind us, and it lived up to the great expectations and then some. The winning group of four were all minor favorites who managed to get away from the pack. The rest of that group were making a crucial mistake in letting them go.
Then, for me, the turning point of the race came when the chasers were tired, and had the same number of riders as the break. To be fair to Cook and Mazzarelli they did claw it back to four seconds and a regroup was imminent, but Lipawsky and Bauer's near race-deciding attack opened the gap back up, and would have strung the break out to two, or three depending on Cornelis' tactics. And those three moments, for me, was what won the break the race.
Ansbach & Kwaremont
Well we're halfway into the Superprestige final weekend, the famous Kwaremont Cross starting in three hours. So let's round up the Ansbach Cross.
From lap one Shay Gormley was a man on a mission. Nobody could get ahead of him, and soon enough he was out solo. Verboven and Hammarling in particular gave chase, before being aided, or not aided, by the Kiwi duo of Ronnie Hira and Lachy Bauer.
Bauer went and worked himself to chase down Gormley, but after taking back a few seconds his chain slipped and he was forced to lose 40 seconds in the end, riding alongside newly crowned World Champion Sylvain Lipawsky.
This left Hira with no team card, and despite his power and ability all he helped do was another couple of seconds and shelling all but Verboven, despite Hammarling's grit to stay near, these two would fight it out for the podium spots.
Gormley won, Hira tried to outfox Verboven but that just doesn't happen in a sprint, and Hammarling rode in a respectable fourth despite the hills.
Looking ahead to Oude Kwaremont, it looks as tight as ever, with Hammarling and Gormley showing their form yesterday, Verboven looking good on a hilly and cobbled course, and Hira and Bauer showing their support of each other yesterday, though I feel they might be putting more eggs in Hira's basket.
Overall a slow-paced race should not be won by the absolute strongest, but those who understand not just their own, but each other's weaknesses. Of course, you also need to be bloody good.
thecxreport Awards!
That's right, at season's end we will be hosting some awards in conjunction with Coca-Cola. If you wish to nominate somebody for one of the following categories, privately message me and your nominations will appear on the list!
Best Overall Rider Most Aggressive Rider Most Improved Most Impressive Solo Display Favorite Rivalry Fan Favorite Rider Suprise Rider Best Race Best Moment Suprise Race Favorite Trophy Favorite Superprestige Race Favorite World Cup Race Favorite Coca-Cola Race Favorite Classic
Cyclo-cross fanatics usually talk about the Kwaremont Cross 1981 as one of the most important races in cyclo-cross history. The race over the Oude Kwaremont has always been spectacular and well-liked. This race has always seperated the boys from the man. Much like the Ronde Van Vlaanderen on the road, it usually takes a few years of experience before you can start hoping of winning.
So you can imagine the disbelief everyone felt when a 20 year old neopro, with no professional victory on his palmares yet, completely destroyed everyone to take a most impressive victory on the slopes of the Kwaremont here in 1981.
Fourteen years later, that young boy - now 34 years old - came here and won the Kwaremont Cross for a tenth(!) time. That boy's name was Pieter Gasthuys.
February 1981
It's February 1981. The 1980 - 1981 season is better known as 'The Clash of the Generations'. Cyclo-cross starts such as Jack Wylle, Hughes Vanautreve and Giovanni Brocci have been fighting off the upcoming talents such as Jannes Vandewalle, Pieter Gasthuys and Raphael Visconti, later dubbed as the Golden Generation.
Coming out of the youth circuit, Vandewalle and Visconti were build up as the ultimate rivals, both extremely talented. They came into the professional circuit with style. Vandewalle in the 1979 - 1980 season, taking his first professional victory early on. Visconti in the 1980 - 1981 season, taking three professional victories in his debut season.
At that time, Gasthuys was considered the 'Third Man', talented and up-and-coming, but not quite as talented as Visconti or Vandewalle. He quickly started to collect great podium places, but winning was hard. Until the Kwaremont Cross in 1981...
From the start, Gasthuys gave a very ambitious impression. He shot away from the start and was the first at the foot of the climb. Vanautreve and Visconti were the only ones who hadn't been taken by surprise.
By lap 3, the three leaders had already put the chasing group, including Wylle, Landschoots and Devreker, on two minutes.
Halfway the race, Gasthuys placed his attack on the Kwaremont. To everyone's surprise, Vanautreve was dropped. Two "preschoolers" were bashing away at the front. It was unheard of in this race!
Gasthuys knew Visconti from the U23 circuit, and he knew he couldn't drop him on the climb that easily. Cyclo-cross fanatics all agree that this is where Gasthuys' trademark move was born. He started applying pressure on Visconti.
Nobody in cyclo-cross history could ride so hard, so well as Gasthuys. He kept up the pace and pushed Visconti to the limit, until the moment, one lap from the finish, where he pushed him over the limit. Visconti made a mistake, Gastuys profited and sped away to a dashing victory.
It was the start of his legacy. Kwaremont Cross 1981 was the first real showing of the cyclo-cross star. And, looking back on it, it might've been one of the most beautiful races ever, with both names of the Golden Generation there, as well as some of the older legends. A race with Vanautreve, Wylle, Detroye, Vainquer, Vandewalle, Visconti, Gasthuys... Now that is a piece of history.
All welcome, we are very excited here in our commentary box next to the finish line. The weather is absolutely perfect to make some race history! The thick fog and light rain will make this race even harder than it already is.
Expect a hard race today. The winner here will write a small paragraph in cyclo-cross history!
Weather Conditions
Temperature: 2° C
Precipitation: Fog, Rain.
Wind: 0 Beaufort
Start Line: Under the grey sky. The riders look ready, but we can also see fear on some riders' faces. Many won't make the finish today, we can be sure of that. Kwaremont is a word that invokes fear and respect in all riders. Who doesn't want to win here?
Also worth noticing is the first fan club of Elliot Cook. "The Cookie Monster" is written on several banners alongside the Kwaremont. After 10 podium places this season, but mostly because of his 'Je m'en fous' personality, a fanclub was just around the corner, and since three days ago, it's official. We wonder if Cook knows and if he cares much about it.
Lap 1: Time for Kwaremont! Eldfjallsson is like a speeding bullet, and he confirms it race after race! The ice races are over, so his results have been dropping, but not as much as we had expected. This rider from Iceland might slowly turn into one of the top riders.
Vague is in second. Remarkable today: some of Flemish fans turned their backs on Vague during warm-up, literally. Luckily, this was only a minority of the people here. Most of them still cheered loudly for the prodigy and stood in line for an autograph.
We're ready for the first climb of the Kwaremont! The entire peloton is together, and it's always an impressive sight to see all riders on the Kwaremont together. Within 500 meters, the field will be split up completely.
And here we are, the first riders are turning into the field! We have Francis Vague, Rudy Verboven, Dries Cornelis, Matt Mazzarelli, Sylvain Lipawsky and Lachy Bauer. It's hard to see all through the fog!
The riders start descending now. Vague leads the race, he's ambitious today. Vague is a rider with a sense of history, and he'll never pass up on chances to add to that history. It's a whole other thing than for example Elliot Cook, who is just about riding that bike. Races from 50 years ago, he could care less.
We now see it's Ronnie Hira, not Lachy Bauer, who's in the front group! Ronnie Hira for the Fonterra-Genesis Cross team.
Lap 2: The front group crosses the line. 9 laps left. The gap to the chasing group is a surprising 20 seconds! The chasers are Eldfjallsson, Schiltz, Akdeniz and Hammarling. Another group follows already 41 seconds down, including Bauer, Gormley, Van Drenthe, Carlisle, Visconti.
Good from the young Visconti. This is probably the highlight of his season, it'd be nice for him to ride a good result.
And now we turn out attention back to the leading group. More room on the Kwaremont now, so this is all about power! The light rain has ceased, but the cobbles don't get a chance to dry much with the fog.
Vague is giving a great impression! We see Cook looking around, he's clearly thinking about the Superprestige this race. He needs to keep Lipawsky close. If Lipawsky finishes 5 places above Cook, he can overtake him. Cook nestles himself in Lipawsky's wheel.
Vague accelerates! On the stones of the Kwaremont! Who has a reaction?
Matt Mazzarelli bites down hard but manages to close the gap to Vague right before the top! Two good descenders, two strong climbers. If they let those two get away, the race might be over for the chasers!
Lap 3: Mazzarelli crosses the line first. The two leaders seem to be working together well, for now. Cornelis is leading the chase. 7 seconds.
Meanwhile, the pack is thinning out drastically. We have 16 abandons already!
And we have a flat tire! Rudy Verboven is caught behind with a flat tire! It's a long climb to do, especially with a flat tire...
We're back on the Kwaremont, with the two leaders. Vague can take Mazzarelli to the finish, and he knows that. Mazzarelli is more concerned with building up a gap at the moment, so the two seem to have found each other well. Vague can become the youngest winner ever here. Don't forget, he is only 19 years old! He has won 5 professional races, but he is still only a kid of 19 years old, we're quick to forget about that.
Mazzarelli can become the second youngest winner here, being 22 years old, and a few months. The youngest winner here is still, of course, Gasthuys, at the age of 20.
Right before the top, Elliot Cook makes his move! Nobody can follow the Brit and so he's off alone towards the two leaders.
With a brilliant downhill, Cook has neared on 4 seconds from the head of the race.
Lap 4: We have three leaders: Cook, Mazzarelli, Vague. Meanwhile, the toughness of the race is taking a toll on the riders. We meaasure some insane difference within the top 10, and almost half the riders has already abandoned. If we keep this up, we'll be happy to see 20 riders finish! And - surprisingly - only now Bakari abandons. One of those days he's actually going to ride top 10, if he keeps this up! I'd love to see that day.
The fog is lifting just a little bit. The fog has really helped the escapees so far. If they don't see you, you have an advantage. If you get 5 meters here, you're out of range! But the fog is decreasing a bit.
In the background, Cornelis and Lipawsky are the main protagonists. Hira looks like the pace is a bit too high for him, he's barely hanging on.
These are unbelievable differences. If you can put 2 minutes between yourself and Gormley, Bauer and Carlisle on 4 laps, you're full of talent. Hats off to Mazzarelli, Cook and Vague at the moment. It's time to start speaking about a 2nd Golden Generation, I reckon! This peloton exists more than 25% out of neopro's, but it's been an influx of talent and passion!
Cook decides to throw off his companions! Mazzarelli is quick on the draw and closes the gap, with Vague on his tail! The cooperation is lost here, and so we're in for a treat!
Vague overtakes Cook and accelerates downhill. For a moment here, I saw Pieter Gasthuys, putting on the pressure going downhill. Vague is much more successful Gasthuys was at his age, though. But we've seen others like Vague come and go way too soon. The saying about a candle, you know.
Lap 6: Once again, the Kwaremont is the place to be. It's almost like an arena. The crowd wants the best place to see all the action. This time it's Vague with an attack! Mazzarelli leaves a little gap. Is he bluffing or is can't he follow?
And now Cook comes out of Mazzarelli's wheel to bridge the gap. But Vague is gone! 4 seconds.
Vague takes another second on the downhill.
Cook is doing most of the work in the field, chasing Vague. Lipawsky follows on 53 seconds now. So it's safe to say Cook is winning the Superprestige here. After missing the Coca-Cola Trophy, he'll be glad to have this one in the pocket.
Lap 7: Right before the seventh climb of the Kwaremont, Cook and Mazzarelli have caught back up with Vague! A strong effort from Cook, he's hanging at the back of the group now, recovering a bit. Vague looks Mazzarelli and Cook right in the eyes.
And Mazzarelli accelerates! He was bluffing after all! He shoots out of the front group. Cook passes, Vague, too. They're recovering from their efforts last lap. Mazzarelli with a tactical acceleration!
Can he finish the season on a high? A victory would definitely make his life easier, especially the contract negotiations!
Vague and Cook look at each other on the Kwaremont. Mazzarelli reaches the top. We hit chrono... 8 seconds!
Cornelis and Lipawsky are on the Kwaremont, too. And we see Cornelis has shaken off the World Champion! The crowd is going nuts! But this is too far behind for the victory. The ex-World Champion and the World Champion are racing for places 4 and 5!
Lap 8: The penultimate lap. Mazzarelli keeps 8 seconds on the line. Cook and Vague are chasing hard, now, but they're not gaining any ground. It'll be hard to bring back Mazzarelli here. He can climb with the best, and he has excellent bike handling. There is hardly a flat meter on this course.
Rudy Verboven has found a good rhythm again, but it's more than a minute and 50 seconds behind the two leaders. Still, he's still fighting!
Lap 9: We're going into the final lap, with Matt Mazzarelli leading the race! Cook and Vague are 10 seconds behind, but will they continue to work together well? Is Mazzarelli heading towards his long-sought-after first professional victory?
The Kwaremont is merciless. There are only 20 riders left in the race. Between them, Guido Visconti. A fantastic ride from Raphael's son. I've crossed with Raphael on the road, as his domestique, and he was a great guy to ride with. I haven't had a chance to talk with Guido yet, though.
Mazzarelli reaches the top of the Kwaremont. In the background, Vague accelerates! He wants to shake off Cook!
Vague clocks at 9 seconds on the top. Cook is looking at his front wheel. I think it's game over for him. He'll secure his Superprestige victory, though! 14 seconds on the top!
Mazzarelli keeps his focus, going downhill. The crowd here is fantastic, so loud! They see Mazzarelli heading towards the finish through the fog! What a day for a first professional victory! All those 4th and 6th places forgotten. Matt Mazzarelli conquers a spot in cycling history on the slopes of the Kwaremont.
Matt Mazzarelli wins the Kwaremont Cross! Both arms shoot into the air, he makes a fist and hits himself on the chest. He did it!
Vague comes in second and hits on his handlebars. He knows he could've had it, today. He's been outsmarted by one Italian. And there is Cook. He raises one fist. He's got the Superprestige!
Let's take a look at the full result. Only 17 finishers, this race was hard...
Walloonie is like Bizarro world where everything is backwards. I mean look at it...
- Franny is booed in his home country
- Mazarati wins a race.
- Cookie has a fan club.
- Cookie wins a big fat trophy and a ton of respect.
You gotta laugh really, one chance ride at a local cross race and look at me now superprestige man and I look at former winners of this classification and yes even the Cookie Monster is humbled. Whilst I enjoyed the nature of the Coca Cola jobby, in its purest form superprestige rewards consistency too rather than flashy wins.
It was a fantastic race to finish, certainly one of my favourites this felt like one of those crackers we had early on in the season with me and Franny going toe to toe. Water has passed under the bridge since then and this heelish broody goth like Vague is a different charactor - but I think the boy is still inside there. I hope he enjoyed giving the booboys some payback, he rode nicely out there with some gusto.
Mazarati zipped away up the road - good for him I say, he has been around the top all year usually outfoxed by a wheelsucker at the end. He has tended to put himself in trouble at times. He rode this one smart, of course for me it was a case of beating old froggy Lipawskiy - he looks like a bit of a prick in that rainbow jersey on the gritty cobbles and as soon as I saw those bands breathing heavy i put it on hard. Of course I knew at the end there I was probably going to pay for it at the end but it was important to seal the deal.
As said before I am looking forward to that Ardennes one - might have to pull one of those dick moves and miss one of the races next weekend. Trondhiem is the most likely one to miss, sounds like one of those freeze my bollocks off ones - ole cookie don't want sore chesnuts to stop him in the off season
Good morning everyone. Looks like I won. Yay!
I apparently won the almighty Kwaremont cross. I mean, not an ordinary race. Bloody hell I won the Kwaremont Cross!!! Would you fucking believe it? B) I honestly still have to completely get what has actually happened yesterday. When we set off I was just like "well, let's get this race behind us as well, meh". In fact, I didn't even remotely think that this could be a race that could suit me enough to even get a podium, let alone a solo win! I had a laugh when I read that "Piece of History, about first ever Gasthuys' win. Whereas I was hoping to get my first ever win at the World Championships, although I'd have been the first rider ever to do that, turns out that someone - well, Gasthuys! - did the same at the most fascinating cross of the calendar. I really didn't even wonder if I could do the same for the reasons stated above.
But let's take a look at what happened during the race. Once we set off I was just following Vague, that reasonably everyone - and that includes me - identified as the clear favourite. I realised I was feeling good enough to conduct a decent race. Vague was attacking since the start of the race, literally. I didn't want to see him win so I decided to waste a bit of energy and tried to catch every of his attacks. I was feeling so good that I though "hey, I won't win this by any chance so let's put our mark on the race". With about half of the race behind me I was feeling like I could really make it. In a brilliant way. Dries and Sylvain were already 40 seconds behind us. Screw that, I attack! That's just a plain race after all, if I can't win, jeez! Vague was looking afraid at me. I knew he was already cooked enough to being unable to respond. Everything looked easier and easier. I was alone, and when I was looking behind I didn't see anyone but the fog and the dust. I looked confused at the top of the hill. People were screaming my name with a strange accent. Heading into the last lap was fantastic. I resisted to the attacks of the 2 best riders in the peloton: but they could not resist to mine. By then I was full of mad and I could hardly see anything, the crowd was helping me to find my way to the finish line. For the very first time in my whole life, I felt like all the tough days spent riding under the rain and getting dirtier and dirtier were well spent. All of them. I'm not THE underdog anymore, I'm no longer the eternal 4th or 6th. I won. I won a race. I was expecting this moment since when I started the Duinencross, my first ever race as a pro. Now there's only a feeling in my mind: satisfaction. That is much different from contentment. A sole win is not enough to feel content. Go ask Gasthuys, I'm sure that his win count didn't stop to one. Neither did with 2, or 3, or 4. Well, I'm aware that I can't be like him, but wouldn't it be nice to snatch another win?
It's such an incredible feeling that even the sour taste that was left in my mouth after the Worlds is gone. I wish I had the same shape as these days one week ago... But I'd better stop crying on the spilled milk, that won't help me at all. I'm happy and I couldn't feel better: what more could I want? [Well, besides a decent sprint I mean.] What about a good result at the Ardennes cross? It doesn't look bad as an outlook! Now that I know I can even win, I know that I can even do it twice! Such a perfect route for me: no sand, no cobblez, almost no straight finish... Where's my calendar? I think that Wednesday February 25th should be highlighted a bit...
A large group of journalists surround Sylvain, eager to hear what the new World Champion has to say.
You rode that race magnificently, what is it like to have the rainbow bands around your back?
It's amazing, it's always been my dream to be the world champion, the Christmas classic means much more to me, but the world championships is much more prestigious due and, by definition, I'm the best rider in the world (Sylvain laughs a little) I'm still really in shock about the result though, it'll take a while to really dawn on me.
So, what were your tactics going into the race, did you stick to them?
Well the Belgian plan was obvious, send Verboven up the road on an early attack, Belgium doesn't have to chase and if they get caught they have Vague, who hasn't done any work on the front, so my plan was to follow anything that looked dangerous, when Verboven went, I looked around, I knew that he couldn't stay away alone, I remember thinking, if anybody follows, I'm on their wheel, so when Bauer followed Rudy, I just went, straight onto his wheel, Dries jumped on mine and that was the break, that was pretty much the plan and I executed it right.
What about the rest of the race?
I remember nodding to Lachie, we both knew that we had to put everything into the break, when we next crossed the line, no, I think a lap later than that, there were people yelling from the side of the road, something about Vague, I couldn't understand what it could be, but when Dries increased the pace, I realised, Vague had a mechanical or a crash. I had a few words with Lachie at some point on that lap, we needed to drop Rudy and we both knew it.
That was why I attacked, but when I saw the replay, I'm so thankful I did, they were right there, we were caught, but they couldn't follow my acceleration after all that work, even if Dries kept Rudy in it. On the final lap, Lachie went on the climb, I followed, but put Verboven in the wind first, I didn't have much hope keeping Dries off and I didn't try, I knew I had to save energy for the woods, where I planned my attack, when we got there, I simply gave everything, I put caution to the wind and jumped the bars at high speed, sprinted through corners and didn't look back until we were out, I'm not sure where they were dropped, I just looked back and only saw Dries, it was a fleeting glance, but I knew that I had succeeded in dropping the better sprinters and I was better than Dries up the hill, it could have been my only ever chance at winning the world champs, I couldn't waste it, so I sprinted, I gave everything and there was something beautiful about raising my hands while crossing that line.
How about the super prestige, are you disappointed in losing the classification?
Not really, after the worlds I was pretty tired and the last races didn't really suit me, so, yeah, I came to defend my second place and try out my new jersey, I happy to hold my position and I'm now thinking about targeting the series next year, which I'm now serious about winning, but yeah, congrats to Elliot in winning that.
So what does the rest of the season look like for you?
I plan to race out the season, I'll go for the win in every race, although I'm not particularly optimistic, I might ride in support of Pierre at a few races, my season would probably end now if I didn't win the Worlds, but I feel like there is a certain responsibility that comes with the rainbow jersey, so I'll race out the season.
And how about transfers next year, can you give us any hints on what is happening?
I really don't know, I've had a few offers come through, I had two before the worlds, I've got a lot more now, so I really don't know who I'll race with next season, but a lot of teams want to have the world champion with them.
Hard to deny the pissed-off look when Vague was standing on the podium. Like he was trying extra hard to show the world that this wasn't enough. That he's not happy with the result. Not a smile, not a wave. Just him standing there, like a sculpture, holding his arm in the air with a buquet. It was only slightly better later when he stepped on the podium of the Top 3 of the Superprestige. Goal achieved. Unsurprisingly, most Flandriennes were cheering for Vague the most, some welcoming him as their boy now after a strong showing at the Oude Kwaremont, and the display of the infamous winner blood. This is what the crowd wants; when anything but first is not good enough.
Despite him wanting to get a break from the media, for Vague it was an obligation to facethe local journalists of Sporza, VIER and Het Nieuwsblad. Additionally, his team manager pushed him towards the crowd. It was time to talk again.
Two times on the podium, the Kwaremont Cross already likes you?
Uh, second, third. No win, no win. I didn't have a chance yesterday at Ansbach Cross but I improved very much today. The legs felt very good, I was lucky that I didn't feel the crash from sunday anymore. So, I was attacking from the first lap onwards and put on the pressure. It was important to race on my own terms. There was a huge crowd welcoming me in every lap at the Oude Kwaremont, that was extra motivation I needed to keep going strong. The fog and the light rain added to the extreme nature of this race. It was like a fairytale riding here today. Scenery-wise, it could have been any more beautiful really.
Matt Mazzarelli put in a dig to bridge up to you. Together both of you formed the early race lead when later Ellioot Cook joined. Walk us through.
Yeah, Mazzarelli came up from behind and we had a solid thing going until Cook came. My coach told me from the sidelines that we had plenty of lead already, so we had more room than usual for tactical games and attack & counter-attack moves. If the chasers had been closer, maybe we could have worked together for two more laps. After Cook's move, I felt that it was time for me to force my luck; got a solid lead. As far as I can tell, Cook alone did the work and dragged Mazzarelli back to me. It was smart to take advantage of Cook's racing like that. When Mazzarelli then moved, I was pretty empty alright at that point and knew that I had to recover properly in the field. I did, shaked off Cook but I coudln't reach Mazzarelli anymore. It's a bitter defeat. I wish I had won here today.
Mazzarelli said, that you looked afraid of him?
[Laughs] Well, if he likes to think that, he's free to do so. Fear, huh... must be fun in the world he's living in.
You have crashed in the World Championships, Cook and Mazzarelli missed out on the medals close. All three of you have distanced drastically distanced the competition today. A bit of a consolation?
Nah, of course not. The World Championships were a big target and the moment I crashed is still a very bad memory to me. I messed up there, I'm the first to admit it. It sucks that I didn't have a real shot though in Valkenburg, that the chance for a medal was just gone in an instant. So, of course I'm eager to prove again and again that I can be up there with the other guys when no such bullshit happens. I guess all three of us were motivated to race here today. The second place today was good and I honour and love the Kwaremont Cross but one race can never make up for another race.
How was racing for you here, you talked of a dream earlier.
Yeah, it was amazing. Anything better than I hoped for. Riding here in such a fairytale atmosphere, with all the fog and the crowds, it's great. But being competitive here and knowing that you race for the win, is all the more special. I know every race of Gasthuys here, despite being too young to see him race. I'll work hard to do this race justice next year by winning it. I definitely will have to improve a bit on the cobblestones.
You have put in a huge lead onto riders like Hira today, a man who has won the Ronde in the past. How are your ambitions for those Monuments?
Aah, Cyclo-Cross is much different. Of course those Monuments are very alluring but I don't know about Hira or his palmares. Frankly, I don't care about what he has won on the road.I'm a Cyclo-Cross rider and for me, it only counts what a man wins in this sport. For me, road racing is as far away as the olympic discplines in swimming or archery. Today, Mazzarelli won the Kwaremont Cross. So that what counts, and I look to be there soon. I'm happy in this sport, for now. And I look forward to at least doing 4-5 more seasons.
You have now finished third of the Superprestige, yet you havn't scored in two races. Is winning the Superprestige next year a goal?
Most certainly, yes. The Coca-Cola competition was a great triumph this year and it's amazing to be the debut winner of this Ranking. But the Superprestige Ranking is what is really important to me; it's the prime pinnacle of the sport and any rider should strive to win this competition. Congratulations to Cook, I think he showed an incredible consistent season throughout. It seems like he'll stay in Cyclo-Cross, it's good to have strong competition.
What's your take on the flemish crowd most recently, especially here at the Oude Kwaremont?
I felt a lot of support here. You can't be the poster boy for every cycling fan out there, some just like you, some don't. I'm glad I can show my talent in Flanders like that, it's such a beautiful place for cycling. Now I look forward to coming back to Walloonia here next time.
Later, a photographer made quite a photograph when he stepped in the lcoal tavern, named Jong Kwaremont. There was Vague sitting in a corner of the tavern, enjoying a decent Radler after hard day out. The rain was pouring down outside, yet the most cycling fans have left already the area. There was Vague smiling and laughing, sitting next to him none other than Pieter Gasthuys himself.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
Rolling in across the finish line, Ronnie Hira looks very much the worse for wear than he usually does after coming off the Oude Kwaremont. He slides off his bike and tries to sneak away from the podiums but is caught by a journalist.
Ronnie, obviously you must be disappointed with the result?
No I'm not, today, in Cyclo-Cross, the Kwaremont, but more importantly everything else around it, is different to the way it may favor me. The punch mattered more in the end. I felt good over the Kwaremont, and I'm OK with losing the race somewhere else. I'd like to say I was not well, but in truth to make a tactical mistake like that and then riding as I did was embarrassing and my fault.
Obviously being a Ronde winner last year you must be annoyed?
No, I'm not. Don't force a story, this is CX, my road exploits mean zero here.
Sorry. Anyway, you wrap up the World Cup over the next two weeks, any thoughts on that?
Yeah Trondheim will suit me if the ice doesn't make a huge impact, and then Ardennes is a matter of survival. I'm not going to be helping Lachy & Michael in Sochi, more preparing for me, Josiah and Michael to assault Trondheim, Lachy is determined on the Ardennes so he's skipping Trondheim.
With two of the three classifications over for this season, we step outside with one final Classic before concluding the third and last, the World Cup.
After their Olympic adventure, Sochi opens its doors for cyclo-cross, who is ironically trying to become an Olympic sport for the next Olympics. Sochi has put together a nice route and has been rewarded by a status of Classic, despite this being a new race.
Usually it's the riders that make the race, though. With Trondheim on Sunday, some riders battling for the World Cup will hold back slightly here. Not Cornelis, though. The ex-World Champion is a specialist at scoring doubles, and the World Cup is practically in the pocket anyway.
Race Information
Country: Russia
City/Place: Sochi
Classification: Classic
Starting Time (Elite Men): 13h30
Favorites: Shay Gormley, Lachy Bauer, Elliot Cook, Dries Cornelis, Francis N. Vague
Record: New
Race History: After the Olympics in 2014, Sochi decided to create a cyclo-cross route. We're now ready for a first edition!
Route Information
Technical: 3
Sand: 4
Uphill: 2
Cobblestones: 0
Sochi provided the UCI with a very interesting profile. This is a race very hard to predict, and we see an interesting future for the Great Sochi Circuit.
The race is based around the beach, so sand experts have a chance to show their supremacy here. However, depending on the weather conditions, lots of those sections could be impossible to cycle through, turning into a cross country running showing!
For Saturday, the temperatures will be positive, but for future editions, freezing temperatures could turn this into an ice specialist route.
And thirdly, the obstacles are not strong enough to cross out the non-specialists on a high form. Making riders like Vague and Mazzarelli dangerous clients, despite their lesser sand abilities.
Sochi is a great showing of profile-building, with plenty of obstacles, including many formidable bridges, two stairs and, of course, a long section through the sand. Technicality will come into play, the route isn't very long and there are many twists and turns. In the final 250 meters, there are still 3 U-turns and one 90° corner to be taken. The final sprint is only 75 meters, so if you turn the final corner in first position, you are almost certain to be victorious!
Expected Weather Conditions
Temperature: 2° C
Precipitation: Dry
Wind: 1 Beaufort
I havn't done a lot of classics this season, in fact I have mostly avoided them in favor of the ranking competitions. Arguably, I was going quite successful with this strategy. Now as a compensation, I'm looking forward to racing the various season-ending classics and snatch the last two World Cup races as well. The Ardennes Cross will be special as a home race, that also suits me the best. Should the Trondheim CX be a snowy affair I certainly look to cash in some points there too, alongside my fellow ice specialists. Arenberg Classic and Dunkirch are interesting because of their names. I don't think I'll be up to much there but it's worth the racing all the same. So, it looks like a busy schedule but it's actually more a balanced affair for most riders, favoring different strengths and builds.
Looking at Sochi, it's a bit of a paradoxical decision. We are certainly looking to make some fuss for the future edition in Pyeonchang and here is Sochi, giving us a race just a year later. We are eager to show a solid racing here, as probably some ICO officials are probably keeping a close eye on all activity surrounding their former money drain.
This week has been some easy training, but mostly recovery. The past weeks have been really intense, with two final weekends and the World Championships. I'm still feeling good but for me it's important to also take rest after such efforts. When the racing gets tough, you usually don't even need to do that much in your free time anymore. Due to some good form I'm ranked as a favorite by the bookmakers but the sand won't favor my racing really. Riding in sand isn't really a weakness of mine but I certainly lack in this department in regard to Cook, Cornelis and others. Not sure how I can improve further there, it's really tricky and it has a lot to do with the general riding style. I come a lot over balance and technicality and put some focus on that but you also need proper power to grind through the sand and a real eye for the special shifts and layers. It'll be interesting to see if I can improve in that regard. For now, I think it's enough to make the most out of it and keep myself in contention at times. Dedicated training just to show off in Abu Dabi... well, I rather impress in Kwaremont and in the Ardennes.
See you in Sochi!
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
Ansbach Cross - Report
Kwaremont Cross - Preview
Great Sochi Circuit - Preview
