No win in Kitakyushu but i have no regrets. I rode the right race for me and my skills and unfortunately it didn't work out. There was some awkwardness afterwards between myself and Dao. He wanted my help to try and win the Series where i wanted a rare chance to go for my own glory.
Speaking of glory, Contis. Goldie and TDF have been in Calgary a few extra days over me but i'm not concerned. Goldie has surely racked up greater native fatigue than me whilst Power isn't as skilled as i am. Then there's the weather. Both of those two are Desert boys, born and raised in the heat. I'm from New York and i tell you this, everyone under-estimates our winters. The cold, doesn't bother me at all.
No serious climbing, no cobbles, no sand and highly technical. I swear this route was made for me to win. The challenge will be getting the race set up for Blue Bell CX to win, but i know we can work it together early on to do so. We all know the National Level riders taking part and they just can't match us three together. Should be a riot.
Goldie
I've had some thinking to do ahead of Contis. There are a couple of World Cup races on the horizon after the Champs. The Champs course isn't the best suited to me, it's fine and i could win but is it worth the extra risk and effort? There's going to be discussions with Radio and TDF, if i help them in Contis can they give me big support in the World Cup.
None of us are strong enough to challenge every race all the time. Another couple of seasons and we'll be better at that. But now we have to pick and focus. This deep into the season it's more evident so i have to pick, and i'll pick the World Cup over anything else for the rest of the season.
TDF
I want to win Contis. So badly. But this is not a good course for me. The weather hurts and i am not as good technically as either Radio or TDF. We'll work together early on to make sure one of us will win, but once we've got that gap secured i will fight for the win. I don't have many races left this year i can win so i've got to push for chances like this.
I don't mind so much playing the team role when asked. Every race i'm getting better and better so i'll keep digging in and working away and my time will come. Speaking of that, i'm watching these latest UCI announcements and interviews closely and i've got some serious opinions. I want to sit down with some media soon and chat a bit, so watch out for that.
Hammer Time
I don't like mixing Europe and Asia together for Continentals. That said i love these trips to Japan, swings and roundabouts. It won't be the race for me to win. Of course i'll take part but it won't be a full gas race. Eyes are ahead on the Scandinavian races where i will be a star.
I want to win and i will win very soon, just watch. It's all in for those frozen events and those cobbled events. Keep an eye out, as those bigs names get caught up in their title fights and accumulate a big season of fatigue, that's when i will move forwards. I want to be the top rider of these last couple of months, and i really feel i can make that happen!
I went to my latest race in Japan with plenty of confidence: with it being an NES series race many of the big contenders didn't travel and the course suited me very well, with plenty of cobbles and technical sections suited to my riding. After a few quiet races I felt good and wanted to make an impression.
As the race began I got into a group of 6 favourites which quickly pulled away from the rest. I decided to try and race smart and stayed in the wheels for several laps as the race neared the finish, trying not to expend any excess energy. Then, on the final lap when Visconti attacked, I jumped on his wheel!
We managed to get a gap, and I stuck in his wheel until the last possible moment in the final sprint. I used all of my strength gained from my tough upbringing in Kenya to propel me past the Italian and claim my first ever victory!
I couldn't believe it, all the guys congratulated me at the finish and I got a call from my parents saying how proud they were. It was an incredible experience. Now I go back to my home continent of Africa to tackle the continental championships. Full of confidence from Japan, I can now dream of becoming continental champion.
Fist raised, but no infectious grin. A small smile tells the true story of that last lap for Milan Listerijn: a missed opportunity.
Milan, congratulations! You stand here as the first ever winner of the NES!
Thanks a lot! I'm over the moon with the overall title and a race, it's been a great ride and very good competing with the other neo-pros. I'm proud to have won the series especially against such great rivals, so thank you to each and every one of those 19 other riders for a great series.
Tell us about your race.
Yeah from the first lap I knew I had to mark Dao, I stuck to him all race in the hope of sprint points but I still couldn't beat him. I tried something with Markson and Dao shut it down, but that was my only sniff of the wind until the last lap, I'm not completely proud to say.
I'm disappointed with the result of the day, I couldn't read Dao and it cost me the race, I really wanted to win. But I congratulate Mutahi, he's a talent and now he's got that first victory I can say, many more will come now. Guido too, good for him to get a result and hopefully it only means good things for the two of them.
What do you think of the reports that the UCI are thinking of lengthening the series?
I think it's definitely something that will make the trophy better, if you had an off-day here you lost it. But that might be good so I'd say fixe maximum, many of these guys are breaking through to the top 20 of the sport and would rather race full elite. But it needs time to fit in on the calendar and I don't think inter lapping races is the way to go, at least not a trophy. From my experience I enjoyed this challenge and the challenge of racing against Cornelis, Vague and the like. Riders shouldn't have to pick between.
Do you feel your legs are returning?
Yeah I felt better but not great so I had to bluff a bit today, but I felt better in the bike than the last few weeks, for sure.
When will we see you next?
I'm not heading to Contis so somewhere cold! But definitely Hagfors if nowhere else, that's confirmed.
The race in Calgary has just ended, and so we have four new Continental Champions. Although, four new champions isn't technically correct.
The Championships were hard fought for and we saw four very different races. Just as last year, amateurs and U23 riders were allowed to participate in the African, American and Oceanic race, with the Eurasian Championships having a separate U23 race.
African Championships
Race Summary
The African Championship was off to a very slow start. On a climb-heavy course, the riders were playing a tactical game rather than using their strength to toughen up the race. Only at the halfway point, the riders went full gas.
Soon, things started getting shaken up. After 45 minutes, we had four leaders. Mutahi and Moli from NamDeb CycloX Project, Farai Olujimi riding for Nigeria and Adrian Van Niek riding for South Africa.
Moli was keen on prolonging his title last year and accelerated. Olujimi, the third from last year, fell off the pace. And so we had three leaders left.
Retired professionally, Ali Acord threw in the towel. He now rides partially with the amateurs. He has known better times.
When Adrian Van Niek, South Africa's big hope for the future, accelerated on the big climb, no one had an answer. He rode to the finish line half a lap later and raised both arms. He sees an amazing season rewarded with the African Jersey. Someone give this boy a contract for next year, this is Africa's future.
Mutahi was a nice second and shows he has a lot of talent. Moli, the defending champion, was third.
Full Result
1
Adrian Van Niek
SOUTH AFRICA
63'27”
2
Estifanos Mutahi
NamDeb CycloX Project
0:11
3
Mustafa Moli
NamDeb CycloX Project
0:18
4
Farai Olujimi
NIGERIA
0:32
5
Amadou Bakari
Team BAKARI
1:10
6
Mohuti Sow
NamDeb CycloX Project
1:26
7
Ketso Tembi
NamDeb CycloX Project
s.t.
8
Cedric Nguema
GABON
2:34
9
Frederick Muller
NamDeb CycloX Project
3:11
Oceanic Championships
Race Summary
The race in New Zealand should have been the big good bye from Bennett for a while. He'll be off fighting a bacteria but the disease doesn't allow him to ride to his full potential. That and potentially an off-day caused him to drop off the pace after the first lap already. His hopes of going to the Worlds are over.
Instead, it was Lachy Bauer who profited from Listerijn's absence to ride the field in destruction. Bollinger and Christianson picked up the remaining podium spots, but that was way down the field. Bauer got his first win of the season. He defended his title with gusto and wins the second Oceanic Championships after winning the first edition last year.
Full Result
1
Lachy Bauer
Team Santos - ASB
56'27”
2
Michael Bollinger
Team Santos - ASB
1:34
3
Peter Christianson
AUSTRALIA
1:45
4
Ronnie Hira
Icorda Racing Team
2:14
5
Josiah Bennett
Team Santos - ASB
2:30
6
Len Lye
AUSTRALIA
3:02
American Championships
Race Summary
Fred Markson showed himself to the world for the first time last year. Time flies because Markson was one of the top favorites for this course this year. Because of the cold, riders like Power and Goldenberg were at the disadvantage. We hear Power is already asking the UCI to organize the next Championships in Texas.
From the start, it was obvious the battle would be between Markson and Osorio, the Colombian from Ittehad Chemicals. But a local amateur rider, Chris Young, surprised everyone by hanging on and even making the race himself, too. Guarded against the cold, Young rode the race of a lifetime.
In the final round, Young made a technical mistake and saw his chance to take a very surprising disappear into thin air. Markson was unable to shake off Osorio but had no trouble beating him in the sprint and prolonging his American title.
Full Result
1
Fred Markson
Blue Bell CX
58'52”
2
Camilo Osorio
Ittehad Chemicals
s.t.
3
Chris Young
CANADA
0:06
4
Eddie Goldenberg
Blue Bell CX
0:41
5
Max Power
Blue Bell CX
1:51
6
Juan Carlos Velasco
COLOMBIA
2:03
7
Roberto Alvarez
MEXICO
2:48
Eurasian Championship
Race Summary
Last year, Eldfjallsson won ahead of Francis Vague. Where ice played a vital race in last year's cross, this year's edition was completely different. In sunny conditions, the riders were off for a sandy and technical course.
The underground was rather solid, and so we got a fast cross, besides the sand sections, of course. The race turned into an elimination race. After small accelerations of Cook, Gormley and Alinejad, the pack grew thinner and thinner. The real action would start only three laps from the finish.
Iban Etxeberdea must've had super legs because he felt good enough to go his chance. Christian Schiltz and Baris Dao knew they had to go with him because they had to anticipate riders like Cook and Cornelis.
Cook and Gormley shook off Cornelis, Lipawsky and a surprisingly strong Visconti two laps from the finish and tried to bridge the gap to the three leaders. To everyone's surprise, though, the two stayed at around 7-8 seconds and couldn't quite gap that final 7 seconds.
The three leaders went into the final lap with a decent shot at the title. Not immediately the names you'd expect fighting for the Eurasian title on this terrain. Besides Schiltz, of course.
Dao tried everything to let things come to a sprint. Etxeberdea was at the end of his powers and did his best to hang on. Cook and Gormley didn't have the legs to catch up and so it was obvious the three would fight for victory.
Christian Schiltz, profiling himself more and more as a classic/championship rider, made the winning move on the final sand section of the race. One acceleration was enough to secure the victory and crown himself Eurasian Champion of 2016. Last year's winner Eldfjallsson had to settle for 9th.
*wipes brow* Phew. That was a much tougher event that i expected. Still job done and Jersey defended. Great result that will guarantee my contract for next season i'm sure. Solo success achieved, eventually, so i can slip back into team-mate role for a bit. TDF and Goldie did do some great work early on to break the race up as well. Perhpas we'll see Young coming to Blue Bell next year, we chatted a bit after the race and he didn't say no..
Power
Would i like the next Contis in Texas? Yes, obviously, but i'm no going to beg for it. I don't like the cold no secret but i know it's part of the game. Before the race i said i wanted to talk to the UCI about some things but that wasn't what i meant. I'm working with Goldie, Radio, Blue Bell, a selection of domestic based riders and one or two other young pros on some statements and concerns to bring to the UCI. It will all become clear in time.
I am still very happy myself and i'm looking forwards to the upcoming races, sort of. Nothing to worry about or read too much into. It's just normal day to day stuff inside the peloton as riders react to various comments and news stories. I'm taking an active role beccause i'm still very new to the sport and it's a great viewpoint on things.
Welcome to this special edition of The Scope! For once, we won't be looking into the statistics of professional Cyclo-Cross. Instead, this is The Scope: Edition U23. Today we're taking a look at the youth and thus the future of cyclo-cross. the generation of Vague, Listerijn, Schiltz, Bollinger, Faizullah, Moli, Markson, Etxeberdea, Mutahi, Goldenberg and Soucek all made their leap to the professional peloton this or last season. Many expected this to leave the U23 league completely dry, but they are far from the truth. There are some hidden gems left in the U23 competition, just waiting their turn to be discovered.
World Cup
The World Cup with the Elite riders is as close as could be, but the competition also has a women and a U23 version. The young riders have been battling each other on the exact same profiles as the Elite Men. So let's take a look how the U23 World Cup events have gone!
Melbourne Beach Race
The first World Cup race was a close battle. Adrian Van Niek showed himself halfway the race, but the victory went to Peter Christianson, a local talent.
Portland CX
Portland is a technical parcours, and so we saw another close fight for the victory of the day. Peter Christianson was unable to retain his World Cup lead after a forced abandon. Thibaut Fumeaux, from New Zealand, showed excellent technical skills and took the victory of the day. Pieter Van Dyck, the hope of the Netherlands, finished 3rd and took the lead in the World Cup.
Antofagasta
Antofagasta was a one man show. Labeled as the Future of South Africa, Adrian Van Niek escaped in the first lap and wasn't seen again. He finished a minute ahead of Amir Khan and Van Dyck. Van Dyck kept the World Cup lead, but Van Niek was coming closer.
Port Elisabeth Van Niek showed his talent here. Not only good uphill, but smooth through the sand, too. He took the victory after going solo three laps from the finish and also grabbed the World Cup lead. In Port Elisabeth, we saw Louis Listerijn, brother of, with a good showing. He finished top 5 for the first time in a World Cup race.
Bristol
A technically demanding course in Bristol made for a tactical race. It came down to a sprint and there Van Dyck took the upper hand over Van Niek and Pieter Schools from Belgium.
Pyeonchang
In the snow and ice of Pyeonchang, Van Niek saw his World Cup lead melt. Van Dyck put in a great showing to regain the lead in the World Cup trophy. The victory of the day, however, was for Fumeaux, who is learning the trade quite fast.
And this gives us the current World Cup podium:
Ranking
Name
Points
1
Pieter Van Dyck
168
2
Adrian Van Niek
155
3
Thibaut Fumeaux
143
Continental Championships
But the youth of cyclo-cross didn't restrict themselves to these U23 races. In the African, American and Oceanic Championships, they were allowed to start. Some didn't participate, like Fumeax, but others did.
A big surprise came when Adrian Van Niek overclassed even the pros from Africa and crowed himself Champion of Africa. Many teams are already lining up for his signature for next season. But also Christianson did well, with a podium in the Oceanic Championship.
And then we have Chris Young, who didn't manage to get a contract after his last mediocre U23 campaign. Now 24 years old, he rides in the Canadian and American amateur league, but made a nice showing in the American Championship. The Canadian says to be a late bloomer and might still make the pro ranks after all.
Names to Remember
The talent isn't dried out yet. We're looking forward to the next few names to join the pros in the coming years.
Adrian Van Niek: He's becoming a hype quickly. Champion of Africa, Lion of Africa, Africa's Future. He's been branded with a heavy responsibility. The South African keeps a cool head and just does what he does best: race his bike. The African is mainly a climber, but goes through the sand well, too.
Pieter Van Dyck: The Netherlands have lacked a top rider for a while now. It is believed Van Dyck can turn that around. An all-rounded rider, a fighter. He never gives up and that's his main strength. And to add to his value, he is quite fast at the finish line.
Thibaut Fumeaux: New Zealand has embraced cyclo-cross as a new national sport and talents like Fumeaux underline this. Fumeaux is said to be highly intelligent in a race and is eager to learn and work hard. Lacks the absolute talent of a Vague or a Cornelis, but good things happen to those who wait and work hard.
Peter Christianson: The Australian is a sand expert. He is a real powerhouse and enjoys short climbs, too. However, trainers say he's easily distracted and if he can't keep his eye on cyclo-cross, it'll be hard to make it in the professional ranks.
Well, the future of cyclo-cross is secured. With talents from all around the world, it looks like the globalisation of the sport is only getting started. Let's hope to see these guys make it to the professional ranks in the coming years and that they can challenge the likes of Cook, Vague, Cornelis and the others.
It has emerged today that new Eurasian champion Christian Schiltz has fired his publicist. Apparantely the idiot has been failing to publicise anything about Schiltz all season.
More to follow ...
It's official, Amadou Bakari is now amongst the Top 10 Cyclo-cross riders in the world.
The proof? Well, just look at his two most recent results: 7th place and 5th place. Case closed, no need for further evidence.
As the greatest team in all of Africa, and also let's be honest, the World, Team BAKARI is rumoured to be trying to sign South African wonderkid Adrian van Niek. It's unclear whether the wage offer of "you can make our jersey for us" will appeal to the new African champion, but Team BAKARI are confident that a deal is all-but done.
Team BAKARI also guarantees that all of it's riders will ride the World Championships, which is also believed to be a deal-maker as far as Van Niek is concerned. Supposedly there are new rules for Worlds participation, but Team BAKARI makes a habit of deleting all UCI emails from their inbox, under a strict policy of "if we don't read it, it's not true".
Recently one highlight is followed by another. Although the important, valuable UCI poiunts wern't handed out at the Continental Championships, Guido Visconti - who isn't italian at all by the way, dear Estifanos - still achieved a solid result due to his great january form.
Coming 8th in a quality field like this, certainly marks yet again the talents of the youngster. So far, he has mostly made headlines when it came to flandriennes type of racing, now in the japanese sand, Visconti seems to be slowly learning the craft for additional terrain. Something that will come definitely in handy, either on Elite or U23 level.
"Right now, I feel really good", was the short commen to Visconrti after the race to belgian newspapers. "It's fun to race and fun to get paid for it." Things are certainly looking upwards for the young belgian, some might say it is only a matter of a few races left until the knot gets cut and he enjoys his breakthrough. But those belgian voices are usually down to hype up anybody they see longer than 3 seconds at the front of a race.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
Having spent a difficult season in the peloton I have decided to release this statement. It was a long season for me but I enjoyed it very much and was very happy for my team mate Estifanos Mutahi who had a very strong season including a marvelous win and kept our African name strong in the sport. Myself and my mate Mohuti Sow will be riding again next season and we will be more active towards the press to up the support of cycling in Africa.
In terms of our team, we currently have 3 riders I believe, myself and Sow mainly supporting Mutahi but we are confident of signing the top young African (South African) talent Adrian Van Niek. His talent is obvious having been one of the top U23 riders this season and having won the African Championships ahead of both myself and Mutahi. Being a team based only across the border we believe he will be attracted to the project that we have going on at the moment.
I look forward to updating you with personal and team news in the near future!
A first chance for the new Continental Champions to show off their jerseys. We're starting an exciting time in the season. These 6 races in between the Continental Championships and the World Championships are important for all three remaining classifications, but everyone will be watching each other for the Worlds, too. This is the moment to take the final steps of building form towards the World Championships.
So far, Lipawsky has managed to take 2 wins in his Rainbow Jersey. Can he add another one in these 6 races? With a good season end, he can still make the World Cup podium. But with Vague, Cornelis and Cook on there, it won't be easy.
Race Information
Country: Finland
City/Place: Torku
Classification: World Cup
Starting Time (Elite Men): 15h
Favorites: Mikel Hammarling, Hafthor Eldfjallsson, Francis N. Vague, Christian Schiltz.
Record: 3x Jannes Vandewalle (1987, 1988, 1990)
Race History: The Torku race has been around since the 70s. The very first edition kicked off the start of the 1972 World Cup. Jannes Vandewalle won the race three times, with cyclo-cross legend Pieter Gasthuys on the podium on all three of those occasions. Torku has always been a breeding ground for true spectacle and since it moved up later in the season, it has been a decisive race for the World Cup more often than not. Last year, Torku saw Eldfjallsson jump the World Cup from 6th to 3rd in one race, making way for his eventual 2nd place in the World Cup.
Route Information
Technical: 2
Sand: 2
Uphill: 3
Cobblestones: 4
Torku is considered the Ronde Van Vlaanderen of the cyclo-cross. The route is filled with cobblestones, intertwined with sharp climbs and rough roads. The profile was more technical a few years back, but is now more about the cobbles and the short hills.
So the profile is suited to powerful riders. Don't underestimate the cobbles on this terrain, they're relentless. Riders will need to pick their tires carefully, because this race could be lost before you even begin. You need to find the perfect tire pressure.
Expected Weather Conditions
Temperature: -3° C
Precipitation: Cloudy, Ice
Wind: 2 Beaufort
I know it's been a very long time since my last post. Quite frankly I have had a busy few months znd never really got around to posting.
However I've also done a lot of racing. Good and bad.
Well mostly good actually. Good results in both Australia, South Africa and Portugal made the undisputed leader of Vittel so that is amazing so shortly inside my carreer.
I've kept it up with some surprisingly consistent racing. I won't bother you with the details as most of it is so far back in time that you either already know or don't care anyway.
Lately I've had a bit more trouble keeping up the results.
But then we took the trip to Japan where I first rode another race in the National Event Series. Quite frankly I'm slightly confused about all the different rankings and race series, but the NES usually gives me some good results so that one I remember.
After that I stayed in Japan for the Eurasian championships on a route that suited me very well with a technical route featurin sand, small hills and no cobbles.
I went with the right move in the race and sug very deep to take the bronze medal in the end.
Goes without saying that this was the highlight of my career so far.
Next up Finland and a route where I don't expect to impress much seeing as neither the cold nor the massive amount of cobbles in the race really suits me.
I promise that I'll try to keep the blog more updated in the future.
Well I would like to spend a few words regarding what emerged after the Continentals. I've seen that Van Niek guy racing in the lower levels and believe me, he's not a common rider. Africa keeps cranking out talents over talents and he might be their biggest one, hopefully he'll have a chance to prove it racing in Amadou's team or something the next year.
So it looks like we're heading towards Torku. I'm pretty much looking forward to it and for that reason I've tried not to spoil myself the weather conditions, I'll just find them out when I'll be there. Who knows, there might even be 18°C under a bright sun, after all in Finland the ice is as uncommon as the rain in Brit... oh wait.
Lately I haven't been that brilliant myself but you know, it's partly due to the cold. I'm mostly trying to finish around the very low top 10 to save some energies for the next weeks, knowing I wouldn't manage to do much better anyway. This time around though I don't want to go unnoticed as I did in the latest Asian crosses, will try to go full retard, possibly catch another cold, and see where my limits really stand. Last year I won the Kwaremont cross - ahhhhhh memories - and I learned that cobbles are actually one of my best aces in the hole, so the route definitely suits me. Don't hold your breath, eh, I'm not saying I have many chances to win this but I won't give in before the race even starts.
This will be my first test on ice. I've said it before but this time I want it to be. I've rode in ice but I made a bad first impression. So this is my first test on ice! I'm really going for it with Coke not for a while, it's an icy Ronde Van Vlaanderen, my favorite road race. Despite being more in love with the cross I watched the finish every year, a family tradition.
Neither me or my brother were at Continentals, so I ran into him for the first time since Antagofasta. I'm glad nothing was awkward between us, I've been guilty of putting the cross before family this season, most notably my u-turn to spend Christmas in Switzerland and not in Flanders. But Louis is a forgiving guy, there is only a year between us so growing up we were basically twins, same year at school, etc. He's growing quick in the U-23 ranks and he didn't say no to my offer of a part-time role next season with Santos. Neither did Thibaut Fumeaux, for that matter. I know Thibaut from the end of last season when he was in my team for the U-23s, he's older than me but a good guy, I think he will come up. I don't really know Christianson but he's best friends with Mikey apparently, so he might come up. Apparently he's waiting on a sponsor and although J7 was at Contis he doesn't have the room for him, although he's said he wants to.
So I've been in Finland longer than almost the whole peloton, just me and Vague, both trying not to ride at the same time but never mentioning it. I don't think he really minds but I just want some solitude to scout the course. I'm surprised riders such as Hammarling didn't come straight here, I would have thought this was his season goal, to defend his title? I don't know, the more advantage I get, well, the more I have.
I like the course here, it's kind of like Struisbaai in it's qualities but it's more cobbled climbs here, whereas the cobbles aren't as steep in Struisbaai. I'd really like a top 5 but with Dries, Vague and Odfjell here that will be hard.
The belgian fight for the World Cup prime spot, the clash of generations and belgian's finest, is coming to its first of three decisive turns. Little is left of such a situation like last year when Cornelis was off in the distance early on and never to be caught again by his peers. This time around, Vague has given Cornelis a run for his money but the Old Lion has come back strong in recent months. This now includes also Vague's elite debut in Torku, a course he has done in junior years once or twice.
Francis N. Vague has skipped several races since his busy schedule in December came to a close. This came to a height by avoiding the Continental Championships, who he had thought about doing "if there had been some snow instead of sand." But given how Vague is almost exclusively interested in the top step in this race, and seeing as how his teammate Schiltz did an excellent job achieveing just that, things are all good for him.
Instead he enjoyed his time in Walloonia and came well rested to Finland a few days ahead. "It's good training here. The snow will play a key role in the coming weeks, think Torku, Trondheim and possibly 1-2 more races." With the Superprestige and World Cup having both races until the World Championships, it is a fit opportunity for the young belgian leader to stay on a high level and be in the best shape possible for the last decisive months of racing.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
Torku is an important date for the World Cup. After today, there are but two races left, so the final classification will be falling into place slowly at this point. Torku is cobbles and ice, neither of which has been prominent this season, so we'll see who the real contenders are for the all-round World Cup, and who are the pretenders.
Weather Conditions
Temperature: -3° C
Precipitation: Cloudy, Ice
Wind: 2 Beaufort
Start Line: No World Champion at the start of this World Cup race. Fourth in the World Cup rankings, this essentially means a forfeit to his chances of taking the World Cup. Good news for Vague, who sees one rival out of the race. Now it'll be focusing on Cook and Cornelis, try to keep them off.
Cold weather temperatures today. Hammarling won last cross and is once again a top favorite for a course like this. The Sweed likes this race in Finland and has made this one of his biggest objectives of the season. But Odfjell has other options, and they can play out their strength. they'll need it, too, if they want to beat Vague, Cornelis and Cook to the finish.
But it'll be interesting, to say the least. Goldenberg wants to ride a good World Cup. How will he handle the ice? Bollinger is only 8 points ahead of Eldfjallsson, ice specialst. Bollinger finished 24th last season. He'll have to do better this year if he doesn't want to fall down the rankings.
Lap 1: So let's get started! Like last year, Eldfjallsson opens with a strong sprint. After taking the corner, he keeps at the head of the peloton. The pace is slow. Last year, we had to wait a few laps before race really started. Will we see a rerun of the 2015 race?
And here comes Francis Vague. He takes the head of the race. Cornelis is nowhere in sight and that might be Vague's sign to go hard. For Vague, the World Cup is at stake, and I think that's even more important than winning the race at this moment. And so the pace increases drastically!
On one of the short hills, Vague wants to hurt the riders behind him. Eldfjallsson keeps up. Hammarling is already in third position, a good start from him, even before we get to the cobbles. Goldenberg, not the best uphill, leaves a small gap. There is no sign of Cook, either. No Cornelis and no Cook. No wonder Vague is doing this. It could be the move that wins him the World Cup, if not the Torku race.
And so we have three leaders. Team Odfjell is doing what they had to do and are at the front with Hammarling and Eldfjallsson, while Vague is isolated, but that won't be a factor until later in the race. Both the Odfjell boys and Vague have every reason to get distance between themselves and the chasers now.
And it looks like that's happening right now. The three of them have found each other and the gap increases.
Behind them, things are slowing down. Nobody wants to step up the the challenge and so the three are off on their own.
Lap 2: We'll have 7 laps here in Torku. There is talk of fixing up the cobblestones, they're really in a bad condition. But for the race, it's a plus. Let's hope they leave it like this.
The trio already has 24 seconds. Incredible. Not only are they faster, they're not making any mistakes. And finally we have Cook coming to the front of the chasing group. It took him an entire lap to recover from a bad start. Is it too late? You can see the pace go up immediately, though. Gaps start appearing.
Goldenberg wants to defend his position, and wisely decides to ride his own pace. No sense in trying to follow Cook and burn yourself up. Only Milan Listerijn seems to be able to follow Elliot Cook. Is his form finally coming back? With the Worlds in sight, it'd be right on time!
Lap 3: Now we see why Torku is called the Ronde of Cyclo-Cross. Flat tires, tired faces... What a battlefield. The time difference between the three leaders and the second chasing group is already 35 seconds. Cook and Listerijn are somewhere between that. And it looks like their difference to the lead of the race is about status quo.
A fall on the cobbles! Ferdi Kloet went down.
The race leaders keep the pace up. It looks like they have some sort of silent agreement. Unless I'm mistaken, they'll keep riding like this until the last two or three laps. It wouldn't surprise me. For Vague this is the perfect scenario because he can put some distance between him and Cook and especially Cornelis. For Odfjell it's good because they have the numbers and can play that out in the final few laps. But they'll have a tough costumer with Vague.
Though it's too bad for Vague that Cook is the first chaser. Like we said before, Cook is a fighter, he never, ever gives up. Milan Listerijn is happy to hang on with Cook. Behind them, there is a big nothing. And then we have Estifanos Mutahi. Yes, you heard it right, the Kenyan cyclo-crosser is chasing Elliot Cook in Torku. Mazzarelli accompanies him. A good ride from the Italian, considdering the weather conditions.
Lap 4: There is to be some sort of truce in the front part of the race. The leaders are riding away from the first chasing group and the first chasing group is riding away from the second chasing group. Expect big time differences at the end of the ride.
However, the UCI rule of the World Championships selection is bringing us some excellent action further down the field! Guido Visconti is fighting hard to finish as high up as possible and has now left Baris Dao and Max Power behind. He goes looking for Markson and Welling. And Dries Cornelis has been caught on camera, finally. He's in about 20th position.
Lap 5: When will we see the unity in the front group disband? They're over 40 seconds ahead in the field. Very remarkable as neither of them has set foot on the ground in this race. Elliot Cook is outnumbered but he keeps digging deep into his reserves. Milan Listerijn has come to the front to relay, but Cook is a rider who prefers to ride aheadd, so he can see and choose his own lines.
Matt Mazzarelli has been dropped by Mutahi! The boy from Kenya must want to prove that Adrian Van Niek is not the only big talent from Africa! If you can do this on this terrain, you're a good rider. No discussion.
And behind Mazzarelli is Eddie Goldenberg. Considering the terrain, we can say it's a success for him. If he can keep this up, he'll finish well into the World Cup points! And now bad luck is completely on Mazzarelli's side as he breaks his gears. The technical zone isn't too far off, though.
Those gaps. Amazing. Those three at the front are two classes above their opponents today. No contest.
But luckily for us, they are with three, and so they'll have to decide which one of the strongest today. Or the smartest!
And it looks like that fight is finally about to break loose! Hafthor Eldfjallsson decided it has been enough and tries to accelerate, on the cobbles!
Hammarling has glued himself to Vague's wheel. Vague has no chance but to close the gap. But Eldfjallsson is powerful and he tries to keep off Vague!
Vague uses one of the climbs to catch up again. He managed to bring things back together relatively soon. Now an attack by Hammarling? No, it looks like Vague set things straight again and the two Odfjell boys fall back in line. The alpha-male put the other ones back in their place. For now...
Cook wants to shake off Listerijn, but the Kiwi is stubborn, and he won't let go.
And back to the front! Eldfjallsson with another attempt. Hammarling now in second position as he allows Eldfjallsson to ride away. Vague is stuck behind Hammarling in this narrow section.
He overtakes Hammaling now. Eldfjallsson has a nice gap, though.
Lap 7: The final lap!
Vague is doing everything he can to catch up with Eldfjallsson. Despite making a great move in the World Cup, he has his eyes set on this victory of the day. The boy from Wallonie wants it all, and he'll try to take it all without thinking twice.
Eldfjallsson looks behind him. He sees Vague coming. Is he getting nervous? He looks behind again. Just keep your eyes on the road, mate, it's tough terrain enough as it is!
Vague looks extremely focused. His head tilted a bit sideways. It doesn't look like it, but he's making meters fast. Eldfjallsson is caught!
What now?
Well, we can't say it's unexpected. Mikel Hammarling has waited for this cobbled section and he attacks! Vague anticipated this and steps hard on the pedals. He has to leave a meter... Two meters... Four... Nine... Mikel Hammarling is gone!
With 400 meters left, Vague goes all or nothing! He launches what can only be called the longest sprint in history or else a sure way to take 2 years off your life. Eldfjallsson is seeing stars trying to keep his wheel and has to let go.
Hammarling looks behind him. That gap is wide enough, surely. Or is it?
He wants to avoid any risk and steps on the pedals. He looks behind again. Vague will look much bigger, having come closer still. He gives it another push!
Vague with his mouth wide open. Hammarling sees the finish line. Vague only has eye for Hammarling.
But it's Mikel Hammarling who crosses the line first. A second consecutive win for Hammarling in Torku! A feat only three riders have achieved so far. One of them is Jannes Vandewalle, so that's saying something!
Vague is second. Great for his World Cup, a good achievement of the day, but if we think we know him, he won't be completely satisfied. Still, he's leaving behind Cornelis drastically here.
Eldfjallson is third.
Listerijn outsprints Cook for the remaining 30 points. The Brit gives Listerijn a very nasty look.
Mutahi is a very, very nice sixth. Mazzarelli seventh. Goldenberg is eighth. And sprinting for the last remaining top 10 places... Schiltz ahead of Bollinger!
With five races left for the Worlds, the fight for the selection continues. It's going to be close!
And World Cup legend Dries Cornelis has taken a hit today. Can he bounce back from this with two races left? Ordinarely, we'd say no, but this is Cornelis. Mr. World Cup himself. Let's wait to find out.
Well, that's it for today. See you tomorrow in Sweden. Oh, and that's Mikel Hammarling's territory. Just saying.
Two vs One but the three have been a step above anybody else. Despite missing out on the victory, Vague smiles off the podium like he had won. With Cornelis having been distanced and having now obtained a lead of 40 points to the Lion, today does feel like a victory.
Francis, your first thoughts on the race?
I'm really happy about today in fact. I'm not always satisfied with second places but today I think this was the best I could do really. There's only so much you can do against two guys who ride for each other the way they do. Maybe some spectators would have preferred a closer fight, more riders involved but I think that Odfjell vs Me made for a good showing. I was glad that I started well into the race and both Hafthor and Hammarling wanted to distance the others, and I rode for the World Cup obviously. They were riding for a perfect situation there, so I knew that it'd come down to keeping a cool head here and just weigh my options. I tried to keep control, maybe an attack at some point would have been good but it was a really fast race and I was fairly exhausted afterwards. I'm glad I left Hafthor behind me, I think for me personally it's a just reward for a nice race.
You started your sprint way down the line on some tough surface. Wern't you scared that you risked a lot here, for example if you crashed, for "nothing"?
No, not at all. I felt comfortable in the ice, snow and on the pavé. When you are in the rhythm and you have the confidence it's all easier. Like I said, I started really well into the race and you notice than that things are working out for you, that you can ride like you wish. Sometimes you can't do that, it doesn't always work with the feeling that well. But today in Torku, I am very happy with my pro debut.
And Torku may have been the place of your first Pro World Cup win. How do you rate your chances now?
It's still 2 races left, and I won't take the edge off until it's mine for good. But of course the lead comforts me a lot now. Especially since Trondheim and Ardennes were the places where I won my first World Cup races last season. So I have very, very good memories of this places, especially my home race in Walloonia. It'd be the most amazing thing to crown myself World Cup winner in my home race for good. Maybe it's just placed that way for me, who knows. [laughs]
Some words on Odfjell: They won their last two classification races, whilst you came short. How are your chances to match the ice & snow brilliance of them?
Yes, today it was much better than Pyeonchang. Back then in South Korea, they played us quite well, this time I felt I had much better control of the situation. Of course I would have loved to win on both occassions but I also see it as a special challenge to defeat the Odfjell guys. Winter is right here, I'll have some more chances to do that this season. Hope it works out better than.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
I've been getting on with things this last couple of months - I don't enjoy the cold and that is hurting the ole stamina somewhat. But the snap that seems to be pretty much worldwide seems to be taking forever to come out of its doldrums. But I am determined to give the crowds something to watch - even if the tards don't sometime understand me!
I've been getting better and better in the Ice - I will never be an Ice queen like MC Hammer or 'Eskimo' and I will never be doin bunny hops like UCI Maidan Franny but I can get better and that is still what it is about. People look at me like some sort of veteran in the paddock and I am only 24! Still compared to some young pups I am the Daddy.
Pinning the UCI number one on my back is great - I know Francis is the real number one but I see it as I am number one in entertainment. I am Mr Reliable in that I guarentee entertainment and indeed that I will turn up.
I have even reluctantly I might add agreed to give the worlds another go. The only thing that inspires me here is the chance to right such a cracking event - I absolutely have problems with my home nations organisation and tv coverage. Cross is huge in Euro and indeed now across the world with great pioneers - Belgium lets face it and Holland too still go bananas for it. You'd think with cycling so big the shorter format would be golddust back home, but it is being held back. I think it has something to do with the media, but my home federation has a responsibility too.
But bugger it - I want to ride the worlds in part to make sure it aint no snoozefest!
Having to settle for one of the best of the rest spots, Milan Listerijn nevertheless looked happy with his fourth place in Torku.
Milan, what a race we witnessed today. Those three really were a cut above the rest today, weren't they?
Sure were, I guess. I didn't exactly see much of them, by the time the carnage sorted itself out they were 40 seconds away. I was the only one of the rest able to hold Cook's wheel when he cut loose to try and hunt down Vague. In the end I was as powerless as everyone else in the world today to stop those three.
Cook and you didn't seem to be the best co-operators though?
Yeah, you could say that. He didn't like me even being there despite my efforts to help. He was better than me today and so I did what I could to keep away from Mutahi and co. He was very annoyed with me at the finish, especially outsprinting him. Just another Belgian, wheel sucker, hopeless, I didn't really care. I tried my best to help him but I maybe didn't put everything into the race. I knew he was racing classification and he was fourth best on the day so we could keep clear and I could get top five. It's a card I can garuntee he would have played in my position. As for the sprint, someone suggested it was for Mikey but really it was for myself, I'm not going to sit up and let somebody beat me, and take valuable UCI points.
So you weren't working for Bollinger?
No I wasn't, and he was fine. It's a family team, we respect each other's pursuits and goals and do try to help them. Maybe I was caught up in the thrill of the chase but there wasn't a lot to do, it's not a time classification and he was the best where he was, there wouldn't have been I lot I could have done for him methinks. I apologise in due course if I'm wrong.
You proved once again capable on a course with cobbles, could it be an ace in the hole for you someday?
Maybe, I feel comfortable there, but certainly no more so than The Hammer or Vague, amongst others, as we saw today. First and foremost at the moment is my starting and weight loss for explosivity and climbing, but the pavé is an area I may look to in future.
Hagfors tomorrow, are you in?
Yeah it will be good practice for Luxembourg and Lviv and another full gas venture for me. Hoping for ice but really another top 5 would be amazing with such a climbing-heavy course.
Edited by jandal7 on 16-10-2015 19:32
The Christmas classic, I don't know if I'll ever manage what I did now again, so I'm going to take it now, the Christmas classic in the rainbow jersey! I haven't had time to talk to it and I apologise for that overly emotional interview, I don't know if it even could be televised, I was pretty bad at speaking after that. Still, the realisation still hasn't hit me.
Since then I've been reasonably happy with my results, I'm going to slow down now before trying to peak again for the worlds, although I'd really like to give the Coca-Cola classification a go this year, the rest of the calendar doesn't look bad, Luxembourg and Lviv are both races I could do alright in and I'm not far off Cook, we'll see how it goes. This season's already a success but the sponsors want to see me at the front of the worlds this year, Bianchi are already trying to get me off the team after my bad first Aosta performance.
I caught Lachy in Finland for a drink, I was down (or up) there to watch Pierre, anyway, we spoke, he touched upon August last year, in Blois. We quickly left the subject and discussed my support for making it illegal to not wear a helmet.
In other news, team management seems determined to talk to me about the future, Bianchi wants an Italian or out of cyclo-cross, so the team could deform, I'm really not sure what will happen though, just generally the sponsor interests at this team don't fit with my goals and I really need more support, we'll see how it all goes.
Anyway, I'm off to Luxembourg now, there's no real point in racing these Scandinavian races for me, I might as well spend some time preparing for the course there, I really want to take back as much time as possible on Cook there. Weather doesn't look good for flights there later though, that could end badly.
Remember when I said that I really don't like ice and cobbles? Guess what - Icy cobbles isn't really my thing either...
That is really all I have to say about that dreadful race in Torku.
What happened to racing on Australian beaches? Or perhaps I should have a chat with the Basque Cyclo Cross Federation (My dad) about organizing a race on the beach in San Sebastian next season?
Anyway I decided to gather my results from this seson:
Spoiler
Race
Result
Series
Nr
Tech
Sand
Uphl
Cbl
Duinencross
18
Classic
4
1
4
0
Blaarmeersen
17
Super
#1
4
2
1
3
Great Hertford Classic
31
Classic
4
0
2
0
Hobart Sunny Classic
13
Classic
4
0
3
0
Melbourne Beach Race
8
W Cup
#1
3
3
4
0
Tekapocross
28
CCT
#1
4
4
3
3
Perth
3
NES
#1
3
0
3
2
Twin Peaks
12
Super
#2
4
1
2
3
Portland CX
15
W Cup
#2
2
4
4
2
Seattle
26
CCT
#2
4
2
5
0
Lancaster Challenge
16
Super
#3
5
4
5
0
Antofagasta
17
W Cup
#3
2
2
3
2
Rio Cross Challenge
16
CCT
#3
5
0
2
3
Port Elisabeth
16
W Cup
#4
5
0
3
1
Struisbaai Cross
38
CCT
#4
4
4
4
0
Johannesburg
7
NES
#2
3
5
2
0
Lisbon
4
Super
#4
5
2
4
2
Bristol
7
W Cup
#5
3
0
4
2
Lee Valley
14
Super
#5
2
3
4
0
Rasterhoff
7
Super
#6
4
4
2
0
Aosta Valley
24
CCT
#5
4
4
1
3
Christmas Classic
34
Classic
3
0
5
0
FujiCross
31
CCT
#6
2
0
5
1
Pyeongchang
15
W Cup
#6
3
3
2
0
Kitakyushu
5
NES
#3
3
5
4
2
Aurasian Championships
3
Champs
3
3
2
1
Torku
23
W Cup
#7
2
2
3
4
It clearly shows that if I find some more consistency and get a bit mre familiar with those damned cobbles I have the talent to shine.
Radio
Hammer Time
![imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg](https://imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg)
Torku - Preview 
Duinencross
