The end of the season is almost here. Not really hope of a win but more looking for more solid results. And that is how this season will be described ultimately, solid. Struggled a bit early on but really those routes didn't suit me. Found some good form and results when the weather turned icy and then the results went away when the weather warmed up again.
Kind of excited to finish now. I'm lining up some appearances in some national level road races back home through the summer alongside training. Just having time off is gonna be amazing, the season is packed from start to finish. Probably holiday somewhere like Antigua... mmmm sunshine.
I'll also be playing GK in the Charity match after the season, nice bit of fun extra. Good cause and all. Contract sorted. Training plans sorted. Things are pretty good and simple!
TDF
Been home for a while now. I don't miss the racing. Perhaps in a few years if i get good but not for now. It was a real season of learning and improving. I showed some good flashes of talent here and there, enough to have a choice of teams for next season. Did miss quite a number of races as well.
Less injuries next year and overall i should be fitter and stronger to tackle more events. Nice long off-season now though and quite a bit of work to do. Will have to build my own training courses somehow though, we are not as well served in CX areas as the Europeans are.
There's also news that TMM Sports Management, my parent company, will be taking on Goldenberg and Markson. That would be cool to have some more American guys in the peloton. Perhaps we can get onto the same team and then our raw enthusiasm could take us places! Maybe we can get a US Sponsored team in a year or two... long term dreams.
Hey fellas! Seems like I haven't done a blog for yonks now, I guess it's all the press attention. Anyway, as you all saw, today was a case of left it all on the paddock, as it were. Lachy was amazing, and he could've been up there but he stuck with me, even when all hope was lost.
But who am I kidding? Standing on the World Cup podium, meeting the BoK, even having Belgians asking for my autograph was one of the most special moments in my life, I don't care if Eldfjasson was a step higher than me, he deserves that, chapeau. And that's saying a bit, I've been blessed with plenty of those moments, from my first ride on a bicycle, to when I first turned pro...
Anyway, no need to get misty eyed over everything, let's get our As into G and talk about the end of season! I'm putting my all into the Arenberg so don't be surprised if I'm too tired for the Dunkirk. Anyway, see you on the weekend!
Edited by jandal7 on 16-04-2015 20:05
Former star Cyclo-Cross rider Rob van Dijk is said to return to Cyclo-Cross after two disappointing years on the road. The former CX world champion has chosen a new career path two years ago when he signed a deal with BMC. However, van Dijk never managed to come past the hierarchy of his compatriots and was not used to ride for the gains of others. That contract with BMC is running out at the end of the this road season. A new career choice could be a dutch or belgian team, in Cyclo-Cross of course.
The step comes as no surprise to cyclo-cross insiders. Van Dijk has been upset at the exclusion of Cyclo-Cross from the olympic discplines ever since he became a vocal voice in the sport. As a former winner of the World Cup, Superprestige and World Championships, Van Dijk has famously stated that "the sport has nothing left to give to me." He may bite his words now but cyclo-cross fans will be certainly enthusiastic about the return of another big calibre.
Van Dijk has mostly made a name for himself by being brilliant in the mud, earning him the nickname of The Mud King. But also his showman ability is uncontested. With several tricks - during racing - he has been a great entertainment-factor in races. All of this rumour is based actually on one facebook post --- You see Van Dijk jumping over some hills there, the caption: I miss the sound of cowbells.
As a long-time rival of Dries Cornelis, Van Dijk will be happy to see his old nemesis still active in the sport. However Van Dijk has repeately said during this season in dutch & belgian TV that others are at the top of the sport now. It'll be interesting to see, where Rob Van Dijk will stand exactly: Top or Flop. Nevertheless, his goal seems to be clear: Pyeonchang 2018.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
It was good, I made some attacks, I just made a slight technical mistake on that final lap, when they attacked and I was too tired to make up for it. Still, third isn't bad, even if I really wanted to win today.
What about your attack with Cook?
I just was trying to keep him from getting away, but nobody followed, so I put my all in, I'm hoping he did as well though, but Francis and Matt were strong. We never really had a too big gap.
What about on the Dodentrap, you were very fast running there.
Yeah, I think that it could be used to my advantage, it just wasn't quite long enough for a gap, unless I give everything. I would really like to see a race that has more running though, I think the conditions were pretty good this year, so less mud sections that can't be crossed.
And how are you feeling for the cobbles.
It's my duty to race as the world champion and I think it will be quite a fun race, even if I'm not in the top 3, maybe I'll support Pierre, he isn't bad on cobblestones.
and how about the football in Dunkirk?
It sounds fun, I used to play football a lot, not now though, although, I'm not bad, as long as I don't get put in the goals.
Finally a race that suits me and isn't important for Sylvain's chances, we are trying to work out with our team wether it's better for us each to ride individually or for Sylvain to help me. But we have no hills, so it'll be nice to test out my power against the top all-round riders.
and if there are three things that I am better than Sylvain at they are cobblestones, individual efforts on the flats and football. It sounds great to have a match. So I'll see you guys at the Arenberg Cross.
We are at the very last weekend of the 2014 - 2015 cyclo-cross season. We've seen some amazing racing this season, we've discovered many a talent. It's time to end the season with a bang! With Arenberg and Dunkirk lined up, we're in for a spectacular finish.
Race Information
Country: France
City/Place: Wallers
Classification: Classic
Starting Time (Elite Men): 13h30
Favorites: Ronnie Hira, Andrew McLaughlin, Mikel Hammarling, James Carlisle.
Record: 3x Pierre Lajeune (1950, 1951, 1952)
Race History: If you hear Wallers-Arenberg, you might think Paris-Roubaix. The fact is, however, that the Arenberg cross is almost 20 years older than its first passage in Paris-Roubaix. Paris-Roubaix first passed here in 1968, while the cross has been around since 1950, with Pierre Lajeune winning the first three editions.
Arenberg has a tough history, with many cancelled editions and in the 1980s, the race ceased to exist for two decades, until it came back on the French calendar in 2003. It moved up the calendar in 2006 and became a full classic.
Route Information
Technical: 3
Sand: 0
Uphill: 1
Cobblestones: 5
Arenberg is a race with the main focus on cobblestones. What else? The race takes on a large part of the famous forest of Wallers. It goes uphill slightly, but not enough for climbers to triumph over cobblers here. After a long cobbled section, the riders turn into the dirt of the forest. There are some more technical difficulties here, with even two man-made bridges. But just as the pure cobbled specialist will start to fear, the riders turn onto the cobbles of Arenberg again.
Whoever does come up trumps here, it's sure to be one cracker of a race this afternoon.
Edited by jandal7 on 17-04-2015 19:27
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant." [ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
I don't see much chances in winning, however I may be of some help to Sven if he feels like he can win this race. Maybe I can pace him a bit as a return gesture of gratitude for the help I've received from him throughout the year. It'd be nice to ride in his service for the last weekend.
I didn't have much time to recover or train. I tried to spend some quality with my family but the circumstances demanded something every day. Media, team meetings, sponsor shake hands. After my last double wham at Trondheim respectively at the Ardennes Cross, things are looking up again; or maybe all that PR stuff is just the result of a decent season. It's also typical for the big promo things to happen this late in the season. Coca-Cola may find time to make it all happen throughout the season but when do you have time to appear at a local village fest or shake the hands of the mayor of your hometown?
Yes, it's been a great season. I enjoyed all of it, but I'm glad we can wrap it up now.
Go Sven!
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
Today, the location of the World Championships 2016 leaked out. The Worlds next season will be held in Siena, Italy. Based in Tuscany, Siena is best known to us as the host of Strade Bianche, an annual road bike race. The cross will most likely feature the typical white roads - the strade bianche.
Nothing is official yet, so we'll have to wait for an official announcement. No details about the profile have been leaked, either. So far, there has only been a lot of guess work.
Alpe d'Huez Cross route
The new Alpe d'Huez route is taking shape slowly. Several propositions have been declined, always under the pretence that the climbing is overrated, and so the route builders are now concentrating on the lower side of Alpe d'Huez and restrict the climbing. The definite route is expected within weeks after the season ends.
Dries Cornelis's season has had some ups and downs. Undoubtedly the World Cup win is the greatest performance of the former World Champion. 'I'm very glad I have managed to win the most prestigious of all cups. It's taken me some hard work throughout the season, which may have cost me some points elsewhere, but I'm glad I've got this one in the pocket.'
The major blow of this season must have been the world championships, where Cornelis came second. 'I'm still disappointed thinking back about that. The win was within reach, but despite giving everything I had someone else was strong. I do think it's a good thing the young generation is coming through. With Francis and now Sylvain as well I think I am ready to retire happily later.'
There's still one more weekend coming up, in France. Although it's not important for the rankings, there will still be some spectacle. 'I obviously want to end the season on a high note. I feel very strong despite the long season and I think powerhousing could very well help both in Arenberg and Dunkerque. I'll definitely aim on a win.'
After a disappointing season start Naveed Alinejad has slowly but surely come closer to the elites of the cyclocross scene. 'I'm glad I've managed to make such a progression throughout the season. I've had a weak start, but I've now finally managed to continue a great series.'
He does feel being relieved of pressure. 'Of course it's easier riding for a good qualification when your leader, in this case a genuine legend, is ahead of you and guiding you throughout the season. Dries is an excellent captain and mentor for me, and hopefully he'll manage to keep it up.'
This weekend is the final of the season. Naveed has no expectations. 'The terrain is not the most suited to me. Hopefully powerhousing over the cobbles will get me a good result, If not, Dunkirk should be better for me. I might pick up my season best there, or at least I hope doing so.'
After Vague's declaration that he'd be riding in support of Welling in Arenberg and Dunkirk, Sven Welling odds are considerably improved. Although Vague's help alone won't be enough for Welling to take a great result, the thought of him riding freely and for his own results is already a good sign. After all, Vague's form has been on a high note since the World Championships, taking two World Cup wins in a row.
"I am very happy to be part of this classic", says Welling. "I've missed the race in the past 3 years due to injuries at that time. Paris-Roubaix is an incredible race and it's nice to see that the Arenberg Classic tries to take some of that magic from this race and places it in our beloved sport." Of course due to the prestige of the classic, Welling is determined but he doubts he has a real shot at winning. "I'm thinking of a Top 5. I have started many races without goals and just raced to see how it goes. This time it's slightly different. I hope to enjoy the race and pray for little crashes, but I really want to take a good result from here."
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
Welcome in Arenberg on this beautiful, sunny day. We've already arrived at the end of the season. Time has flown by. But there are two races left to fight for. Two more prizes to be earned!
Weather Conditions
Temperature: 6° C
Precipitation: Sunny
Wind: 1 Beaufort
Start Line: We're bound to see an interesting race today. The cobbles of Arenberg only rarely disappoint. Fatigue will come into play this late in the season. Who is still fresh? Riding on cobbles takes concentration most of all, so riders slacking off only a little can end up on the wrong side of the cobbles here.
Lap 1: A start on the cobbles is always a strange thing. Today is no different. Pure speed and acceleration is of lower priority. This is all about finesse, getting your shoes into the pedals, stay upright and move through the cobbles the best way you can.
Ouch! A mass fall on the cobbles in the peloton! Gormley, who was in first position, went down and thus holds up the entire peloton. Riders who were further down in the back react quickly enough and go around the fallen riders. Van Drenthe makes use of the situation to speed away! He takes Dobransky, Carlisle and Visconti with him!
The peloton is getting back on its feet, the riders one by one. We don't see any serious injury at first sight, just a lot of chaos.
Everyone of the peloton is back on their feet. Let's take a look at the front of the race. We have Carlisle, Dobranksy, Visconti and Van Drenthe, who have definitely found each other and work well together.
We're already back on the cobbles again, with our four leaders. They are still profiting from the chaos in the background. The best riders are not in the first spots and we actually have Amadou Bakari riding around in 7th position, third in the bunch.
Lap 2: One lap later and only know we can really start the race. Van Drenthe, Carlisle, Dobransky and Visconti are 20 seconds ahead of a large group. The race certainly is not over yet, but they'll have to react soon!
And now we see Francis Vague coming to the front. He's bringing Sven Welling along on his wheel. He's setting a high pace to try and bridge the gap. And now Sylvain Lipawsky joins in on the chase, with Pierre Lipawsky close. It looks like we're seeing two of the strongest riders of the season work for their team mates today.
Meanwhile, order has been restored in the peloton. Riders are falling off the back, while others like Eldfjallsson, Hammarling, Cornelis, Hira and Gormley return to the front of the chasing group, where Vague and Lipawsky are doing all of the work, with Welling and Pierre Lipawsky sitting back, hoping their leaders can close the gap.
A puncture for Rik Van Fleming! After a long fight back to the chasing group, he sees them ride away again. Bad luck there for the last Belgian Champion.
The World Champion and the winner of the Ardennes are really setting a high pace, now. Riders are losing touch with the group and are dropping off the pace left and right. The gap to the four escapees is only 6 seconds.
Lap 3: 2 laps of the 7 are finished. Almost on the finish line, the four escapees have been caught! And Bakari is the biggest surprise, today, him still being in the lead group.
That lead group counts 17 riders at the moment. The biggest name who has been caught behind is Elliot Cook. Not immediately his kind of terrain, the Brit is riding around 10 seconds behind the 17 leaders, trying to find a comfortable pace on the cobblestones.
Lipawsky, the World Champion, drops out of the front group, after his hard work. Dobransky falls through, too. The pace is being kept high now by Francis Vague, with Welling in second position. Matt Mazzarelli is in third as we head into the woods. He's concentrated, but it won't be easy to win today for him. Still, he's not half bad on those cobbles.
Lap 4: And we have an attack! On the stones of the Arenberg, Mikel Hammarling tries to break away! Vague is having trouble on the cobbles and so Sven Welling attempts to ride to Hammarling alone. He accelerates.
The two create a gap instantly! Mazzarelli is the one doing the chasing, but he's not giving it all at the moment.
We're going into the woods now. And we have a few more attacks, riders trying to close the gap to the leaders as quickly as possible, afraid to miss the winning move! Pierre Lipawsky acts on an impulse by Ronnie Hira! Gormley, Visconti and Eldfjallsson decide to follow the attack, too.
Back on the cobbles now. We're approaching the finish line and the five chasers have caught up with the two leaders. we now have 7 riders in front.
Well, it seems we're having a typical Arenberg race. Not selective enough to split up the field completely, so larger groups working together. The lack of hills and technical difficulties make it very hard to break away alone.
A very good cooperation at the front. Eldfjallsson is keeping Hammarling out of the rotation, so the cobbled expert from Sweden can rest up a bit for the finale.
A crash! Alinejad goes down on the cobbles. He does seem able to continue, though. Arenberg always claims a few victims.
Lap 6: Two laps left, and we still have 7 leaders.
Ronnie Hira moves up the front. He does this quite brutally, though, and accidentaly hits Visconti's bike with his back wheel. Visconti can't control his steering wheel and crashes on the cobblestones, flat on his face! Hira looks behind and is surprised, but he has no choice but to ride on. From here it certainly looked like an accident. The sound of the crash was just horrifying, though.
Visconti stands up slowly. He's back on his feet and seem eager to continue the race. Just as the group Mazzarelli passes him, he jumps back on his bike and tries to connect with the first chasing group.
The six leaders are keeping the pace high and are now 20 seconds ahead. With one and a half laps left, we might start have to find a winner here. Some unexpected names at the front, though. Not immediately the Lipawsky brother we were expecting, but on the Arenberg course, we shouldn't be that surprised, either. Don't forget Pierre is the younger brother. Sylvain wasn't the rider he is now two years ago, too.
With the finish line in sight, Ronnie Hira attacks! Gormley looks behind him, nobody of the group seems to have an answer! Hira is putting his carsd on the table and leads the race!
Lap 7: The final lap! We have a Kiwi at the front of this Arenberg Classic. Just five years ago, these words could've made me laugh, but today, I'm dead serious. The globalization of cyclo-cross is almost complete. A kiwi up front, with riders from Iceland, Sweden, Ireland, Switzerland and Belgium chasing.
Things are being shaken up in the background, too. McLaughlin rode away from a select group including Cornelis, and Mazzarelli. Vague is falling behind, still trying to keep off a chasing Amadou Bakari, who's moving with surprising ease on the cobblestones.
And yet another fall! Going down a bridge, Mario Guido's wheel got stuck in a wrong track and he's gone over his bike! It doesn't seem like he'll continue...
Hira has 14 seconds on his chasers. He's practically home free!
Let's not speak too soon, as Gormley now makes his move! He shoots out of the chasing group, with Welling following his wheel closely!
The two chasers fight back to 7 seconds from Hira! We're in for an exciting finale!
Hira turns onto the final straight, cobbled, road. In Arenberg, he rides towards the finish, with Welling and Gormley coming up right behind him, sprinting for their lives!
But Hira is strong enough, his lead is sufficiant. He crosses the line first and raises one arm! It's always best to keep one hand on the handlebars on these cobblestones, of course. Gormley beats Welling for the second place but looks disappointed. They are four seconds behind the winner, Hira!
Eldfjallsson finishes right before his team mate Hammarling and Pierre Lipawksy.
Here comes McLaughlin with a good late season result. It might just be enough to ride into 2015 - 2016 next year. There are talks of British sponsors folding, so getting a new contract might be difficult for some of the Brits in the peloton. A result such as this increases McLaughlin's chances, of course.
Cornelis beats Mazzarelli in the sprint, though the Italian will be happy to beat at least Matt Claveren on the cobbles in the sprint. Van Drenthte finishes 11th and the onlucky Visconti finishes 12th, with the blood still on his face. His first chance at a podium and then to fall out of contention, literally. It must be rough.
Carlisle crosses the finish line, as does Vague, who has just kept off Amadou Bakari. A 15th place for the Gabonese. Well done, Amadou!
We'll have to end the broadcast here. We'll see you tomorrow, for the final race of the season, in Dunkirk.
As Ronnie Hira crosses the finish line in Arenberg victorious, a grin from ear to ear, saluting his fans, he glances behind him, but we find out later it wasn't to see how much time he had on the chasers, but to try and see someone else.
'Yeah I was trying to look for Guido, I was pretty cut up about what happened, I've never been that personally involved in somebody else's crash so I was just trying to see when he would get here so we could talk about it, I just wanted to apologize, looking around and shouting sorry, horrified, in a race just doesn't cut it. It was sickening, and to see him get up was great, it definitely wasn't as bad as it could have been from first glance,' the Kiwi says, ' He ended up in twelfth and I was just begging for his apology when he dismounted, I think he accepted, luckily he's a good guy. I couldn't ask him personally so I asked a guy from his team that looked like a doctor, he said he'll be fine, I wasn't sure but it took a little pressure off my chest.' When quizzed on the race, the Kiwi's face finally lights up.
'Yeah it was just perfect from a racing point of view, start didn't hinder me much and my legs were just, wow, they were on top of their game, which I need to start happening around now. I tried to save myself, I attacked with Pierre once to try and catch the attack [of Welling and Hammarling]. I felt like there was the move to be in, those two are too intelligent and too good to let go. Then everyone and their dog joined up and we had a leading group.
'I knew then a perfect race is just staying clear and then making my move in the penultimate lap, and going solo, no two-up sprints for this race. I made it on the cobbles where I was strongest, and just put my all into it. Hearing the fans screaming at me, telling me I was on the way, I had 20 seconds on them, was exhilarating, it's like going into the Roubaix Velodrome solo [from U-23], it's something only a few lucky guys can do. I'll never forget this day.'
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant." [ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
Dunkirk marks the end of the season. We finish this amazing season, full of great races and surprising results with one big blast in Dunkirk!
Race Information
Country: France
City/Place: Dunkerque
Classification: Classic
Starting Time (Elite Men): 17h30
Favorites: Shay Gormley, Lachy Bauer, Dries Cornelis, Elliot Cook.
Record: 4x Pieter Gasthuys (1982, 1989, 1990, 1995)
Race History: Dunkirk was first organised in 1976 as part of the Superprestige. It remained in the Superprestige until 1993, when the race requested a license for Classic status and received it. Gasthuys is the only rider to have both won an edition as a Superprestige race and as a Classic.
Route Information
Technical: 4
Sand: 5
Uphill: 2
Cobblestones: 3
The Dunkirk Classic is mostly a sand-race, but just to call it that would be dishonoring the route. It is set mostly on the beach, but the route also takes the riders onto the small, cobbled sections more inland. The wind can blow mercilessly in Dunkirk. Heavy wind is expected tomorrow, too.
The big show in Dunkirk is of course the climb of the 'Dunkirk Dune'. The climb itself is not to spectacular, the riders go up using the cobbled road and take on the final feet of climbing in the sand itself. But it's the downhill that draws a crowd. It's a perfect ending to the season. A course made for an all-rounder or a sand expert.
Maybe he was at first a bit disappointed but if he was, Sven Welling didn't show a sign of it on the podium next to Hira and Gormley. The Flandriennes was seemingly relieved to have finished the race without a crash or any other major incident in the first place. "The mass crash only stopped me at first but I havn't crashed. Just some problem navigating out of the bunch."
The mass crash hasn't really played into Welling's cards, however Vague's chasing effort help to reel back in the front group and Welling was one of the riders who benefitted greatly from it. "I couldn't have done this without Francis, he was perfect today. He's a wonderful teammate."
Welcome, one last time, for this final race of the season. It seems like a small festival here in Dunkerque. Only 10 kilometers from the Belgian border, you can imagine there are more Belgians than Frenchmen here. So late in the season, only one question remains: Who will take the final race of the season, who will win the Dunkirk Classic?
Weather Conditions
Temperature: 5° C
Precipitation: Cloudy
Wind: 3 - 4 Beaufort
Start Line: The wind is blowing very hard today, that could dissuade early attacks. If you're on your own with your nose in the wind, you need to be very strong.
Lots of happy faces here. The Dunkirk Classic is the final event on the season, and many riders are happy to be here today. After this, it's a seven month break from cyclo-cross!
Lap 1: We're off! As if Eldfjallsson wants to prove for once and all that he is the new king of the start! Team Odfjell is said to continue next season and try to attract a new rider. A team practically unbeatable in the ice, they might want to find a rider for those sandy races, too.
And it looks like we're in for a very fast start. Things start splitting up quickly already, so a good start could be vital today!
Eldfjallsson is prolonging his fast start into an attack, so it would seem! Elliot Cook, Matt Mazzarelli and Dries Cornelis are the first to recognize this and follow immediately!
Francis Vague also notices the potential danger and wants to move forward, but the riders head into the sand now, and Vague loses his speed. The front riders seem to go faster through the sand.
Sven Welling, on the other hand, moves past his team mate and rides strongly through the sand!
They won't wait at the front, and so other riders now see their chance to go with them. Alinejad, Moli, Bollinger and Gormley try to bridge the distance through the sand.
The leaders turn onto the cobblestones. The road goes up now and we're heading towards the deep plunge off the Dunkirk Dune.
Most of the crowd is stationed here, of course. Spectacle assured. Cornelis goes into the deep first. Mazzarelli, Eldfjallsson, Cook. They all take the plunge well. Then there are Alinejad, Bollinger, Welling, Moli and Gormley.
A sizeable gap back to the next chaser, Christian Schiltz, with in his wheel, Francis Vague.
Lap 2: The first chasers join up with the lead of the race and so we have 9 leaders.
We will have 7 laps here, in Dunkerque.
Matt Mazzarelli wants fireworks here and moves to the attack! Nobody follows and so Mazzarelli is on his own.
Unfortunately for him, he's got his nose right in the wind and it's blowing mercilessly.
Still, he's taken initiative and he's sticking with it. He was probably hoping to get someone with him, though. Though it looks like he'll get his wish, as Sven Welling makes the jump forward.
Mazzarelli and Welling have 5 seconds on the 7 chasers. Behind them, Vague and Bauer can't ride fast enough to bridge the gap and then decide to hold their legs still. With other riders riding on their tail, they wouldn't bridge the gap anyway, with Welling and Bollinger up front.
On the cobbled streets, Welling and Mazzarelli really impress. They're riding away from the chasers. In that chasing group, it's mainly Eldfjallsson doing the work, along with Cornelis.
Another drop off the Dunkirk Dune. Mazzarelli goes in first. Welling follows in the same trail.
The seven chasers go down safely, too. No falls yet, here. It's always a strange thought here, are all those people hoping for a crash?
Lap 3: Moving on. Mazzarelli and Welling continue to grind it out at the front. They've got 10 seconds now. They work well together and so it looks like this race is coming onto a crossroads. If the gap continues to grow, they might make it.
Meanwhile, we have recorded a first fall on the Dunkirk Dune. Bakari proved his worth once again and went down. He was back on his bike immediately, though, nothing bad.
Mazzarelli and Welling are no sand experts, but a man in form can do anything, at least that's what they say. And it seems true here. They move through the sand easily and increase the gap to 14 seconds!
In the background, Cook, Gormley and Bollinger step up and join the chase. Is it too late? The wind blows the leaders back a bit, to 13 seconds, now.
Once again at the Dunkirk Dune. Mazzarelli plunges down. Welling crashes! And this is not a light crash! With a spectacular salto he goes down in the sand. He gets back on his feet, looks a bit confused. The chasers pass him as he picks up his bike and looks at his gearing. Looks busted, he'll have to run to the technical zone.
Lap 4: Mazzarelli is on his own now, and the situation suddenly looks very different. A man alone in the wind, he loses terrain. 9 seconds.
In the sand, Gormley wants to ride to Mazzarelli alone. But Bollinger reacts quickly and also Cook moves with them. They join Mazzarelli just before heading out of the sand and on these cobbled streets.
Oh and Mazzarelli seems completely dead! The wind has taken all his strength. He can't hold on to the trio and bows his head.
This is a very strong trio. Don't forget that Cook, Bollinger and Gormley share 8 victories between them. So these boys know how to finish it off.
In the background, Welling has more bad luck. After being towed by Vague, he's gotten a flat.
Cook, Bollinger and Gormley all move through the sand easily. Three sand experts together, this attack can take them a long way!
Down the Dunkirk Dune with the three leaders.
And here comes Welling, his confidence has gotten a bump. He brakes... Maybe a bit too much, he slips away and falls a second time! Not as bad this time, but it's never good to hit the ground on the same spot twice.
Lap 6: Elliot Cook attacks! He wants to get rid off Bollinger and Gormley! Right before the sand, he accelerates. Bollinger looks at Gormley, but he doesn't close the gap. And so the two have to chase now. Still, they're not panicking. Further down, Mazzarelli is playing yo-yo. He's constantly falling behind and then catching up again with the group of Cornelis.
Cook has 3 seconds on Bollinger and Gormley. The wind is not in his favour, though.
And now, Eldfjallsson tries to jump to the front of the race! He attacks from the chasing group. He's got 2 seconds... But is caught almost straight away. No luck for the rider from Iceland here.
Welling passes underneath our noses here, off the route. He must've abandoned. We see that his bike has a broken chain, that might be the reason. How much bad luck can you have in one race?
And so we go into the final lap of the final race of the season. Cook, Bollinger or Gormley? Gormlety won the first race of the season, so it would be incredible to win the last race, too. Bollinger has grown a lot this season and has proven his talent with a most beautiful victory as his climax. Cook is a class rider and managed to put his name with the absolute top in one season. A late bloomer, new to the sport, but we can't imagine the sport anymore without him.
The latter seems to struggle hard now, with the wind blowing this hard.
Lap 7: We hear a rider has been blown off his bike! It would seem to have happened with Oceanic Champion Lachy Bauer. No surprise, such a lightweight.
And Bollinger and Gormley have caught Cook! Three leaders, one more lap!
We go into the sand. Bollinger's time to attack now! Cook has no answer. Gormley tries to react but he's in the wrong trail to do so. Bollinger moves way faster and rides away from the duo.
He's alone on the cobbles, now. Only here you have some protection from the wind, by the tall buildings around. On this slope, he sets a high pace and goes deep into his energy reserve. He sees an opportunity to win his second of the season, almost exactly one month after his first!
The Dunkirk Dune, now. Stay upright, boy. He's going down with a sense of risk... But he makes it, easily. Gormley and Cook are chasing hard but the young Australian seems scot-free!
Bollinger goes into the final straight. He can't believe it, he looks behind. Nobody there, boy, look ahead of you! He crosses the finish line with his hands on his lips, he can't believe this. A second victory, a Classic this time!
Gormley wins the sprint for the second place, Cook has to be satisfied with third today.
And then we have Cornelis, Alinejad, African Champion Moli, Eurasian Champion Eldfjallsson. Matt Mazzarelli was just a bit behind. Muller... and then Sylvain Lipawsky completes the top 10.
What a race it's been, what a season it's been. We thank you all for watching these races with us. We'll see you Wednesday for the Football Against Cancer match with more of these guys. And then, until the next season!
Well wasn't that just a great weekend! Oceanic team they said. Won't do anything they said. WILL WIN ARENBERG AND DUNKERQUE, THEY DIDN'T SAY! Oh we're over the moon, we're going to crack open a couple of beers tonight, but only a couple. I'm off to race the Belgium opening weekend, and hope I can take with me some Arenberg form! Speaking of which, Lachy (Road), Josiah (MTB) and I are all going to keep you guys updated until next season here, so look out for that.
We've got the football match in a few days and we're ready for that. I'm playing left back but I'm not sure who for yet, don't think many do know who.
Anyway I guess it's time to talk about transfers. I'm not sure if I'm going or staying, I've got a few offers on the table, including a new team, so I'm gonna figure it out slowly. Me and Lachy are both taking complete wage & winning cuts to try keep Mikey on board, we're just going to take our road salaries. Also great news is Milan Listerijn is coming here or Santos Cycling, so looking forward to that.
See you tomorrow for the football and season reviews!
Edited by jandal7 on 19-04-2015 22:04
TMM Sports Management End of Season Press Conference
Press: So we have Mikel and Max here today, and two new faces alongside as well! Introduce us to them.
TMM: We are glad to welcome Fred Markson and Eddie Goldenberg to our family. I'll let them elaborate a bit.
Markson: Hi i'm Fred. I'm from Booklyn and this season i won the American Continental Championships.
Goldenberg: Hi i'm Eddie. I'm from Vegas and this will be my 10th season racing CycloCross.
Press: So Fred and Eddie have joined you, which teams will they be signing up with?
TMM: For now we don't know. The UCI has only just granted them the appropriate racing license's. Rumors have been growing since the Conti's but we are taking things slow and looking at all the options.
Power: We have been talking with various sponsors to set-up an American registered team. Us three would be very keen to join such a project and discussions will continue in that direction. I know i've got offers for two pre-existing teams that i am also considering but i'm waiting to see how this project develops first.
Press: And Mikel you've already confirmed a second season with Odjfell.
Hammarling: Yes i have. I've had a great season with them and the team dynamic has been outstanding, we really gel and work well as a team of riders. I really want to continue that next season and try and go for some more results
Press: What is everyones plans for the off-season?
Hammarling: I'll be doing some National level road racing in Sweden in the summer months. Otherwise relaxing and working on my technical skills like jumps and running which were me biggest weaknesses.
Power: I don't have much planned really. Certainly no road racing, just enjoying myself with training. Focusing on my CX specific skills because i've only been racing CX for a short time. I'm sure to meet up with Fred and Eddie as well.
Markson: Yeah we will do for sure. I know i'll be spending some time at Night School starting work on some qualifications for outside/after CX. But back to training because like Max i hvn't been racing for long and i've still got a lot to learn.
Goldenberg: Same again. No road racing planned for anything, just training and day-to-day life. Perhaps when a team contract is signed things will become more organized. I also think the three of us will be meeting up with the organisers of the US events to start talking promotion.
TMM: That will be all for today, it was mostly a short introduction to the new guys. We'll keep you updated as teams plans become more confirmed, and i'm sure you'll be hearing more from all 4 riders once the season starts to get a bit closer.
In this 3rd edition of The Scope, we'll try to give you an overview of the 2014 - 2015 season, which was definitely one of the most beautiful seasons of the 21st century.
Superprestige
1
Elliot Cook
112
2
Sylvain Lipawsky
105
3
Francis N. Vague
101
4
Dries Cornelis
96
5
James Carlisle
90
6
Matt Mazzarelli
82
7
Hafthor Eldfjallsson
61
8
Shay Gormley
56
9
Lachy Bauer
48
10
Mikel Hammarling
39
So the Superprestige was once again a spectacle from start to finish, with 7 different winners from 10 races. The Superprestige saw the first professional victory of Francis N. Vague, along with two other victories on his behalf, but also the long overdue victory for Italian Matt Mazzarelli.
The competition looked to favour debutant Vague until he missed a few races due to injuries. The young Belgian fought his way back on the podium, against all odds. But the fight for the top step was between Cook and Lipawsky. Elliot Cook, an intelligent rider, took the victory and wins his first big trophy.
Mikel Hammarling is the surprising 10th in the classification, having performed quite well this season.
World Cup
1
Dries Cornelis
295
2
Hafthor Eldfjallsson
210
3
Ronnie Hira
190
4
Sylvain Lipawsky
175
5
Matt Mazzarelli
168
6
Shay Gormley
162
7
James Carlisle
160
8
Francis N. Vague
150
9
Elliot Cook
150
10
Sven Welling
140
The World Cup was something else. From the first race, Cornelis layed down the law. He would win another two races to win by the largest margin in 14 years. The fight for place 2 became especially exciting in the final 2 races, with Eldfjallsson dropping Hira on the ice of Trondheim and keeping his 2nd place in the hills of the Ardennes.
Vague made a controversial move by ruining his chances early on by skipping a race. After literally falling out of the Superprestige competition, this decision was heavily criticised. After winning the Ardennes, he came at an equal amount of points with Elliot Cook, his big rival of the season.
Coca-Cola Trophy
1
Francis N. Vague
07h05'19"
2
Elliot Cook
+0h00'19"
3
Lachy Bauer
+0h01'29"
4
Dries Cornelis
+0h02'07"
5
James Carlisle
+0h05'30"
6
Matt Mazzarelli
+0h06'02"
7
Christian Schiltz
+0h06'58"
8
Sylvain Lipawsky
+0h07'55"
9
Arda Akdeniz
+0h10'03"
10
Nicky Van Drenthe
+0h10'57"
Once again we come to the name of Francis Vague. His rivalry with Cook has never been portrayed better than at the Coca-Cola Trophy. The last cross in the sand would decide the winner. Cook was the strongest, but Vague fought for every second and came out the overall winner. As a first winner of this trophy, they must be happy with this name. The Coca-Cola Trophy also saw the steady rise of Christian Schiltz, who moved up gradually but firmly, to a 7th place eventually. We expect great things from him next season.
While the cancelled Struisbaai Cross was quickly forgotten, it's worth mentioning that, had Cook prevailed over Vague in that final sand race, he would've won the Coca-Cola Trophy without a single victory.
Having said that, Francis Vague is the only rider to win a race in all three classifications. The young boy had much to learn, but he's learning freakishly fast!
Continental Championships
The new Continental Championships will take some getting used to. It misses a bit of the excitement we had with the National Championships, but there were some beautiful races nonetheless. And with Moli, Eldfjallsson, Bauer and Markson, we have some beautiful winners of those jerseys. The Eurasian Championship especially was a great race, with a surprised albeit deserved winner.
World Championships
The World Championships was one of the most beautiful races of the season. Belgium was strongest all around but when their leader, Vague, crashed out, they changed tactics. Verboven was hard to shake, but had to succumb eventually. Cornelis may well have been the best rider in the race, but Lipawsky wouldn't accept the Belgian rider's dominance and overtook him in the final sprint. A World Title for Switzerland.
Team Odfjell
Team Odfjell was one of the most exciting teams of the season, we think. Hammarling rode some impressive races and managed to win his first race, as well finish 4 other races on the podium. Kokkonen was the perfect team mate and managed a 3rd place. Eldfjallsson won no less than two races, including the Eurasian Championship, with another 2 second places and a third place. The team thus has 11 podium places, including 3 victories. More than we had expected at the start of the season.
Especially when the temperatures dropped below zero, this team stood out with head and shoulders. With Eldfjallsson they have a rider on the rise.
Looking at the final UCI Classification, we see little surprises. Though with Michael Bollinger above team leader Bauer and Hira, it is yet to be seen where Bollinger will go next season. It's obvious this young Australian needs to lead a team himself, he's got the talent for it. Dries Cornelis scored the most UCI points, with 1000 points more than number 4, already.
Vague scored particularly low, but that's all because of his schedule. Skipping races here and there to save his young legs is probably the better choice in the long run, but it doesn't work well for your UCI Classification.
Palmares
Name
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Francis N. Vague
7
3
4
Dries Cornelis
6
6
1
Elliot Cook
4
5
5
Shay Gormley
3
3
3
Sylvain Lipawsky
3
2
4
Michael Bollinger
2
3
1
Hafthor Eldfjallsson
2
2
1
Rudy Verboven
2
1
1
Lachy Bauer
2
0
1
Matt Mazzarelli
1
3
1
Ronnie Hira
1
1
2
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
Max Power
0
2
0
Ali Acord
0
2
0
Tariq Faizullah
0
1
1
Kimi Hakinnen
0
1
0
Jack Smith
0
1
0
Christian Schiltz
0
1
0
Andrew McLaughlin
0
1
0
Sven Welling
0
0
2
Timi Kokkonen
0
0
1
Josiah Bennett
0
0
1
Gregory Bernard
0
0
1
Farai Olujimi
0
0
1
Eddie Goldenberg
0
0
1
With a victory in the Ardennes, Vague became the rider with the most victories this season. A stunning 7 races in his debut season, others can only dream about having such a palmares. Put Vague on your list for the next decade or so. Just about everywhere he starts, he's among the favorites. He's scored 14 podium places in total. Just like Elliot Cook. Dries Cornelis comes up a bit behind with 13 podium spots.
Mazzarelli, considered one of the best riders in the peloton, had some bad luck finishing this season and actually ends up a bit below his level. Although you could argue riders like Gormley, Lipawsky, Bollinger and Eldfjallsson shouldn't be rated below Mazzarelli at all.
Still, next season should bring more than 1 victory for the talented Italian.
10 Questions, 10 Answers
Earlier this season, we asked 10 questions. Today, the season is over, and we answer them.
1. Who will become World Champion?
A: Sylvain Lipawsky. Who saw it coming? Not a lot of people!
2. Who will win the Superprestige?
A: Elliot Cook. Much deserved, we might add.
3. Will Vague withstand Cook for the Coca-Cola Trophy?
A: Barely, but yes. An exciting battle in the sand, but Vague triumphed in the end!
4. Will Matt Mazzarelli take that hard-fought-for victory, or end the season dry?
A: Mazzarelli did eventually win. He might only have won once this season, but when that victory is in the Kwaremont Cross, it makes up for it!
5. Who will end up on top of the head-count (number of victories?)
A: Francis Vague overtook Cornelis for the head-count in the final week.
6. Will James Carlisle finally return to his early-season shape?
A: This is open for discussion. But we'd say: no.
7. Will Blazej Dobransky retire at the end of the season?
A: Apparently, no. Dobransky has no plans to stop just yet. Especially with upcoming talent Souçek, Dobransky wants to stick around just a little bit more.
8. Can the upcoming talents Schiltz and Faizullah handle the upcoming sand races?
A: Schiltz and Faizullah didn't ride at the front in the sand races, but they stayed well inside the top 20, enough to impress us all.
9. How will Bakari handle the Arenberg Classic?
A: A fantastic 15th place for Bakari at the Arenberg Classic! Never saw anyone so happy with a 15th place, too!
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?
A: They tried their chances at the Elite Men, and that might've been a mistake. It opened the way for Souçek to take Gold in the U23 Category. It'll be interesting to see them at the pros in the upcoming season, though!
There, that's it for this year. We'll see you with a 2015 - 2016 season preview in about 7 months! See you then! This was The ScopeEdited by Ian Butler on 21-04-2015 13:59
I know it's been a while, but I was just too disappointed to write my blog. You all saw the World Championships, I imagine. I rode the perfect race until one stupid moment. What I hate most about, is that I let the team down. Our best man didn't even get to racing and our second best man sacrificed his own chances by working for me.
I didn't expect to be a winning position, I just wanted to attack to put pressure on the other countries, as we had planned before the race. But we stayed away. I was still there at the last lap. I know I was the fastest guy, but the course just got too technical for me. It was stupid, but well. So I finished 4th, which was good in a way. I did not want to go to that podium ceremony after what happened.
On to my road season then, but I will be back next winter! Cyclocross is too much fun to skip!
At the end of the season, two riders announced they would not be returning next season. Mario Guido, a 19 year old Italian, wants to focus on his road career. In a short statement, he announced the podium girls in cyclocross aren't that impressive, and that this made him decide his future lies on the road. The sprinter won a stage in Tirreno-Adriatico, but in the cyclocross he failed finish more often than not.
Mario Guido - Archive footage
The second retirement comes from finnish rider Kimi Hakinnen. Hakinnen was an expert on winter courses, but often caused controversy. He was involved in a crash with rival Timi Kokkonen, after which the UCI disqualified him, claiming he did it on purpose. A few weeks later Hakinnen loudly complained about the UCi deciding to adjust a section they deemed to be too dangerous. Hakinnen's retirement has been confirmed by the team, though the rider himself left a small opening on his blog that he might not retire if the UCI "replaces that crapweasel [sic] in charge of cyclocross".
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)
Arenberg Classic - Preview
