You can see it, can't you. The fire returned to the eyes. The genuine joy and thanks in his small salute to the crowd. Milan Listerijn is back, on his home turf, no less.
Milan, congratulations, a fantastic ride for you after looking a bit out of sorts recently. How did you approach this one?
Well, I hadn't really spoken to anyone much part from friends and family after Tekapo, I was so annoyed with myself blowing my big chance to start Coke well. I don't want to have to do that every race but it certainly helped me, strangely enough, return to a more peaceful state of mind before another big race for me. I was looking to see how I did here before making a call in my bigger season goal.
So talk us through your race.
Well, from the start Vague wanted to control this one, immediately I saw he wasn't on a day when you could even follow him. He was note perfect today, chapeau. So I spotted the familiar train of Lipawsky, Schiltz, Eldfjasson. After negotiati some ice I was there and relaying as the race supituation sorted itself out. I just stayed, not wasting energy but putting in at least my share of the relaying until it was just me, Lipawsky and Eldfjasson. When Eldfjasson attacked, I was fine, we relayed slightly harder but still focusing more on keeping away Mazzarelli than catching Vague. Then when he came back I was playing the watching game, studying Lipawksy and Eldfjasson, watching their body language. I didn't waste energy, or tried not to. Then when Lipawsky attacked I had to dig pretty deep, and at the finish it was an ever interesting sprint, we must know each other's riding style so well by now (laughs).
Yes, some are even calling it the Li&Li bromance...
(Laughs) I don't know how to answer that one, haha. Yeah I guess we're two subtop riders who usually end up riding together when we're on a similair level. He's definitely better than me but I guess on a course like this which maybe suits me more but he's more talented than me now, we're usually the ones chasing Cook, Mazzarelli, Schiltz, and almost always Vague, up front. Worlds, Blaarmeersen, Hagfors, today, you name it, we were probably there chasing Vague. Bromance, erm, what am I supposed to say? That's like, Sherlock and Watson with Cumberbatch and Freeman, right? Well, we're not that close but he's a nice guy and someone whom I'd consider a friend out of this marauding pack.
Visconti also put in a promising ride, just finishing 9th now.
Yeah, well, he's definitely been training hard for a shimmer of form and we've all been able to see it coming, so hopefully he can push on to where he left off last season and by the time the nittier, grittier terrain comes in we can lead races together or even in World Cup races or others I could put everything in to help him achieve a good result. We're still in not so much a rebuilding stage as a adapting stage here at Lotto, to life without Cornelis. We're both subtop riders so we need to work together to take on the Cooks, the Vagues, the Schiltzes. But yeah, hopefully this kickstarts another great campaign for him individually and for us as a unit.
How great were the fans here today, huh?
Oh absolutely amazing, the support they put behind us Kiwi riders and of course us all was great, I'm sure they'll be up there with the best crowds of the season. They really spurred me on and as ever probably bumped me up, one, two, three places in the pecking order today. I'm looking forward to racing in the USA again then, like NZ they've gone from knowing not that much unless you're a big fan in the amateur leagues which were always thriving, to in some places a big thing on the pro level. It's still not cracked that prestigious top five over there commentators talk about but in sure with the continued success of the Blue Bird team it may come.
And finally, where to now, you've spoken about deciding about your big season goals?
Well, I'm going to put the Superprestige in equal or bigger esteem than Coke now, and also Worlds are on the horizon, if very far away,mand a big race for me as I think I may be able to do something there, I've booked in a short counting trip while we are there, probably at the expense of a World Cup race. But yeah, just having fun, riding bike, and just steadily moving up the ranks as I mature physically.
Tomorrow, the 2nd edition of the NES sets off, with again the opening manche in Perth. While the big boys have gone to the United States, 20 riders stay behind to fight for their own glories.
The NES hosts 3 races throughout the season. There are 20 participants. At the finish line, the first 5 riders will receive points: 10, 7, 5, 3 and 1 points. Moreover, every race will count 8 laps and at the end of the 4th lap, there are another 6, 4 and 2 points to be earned.
This competition is the perfect way for the cyclo-cross fans to get to know the new names before they rise up to the top. We're bound to see an action-packed race, with a shorter parcours and points to be earned halfway.
Race Information
Country: Australia
City/Place: Perth
Classification: National Event Series
Starting Time (Elite Men): 08h30
Favorites: /
Record: 1x Eddie Goldenberg (2015)
Race History: Perth gets to know cyclo-cross and hosts this first event in the NES competition for the second year running.
Route Information
Technical: 3
Sand: 3
Uphill: 2
Cobblestones: 1
Perth offers a relatively fast and exciting parcours. It's similar to Hobart, but all a bit toned down. The sand is the biggest obstacle for the riders, so it should suit experts. The course isn't extremely long, so we might go the 8 laps within the 50 minutes.
The ground is rather hard all around, so besides the sand, the pace will be quite high, offering many riders a chance at victory.
Expected Weather Conditions
Temperature: 9° C
Precipitation: Dry
Wind: 1 Beaufort
Participants
Robin Huser
Matt Payne
Paul Rosanski
Louis Listerijn
Arthur Ledoux
Pierre Lavigne
Mohuti Sow
Camilo Osorio
Pierre Lipawsky
Stan Van Overberghe
Nicky Van Drenthe
Mustafa Moli
Jens Van Eyck
Toon Van Eyck
Dirk Lombaerts
Alessio Forcellini
Pieter Van Dyck
Pépé Renoir
Henry Georges
Fabrizio Lorenzi
Matt, you finished 15th in your home race in Whakapapa. Are you happy with this result?
Well not particularly, I'm a little disappointed in myself as I thought I was in better form and knowing this course very well should have meant that I would get a better result but unfortunately that wasn't to be. Although 15th is still a good result for me considering I am young and still building my way into Cyclo-Cross.
Why do you think it was that you weren't able to make the Top 10?
Inexperience is what I have seen thrown around and is what some of the experts have said to and about me. Firstly the lack of general experience means I was simply outdone by the stronger, more technical riders. Secondly I think I just wanted it too much and so didn't really come out with any type of game plan so I was outsmarted as well.
What positives can you take out of a result like this in your last race of the year in your home country?
15th is still not a bad result and is actually my best result of the season so I must be happy with that. Arthur also managed to finish 12th for the team which is good for him and his confidence.
Your next race is in Perth in the National Event Series before heading to America, is this a preparation race for yourself?
There will only be 20 riders in the small series and it is supposed to be for the crowds to see the future of Cyclo-Cross. This means that there are no favourites and the crowd is there to see who the big talents are and so this is motivation for me to try what I can to get seen by the crowd considering my chances in America will likely be slim.
Good luck in Perth Matt and hopefully you'll come out of it a better known rider.
Thanks man and I hope so too!
It's been a fast and furious start to my season now I've got rid of the stomach bug. I hope I've started well enough to silence my biggest critic, myself. I was unsure about the jump up to elites so early, fueled by a desire to be there before Milan was, age-wise. And the knowledge that this was my one chance to sign with BKCP, as they were looking for one neo-pro to take on board and I had to take the chance and luckily they've kept the faith.
So I've kicked off my season with lurking around thirtieth, I was the last rider to my knowledge to be caught by the ever-marauding Vague and Mazzarelli in Tekapo after finishing 32nd in Melbourne. Now in Whakapapa on my preferred kind of course, snowy and full of points to accelerate (probably why Milan did so well, gratz bro!), I cracked the top 30, in 29th, finishing just behind Brüggemann. In truth I was pretty disappointed with my sprint there, but he's just got the experience and edge on me. I also finished with a fellow Belgian neo-pro, Toon Van Eyck, who seems a nice, young, talented guy. Shame he's at Topsport
So now we're in Perth, a big race for me to show my stuff and prove my worth to BKCP. It's a fast course, somewhere I hope to top ten definitely, and try and be competitive despite being with Huser, Rosanski and the like. I'll try use my fast finish and end to good use to take and advantage.
Woohooo 12th place Superprestige New Zealand yipikaye lads! I was overjoyed with my performance last week, beating great riders such as Mutahi and Bolligerm and of course the best placed All Black was a great bonus. I was torn between this being a course I could aim to be in the top twenty or so on, and wanting to put in a good performance in Perth this week. Luckily I struck a balance and gave my all there, but feel very good here.
Perth then, is an interesting course, I'm not sand's biggest fan but not many newcomers are, perhaps just Rosanski. Technical profile could suit me, the cobbles maybe. Warm weather, could be a boost for me, but I just hope to put in a good ride tomorrow, with the confidence I can carry over from Whakapapa maybe a top 5 on the cards? High hopes but anything is possible on such a fast parcours.
Mustafa, we haven't heard from you in a while? How have you been?
No you haven't and that is because New Zealand has been a difficult place for me to adjust to and so I was trying to focus on my racing. There was also rather poor internet connection and mobile coverage at my lodge near Whakapapa.
21st in Tekapo and 30th in Whakapapa meant that you have failed to crack the Top 20 in both the races in New Zealand. Does this mean you would consider yourself a rather one dimensional rider following a good result in Australia before this?
These two races did not really suit me. I am from Namibia where we have hot temperatures, sand and a lot of sun which was quite like Australia where I managed to finish 4th. New Zealand was cold and in Whakapapa there was even ice which is something I am definitely not used to riding on. I believe that many riders when they are a bit younger are rather one-dimensional but I have learnt to ride on the cobbles and before long I will be a much better all round rider.
Your next race in Perth is one where you will be one of the more experienced riders and also the race does suit your abilities. Do you feel any pressure to perform well?
Yeah well it is a race where the sand is bound to be a deciding factor according to the previews and I am supposed to be one of the more experienced riders so I will definitely be looking at a good start as I should be looking to be one of the top riders in the National Event Series.
Does it concern you a little that you will be using your energy in Perth while the other top riders will be going to prepare and rest in America for a bigger race?
Well my chances there in a hotly contested race would certainly be low and so for this reason the decision was made to race in the National Even Series in order to build up some form, some confidence and to get myself a greater name in Cyclo-Cross amongst other riders and supporters world wide.
Hopefully you can do well and make Africa proud Mustafa!
I hope so too and hopefully we will have some support from people on this continent of Australia in the future as well.
Daniel Brüggemann, cyclocrosser of the current Giant-Alpecin squad, criticizes the UCI for the termination of the Perth race. He stated, that because of that, there would be too much travelling for the Young riders who participate in the NES, because of the Zig-Zag-Route they fly. He said, that he not understand, why the Perth race has to be after the NZ races, although a placing directly after or even before the australian weekend would make more sense. Especially for the young athletes, who participate in the NES trophy, it's bad to have less time for recuuperation, he said. He told also, that it would be bad, because of the timezones they cross. This would result in a jetlag, he stated. "Why they have to travel through 4 timezones to Perth, and then 8 to the United States?", he asked.
Brüggemann talked in the interview, which was made after the Whakapapa race, also about his last performances. He said, that he felt quite good at the last races, even the results didn't show this. He said that's why the courses didn't suite him very well, and that he hopes for better results in the south-american and african races, while the US-races aren't his highest hopes for them.
There's been some trouble this night on the profile. Officials say vandalism. So the lap has been slightly shortened. Shouldn't have the biggest impact, though. Welcome to Perth for the first round of the National Event Series Trophy!
Weather Conditions
Temperature: 9° C
Precipitation: Sunny.
Wind: 1 Beaufort
Start Line: Welcome to sunny Perth. It's a great day to race the first NES manche. Let's see what the future of our sport has to offer. No clear favorites though two names have been mentioned most this week: Paul Rosanski and Mustafa Moli.
Note that this is the last chance to earn some UCI points before the starting positions kick in 100%. After today, only this year's UCI points count towards the starting position.
Lap 1: The riders kick off! Only 20 riders in this field so plenty of chances to get to the front if you're the strongest. No hiding here.
A gradual start. Nobody wants to take initiative too early and so we have Van Overberghe riding at the front. Probably working for other Belgians like the Van Eyck brothers. Van Drenthe moves in the line, too, for Van Dyck.
Early in the race and not a fast pace so we have some attackers. Lombaerts and Georges try to get away.
And they ride away about 10 seconds, now the pace gets pushed by Van Drenthe. No need getting nervous over two riders getting away at this point in the race.
Lap 2: We still have the entire bunch together, which is pretty extraordinary. Though now young Listerijn moves to the front of the race. He'll up the pace for Ledoux and Payne.
And now, the group gets stretched out more. Listerijn's pace is quite decent, though it's expected he'll only be able to sustain it for a lap or so. Not the biggest engine in this peloton, but he's still young.
Rosanski is freewheeling here, look at that. Just waiting his time.
The two escapees only have 5 seconds left. They aren't going anywhere, a creditable attempt, though.
And here comes an expected attack! In the deep sand, Rosanski makes his move. Sow, Moli, Ledoux, Van Dyck and Forcellini are with him. Behind that, Lipawsky gets stuck in the sand and causes everyone to dismount and run through the sand.
Lap 3: In the background it's Jens Van Eyck setting the pace, with his brother Toon on his wheel. And Jens moves through this corner nicely, and accelerates! Toon leaves the gap and so Jens Van Eyck is off on his own, gone looking for the race leaders.
At the front, Rosanski and co picked up Lombaerts and Georges. They won't hang on for long, looking at this pace. Sow relays, now.
Van Dyck attacks, now! He wants to go solo! Nobody has an answer and so he's getting away.
Lavigne just went down in the second chasing group, where the pace has dropped slightly after Jens Van Eyck attacked.
Lap 4: Van Dyck is leading the race. There's nobody eager to chase him down. Both Sow, Rosanski, Ledoux and Moli relay to keep the gap reasonable. It's 9 seconds, at the moment.
The sand is getting tougher and tougher. It saps one's strength, you can just see that.
Van Dyck impresses us here. That boy has got a future, you can just see that. We just have to give him the time to grow.
With the intermediate sprint coming up, it's looking good for him to take the full 6 points.
And so he does. Rosanski makes an effort to pick up the remaining 4. Ledoux takes the last 2 points.
Lap 5: The sprint for points has brought the chasers to 3 seconds from Van Dyck. His game is over. He looks over his shoulder and knows it. Drops his pace and is caught!
The pace settles halfway the race. This allows Jens Van Eyck to rejoin the front of the race. Strong effort from the Belgian here. And so we have 7 leaders.
Who is next to attack, that's the question we're asking ourselves.
Behind the front group, Huser has left behind his fellow chasers. Listerijn and Lipawsky try to follow him as a duo. Much like their older brothers, they find each other in the race.
Lap 6: We're slowly getting ready for the finale and still seven riders have a chance of winning this. Though Van Dyck's chances have been hurt by his solo run.
Rosanski attacks! In the sand! Moli and Sow jump on his bandwagon. Van Dyck tries to latch on, but has to leave a minor gap!
Coming out of the sand, we have three leaders. German Rosanski, Sow from Botswana and Moli from Namibia.They should all ride against each other since NES is raced in national jerseys, but for some reason we can see Sow and Moli working together here.
Rosanski realizes this danger and keeps the pace high, to avoid any back-to-back attacks. He sure knows what he's doing.
Lap 7: Van Dyck is caught between the two groups. He's not fast enough to catch up with the leaders and too fast to be caught by the chasing group. All he can do is keep up his tempo and hope they start bluffing up ahead.
But Rosanski seems very keen on the victory of the day. He's trying to shake off Moli and Sow by keeping the pace extremely high constantly. Force them to make mistakes, that's his plan.
Moli has already picked up a few tricks in the professional peloton, though, and doesn't get agitated. He's saying something against Sow. Wonder what it is...
Lap 8: We head into the final lap with three leaders. Van Dyck is only 8 seconds behind, but it doesn't look like he'll close the gap in time. Unfortunate for him. Forcellini, Ledoux and Van Eyck are trailing. they're about 20 seconds behind the race leaders.
Rosanski wants to get rid of these two Africans. But it won't be easy. They latch on and he can't shake them in the sand. Moli even seems stronger in the sand at this point.
The last sand section. Oh what a move! Both Sow and Moli rush by Rosanski and trap him in third position! Moli rushes through the sand, while Sow tactically slows down a bit! Rosanski doesn't hesitate and dismounts, runs past Sow and jumps back on his bike. Executed perfectly and very calmly!
But Moli is off! Rosanski does his best to chase down the Namibian. Sow is trying to hang on but the fast pace gets to him!
Moli has time to raise his hands, though. He wins the first round in the NES Trophy! Rosanski comes short 3 seconds after a strong race. He lost it after brilliant team play. Even though there wasn't supposed to be any team between the two nationalities today. Wonder if this'll be the end of the story.
Sow is third and can be happy with that. Van Dyck finishes fourth. Ledoux settles the sprint for the last remaining point.
Though Rosanski is NES' first leader. After picking up 4 intermediate points, he keeps his chances at the trophy very much alive.
See you in Portland, for the second manche of the World Cup!
Good Afternoon All, we are with Mustafa Moli only minutes after winning leg 1 of the National Event Series! Mustafa, how are you feeling?
Hello to my fans! I could not be happier at this moment in time. I finished 4th here in Australia in the full peloton and thought that this could be my race and I was right and I have come away with a win.
Rosanski was certainly a difficult rider to overcome and he has the lead due to bonus seconds. How did you manage to beat him in the end?
He is indeed a very strong, smart and skilful rider at a young age and considering he hasn't had much experience in Cyclo-Cross at such a level. He has the lead because of the bonuses which I find a bit ridiculous, how can I win and not be the best rider? It doesn't really make sense to me. But I had to be strong today and in the end I was too strong for him and the rest of the field.
Despite representing your national teams here in the NES you and Sow, from Botswana, seemed to co-operate really well and without him it would have made life difficult for you. What did you say to him at the end of Lap 7 at that decisive moment?
The whole representation of our nations doesn't change the fact that Sow and I are very best friends, we room together and have ridden together for quite a few seasons now. When I succeed he is really happy for me and we have a great understanding of each others abilities. He asked me if I thought I was feeling strong enough to win and I said I thought so.
Paul Rosanski was seen to be in a very unhappy mood at the finish line complaining that the co-operation and team work between yourself and Sow was not right. What do you have to say about this?
I'm not too sure what he is complaining about? He was tactically outdone by the two of us and there is nothing in the rules of Cyclo-Cross against companionship in National Events. Sow did slow down a bit but that was because the sand was very challenging and his legs locked up partially and he allowed Rosanski past him anyway. In the end the timing of my attack was just too good and my strength in the sand shone through here.
You will now be heading over to America and will no doubt be jet lagged quite badly along with the other NES riders compared to others already there. A particular rider named Daniel bought it up prior to the start of the Perth race, do you think he has a fair point?
As far as I know I don't believe he was racing in the NES so I find it a bit strange that he is complaining about something that doesn't actually relate to him. It does leave the NES riders with a bit of a disadvantage but we have the lesser chances over in the US anyway. Of course if we really wanted to do well in the US then we didn't have to race in Perth. So maybe Daniel should stick to trying to do well rather than wasting his energy complaining.
Welcome to Portland for the American Week, consisting of Portland, Seattle and Twin Peaks. After this event, the World Cup will be truly on its way.
The upper West Coast is being hit by a minor snow storm at the moment, and freezing temperatures will make life harder for some riders. An early winter might be good news for other riders, though.
Last year, Eddie Goldenberg was the most popular rider here. He returns with even more ambition. World Cup podium, why not? If he wants that, he'll need to perform well in this race, though. And he'll have to step up to Francis Vague. Yes, the name is out there. He won three races already this season; Blaarmeersen, Tekapocross and Whakapapa Challenge. He is on a high form and finds a profile where he soloed to the victory in style one year ago.
So who can stop him? With Vague in this form, though, things are turning into a: all against Vague. The competition will not hesitate to work together if only they can beat Vague that way.
Will Vague conquer Portland, or will Portland defend itself with Goldenberg, Mazzarelli and Cook taking charge?
Race Information
Country: United States of America
City/Place: Portland
Classification: World Cup
Starting Time (Elite Men): 11h30
Favorites: Francis N. Vague, Matt Mazzarelli, Elliot Cook, Sylvain Lipawsky, Olivier Dubois, Paul Rosanski, Christian Schiltz.
Record: 1x Dries Cornelis (2014), 1x Francis N. Vague (2015)
Race History: Portland hosts its first professional cyclo-cross race, for the third edition, now. It borrows quite some inspiration from the traditional, European races, which is not considered a bad thing. Not at all. It had a successful debut with cyclo-cross legend Dries Cornelis winning in his World Champion jersey, riding away 42 seconds. Last year, Vague put more than a minute between himself and his first chaser. So it's a profile kind to long range attacks. No big sections in the wind or whatsoever. If you're the strongest, you can go whenever you please.
Route Information
Technical: 4
Sand: 0
Uphill: 2
Cobblestones: 0
This definitely isn't the hardest profile around. There aren't many bridges around, but there is a natural inclination in the terrain. However, the climbs are more about power and bike handling than on pure climbing. Steering well is a main factor on this profile.
Instead of jumping bars, there will be tree trunks to jump over. There are considered harder than bars, especially these trees. It is expected that nobody risks a jump tomorrow, but we're gladly proven wrong.
Besides the usual obstacles, there are two ditches to be crossed, too. Skillful riders can attempt a jump, but if the ground is hard, it can be catastrophic for their tires. While wet weather will soften the terrain and make this a hard challenge, even for the powerful. It seems you can't win with these ditches, but if you can jump them, you might get an advantage.
We'll be looking for a skillful rider to take the victory here. Uneven terrain, jumps, nasty bends, loose terrain are only a few of the difficulties ahead in this race. Concentration may be the greatest virtue tomorrow. A true Flandrien Cross, but on the West Coast of the United States.
There's little conversation about who's going to be the favourite for Portland, but Vague is reluctant to give into this favouritism. For him, a victory is a victory in the World Cup, all the time in the world means little when his rivals take 2 & 3, and he won't be in the lead after Portland. How dominate you win a race may matter in the Coke trophy, the World Cup just gives you points; rather you win at the finish line or go on your own right from the start matters little in the season table - which is the thing that Vague matters. "But yes, I want to win today and take over the record book here too."
And although there lies a great emphasis on Portland and his last year run through the american rain, arguably Belgium's greatest export since belgian waffles remains remarkably calm about the event, which is said to become a snowy affair - and thus play even more into his cards..
"I'm feeling great right now, the flight over from New Zealand to Portland was without any big difficulties. I have recuperated well enough I think to contest for the win, but of course, legs are one thing; here in Portland, you also mainly need to demonstrate your technical abilities. I think regarding my performance in Portland last year, and in events of a similiar profile, I will ride for the win", he modestly expresses, just to throw in a bit of a sublime message in the next paragraph: "If they really want to ride against me, they are welcome to try. But do they want to race for the win, or do they want to help someone dangerous make up points to them? I am used to giving my best, tactically too." Either way, Vague closes his statement with the simple line of; "So be it", signaling he is ready for whatever will hit him in the American events.
His tactic remains stupidily simple though, as he smiles at this question and answers: "Something like last year would be great obviously." But he also hints to an unforeseen variable with the snow: "If there's snow, Hafthor will be a great ally. We have done this type of races in the past" - for example Tabor - "where we both went together from the start. Now, I am not saying that will happen, but you know, there are more possibilites to win a race than just to go as fast as possible. Of course I am here for the win, I always want to win."
But rarely things go so great right from the start as in Portland or in Whakapapa. Vague has had his fair share of tough group races and mano-a-mano racing, most famously the World Championships in Siena, where he came out on top. The races where you feel the pain still hours later. If it's against Cook, probably two days later still. So he is wary of the calibre of other great gifted riders, especially in technical regards. "Mazzarelli, Goldenberg.. you know the names since Dries left." There's the name of Cook, although the powerful Briton isn't that much of a technical wiz. The home crowd will cheer especially loud for Eddie, but Vague is used to get some boo's thrown against him, but then again, a star is a star no matter where he is, and a champion races with the same mentality no matter where he is.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
The flight over to Portland was quite comfortable and I'm feeling good having arrived here, I'm thinking a good race here could mean I target the World Cup for the rest of the season, granted I'll have to hope the ice doesn't have too much of an effect. I'm especially happy after having won Melbourne, I was feeling really good then and got away with Goldie and it just went from there, I think my running was my ally and Vague's weakness, face it, Goldie and I are easily two of the fastest runners in the peloton and it's a spot to get away definitely.
However once again in the pre-race talks I have been relegated to a sub-top rider, who couldn't possibly contend for more than a top 5, since it happening at the Worlds I won I can ignore it but still it's a joke that every time I get relegated to the bottom some new 'dark horse' rises up, this time it's Goldie, he's definitely got talent and isn't one to ignore, but it's their funeral to repeat that World Championship. I think a few other things contribute to it this time though, Milan was commenting on us finding each other in races and seriously under-estimating both our abilities by calling us both sub-top after coming second and third, which is interesting...
Anyway all I can really do is thank them for keeping the focus off me and give the win a good go tomorrow to 'prove' my place again, I'm really looking forward to this race tomorrow, it's a fun course to ride on either way and there'll be some good competition.
Daniel Brüggemann, we are here in Seattle, where a snow storm hits the town, just before the cyclocross race. Your thoughts?
I think a snow storm is exaggerating. I would say it's hit by a cold, bad weather front. If you want to say that this is too snowy for a cyclocross race, I deny this. It's the same weather we have in Scandinavia, for example. It's just unusual, that it's so early. You were good at races in the snow earlier?
Yeah, I don't know why, but my best results were all on the snow. But I didn't race on it for a long time, so I don't expect a lot. But the course suits you, didn't it?
Yeah, I like this kind of technical courses. It's like the whakapapa race. But just look at my result there, and you know that to like a course doesn't mean that you're good at it. Finally, your statement about the in your view bad termination of the Perth race caused controversia. Moli, who won the race in Perth, stated that it's not a problem for him. What do you say about this?
It's a bit sad to see this, because I want to help the young riders with this statement, but I think you don't have to hang Moli's statement high, it was a Interview after a win and he was probably a bit stoned by the win. Thanks for the interview, Daniel Brüggemann!
The change was drastical. Just a few hours ago I was in Perth where was about 20 degrees, and now I'm in snow covered Portland, where we will ride the cross tomorrow. Speaking about Perth isn't an easy thing, I wanted to stay in contact with the front group until the intermediate sprint, but after I got stuck behind Pierre, there was game over for me. On a course like this I had no chance to regain contact with the front, which was sad because I wanted to help Rosanski against the two africans. It's sad for him that he didn't win, in my opinion he was the strongest and just won because of the unfair team play of the other two.
So my personal balance after the start of all competitions is: zero points! That sounds harder than it is, especially because I'm currently fifth of the Coke-Trophy and most of the races didn't suit me, but as I already stated I felt in a good form before the season start, so I'm currently unsure what to expect from the next races. The US races should suit me from the profile, while the other american and the african ones are just for collecting experience. So the next races should decide where my way go, but under the current circumstances harder to estimate.
Good morning. We're ready for the Portland cross over here, in the United States of America, where the World Championships take place this season. Portland has a short history in the sport but with winners Cornelis and Vague, it's off to a great start. The tree trunks that may or may not be jumped are becoming part of the cyclo-cross culture here in Portland, too. People that visited this area over the past year have started a tradition of carving their initials on the log. It's quite nice to see.
Start Line: Many happy faces here in this peloton. The American Week kicks off and the United States always bring a special atmosphere to the sport. Everyone is happy to start here in this World Cup race. Lipawsky leads the World Cup but with Goldenberg and Vague chasing closely, it's not certain he'll keep that lead today. Still, Lipawsky can handle himself in these situations.
The man in form is Vague, though. Who can beat this Vague? We can only come up with two names who could handle an unleashed Vague in the past: Cornelis and Cook. Cornelis has retired so he won't do it, while Cook is suffering from a low form this early in the season. Though we have heard rumours of him having been ill for a week or so, so that might explain his lack of great results. Nonetheless, Cook is third in the UCI Ranking, so it hasn't been that bad. It's only that we expect him at the top of the standing, or at least in contention for it.
Who else can stop Vague? Not one man, and so the competition will need to pull together if they want to keep Vague from winning. We're certainly in for an interesting race. So bring it on!
Lap 1: Eldfjallsson is gone from the front row. No longer can he count on his UCI ranking from last year and since he isn't listed in the top 10 now, he's in second row. So no blitz start from the Icelandic. Instead, it's Vague, Lipawsky and Schiltz at the head.
And Vague to turn into the field first. When Vague is in form, he is known to ride a fast first lap, to put the slow starters behind quickly and make the race hard from the word 'go'. Will he do the same today?
These are conditions made for Vague. Ice, snow, technical sections, bumps in the terrain... Because of the ice, there are quite some running sections, too.
Like this one, here. Vandewalle recently said you can tell a lot about a crosser if you watch him run. A strong rider is in perfect balance when running. Look at Vague, or Lipawsky. Perfect form, great runners. Lipawsky despite being short of height, powerful legs. Though when it's flat, Lipawsky is a bit in the disadvantage, because of his shorter legs.
Cook is in around 10th position, so no wasted start. Van Dyck already in 4th position. Right before Dubois.
Vague uses a technique which is called: La Course en Tête. It means that you prefer to ride at the front. That way you dictate the pace. You choose your own lines. When you make a mistake, you force the others into slowing down, too. And as long as you keep in front, you can't lose, right? That's the theory.
Mazzarelli is doing his best to stay in line, but the ice isn't his great strenght, and the cold doesn't help. Goldenberg passes him. Goldie, the American hope for greatness in the World Cup. Though last year it was Markson who broke the long silence of USA in the World Cup when he won in Antofagasta. Still, people believe Goldenberg can become the first ever American World Cup winner. Or the first American World Champion since Gary Brody, 1963. America's first and only World Championship title in the cross so far.
Nobody tries to jump the ditches or the tree trunks. Too dangerous with the ice and fresh snow. A lot of running to be done today, many short U-turns are better ran than try to remain upright. This downhill, too, is too dangerous on the bike, and so we see riders trying to run down this slippery hill. We see many riders get down on their asses, intentionally or not.
Lap 2: We'll have eight laps today. Lipawsky is leading the peloton, with Vague looking over his shoulder, taking a more passive approach.
Goldenberg with a good start. Dubois is still here. Schiltz, Eldfjallsson, Van Dyck, Mazzarelli. Markson and Cook follow at a distance already. Not a big group after lap one.
But Cook realizes he can't miss the boat. He accelerates out of the chasing group and goes looking for the race leaders. With Eldfjallsson now leading the leaders, the pace goes up again.
Schiltz tries to pass Eldfjallsson and increase the pace even further, to keep Cook from joining this group. Voldemort was only ever afraid of Dumbledore. And Vague, it seems, of Cook.
They dismount again. Schiltz trips over a tree root! That's a nasty fall, he was running with his bike over his shoulder. Not a soft landing!
We remain with Schiltz. Immediately he's grabbed his right shoulder with his left hand. That's usually not a good sign. He sits down and makes no attempt of riding any further. This could be his collarbone, and that would put his season at risk...
We have an attack, now! Eldfjallsson made good use of the chaos of the fall and took a few meters. He wants to see where he can go from here, now. It's Lipawsky, the one in the white jersey of World Cup leader, who does the chasing. Suits Vague perfectly, who is in second position in this group.
Cook is now caught up with them. A good effort. Markson tried to follow for a while but had to fall back to his own tempo.
Lap 3: Eldfjallsson has a gap of about 8 seconds. He has great handling skills and on the ice it only gets better, so it's no surprise to see him for the first time in the attack this season.
Cook moves up some more places and is now in Vague's wheel. Cook still has Van Dyck in this group, which is a big plus for him. Finally a team mate in the leading group after a few laps, a welcome surprise.
Hammarling, who has completely missed his start, is coming up in the background. He's up to a tough task, though. Try to catch up with these guys.
Lipawsky closes the gap running here. And so Eldfjallsson keeps his legs still. Lipawsky, does, too. We're back to eight leaders. Although Mazzarelli is now playing yo-yo, sometimes leaving a sizeable gap but never completely gone.
And out of this temporary ease, Van Dyck launches an attack! Team orders for Cook or own initiative, the fact is that it can't hurt! These are moments young riders like him have to use, to get some tv time at the very least.
Vague counters, now, though! An unexpected move, you wouldn't expect Vague to ride after someone like Van Dyck, who is still settling in the pro peloton and not a real contender, at least not yet. Despite Van Dyck being almost a year older than Vague. Still, Vague is an exceptional athlete. Someone like Cornelis was nowhere near Vague's level at that age, but still became one of the best cyclo-crossers in history.
Lap 4: We're going into the fourth lap. These are the differences.
Vague quickly catches up with Van Dyck, though. Now what will the Dutchie do? Ride with Vague or play the team card and wait for Cook?
Vague doesn't even offer him a choice, he takes the reigns and dictates his own pace. I think Vague has started his offensive. It was only a matter of 'when' with this Francis Vague. The answer is: now.
Everyone knows they should be at Vague's wheel now. But there's a difference between knowing and doing so. Goldenberg doesn't attempt to follow and decides to ride his own pace and try to limit the damage. Lipawsky, Eldfjallsson, Dubois... Nobody wants to risk burning themselves out by trying to follow this Vague.
But Cook has never just accepted something like this. Cook would rather die trying than to accept Vague's dominance. And so Cook attacks!
Lap 5: Van Dyck is doing a great job keeping up with Vague. This is the Van Dyck that we know from the U23, confident, technical, strong, a fighter. It's the first time we see him in his true potential with the pros, it's nice to see.
And his team mate is following closely. Cook seems to be feeling better than the last few races. One week can bring the difference of a lifetime.
But he shouldn't take too long catching up if he wants to compete for the win. And he knows this.
Oh! Van Dyck shows his brilliance by cutting off Vague at a sharp corner and slowing him down, allowing Cook to win another second. What a bold move by Van Dyck!
Riders are running again and Cook manages to catch up. We have three leaders. The chasers are at 10 seconds. Still anyone's race, but with Vague, Cook and Van Dyck at the front, it's hard to see them not succeeding.
Randstad can now play the team card, while Vague is isolated. But what does it matter if you're Francis Vague? Behind them, Mazzarelli has permanently lost contact with the chasers and will now try to keep his 8th place to limit the damage in the World Cup. Lipawsky is no longer chasing the leaders and is now working on the World Cup points, rather than the race win.
Lap 6: It's nice to see Cook at the front again. He's not the best rider technically, but he makes up for it with sheer power. Van Dyck is clearly more technically built. Still, the Dutchie is now starting to succumb to Vague's intensely high speed.
And it's bye Van Dyck, now. You can't expect to play with the two giants and survive. No, it's one against one, now. Cook vs Vague. A tale we've heard before and we'll hear a lot in the coming decade.
Cook has enough of Vague riding at the front and launches an attack on this flat section. A powerful acceleration from the saddle. Vague immediately has to give him 10 meters.
Hammarling leaves Ledoux behind and wants to go looking for Mazzarelli. But the Italian is way ahead of the field and it won't be easy. And meanwhile, Goldenberg has gone solo from the chasing group, under loud applause from the home crowd.
Van Dyck has really taken a blow and gets passed by Goldenberg. Lipawsky keeps his head cool and chases the American without getting nervous.
Vague is still 10 meters behind Cook. It's almost impossible to go any faster and so Vague waits for the more technical sections to close the gap without wasting unnecessary energy.
Lap 7: After some risk, Vague managed to catch up with Cook. But he has been warned, now. The Cookie Monster is back. Or at least that's how it seems now. And immediately Vague's dominance is put into question. Kryptonite.
But Vague doesn't get intimidated, and that's part of his strength. He immediately counter attacks Cook! But the Brit reacts straight away!
In a sprint, Vague should have the edge, but after a tough race, it's anyone's guess. Cook's no slowpoke either.
Vague can win this with his technical skill, and he has enough race smarts to realize this. It's essential to ride at the front now, and they sprint towards this more technical section. Vague wins it and goes in first.
Cook's abilities are put to the limit, here. And he makes a mistake! He's off his bike, can't jump up at this point and has to watch Vague ride away!
Timing in this corner... Vague has 14 seconds. All gathered in one brilliant technical section.
Behind them, Goldenberg has been caught again by Lipawsky and Dubois.
Lap 8: Vague has a 14 seconds to defend. Should be enough, but with Cook you never know.
Lipawsky leaves behind Goldenberg and Dubois! Mazzarelli seems safe for his eighth place, with Hammarling stagnating a bit in his later stage in the race.
And Guido Visconti is riding a good race, too. The ice is good for him this season. He attacks Etxeberdea and will finish top 15 today.
Cook has fought his way back to 11 seconds. It's still possible!
Vague running, now, taking a turn and there he can see Cook, a bit further down the field. The two exchange a look. Vague looked Cook right in the eyes.
Half a lap left, Cook is 10 seconds behind.
Vague is keeping his head cool, though. If he makes no mistake, those 10 seconds should be plenty. He knows this.
Cook never gives up, though. He knows that one mistake can change everything. Don't slack off a second.
Vague takes no risk, no jumping today. Took this corner with style.
And then there is the finish line. He zips up his jersey, wipes his rainbow jersey clean for the sponsor. And then a finger, shaking back and forth. Number four this season. Vague, unstoppable Francis Vague.
Cook came close, but his technical abilities were no match for Vague's. And so he is second. But he won't be completely disappointed by that. It's arguably his best performance this season and we have finally seen Cook from last season again. Let's hope his illness or bad form or whatever is behind him and he can get back to his winning days!
Lipawsky is third and shares the first spot with Vague, now. Dubois settles the sprint with Goldenberg for place 4 and 5. Eldfjallsson is sixth, Van Dyck a nice 7th.
Mazzarelli 8th, Hammarling 9th and Ledoux completes the top 10.
And so we started the American week, with a win for Francis Vague. The boy does what he pleases at the moment. See you Seattle. Where we saw Listerijn win last year. Two years ago? Vague. Where did we hear that name before...
Seattle is back, and the Greenland Hill is once again part of the profile! The American Week continues, the Coca-Cola Trophy continues. Vague leads the Trophy, with Mazzarelli not a second away. Cook is coming up in form and is only 7 seconds from top position.
Race Information
Country: United States of America
City/Place: Seattle
Classification: Coca-Cola Trophy
Starting Time (Elite Men): 15h30
Favorites: Francis N. Vague, Elliot Cook, Matt Mazzarelli, Sylvain Lipawsky.
Record: 2x John Willis (2009, 2010)
Race History: A relatively new race, John Willis is the first and only rider to have won it twice. He is also the oldest winner, at 35 years in 2010. Listerijn won last year's edition after an early attack. Against all odds he managed to keep it to the line.
Route Information
Technical: 4
Sand: 0
Uphill: 3
Cobblestones: 0
The course is full of nice obstacles. Of all American crosses, this one has followed the Belgian traditional profile the most. There are two sets of two jumping bars, at 39 cm, which not a lot of riders will take. There are a few bridges but the Greenland Hill takes the cake. Not nearly as long as in the Blaarmeersen or in Tekapo, this is still a noteworthy natural climb. Why? The ground is terrible, it's like there are little leprachauns in the ground pulling at your wheels constantly, you're constantly pulling backwards instead of forward. So power will come into play, too. The downhill is extremely tricky, too. It's not fast, but only a trained CX rider can keep on his bike on the uneven terrain.
The terrain resembles that of the Portland course, but the climbing will be a bit more demanding.
With some rain, this might just turn into a real Flandrien Cross. And that in America! We're curious to see it unfold. There aren't a lot of places where the riders will have to dismount. We count one big stair and one double U-turn where it might be advantageous to dismount and run.
Expected Weather Conditions
Temperature: -4° C
Precipitation: Ice, Snow.
Wind: 1 Beaufort
Carrying his amazing run of form well into the States, Vague was seemingly the man of the hour for the newsflash, although the resurgence of the Cookie Monster as well as the first clear signal of Van Dyck's talents gave Randstad well enough publicitiy to push Vague to the side screen. However the Belgian does not mind at all, instead he was quick to get into the team bus again and set off to the airport. After all, the American Series is accompanied by much travel expense, mentally & financially.
Well done in this race, you are now the sole record holder with two wins, similiar to Tekapo Cross. Your analysis of the race?
I was well aware that it'd be difficult but of course I was surprised that young Van Dyck made the initial attack to offset the balance. Other riders were hesistating a bit much, so I decided to follow on a hunch and it paid off. That Cook later joined wasn't ideal for me, since it turned into a 2 vs 1, which is always tricky, especially when you have the favourite status in the race. So, I had to even the odds asap, luckily I succeeded. Van Dyck was strong today but he invested his efforts also into Cook coming back; with the Brit I had some difficulties and had to let go but I knew that the technical parts could help me as long as I did not lose eyesight to the goal. Generally, there was quite some luck involved on my part; that my moves succeeded, that others did not collaborate so much as the media claimed.. I'm satisfied with my performance, it's a good win.
How much did the ice change the profile, how did you adapt?
Obviously we had to run some more. Contrary to what Lipawsky has recently claimed, I consider myself quite a decent runner, so it favored me too. Plus, I always welcome the icier, snowier rides, since I feel it gives me an advantage. It's not the scandivanian race type though, it was more some ugly city snow.. it easily changed tracked, got mixed with mud. Maybe the overall race turned a bit slower than most of us expected, especially compared to previous years, but even so, it'd probably also made it better to watch for the fans and media. Portland got to see a new side of CX.
Cook made a strong return lately, whilst Lipwasky holds the overall lead of the World Cup combined with you. Are those two the main opponents for the World Cup podium alongside yourself?
Well Goldenberg is still third and he has said many times that he considers himself to be a sole World Cup contender so it's likely he'll profit from greater reserves towards the end of the season in the fight for the podium. Right now, points-wise, it's down to four guys, but due to the sheer amount of collectable points, it's easy to lose this advantage and riders come back into the fight for podium still in the next 2-3 races. By the time we reach December, there'll likely be clearer standings since we have quite a number of races coming up.
As I understood, Lipawsky complained lately about never being mentioned: Any comment about his performance?
Did he now, uh? I guess that's his impression. I usually react to people animating the race in the style of Cook or Mazzarelli, they care for much more impact, they instigate moves you have to follow. They are on your mind after a race. Maybe he does too little attacking, so people tend to neglect him when listing their contenders. Of course he's one of our best crossers in the field, very often achievin top results.. this season he also stepped up his game as seen by gaining the lead in the World Cup. Plus, he's been my predecessor, a former World Champion. This is a beacon of quality! So, I don't really know where he gets it from. He's many times in the podium ranks and has finished two? - yes I think two - trophies on the podium last year? He must be a great Crosser after all when he finishes here behind Cook and me!
Schiltz did not look well when he crahed and he had to abandon. Do you have any news about him?
It's really sad about it. He had skipped Superprestige opening in favor of World Cup and Coca-Cola and now the World Cup classification is seemingly lost after today. I hope he can return in time for Seattle but it'll be close I guess. I do not know what he has exactly but my prayers go out to him that he can ride with us in Seattle. He's a great teammate and an exciting rider, it'd be a shame for the Trophy to lose such a great contender.
Speaking of the Trophy, Seattle looks to be a blast. The technical and uphill race certainly suits you with you being a previous winner of the race.
I want to do well here. Right now, it's hard to deny that I am on a roll. How long it'll last is anyone's guess but I do not make estimations, I continue to ride my bike here. Seattle will be a hot spectacle with Cook coming into form and Mazzarelli on a high as well. The Italian has the technicality of making life tough on us but the predicted ice helps me especially against him.. Listerijn saved himself and he's been vocal about his ambitions for the Trophy, especially as last year's winner he will go into the race with some furiosity. But I remember that last year the situation was quite a bit different, and he won the race more from an outsider position.. It won't happen again. I don't know about Christian Schiltz, how his injuries like I said, but BKCP can count on me to want to perform either way.. But now I shoud leave--
And what about Lipawsky for tomorrow's race?
Uhm... what about him? Oh yes, of course, he can win the race too!
Edited by Shonak on 27-12-2015 21:33
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
So Sylvain, how do you feel about Portland, 3rd Place was pretty good, no?
Yeah, I was feeling pretty good there, they got away from us at the end so there was no point chasing, a bit of a mistake on my part but in the end I still finished third and I'm quite happy with that, especially as as far as I know I will keep the world cup leaders jersey.
On you being tied leader of the World Cup with Vague, will you target that classification this year?
At the moment that's the plan, aside from a second Christmas win, I'd like to put my self full out to win the world cup, hopefully I'll race all the classics but maybe not put everything in for all the Coca-Cola and superprestige races so I can solely focus on the world cup. It's a good goal for the season as the last two seasons I feel I've been too varied in my approach and just came out with some individual wins to show for it.
And now we're up to Seatle, do you have any goals there?
It's the first time to say not really, I'll race my heart out but the course probably doesn't suit me quite enough to top the others, still given I'm not targeting this classification, it gives me a chance to use different tactics to usual to go for the win.
And who do you think will win here?
Goldie I think, maybe Matt or Cook, Goldie has been looking good lately and given he's at home he's a serious shot to win, otherwise the course suits both Matt and Cook and I think they'll show themselves there.
You've chosen not to mention Vague, is this related to his previous interview?
Yeah, that wasn't right to openly mock me in an interview, it's a sponsor sport to and he has no idea why I'm complaining, does it look good for Bauknecht to have the former world champion they just signed not mentioned before I race he could rightfully win, I'm not demanding attention but a bit acknowledgement could be given and what does he mean about not animating a race?! Almost every cross he, Eldfjallsson and I, maybe with help from Schiltz, begin the race at a fast tempo to thin out the field maybe it's not dramatic attacks near the end but it is aggressive racing.
And he presents himself as a new wave trying to push the sport forward, but he then tries to push other riders out of circle, sounds more like 1970's road racing then a new future for cross.
In hindsight it may have been a little rash of me to call people out on not mentioning me as a favourite, if they genuinely think I won't win they have a right to that opinion.
Thanks Sylvain for your time, we hope to see you after Seatle,
The last fortnight has been all about just recuperating and being ready to pick up where I left off, though in saying that first of the legalz was a tag I was proud of but not something I'm expecting to keep come tomorrow. But Whakapapa was very important to me to show myself I did have good enough form to compete at the top on those occasions where I can. I've been asked a question recently, about my end-of-season "head-count", as they say. With the help of the NES and my complete outsider status last season I reached 3 victories, on the same level as Schiltz. And I say, I'm proud to have moved free of those advantages, and if I could match my total from my debut season then I would be more than thrilled. But realistically, I'm looking to have fun, keep improving steadily, move my consistent top tens into consistent top fives, and yes maybe take a win somewhere down the line.
So, Seattle tomorrow, I've been brushed aside a bit and I'm not ve-. Nope. I'm a returning champ and one win from the record which will soon be held by Francis Nouvelle Vague. I'd like to prove my win last year was not all about the initial gap, that I was deserving, I would not have won if I hadn't made the move across but better luck next time BKCP, I ruddy well bridged that gap. But honestly Vague is right to say I'm not at my level yet, I'm perfectly fine with nobody saying I can win. I just want to make up some of that 48 seconds and prove that this is my kind of course, the constant required explosivity, the (dare I tempt fate?) snow. Just that power section to (sorry) suck some wheel. Because if I'm going to, I'll let you all know.
So, personal front and it is amazing seeing Paul doing so well, it's great for him after his tougher time back there and he deserves everything, the NES lead, the almost front row, all of it. He's worked hard and it is paying off he just lacked the edge that experience gives you when he was up against the Africans. Louis consistently top 30 but struggling after his bug put him rock bottom. Proud of his jump up and I know his team are realigning his goals and their standards for him, good to see. Marco, still there for us as always, he has been great at keeping Paul level headed during races and he's maturing into a great all-around staff member for Giant as well as a mechanic as much as Paul is into a high level crosser, I hear. And me, well, what can I say. I hate Maccas but I'm loving it right now.
Stay tuned,
Milan
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
Portland was a decent one for me. It was a hard race from the start, and so I am happy with my 20th place and my first world cup points ever. Especially in the cold conditions where it's a bit unsure how you perform, and which are hard to handle.
Now I look at the future, and the next one is Seattle, which is a part of the coke trophy, and because of that an important race for me. The greenland hill should suit me, because you need power and uphill skills to ride there fast, two of my strongest abilities, but I'm still unsure where I'm standing currently with my technical skill. This is much more important at this course, because it's the main factor.
I'm feeling like I should tell something about Michael, my "coach" too. He was a bit bored of New Zealand, because it's a boring country in his opinion. But now in the states he feels more comfortable. We both were already on the space needle and we planned to visit more attractions, tough it's unsure if we do everything because of the weather and of course the training and racing, which is of course in the first place for me!
By the way, many people in and outside the peloton are asking, why I'm never talking about favorites for the oncoming crosses? That's simply. I don't want to talk about them because I want to focus on myself. In the most crosses I didn't see the favorites acting too, that's why I can't estimate how they do. I would say I'm worse informed since I started racing!
But I want to mention Sylvain. His expression about not being mentioned caused controversy, and Vague seems a bit annoyed by him. But I can understand him. Every rider wants to be seen in this field, some people try to be funny, some are extra self-esteem and some people just show good performances. And for Sylvain it's of course bad that he shows great performances in every race and still gets very easy overlooked. That annoys of course and maybe even hurt him a bit. Don't be too harsh with him. He's a person as well.
Solid opening campaign by Sven Welling saw him score some valuable UCI points for himself. To much surprise, Sven started the season with a top result coming 10th in Duinencross. Something he himself did not expect. "In the last years I always had difficulties at the start of the season, I alwys felt like I was going a bit slower than others and had to play catch-up throughout the season. Usually the secons season half, after new year's eve, is the time where I try to exceel." The surprising start alongside his teammate Vague at the Duinencross certainly made him enthusiastic for the season.
Further Top 20 results in Blaarmeesen, Hobart Sunny Classic and Melbourne then confirmed Welling's good season preparation and he picked up some rewards. However next to the stunning season opening of his superstar teammate Francis N. Vague, Welling's results were falling a bit under the rugg.
It so happened that the New Zealand tour saw a slight drop in performance, with him coming 25th and 20th respectively. This may be down to the special conditions there or the tougher uphill profile, nonetheless Welling did not lose any of his quality when he finished in Portland 16th. Due to some good scoring on his part, Welling has kept his place in the second row, currently starting off at 19th. However the surge of young talents and experienced newcomers to the game has pushed him back as well.
Welling admits: "It's always a bit perplexing to see how various riders come to the elite level, either from the amateur, junior ranks -- or from outside the sport, and they are so fast developing, they are a cut above you, outriding me.. I may have experience but they have superior legs, uhm.. You certainly start to wonder where you stand in this sport, yeah, how good you are. Of course I am in this sport for a long time and I've held myself close to the top for various years. Due to injuries, I have lost the contact a bit, but right now my legs are really doing well. We'll see how the season spans out, how I can develop from here on out. I have a better feeling this year than last though, so who knows what's possible; I want to do some Top 10s, maybe hit Top Fives at some point again." He also likes to help his two teammates, Schiltz and Vague. But that's seemingly said automatic, like it's the most obvious thing in the world.
Whilst Welling is already happy with a Top 10 result in most cases, his teammates Vague and Schiltz are celebrated stars of the Cyclo-Cross by now and their team action may be seen as one of the most fatal combinations of racing you can see in the peloton. "They know each other from the youth ranks, so obviously they also know quite a bit about each other. Their racing complements each other very well I think. Schiltz has had some bad luck recently, he'll get back. As for Francis, he is in some fantastic form. We at BKCP - Powerplus hope that he continues this amazing streak, I mean, it's possible he makes it 4 wins in series, maybe even 5 consecutive wins in the Americas in total.. I've seen a lot in my career but if I see that happen: I don't think I'd ever experienced such a streak in recent 10 years; was the last one around Gasthuys time? I don't know, but it could well be history in progress."
Edited by Shonak on 29-12-2015 22:27
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
Hello and welcome to Seattle. The American Week is not what it used to be, but it's still three races, three classifications within one week. So still not to be underestimated. With the jet lag in mind, you can lose a lot this week if you let it get to you.
We're back in Seattle, where we've seen Vague and Listerijn win before. And the former is back as a top favorite. Undisputed champion of the cross so far this season. But with Cook coming up, and the others growing restless without victories, can he keep his winning streak and get four wins in a row? Maybe with Twin Peaks even five in a row? A feat unbroken since the great Gasthuys (who did it regularly, though). Cornelis came close in the 2007 - 2008 season, scoring four races in a row. Now Vague has a shot at it. Though he'll need to win today and on Sunday, so he's still a long way from home.
Though for the absolute record, he'll have to hang in a little longer. After all, Gasthuys in the 1988 - 1989 season managed to score an absolute record of 12 races in a row. That season, though, he was practically unbeaten, only losing five races in the entire season. A feat widely believed to be impossible to break.
Weather Conditions
Temperature: -4° C
Precipitation: Ice, Snow.
Wind: 1 Beaufort
Start Line: We see some tired faces, some still didn't get over the jet lag too well. Missing on the front line is Christian Schiltz. With Coca-Cola being his main target, it must be something serious, or he wouldn't just miss it. Let's hope he returns to the field quickly!
Other than him, most riders made the start line. Ready for another Coca-Cola Trophy cross. Coca-Cola did well to establish itself quickly in the cross scene. It's growing in importance every year again. Within a few years, we can talk about three big trophies, while now Superprestige and World Cup are still another dimension.
The West Coast of the United States are still under this harsh early winter and Seattle is no exception. Good for some riders, not so good for others. But as the saying goes: when a rider's in form, you can throw anything at him.
Lap 1: Let's go! Obviously Eldfjallsson and Vague are off pretty fast, but so is Listerijn and Lipawsky. Cook with one of his better starts this season.
Pieter Van Dyck with an impressive early sprint as he moves into position four before going in the field.
Eldfjallsson leads the peloton over the icy route. Not a brutal start today and so we see some riders taking advantage of this to move up. Young Forcellini is nog afraid of starting fast and picks up a few riders at the back.
But what about this man, Olivier Dubois. A trial bike champion, deciding to change careers and come into the cross, with absolutely no recent experience. In his eighth race, he already manages to start from the front row, and look at how he's handling himself, fighting for position. He's adapted to the field fantastically fast and it's hard not to see him doing amazing things in the field in the future. A true champion excels in all disciplines.
The Greenland Hill is just terrible. The ground feels so... slow. You have to pull your bike every pedal stroke you take to get ahead. Though with the frost, it's a bit better.
Vague jumps the jumping bars, whereas Eldfjallsson and most others do not, and so Vague takes the lead. Careful now, what will happen?!
Cook realizes the danger and places a sprint to reach Vague's wheel. Mazzarelli and Lipawsky move up, too. Lipawsky has been marking Vague from the start.
But Vague has no intention of going this early. Despite his winning streak, he realizes it isn't very wise to go from the first lap every race. You can never keep that up.
And so Olivier Dubois goes on to the attack! An early attack by Dubois. Smart, bold or a suicide attack?
Lap 2: Mazzarelli seems less troubled by the cold and wintery conditions as we're used of him. Like we said before, it looks like he made a huge step forward this season. All he needs is a win or two to back up his claim.
Lipawsky has dug himself deep in Vague's wheel. But Vague's wheel is the place to be and so Lipawsky has to fight hard to keep it. Other riders try to take it every turn.
Still, the pace is manageable. Dubois has taken 8 seconds already. He jumps the bars with some style.
Fred Markson is bringing Goldenberg closer to the front.
Going down the Greenland Hill, Arda Akdeniz went down! Looks like he hurt his elbow. He won't be continuing this race...
Some of the younger riders are coming forward, now. Huser, Rosanski, Van Dyck. Watch out, that's Cook's team mate.
The three attack. Vague wants Lipawsky to relay, but Lipawsky stays in Vague's wheel. And so Cook goes to the head of the chasing group.
The three aren't getting a big gap. Cook keeps his head cool and uses this bridge to catch up with them. They aren't getting away that easily.
What's up with Visconti lately? Not on the level this season. We thought he had made a step forward last season but he's way behind again today. He won't be competing for the top 20. Neither will Lachy Bauer, who has had a terrible start and now broke his chain. He has to run almost a quarter of a lap to the pit.
Lap 3: Lap 3 of the 8. Dubois' lead is 5 seconds. Cook isn't letting him get away. And now Mazzarelli relays. Vague looks behind and sees the face of Lipawsky. The Swiss has been marking Vague all race long.
And Vague is growing tired of it, you can see. He moves to the front. A sharp corner! There are the jumping bars.
Vague jumps and that gives him a small gap. He sprints away! Vague attacks! Lipawsky giving his all to catch up. Cook and Mazzarelli in his wheel. Listerijn coming up, too. And then, another gap.
Dubois looks behind him and sudddenly sees the face of Francis Vague from closer than he wished. One second later, he's looking at Vague's back. That's how fast it can go when the beast is unleashed.
Cook has now taken over from Lipawsky and leads the chase. Dubois tries to catch on and join the chasing group. The pace is very high, now!
Listerijn has been keeping remarkably quiet. Coca-Cola means it's all about time, so he's probably waiting for the final laps to get back some time on the classification leaders.
Mazzarelli overtakes Cook on the Greenland Hill and accelerates. He wants to catch up with Vague as soon as he can!
Back on the tarmac, now. Finish line in sight. Vague has a small gap over Cook, Lipawsky, Listerijn, Dubois and Mazzarelli. But it's five against one, now. Vague is not stupid and takes a breather, he'll allow them to come back.
Lap 4: And so we have six leaders. There's a rather large group only 12 seconds behind them, including Eldfjallsson, Markson, Huser, Van Dyck. Rosanski and Goldenberg are just behind them, along with Sven Welling.
And so we've reached lap 4 of the 8 and are almost halfway the race.
Lipawsky is back on Vague's wheel. He is so determined today, not to let Vague out of his sight a second if he can help it.
Elliot Cook attacks! And it's an attack in style, what a display of force!
Vague looks at Lipawsky, but there's no reaction. And then it's Mazzarelli who tries to get away! Vague follows but notices Lipawsky shadowing him still and Vague keeps his legs still.
Mazzarelli and Cook are up ahead. Dubois has difficulties hanging on, now.
And here come the jumping bars. Vague looks behind him quickly, then jumps both of them and sprints away. He's shaken off Lipawsky the best way he knows how and now tries to bridge the gap to the race leaders quickly. Listerijn and Lipawsky are once again brothers in arms and are up to the tough task of chasing down Cook and Mazzarelli and Vague if he bridges the gap.
Mazzarelli and Cook won't wait around for Vague, though. Has Vague made a mistake waiting until the jumping bars to answer Cook's attack?
Seattle hasn't brought huge time gaps in the past, but with these conditions, that could change. This is a time classification so every second counts!
Vague with an extra effort on the Greenland Hill. He's fought his way back to the front. Three leaders, now.
Oh and immediately he goes to the front and launches an attack! The kid has balls!
The jumping bars help him here. Oh and he gives the crowd what they want, an extra touch to his jump, a little twitch with his back wheel. What a showman!
Mazzarelli and Cook have to dismount and lose a second or two that way. Is Vague gone for good?
Van Dyck has a flat tire! Still a far way from the pit, too bad for him!
And Etxeberdea has now officially outgrown his early season form. After a blitz start of the season, including a fantastic Classic victory, he's fighting at the moment to keep up with the subtop. A dramatic change in form for the Basque.
Lap 6: Mazzarelli is handling the cold better than we ever would've thought he could and goes deep to close the final meters between him and Vague. The three leaders are back together. and their gap is growing, too. Lipawsky and Listerijn are in a lost position, almost. But Coca-Cola is all about time, so they keep riding as hard as they can, to limit the damage and to gain seconds on the rest of the field.
And it doesn't look like our three leaders are going to let the tempo drop for a second. Now it's Mazzarelli's turn to attack!
But Cook won't let him get away with it and goes up another gear to catch the Italian before the Greenland Hill - South Side.
And for now, the hierarchy has been set. These three are a class above the opposition today, but neither is superior to another at this point in the race, so we don't expect any attack soon. Possibly in the last round for the victory of the day, but I don't think they'll get much time against each other today.
And so it's wise to keep riding hard and gain time on the rest of the field, and maybe hope for a mistake from an opponent to take advantage of.
Lap 7: Two laps left for the race leaders. Meanwhile, Markson is growing in this race. He and Eldfjallsson are riding pretty hard and are nearing on Lipawsky and Listerijn. Though those two still have a rather large gap. They should be able to hold it if they keep working together.
Dubois is now falling back, though. He's got a lot of potential and his first race half has been incredible, but in the last two laps, he still loses too much of his panache. There's still work to be done.
Vague jumps the bars and has a small gap over Mazzarelli and Cook, but not big enough to take advantage of.
On the bridge, now. Cook attacks! We didn't expect it at this point, but he wouldn't be Cook if he did things as expected!
Vague is having a tough moment and has to let him, go. He looks over at Mazzarelli. The Italian looks right back. This only shows the strength Cook has used to get away, neither of these top guns has an answer. And so Mazzarelli takes up the chase. Vague is quick to relay, though. He'll never hide, this one.
Of course, for Vague there's a lot at stake. A winning streak like this is a special occasion and it could blind him in a way. Let's hope he uses his common sense.
Lap 8: Cook still holds a gap over Vague and Mazzarelli. All our focus is at the front of the race, now. What a finale!
Listerijn attacks Lipawsky in the background! But the Swiss has seen it coming and tries to answer the attack swiftly! Their cooperation has been broken by Listerijn taking the offensive! He wants to take time on Lipawsky.
Cook has a problem with his bike! A flat tire!
There's the pit, he changes his bike. But the damage is done. There come Mazzarelli and Vague.
And so everything's back together. Bad luck for Cook there. Well, it's obvious we're looking at the podium here, with the closest chasers three quarters of a minute behind, but who takes what spot?
The tactical games have now begun. Vague likes to ride at the front, control the race. Mazzarelli is at his wheel, ready to answer any acceleration. Cook is hanging on the back, leaving a meter. He likes to have an overview and study his opponents. Watch their movements to anticipate any attacks or other moves.
And Vague has already started his sprint. Still half a lap to go, but the sprint is on! We won't be slowing down for a second anymore. Mazzarelli wants to be in the lead, now, and overtakes Vague in the corner, forcing Vague into the ice. He has to turn slowly now, and is suddenly in third position.
And now Mazzarelli sprints up the Greenland Hill. Cook overtakes him right before the top and goes downhill first! Vague wants to move to the front again, too. Amazing action here in this last lap!
Oooh Mazzarelli uses the smallest of gaps to dive into and pass both Vague and Cook here, right before this one-but-last corner. And it forces Cook in another track, Vague has no chance but to follow!
Mazzarelli immediately has a gap! He turns onto the tarmac.
Looks behind him, he's got it. Vague and Cook have been bettered by Matt Mazzarelli. The Italian keeps riding for every second and throws his arms in the air on the finish line.
Vague is faster than Elliot Cook and is second. No four wins in a row, no five wins in a row, but oh so close. Cook is third.
Listerijn didn't get away from Lipawsky but wins the sprint for fourth place.
And Markson is faster than Eldfjallsson for place 6.
Here comes Dubois, his last lap was a bit better than his seventh lap and he finishes eighth.
Ninth is Huser, followed by Goldenberg.
We're looking at some considerable gaps today. The Coca-Cola Trophy might have taken an important direction today. See you on Sunday for the Twin Peaks race in San Francisco!
Perth - Preview
Portland CX - Preview 
