Christmas time! For most of us, it's a time of celebration, fancy dinners and many gifts. But for cyclists, it's an important moment in the season. All classifications are just over halfway so it's a perfect time to re-evaluate the season goals and set some final goals for the season.
The Christmas Classic is a prestigious race. Vague still hasn't won a Classic in his career and it's slowly starting to pop up more and more. Of course, there are fewer classics nowadays. But still, someone with Vague's palmares should be able to fill that void!
Switzerland, on the other hand, is divided in two camps. On the one hand, those supporting Sylvain Lipawsky, second in the UCI Ranking and winner from last year. He's a fighter and never gives up. On the other hand, Olivier Dubois. He took a major risk coming from a sport where he ruled supreme. But he hasn't disappointed. He's turning into a top class rider and a victory seems in the making in his debut season as a cyclo-crosser.
All the ingredients are here for a fantastic cross! Even the weather seems to follow. Expect a large crowd here in Switzerland!
Race Information
Country: Switzerland
City/Place: Genève
Classification: Classic
Starting Time (Elite Men): 18h00
Favorites: Sylvain Lipawsky, Christian Schiltz, Francis N. Vague, Olivier Dubois.
Record: 6x Jack Wylle (1972, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1981)
Race History: The Christmas Classic is almost as old as Christmas itself. Well, maybe not that old, but still. It was first raced in 1926, organised by local enthusiasts. It's been in Genève since 1932. Jack Wylle was dubbed 'Santa on a bike' when he won the race for the fifth time in 1979. He won it a sixth time in 1981 and has been the organiser of the race since 2001.
The route changed drastically after making a bid for the World Championships in 2008. They decided to adopt the new profile for the Christmas Classic, offering a more diverse route. Last year's edition was a big success, with home hero Lipawsky as the winner. This year, another Swiss winner doesn't seem that far-fetched, with both Lipawsky and Dubois in fine form.
Route Information
Technical: 2
Sand: 4
Uphill: 4
Cobblestones: 2
The route for the Christmas Classic is not an easy one. The race starts pretty drastically. After a short sprint, the riders head downhill in a sharp descend. After which, they tackle a cobbled climb. There are lots of sharp and small climbs on the profile, but also one larger one, where the difference can be made.
The sand is the main attraction, but the possibility of frozen underground might pose a problem for the sand experts. However, the big sand sections won't freeze with this temperatures, so we'll still have enough sand left.
The finale offers lots of chances to avoid a sprint. The final climb is a real tough, short but extremely steep sandy climb. All that's left then is 55m flat road.
Expected Weather Conditions
Temperature: 0° C
Precipitation: Dry.
Wind: 1 Beaufort
Switzerland well be new terrain for me since I havn't raced the Christmas Classic yet, ever. However as the reigning World Champion I have already explained that I see as my duty to be present at as many races as possible. And this also means to get some debuts on my calendar.
The recent win in Alpe d'Huez has put me in good spirits. Arguing that I have three classifications still to race and the Coca-Cola Trophy going into the hot phase where I have to catch up significant time, I should take this more as a training ride. However logic isn't already your best advice when it comes to racing.
Gasthuys and Vandewalle have claimed that it's time I take on the Classics. I agree with that. I have argued in the past that my strength is the versatility and classic racing demands of lot of specialization. By default, this does not bode well together. But I still think that of all the classics remainign, the Christmas one is the race with the most chances for me.
If there was snow I'd be even better however at this point I don't want to cry over spilled milk. I take this debut as it comes and hope to make a difference in the uphill sections and limit the losses as best as I can in the sands. I definitely think that I can use the early downhill for my advantage. In the general, the bumpy profile is something that can be beneficiary to me although it's arguably more of a power course.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
Merry Christmas, everyone.
Will we have a white Christmas? The answer is: no. No snow, nor ice. However, frozen underground means the sand won't have as big an impact as some will have hoped for.
An unprecedented mid-season break is coming after today's race. One week and a half off-racing for the riders until we start again in Japan with the FujiCross. A welcome mid-season break for some, a time to start rethinking things for others.
Weather Conditions
Temperature: 0° C
Precipitation: Dry.
Wind: 1 Beaufort
Start Line: First timer Francis Vague hopes to shine in a classic. The media are turning it into a major weakness and while that's definitely overrated, they have a point. But that's why BKCP have attracted Schiltz. He can turn classics into his favour, seems to have a sixth sense for it.
Now that we're on the subject, it's the last race of BKC-Powerplus. The team is changing its name on January 1st, 2017. With Vague making headlines weekly, sponsors are bound to be attracted.
Lap 1: The riders are off. They head downhill pretty quickly after the opening sprint, which is won by Van Dyck.
Jan Soucek is very eager here downhill. He wants to make something out of this race, it seems. He's not the most consistent rider but on a good day he's capable of amazing performances. That's got him in the top 20 of the UCI Classification.
Lipawsky is making a good impression on this cobbled climb. He's eager to show he's still the number 1 Swiss rider.
But here comes Vague. He attacks!
Lap 2: Vague's attack has definitely taken the other favorites by surprise. He's got a pretty decent gap and nobody's too eager to do the chasing behind the World Champion.
It's a bold move from Vague, though. It's been a long time someone managed to solo to victory from start to finish.
Goldenberg and Soucek are the main forces in the big group. Soucek doing his job for Lipawsky, surely. And we can see Schiltz sitting on Dubois' wheel. He can sit back and play the team game.
Lap 3: The gap is still growing. 21 seconds now. Vague is powering away and Soucek and Goldenberg aren't enough to bring him back. The World Champion is on a roll. Is anyone still capable of bringin him back?
Guido Visconti comes to the front, too. He's going to relay and ups the pace, with Listerijn close by. Looks like Lotto is playing Listerijn's card for today. With Visconti's season so far, that's to be expected.
Lap 4: Another attack! Dubois is choosing the high road! Schiltz is like a shadow and follows. Lipawsky reacts immediately.
This looks like a good attack, and Listerijn, Van Dyck and Eldfjallsson know it, too. They try to bridge the gap quickly, before the others get away. Goldenberg is struggling on the cobbles here and drops behind.
Markson missed the boat and is trying to make up for that, now. the entire group is splitting up. Everyone is trying to make the jump forward. But as long as Vague keeps powering away, they won't bridge those 22 seconds easily.
Vague is showing signs of a decrease. Maybe they can still turn this around!
Another attack! Welling attacks in the background and wants to reach the next group as quickly as possible.
And a fall! Max Power made contact with the cobblestones.
Lap 6: Goldenberg is making a very good impression in the sand. He's definitely a favorite for the World Championships later this year. It'll be on his turf, with plenty of sand. Write him down. Today, though, the sand isn't enough to bring him in a contention to win.
Group Dubois, Lipawsky, Listerijn and Schiltz has now neared to 12 seconds. Vague is definitely cracking. Makes me wonder if this was planned beforehand? Schiltz has been in an excellent position all race long. Vague went off the front way too early, it looked an impossible task to begin with. Was this BKCP's plan, setting Schiltz up for the win? A tactical manoeuvre?
We'll find out soon. 11 seconds. The chasing group looks ready to pick up the World Champion.
Lap 7: Lap 7 of 11. And the regroup is a fact. Vague, Lipawsky, Listerijn, Dubois, Schiltz, Markson, Eldfjallsson and Van Dyck. Let's see what happens now.
Vague keeps the tempo up, with Schiltz in his wheel. Are there any other duo's here? Doesn't look like it.
Hey look at that. Some guy with a sign: "Marry me, Suzanne". Well, that's an original approach. Let's wish him all the best. But now we should return to the actual racing.
Lap 8: Vague is keeping the race locked, tight. His pace dissuades most attackers. The fun will start when Vague steps aside.
And it looks like that moment's approaching! Vague and Schiltz exchange looks and a small hill later, Vague keeps his legs still. It's up to Schiltz now.
But it's not Schiltz who attacks, it's Lipawsky!
Schiltz and Dubois are immediately on his wheel! Van Dyck tries to get over Lister---- Ooh Van Dyck crashes! He goes down! Luckily it's in the sand. Still, it didn't look elegant.
Lap 9: Eldfjallsson, Listerijn and Markson have missed the boat and are trying to catch up relaying. They're about 10 seconds behind. But right now we have three race leaders. Dubois, Lipawsky, Schiltz.
This time, though, Schiltz has no reason to hide and so all three are doing their share of the work, keeping off the chasers. It's 3 against 3.
Lap 10: Verboven has a flat tire. He drops out of the top 20 because of this. Maybe he can still get back, as the pit is right there.
And there's a nice fight going on here. Soucek, Listerijn and Huser are attacking each other one by one. However, this is further behind, for a place between 10th and 15th, at the moment.
Power is going strong through the sand, but now he's being left behind by Forcellini! On one of the hills, though. A strong showing from Forcellini, who's inside the top 20 now.
Lap 11: It's the final lap! We have three leaders, and three chasers! The winner of this race should be among them. Dubois, Lipawsky and Schiltz are at the front. Listerijn, Markson and Eldfjallsson aren't too far behind, but the gap's still at around 11 seconds.
Schiltz makes his move! Dubois counters! Lipawsky, too. Not strong enough to win the race with this attack.
Is this the moment that the leaders start looking at each other? This could be profitable for the chasers.
No, it won't slow down, now, as Dubois launches his attack! And this is a good one!
Lipawsky looks at Schiltz, but he doesn't react. So it's Lipawsky who has to close down the gap.
But Lipawsky is very strong and he does it! Even more, he overtakes Dubois and gets out of the saddle. Such powerful pedal strokes. He takes a meter... Two meters... Three meters. Dubois and Schiltz look cooked. Lipawsky's riding away!
And he rushes away to victory. He's out of reach as he reaches the finish line. A second win for Lipawsky. Well done. The home crowd is loving it!
And Schiltz is a bit fresher than Dubois and takes second. Still, that's two Swiss riders on the podium and the crowd here will be very happy with this!
The three chasers didn't quite make it but will sprint for 4th. Markson wins it, then Listerijn, Eldfjallsson.
Vague and Welling have ridden together in the final lap and are 7th and 8th. BKCP strong in numbers, but lacking the win.
And here the unfortunate Van Dyck. A few seconds ahead of Chris Young, who completes the top 10.
Whatever my tactic was in this race, it didn't work out. We probably had strength in numbers but we also wanted to tear up this race and make it comfortable for Christian to make use of his superior endurance compared to most others.
The team told me it was a close fight but eventually Lipawsky had the form to overcome Schiltz there. Christian is still looking for the famous 100% but he's close now. The crash put him a bit back in terms of his motivation but for the classics he's always game. Sven and I crossed the line together, I was taking it fairly easy after I had to let go of the group.
But exactly why did I attack from so far out? I wanted to try my luck, simple as that. I have three classifications that are bound my rational racing and the calcucation of my points gain. Where I have to watch my rivals more than I can enjoy the race. In a classics it was nice for a change to break right away and just win or bust.
It was a total bust eventually since the other guys were just too strong in that regard and spent their energy more wisely, but I'm happy nonetheless. With my action at least I covered Christian a fair bit and also tried to help him later on.
I don't know if critics saw my racing today as a sort of giving in to the myth of me not able to do classics well but classics are definitely a different sort of terrain for me. I have not done so many in fact, honestly I also just don't care that much in comparison to the classification races. But I'm sure I'll get there soon enough, and regardless of that, I look forward to spending some time with the family now and flying over to Asia soon.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
Hey lasses and lads, long time no see. It’s been a good couple races for me, a podium finish in the first snow race and a top 5 on Christmas is just what I ordered on my Christmas list.
It was super-nice to have that good race on L’Alpe. I didn’t have a great start but Guido brought me up to speed, cheers mate, you were immense. I spent most of the race stuck in the middle between Vague and Dubois, and the chasers, but I stuck it out to another podium and some promise for the winter season fast approaching.
A few days ago in the Christmas Classic I went in without much of a hope for the win on a power-based course, so when I came 5th I was pretty chuffed and stoked my work is starting to pay off in these races. Hopefully in a few years I can be properly competitive. Guido was great again there and so allowed me to catch up to the chasers and eventually the front, before becoming a poursuivant once more. 5th is pleasing (and booted me into the top 5 UCI) as we head off to Asia and hopefully a good race in the Coke gong next to Mt Fuji.
Contract matters and I’ve already put pen to paper for another two years with Lotto after the initial one-year deal. It’s nice to not have to worry about these things as racing means more than money and clauses to me.
Some chatter around Vague and though the stats don’t lie he’s not in any trouble really. BKCP shouldn’t mind with Schiltz as a specialist in these races and anyway, I see classics as a place to respect, almost fear the Walloon World Champion, just as everyone should and everyone does in every other race.
Had a good chat with Louis as we exchanged gifts on Christmas after the race, he’s been doing well and seems to be enjoying BKCP. He’s been getting closer to a position to serve Vague and certainly putting in some good performances and getting himself closer to the top 30 of the rankings and third row where I know he’d like to be. He’s got a chance at some good racing with the third manche of the NES approaching, I’ll get a chance to cheer him on then.
After a small break from racing, 10 days, we're back! On a different continent, nonetheless. The FujiCross is upon us!
Last two editions were won with a solo attack, so gaining time in the trophy is definitely possible today! But taking minutes seems highly unlikely on a course like this. Last race saw an upset in the Trophy, with Vague losing 2 minutes and Mazzarelli taking the lead in the trophy.
If he can keep everyone behind him today, he's one step closer to taking the trophy home and after today there's only Luxembourg and Lviv left.
With three manches left, the fight for the podium spots is still wide open, though. Mazzarelli, Listerijn, Lipawsky and Vague will most likely fight for the top spots. Behind them, there may be an interesting battle for place 5. Van Dyck is in prime position and is doing better and better. But Dubois isn't far behind and his recent performances have been world class.
Looking at the recent history of this cross, it's never the big favorites who end up winning, though. The course allows for a surprise winner. Will that tradition hold? And who let himself go too much during the small "Christmas Break"? Who is suffering from a jetlag? All questions soon to be answered!
Race Information
Country: Japan
City/Place: Fujiyoshida
Classification: Coca-Cola Trophy
Starting Time (Elite Men): 19h
Favorites: Francis N. Vague, Sylvain Lipawsky, Christian Schitz, Milan Listerijn, Matt Mazzarelli, Olivier Dubois.
Record: 2x Herman Vogel (2007, 2009)
Race History: The FujiCross has been around since 2000. It was then named as 'The Race of The New Millenium'. It did, in fact, provide some exciting racing. The organisers wisely let the race run at around 7 pm, which makes it an attractive - and spectacular - closing hour for the visitors of the FujiQ Theme Park, as well as offer the viewers of Europe to watch it at a decent hour, without having to wake up in the middle of the night to see the race.
Route Information
Technical: 2
Sand: 2
Uphill: 3
Cobblestones: 2
The FujiCross is a carefully put together rollercoaster of cyclo-cross. The profile has some wooden bridges, allowing the Theme Park visitors to move freely throughout the park. However impressive the ride through the theme park is, this is actually only about 25% of the entire race. Most of the race is outside the Theme Park walls. A tough climb takes them over the fence and drops the riders in rough terrain, with quite some sand thrown into the mix, too.
The riders make their way through some real hilly terrain before returning to the Theme Park for the final 500 meters. There, a final sandy section awaits them. After which, the riders sprint on the small cobbles of the Theme Park, with 300m of straight road ahead of them, making it an interesting and tactical sprint.
The entire race consists of about 1 km inside the Theme Park, 3 km outside the Park. The entire spectacle can be viewed online on the FujiQ Theme Park site, as well as on the more than 10 big screens across the Theme Park itself.
Expected Weather Conditions
Temperature: 5° C
Precipitation: Rain, Heavy.
Wind: 1 Beaufort
I cannot state how big that Christmas Classic was. Blue Bell had put the pressure on me. It was clear that Young has made a great start to his top level career and that Goldie is going from strength to strength. If i didn't get a result soon i'd lose all my negotiation power and be really forced to a support only role. 4th place in a Classic, outsprinting Hafthor and Milan, just what i needed.
This doesn't mean i'm home free. Now i've got to show i can be consistent and Fuji is the perfect chance for that with Golide not needing an help. I have to find some more results before the season ends, and they won't come in the World Cup. I might be all-in on Continentals yet again. It's an uncomfortable place to be in....
Rock
Finishing races is all i wanted when i stepped up. Now i've picked up a few Top10's and some people are starting to take me seriously as a rider. I'm loving this! No doubt in my mind about getting a full contract for next season with Blue Bell. Hell, i imagine a few other teams would like to get hold of me!
This doesn't change anything. I'm still going to go to each race with the same mindset and plan. Help the other guys when asked, and just make the finish. If that turns into a good position, awesome. I'm going to take my cues from the more experienced team members, if they say go i'll go. If they say stop i'll stop. I've tested myself and passed, time to just have fun knowing i'll go home with good results and titles awaiting me.
Goldie
Not bothered by Fuji the race, but i love this event. The organisers go full on to make this an incredible occasion. The Japanese fans are nuts, even if most know nothing about the sport, any excuse to celebrate. In all seriousness they make a better atmosphere than a lot of Europeans could dream of. Shame my eyes are on Peyonchang WC just afterwards, but i can't risk anything if i want to win that title.
Some people in the sport continue to push for more racing in the BeNeLux region and European heartlands. We come to a race like this in Fuji or Kitakyushu, or in Melbournce or Seattle or Rio or Cali or Port Elisabeth, with the passion and crowds they bring. How can you argue to take CX away from these regions? It would be devastating for the sport to start going backwards. If that means slimming the Superprestige so be it. History and tradition cannot carry the sport alone, we need to get out there to new fans and new locations. There's a new generation and we will not be marginalised.
Hammer Time
I was hoping for a few better results from recent races. It just hasn't happened for whatever reason. On the plus side Torku-Hagfors-Trondheim are coming fast! I have been getting slowly better and better and i am confident i'll hit those races in full form. I'd love to win Torku again and possibly one of the others, it would just be perfect and i could leave at the end of the year a happy man.
The SCF obviously can't officially confirm me as a nominee for the Athletes Commission, but put it this way: they won't be voting to help another federation. And it'll be the same for some others as well, but i'm not at liberty to say who of course. Just that i won't be taking a senior role with TMM Sports Management, and that i won't be taking a Road contract! But yes, i can't confirm anything until March which feels painfully far away.
Edited by TheManxMissile on 15-05-2016 22:27
It was a very hectic time back then. The last weeks were all about training, racing, training, racing. Of course race preparations and the route inspection were also part of my busy schedule and additionally my team forced me to do some talks with the sponsors. They were proud to present them a race winner and show the sponsors that their money wasn't spend for nothing. But because of all that chores I had little time to talk with my friends and family. This was pretty hard for me as I don't have someone else to talk, since Michael left some weeks ago. He needed a break after such a long time away from his friends and family and with us arriving in Europe the exotic of distant places is a bit away, so he decided to return home in December. The more I'm happy that after Christmas we all had a small break so that I could celebrate Christmas afterwards with my family which I didn't see for such a long time and also be with them at New Years Eve.
Of course I also thought about my future and my plans for the immediate future. I already talked with my team manager about my racing plan for the rest of the season and after I raced almost every race until Christmas, we decided together that a break will be good for me. We decided that my season targets should be the Coca-Cola trophy and the Continental Championships. The first because I've good chances of a decent, maybe even a top-10 result there, the latter one because the mostly uphill course will suit me. But I have to be fit on point for the race to score a good result there. Maybe I'll race the last NES event too, but I'm not too sure because I don't have any chances of a title there, and in this event it's just about the title, but maybe I'll help Paul there to catch van Dyck.
But I'm still young and not used to race so many races in such a short time frame, so it's better for me to use my energy for when I really need it, like the continentals. So the plan is now to take a flight to Japan for racing the FujiCross. Michael will accompany me as my personal assistant there and after that we'll decide if I should stay there and ride Kitakyushsu, while we definitely skip the race in Pyeongchang.
I hope that I can connect at my results from the last races, because although I felt not good at most of the races in December I did a very good job in all these races. I assume that the others were just more tired than me, and that my recuperation seems to be very good, at least our manager says that. We'll see also how the weather will develop and maybe it will play in our cards.
We are here in Japan, where tomorrow the Fujicross will be held and I've former road rider and cyclocross veteran Daniel Brüggemann by my side. Daniel long time no see I've to say, tell us why we didn't hear anything from you for a long time?
I guess you like to talk with successful riders more, right? Nah, my results and as a reason also my form went during December straight downwards, which didn't make me more attractive for talks with you journalists, but that's good because honestly I'm not a fan of these interviews, back in the past I wasn't and now with more of them even more, and also less interviews gave me more time to train and find my form. And now you have also concurrence in your team with the strong Rosanski and Huser.
No, it was clear from the start that these two are better than me, and we don't see ourselves as rivals. They see and use the benefits of me and my experience, and they help me in other ways. What was your reaction to Huser's first win?
I was very delighted because he was annoyed by his mediocre results the races before and this win helped him to be more relaxed, although some may argue that he now has to prove that his win wasn't a fluke. What are your goals for the remaining season?
There are still some races left which suit my abilities, especially the Scandinavian week stays my season highlight, and obviously I've an eye on the World Championships, although my goal there isn't a title but rather a top-15 which is hard enough for me. Lastly there are again rumors about the next season not only about the calendar for next season, but also about you, because your contract with Giant-Alpecin runs out after this season. Do you plan to renew your contract?
Generally, I'd like to ride on for one year or more, but I didn't have any talks with the management about my contract yet.
Edited by Luxemburger on 16-05-2016 11:09
A lot’s happened during the last week, and I’ve had a brilliant one.
After the results I’ve bagged over the last few races I’m sure you can understand why I was focussing more on my training and leaving this blog untouched for a bit.
Before I get into the racing though I just want to say how nice it was to have the privilege of having Christmas dinner at my parents’ house the night after the race, as far as I’m concerned there is no better way to spend Christmas day, getting to both enjoy time with my family and spend part of it being payed to do what I love.
I’ve already covered the top 5 at Aosta valley, and I’ve got to say looking back it definitely helped show my form and make me more certain that I’d timed my peak right for the next races.
The race at Alpe d’Huez was a fun affair, I guess I proved the experts wrong by keeping upright on that skewed section, nobody thought it was possible but I proved it was, then me and Vague both managed it and built a big gap because of it. I made more mistakes there than the world champion which clearly didn’t work in my favour but I’ve got to say I think the last lap proved I was slightly stronger than him on the day. After the effort to catch back up I knew I wasn’t going to be able to drop him and tried to recover as best I could for the sprint but it wasn’t to be. Even if I was never going to come round him in that final sprint it was still nice to compete for the win when the very best rider in the field is on a good day and again it goes to show that I was right to switch as it proves that I really do belong with the best.
P.S. I know you are reading Milan, I hope you won’t take that last statement the wrong way and make me explain myself.
I’ve got to say if that’s the kind of racing that the superprestige can produce then Vague is 100% right in that it shouldn’t be shortened as that was the most fun I’ve had and I’m sure it made for captivating viewing for the audience. The only other thing I have got to say about that race is so much for Vague being the only favourite and supposedly blowing everyone away.
I’ve already stated that being at home for Christmas was a joy, but I haven’t talked about the race itself yet. I’ve got to say that I was coming into it feeling good about my chances considering the form I was carrying and how well I rode in France. Seeing Vague go off early was a real shock, I was expecting him to try and ride a clever race but instead he just went for a show of strength, trying to go for a long one.
Still I guess that made it a bit easier on the rest of us if we don’t have to try and react to the young master.
I tried attacking just before halfway as I felt good and wanted to lower the amount of riders in the group as we were losing ground to Francis and there were more guys there then I knew would be able to keep up once the race got going. It’s a shame that picking up Vague allowed a big regroup to happen but it was still too early to go full gas to the finish, luckily I was alert when Sylvain went for it.
Being in that 3 man group wasn’t as comfortable as when I got to work for a prolonged period with Vague at Alpe d’Huez. There was a lot more tension there, possibly because we got away later in the race and knew that it wouldn’t be long until the attacks started but I definitely got the impression that the co-operation between us was only going to last long enough that we could make sure we weren’t going to get caught and to a point where we could solo away to the win.
I’ve got to say that Sylvain definitely played it the coolest there, I’m not sure if Schiltz was nervous or what was going on with his move. He was never going to surprise the pair of us. Maybe he wanted to strike first fearing a Swiss 1-2 attack against him but I think both me and Sylvain wanted the home win badly enough that we weren’t going to make him chase and risk missing out that way.
Once we caught Schiltz everything says that the pace should have dropped so I tried to catch Sylvain unaware by attacking over the top, maybe I should have done it from the third position though instead of being the first one up to Christian, I definitely made a mistake there but I knew I’d only have to surprise him with Schiltz likely being tired from his attempt to escape us.
It’s a shame that I got outsprinted again but we were both shattered by that point. Losing 2 key sprints at the end of race like this isn’t good and if I’m not careful even Matt will fancy his chances against me soon.
No but really Christian’s a great competitor and it’s nice to see him challenging for the win, being at BKCP seems to be working out for him and as results like this show he’s got loads of talent, I just hope he doesn’t have to work for Vague too often and will continue getting as many chances to work for himself as he has so far when the competitions start getting closer to the end.
It’s been interesting reading what others have said recently, Vague has said that he was surprised I managed to come back to him in France but I think pressuring him into a mistake played a big part of that, it definitely cost him a few seconds. I didn’t think his sprint was risky, he held his line which is the sporting thing to do and in the end he had the quicker sprint. I knew I wasn’t going to win that after putting in the big effort to catch him and then not getting a chance to rest as he tried to re drop me down the descent but at least I proved my strength by managing to still hold on to his wheel until the line.
I don’t know what to make of him saying I could “fill the gap left by Cook”, I don’t think I’m at that level but who knows what the future holds, I’d say I need things to go my way too much to fill that role but who knows, maybe I’ll get there once I’ve fully adapted, there’s still some things I need to learn and I know there’s always room for improvement, even if you are easily on top, how do you think I kept getting more dominant in Trials, by being complacent?
I’ve got to say the weeks break is very much appreciated, even if it does come at the wrong time for me being right after a form peak and 2 races I targeted. As I previously said getting to have Christmas dinner at my parents was a luxury, I guess only me and the Lipawsky’s get to do that but it definitely helps. Speaking of Christmas I wonder if everyone has kept in shape over the festive period or if anyone has had a few too many mince pies and not done enough training.
I’ve got to say that I’ve done a little bit of work on my sprint this week to try and avoid stealing Matt’s crown and I’m hoping that might also help make my acceleration slightly better when trying to get away, only time will tell if it’s had any effect.
I’m looking forward to the cross in Fuji as the theme park is a unique venue and I’ve always had fond memories of how passionate the fans were when competing in trials in Japan in the past. I’m excited to learn that Red Bull have offered the team tickets to the theme park for the day after the race as well which means we can go and enjoy ourselves and meet the fans in a unique way. Some lucky guy might even end up sitting next to his idol on a rollercoaster, then again he might get stuck next to me instead.
I wanna say thanks for the outbreak of goodwill after my blog. It felt… I don’t know the words. It was nice, I guess you could say, to get it off my chest. The support spurred me on to do some training in advance of Fuji. I feel like a proper idiot focusing on this race but I’m committed now and I feel like I’ve gotta make a choice…
I know I could win Fuji. But not the old “anyone can” lark. I could win it if I had a good day, and the conditions are right. Tekapo showed that, the wind stopped me from really testing myself in the final lap or two. Fuji is a course that I feel is really good for me and if I can send myself off with one win then it would be here.
I’ve been here for a week and I think I’m more prepared than anyone. I don’t mean I’m the favourite or should be considered a favourite, nor that I’m more likely to win than Matt, Sylvain or Vague. But I think I’m as ready as I’ll ever be, I’m in a better mental state with the closure and your support, and my legs are at their peak this season.
I wish I had more time but the doctor and physic are both saying I should go to sleep. So, see you there I guess.
I'm big in Japan now, they told me, but I feel like nobody really knows me anyway.
Regardless of that, I feel good and fresh after the short stay at home. From Belgium, the team flew together to Japan. Some races in Asia always make for a rather jetlaggy experience, however it is easier this year due to the added time. The viewership may not like that, the off-days from the screen, but it's good for us and our recuperation.
I have some intentions for this race in Fuji and I definitely want to make life difficult for the guys on the podium currently. I may look like an outside bet right now but I'm happy to make this odds work in my favor. Meaning: I'm in the rare position of being not immediately marked. This could help me, it probably won't though. Because as much as I like, they are probably to smart for that. So I need to be lucky and maybe be on the right side. Little by little, step by step, I have to pull down the margin on Mazzarelli. At least from here on out, I don't have anything to lose in Coca-Cola.
Fuji is noisey and crowded, it's bright and flashy. It's beyond me how Goldenberg feels the urge to share his opinion just right in the spotlight here. Fuji is sugar-filled Theme Park, where people come for entertainment in all sorts: the race just happens here and it's any day the same really.
Now, I like to race here of course, it's a good race. But I also feel that's important to understand certain mechanicsm behind an event. Cyclo-Cross isn't the event here. It's the theme park. If you want, we are some better clowns. I like the enthusiasm of the japanese folk and many of them are fanatic at the bike. But it remains a show of the bike, not a race of the sport.
I also like to see the Fuji Cross continue as it is currently because the event works. Other events do not. I see the Coca-Cola Trophy as a fantastic competition to the sport; bringing much needed attention, money and name recognition to the sport. But I think this is important to keep in mind when you want to talk about what is good and bad in this sport, that there are different reasons and if you want to cut european Crosses in favor of a globalization than those reasons have to be sincere and pivotal to the sport. Sunbathing in Rio, Theme Park hunting in Fuji, Velodrome cruising in Cali. It's not what Cross is about, the Cross has to be the passion. Otherwise the product - the sport, itself will be marginalised because of replaceability and lack of sustainable name recognition.
In the Superprestige you do not have these problems. You have a traditional fan base that is huge. You have unique courses and sustainable finances, dedicated to long term. As soon as you start cutting licences and crosses due to an over-packed sensational event schedule that is here to globalize a niche sport at all cost - connecting it to casual viewing and largere events, profiting of some random viewers - you'll have problems eventually because the event factor will wear off and you'll have done permanent damage to the sport.
P.S.: I am wondering what crowd he is referring to at times because the benelux races are still the most glorious there are.
P.P.S.: Bring back Geraardsbergen
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
Welcome to the FujiCross! The Theme Park is the setting and that divides the peloton. Some like it, others fear for the heart of the cross. The fact is that everyone is ready to give 100% for an hour, and as long as we've got that, we're happy to bring you the cross live on your television or radio!
Coca-Cola, meaning it's all about the time differences. We take you back to Aosta Valley, where Vague lost over two minutes. So the classification got mighty interesting. Mazzarelli now leads with a good minute on Listerijn, over a minute and a half over Lipawsky and two minutes over Vague. The Italian is in a unique situation to take his first competition!
Weather Conditions
Temperature: 6° C
Precipitation: Rain, Heavy.
Wind: 1 Beaufort
Start Line: Lachy Bauer wants to repeat his success from two years ago, but it won't be easy at all. An outsider is always favoured a bit higher in Fuji than elsewhere, but it's never easy to win a race when Vague, Lipawsky, Mazzarelli and Goldenberg are at the start line. Together they have won easily over half the races so far this season.
It's the first race with BKCP's new kits and their name in sponsor, now BKCP-Corendron. Let's hope they can continue their success as a team, even with a name change.
Lap 1: The riders are off! It's raining heavily and so we have a lot less crowd than we're used to. Sure, on a good day this Theme Park packs a punch, incredible size of spectators. But on a day like this, it's quite sad. It shows that the interest in the race is easily swayed, depending on the weather.
And we've got Dubois with an excellent start. He has come close to winning and now he'll want to take that victory as soon as possible. Perhaps as soon as today?
Vague not with the fastest start but he doesn't look hasty to move up. He's now in the position of attacking the Coca-Cola leader instead of defending and it's actually given him some kind of calm here. Let's see if he can profit from it. The team management would love a victory in the first race as BKCP-Corendron.
A first attack, by Christian Schiltz! Last year he went for the Cola Trophy and finished second, behind the iron strong Cook. This year he was one of the favourites for the trophy but he hasn't been performing very well and is in tenth position overall.
Lorenzi comes to the front to do some work for team mate Mazzarelli. But this won't go fast enough if you have a talent like Schiltz at the front!
And it isn't. Louis Listerijn, younger brother of Milan but team mate of Vague and Schiltz, actually comes to the front to sabotage the chase even further. This is good team work from BKCP-Corendron. Vague is watching it from position 10 or so.
Oh a mass crash! On the small cobblestones in the Theme Park! Riders involved include Huser, Bruggemann, D'Anvers, Payne. It's not certain what caused the crash, but there are about 10 riders down.
Lap 2: We'll have 6 laps today. Schiltz' gap is limited, and that's all thanks to Jan Soucek, who's emptying himself completely for Sylvain Lipawsky. Lipawsky must have a plan today. He still has a shot at the trophy. Or is he simply eyeing a day victory?
Vague is constantly surrounded by Sven Welling or Louis Listerijn. He looks very calm. It's making some nervous. Milan Listerijn keeps looking back at Vague.
Team Red Bull and Blue Bell CX are both well represented in the first few groups. We have Dubois and Forcellini in the first chasing group, Gormley a bit further behind for Red Bull. For Blue Bell there's Markson and Goldenberg in the first chasing group, with Young 10 seconds behind.
Schiltz has been caught. What now? Mazzarelli is already on his own. It'll be hard to control the race alone. Now's the time to attack the leader!
And Vague understands that. He sends out lieutenant Welling. Is that enough to trouble Mazzarelli, though?
No reaction from the Italian. Welling is 10 minutes down in the classification and thus no threat to him today.
And Guido Visconti senses an opportunity. He's been working for Listerijn these last few months as he's just not on the level. Last year he showed great promise and we thought he was launched for a great career, but it hasn't come out again.
Lap 3: And Visconti closes the gap quickly enough. Two leaders. Welling and Visconti. Behind that, Soucek and Mazzarelli do most of the work, but not 100%.
But don't say the attackers are being given their lead on a silver platter. They're 20 seconds ahead and that's all due to their cooperation. They're riding hard here, through the sand.
Vague continues to sit at the back of the chasing group, with Schiltz right in front of him. Louis Listerijn has been dropped when the pace increased.
A flat tire for Eldfjallsson. A bad moment as the pace is increasing. Soucek is upping the pace.
But it seems this surge was only temporary, as Soucek now gets to the side. It was his final effort for Lipawsky and will now fade into the background.
And with riders getting dropped left and right, the pace here must be higher than we suspect. That means that our two leaders are doing a fantastic job, riding 26 seconds ahead of the chasing group and still going strong.
Lap 4: The rain has simmered down now. Let's see what's the current situation halfway the race.
That's not a huge group, and we haven't had any major attacks yet. It's a demanding race, especially with the rain that's been coming down since the race start. But looking outside our window, the clouds are parting so we might actually see some sun towards the end of the race.
Another fall! Mark Hammarling is down! The terrain is slippery indeed and especially these wooden planks to get out of the Theme Park.
It's Mazzarelli now who's coming to the front and do his share of the work. No, wait, he nestles in Listerijn's wheel. Mazzarelli is not worried about the breakaway.
Of course, I meant Mikel Hammarling earlier, not Mark Hammarling. Apparently he's on foot since he broke his pedal going down. That'll take some time to get to the pit.
Lap 5: Visconti and Welling still have a good lead, but they're not gaining any more ground. With two laps left, it can still go either way. They're cooperating well so far.
Behind them, nobody wants to risk getting countered and so there are no attacks. Vague is still watching it from afar. He's got a team mate up the field anyway. So does Listerijn. Lipawsky has now gotten help from Bauer in the chase.
And finally, an attack! Lipawsky is tired of not getting the proper support in the chase and he's decided to go after the leaders alone then. Now it's getting interesting, who'll follow?
Dubois is the first to fall behind. Bauer can't keep up, too. Schiltz and Vague react straight away. Mazzarelli uses their drift to move along with them. Milan Listerijn with an intermediate sprint to catch up. But he doesn't quite make it, and his head is between his handlebars, so to speak. Just 5 meters... But he can't bridge the gap.
That was an effective attack. Mazzarelli relays with Lipawsky now. That's only logical, as his closest competitor in the trophy has fallen behind! The game is on!
In the background, Listerijn gets the help from Bauer and Dubois. They missed the boat and have to make up for that before it's too late.
Lap 6: Final lap! Our two leaders are still over 20 seconds ahead. Can anyone bring them back or will they compete for the race victory? When will their cooperation break and what'll happen then?
Behind them, Mazzarelli and Lipawsky work hard to distance Listerijn. But the young Belgian Kiwi is all too grateful with Bauer and Dubois helping him chase. Vague and Schiltz are riding the wave, letting Mazzarelli and Lipawsky do all the work.
Shay Gormley is riding a strong second half and is coming close to the top 15. Ahead of him are Van Dyck and Forcellini, but they seem just out of reach at the moment.
And the finale is on! Sven Welling is probably the worst sprinter in the peloton, so he has to go solo! Welling is the one with experience here, as Visconti has never really contended for the victory before, at least not with the pros.
But Visconti is riding for his life. Welling is not getting away. The sand isn't enough to drop Visconti. Not at all, the young Belgian hangs on easily and overtakes Sven Welling before the final corner.
300 meters left, on small cobbles. Visconti starts his sprint from far out, standing on the paddles. Welling gets out of the saddle to counter the sprint. But he sits down too quickly. Visconti doesn't look behind him and keeps going. It's not the fastest sprint we've ever seen, as they're completely empty, both of them.
And Guido Visconti takes it! His first professional victory. Son of legendary Raphael Visconti, but now finally no longer 'son of', rather winner of the FujiCross 2017. Lotto takes another win, this time with Visconti! Welling is second and seems disappointed. He could've handled this differently. This could've been his second of the season.
And here comes Schiltz! Apparently he's broken free from the others. He's in third and completes the podium. Two BKCP-Corendron riders on the podium, but not at the top step.
Lipawsky and Vague sprint for place 4. Oh Vague's wheel takes a hit between two cobblestones and he almost goes down! By some miracle he stays upright, but he's lost his pace. Lipawsky is fourth, Vague fifth. Mazzarelli is a few seconds behind but keeps a big lead in the trophy.
Listerijn finishes seventh, a 10 seconds loss to Mazzarelli. Bauer and Dubois are 8 and 9.
The last time that the folks heard of me shortly after Struibaai Cross when slowly I was cultivating some decent form. Right after that, I got my best season result with a 6th place at Lisbon. My form has been yo-yoing since then, various places outside the Top 15 were the outcome.
Eventually in Alpe d'Huez I got another Top 10 result and Milan got our first victory of the season for the team. This was actually about high time, the internet had started making jokes at us and memes were soon circulating. #DriesHeirs was how the mockers called us. See, how they do..
Well, that was until now: Finally a big win for me in the Elite rank. The heavy rain and the sub-par climate certainly helped me do well today. I get good when the going gets tough and I showed that again.
My tactic was well thought out. There was a plan of helping Milan somewhere along the way but I did enough work in the days past and I felt good enough to try it myself, so I decided to go for my own. Some may say I abandoned him in the only classification that really mattered to him but Cyclo-Cross is still a sport for singles and I had to make sure that I take use of today. I had certainly good legs and I see no reason why I shouldn't try to go for the win. Maybe Milan needed my help but alas, the chances to get back on Mazzarelli are slim at best.
Fuji is recognized for long range attacks and having an outsider take the win. When I saw that Welling was going for it that was the signal to me. I knew that Vague and Schiltz probably would not chase if Welling was the front. Take BKCP's team love and use it against them, my father said. When I was chasing Welling, he screamed, that this is my chance. It turned out true: Vague and Schiltz love their big brother Welling and when there's the chance of seeing him win it makes these deadly duo a little bit stale and dull. And ideal opportunitiy for me to strike. Guido the Opportunist. Yes.. it's a great nickname if you ask me.
Welling and I were harmoning well together and I was wary of his experience. I thought that he'd try to drop me by making the race tough in the last two laps but mostly we were just racing to fend off Mazza and Lipawsky. It turned out that a second place for Welling was incentive enough to continue to lead most of the way in the last laps. Apparently he didn't trust me to stay upright but I happily obliged to following his wheels. I wondered why he wouldn't start playing the team card and point towards Schiltz and Vague but the old Sven wanted to win himself, and so did I.
The sprint was a risky thing I admit it. I had butterflies in my stomach because I was in a similiar situtaiton last year at the NES and I messed it up. Welling is a horrnedous sprinter though and everybody knows that so I knew that it was just a task of having enough energy left. Against a big engine like Welling this is not a certainty, because the rain itself drains you off much of the energy. Well. Somewhere I got the power that I needed, like a kick from behind, or some dream pushing me.
I crossed the line first, wetsoak and Lotto-Fidea was on top again. Etching out two BKCP-Corendron riders, ha. That will certainly make for some angry headlines in Vanbroucke's twitter feed.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
Time to hit the Asian continent! Pyeonchang hosts the second edition of the Pyeongchang cross for the World Cup. Next season, this is the place to be for the Winter Olympics. So consider this a serious test one year ahead of the Olympic dream for many cyclo-crossers, who'll get the chance of a lifetime at an Olympic medal.
Race Information
Country: South Korea
City/Place: Dragon Valley Ski Resort
Classification: World Cup
Starting Time (Elite Men): 15h
Favorites: Francis Vague, Sylvain Lipawsky, Olivier Dubois.
Record: 1x Hafthor Edlfjallsson (2016)
Race History: Pyeongchang hosted its first cross last year and it was a success. Partly because of the smooth organisation, cyclo-cross has been admitted to the Winter Olympics for 2018. Moreover, Pyeonchang offers the riders a chance to discover the beauty of South Korea and hosts its first and hopefully not last edition.
Route Information
Technical: 5
Sand: 0
Uphill: 3
Cobblestones: 1
The Dragon Valley Ski Resort is a mighty cold place. The original plans for the course featured two sand sections, but the organisers sensed the uselessness of sand here on time and so we have the fortune of not seeing sand providing an eye-sore here in this beautiful ski valley.
The course is extremely technical. The underground is frozen stiff and it snows regularly here, providing fresh snow daily. There are lots of twists and turns, but also two wooden stairs, dangerously slippery when it snows. There are a few improvised roads, made out of cobblestones and very dangerous with the frost. Of course, the route also uses the natural inclination here to take the riders up and down constantly.
The riders have to jump two ditches, but on this underground, only the most techincally skilled riders will attempt to stay on their bikes. Others will dismount safely and cross the ditch on foot. Besides that, there is one set of two jumping bars, near the end of the lap.
The final straight is 250 meters, so there's time to place the perfect sprint. The ground is treacherous, however. The snow covers the dirt and so bumps in the ground are impossible to see. You can expect flat tires here, along with several cases of near-frostbite. A challenging parcours in South Korea, to offer us plenty of drama!
Well talk about team strength and not getting the win. It was going well for us and both Christian and Sven were really eager to make a stand here in the rain of Japan. Corendron as new sponsor also wanted a solid start to his engagement. Well, Christian launched his attack super early and wanted to do an impressive solo but alas he got caught. Sven was our next best shot.
I wanted to stay with Mazzarelli, to strike him when he felt weak. I am not sure what I was thinking but we definitely want to drain their forces. But in the rainy ground of Japan, today I never really got a good foot hold in the race. So I stayed rather anonymous and I was content at following wheels throughout the race. I was hoping I'd see a chance, a opening, a weakness to exploit, but Lipawsky and Mazzarelli did most of the chasing and they looked solid and strong in doing so.
I am quite sad for Sven got beaten at the line. Another win would have been a fantastic achievement after Antogafasta but that's racing. Young Visconti was just ruthless in the finish, I was told. Both were fairly empty though and the challenge of the rain was obvious.
The race was quite empty, hardly any visitors. Not to beat a dead horse but in Belgium, they would make a mud feast out of it, skip beer into the mud and throw themselves into it in crazy costumes. Hm. Maybe japanese and belgian folks are not that differenet.
When I finished the race, I was feeling okay. I think today I let a chance go to content for the Trophy. It's done. I wanted to get away but it didn't work out. I never saw much of a chance really to be hoest. In that regard, the crash in Italy really harmed my chances and it's nigh impossible to get 2 minutes on Mazzarelli in the last two races. He looks solid to take his first classification for good, especially since today Listerijn could not hold up at all. Visconti though is despite his win still second fiddle to Listerijn, so I wonder why Visconti attacked, even if he won.
Alas, maybe I can get a single win in an upcomig Coke event, which would be a consolidation but it doesn't matter that much anymore. All my focus is now on the World Cup next. Pyeonchang has to be the race where I can finally grab the lead for good.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
No hiding. The loss of the sand sections turned a tricky race into a real uphill battle, no pun intended. The saving grace could be that bike handling and technical ability are going to be the key. I know i can rely on my own skill to stay upright but as shown in Fuji you can't always rely on those around you.
Is that a statement to attack? It's a statement that i want to get forwards asap and forge my own race. If i drop points i want to drop points because Vague was better, not because i got crashed. Obviously i'd rather not drop points and will be doing whatever i can to maximise my score. World Cup vs Contis, i'm all in tomorrow. The Conti's no longer matter to me.
With a long gap, by CX standards, between Korea and Scandinavia i am happy to burn myself up on Sunday. All i can do is try and push hard, get Radio and Rock to help, to put Vague and Lipawsky under pressure. Try and make them think of ther other focus competitions, especially Vague and his precious Superrestige.
Hammer Time
Hit the deck... again. Stupid mistake. I cannot afford any errors like that in Torku and other Scandinavian events. Chance to redeem myself now in these sub-zero temperatures. My kind of weather and time to see what i've got as the time ticks down on me. Go for the win? We'll see...
It's not a perfect course for me, but those temporary cobbles are crazy if it was dry. In the ice they are out right insane, that's where the differences will be made. Honestly, i think they should be taken out of the race. How the UCI can ok those when we cut some of Lee Valley before, it's nuts. Riders are gonna fall and riders are gonna get hurt.
Welling has disappeared in the last weeks a bit since Bristol, however the current 4th in the World Cup showed that he might just save his best for a second late spring. Following his win at Antogafasta, Welling is in the position of making a late outside bid for a World Cup podium and it's a chance that Welling certainly wants to take.
At least when you look at the Fuji Cross it's a conclusion you have to draw from that. Following his team mates Schiltz initial solo move, Welling was the second ride to present BKCP-Corendron's new jersey. In the rain, hunted down by Visconti, Welling showed a great performance but ultimately came up a bit short in the finale. "I'm happy I tried it today, it didn't quite work well. Francis thought it was too early, Christian already did a move.. I thought, why not. This result defintiely boosts my confidence for the World Cup. I have been riding a bit under the radar lately but I want to concentrate on Pyeonchang and the blue events. If there is the slightest chance that I can push Lipawsky or even Goldenberg off the podium, I want to take it."
Of course since Sven is well over 50 points down on Goldenberg, this is a particularly tough challenge and a goal set up very high. "Maybe it's next to impossible but I want to believe in it. I'm fourth now in the classification and I definitely want to fight to keep it. The podium would be a dream, it's a very new dream because I didn't believe in it at the start of the season but since it's just a young dream I don't want to give up just yet."
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
Alright, alright, alright. Stop the gossip, stop frantically saying WTF on twitter, and stop predicting I'm going to usurp Vague or whatever. I'm back in Belgian colours now and guess what? I'm not going to tell you why. I don't want to, I'm not allowed to. It's great to be back though not much changes. No change in relationship with NZ, I love my second home and still live there. Cycling NZ did so much for me and without them, I'd be nowhere in terms of a career in cross. In terms of WC I hope results, rankings and suitability for the course will get me a spot but I know I can't waltz into the team. I hope I can ride there as it's still a big goal of mine for this season.
Fuji obviously sucked for me personally though I only lost 10 seconds to Sylvain and Mazzarelli. It's not something that I want to dwell on and let stew, particularly with a important group of races coming up. But it's hard to stay annoyed when Guido takes a victory like that! It was an amazing win for my man as as he pointed out, it sends a clear message to the doubters - we're ready, with us both breaking our ducks. There was some doubt over our tactics and some on forums and twitter were waiting for my reaction here - he had my blessing (well, not really but I supported his move)and I'm not sure numbers could've made up more than a few seconds on Mazzarelli and even if it did - 10 seconds is a small sacrifice for Guido to go show his strength and take the win. He's been a rock for me recently so he deserved that. Hopefully now we've both got confidence we can resume the co-leader plans.
Also noticed Olivier mentioning me - and not even anything remotely relevant to racing or me. He was right I was reading his very nice blog with great interest - but found myself puzzled as to how his statement involved me. Yes, you're very good and you've hit the form boosters like a boss - is this the wrong way? Anyway, nothing much really.
Lots of chat and back-and-forth with other riders on calendar issues - I'm stuck in the middle as benelux deserve races, the globalisation is good - all of the rumours are just that - rumours. Yes the calendar is not without issues but they'll never be perfected at least not in everyone's eyes. Besides, in terms of location - Belgium has the same number of races as the USA, surely that's a max. South Africa has three with one or two riders (despite the future star van Niekerk), Japan two with no male riders (despite some very good women crossers), the list can really go on. Surely this is the balance between spreading the word, encouraging new young riders from new countries to join, and sticking to the roots. Yes SP tends to stick to the homeland but let me remind you it's in Scandinavia to New Zealand, America and back to Benelux.
And so Pyeonchang, the Valley of the Dragon. Yep, I've made it clear the Olympics next year are a huge goal for me but that's something to consider next season. But this will give me my first taste. Much like D'Huez it's conditions but not quite a course that suits me to the ground. I'm hoping for a better result than Fuji going into Contis and Scandinavia where I need some form, that's for sure. There's Sylvain, Dubois and Vague, plus Hammarling and Eldfjasson, who I expect to fill the podium. Goldie will be battling his heart out, maybe the former rival could be an ally by way of wanting to bring down the same people, who knows? I could do with some points, if I go any slower at the World Cup both Mark and my little brother could overtake me, and I know Louis is capable of doing it tomorrow.
Obviously a bit of a pro when changing licence is I don't have to go from Asia to New Zealand to Europe. So that's nice I think that's it, so just remember to find an illegal livestream wherever you are tomorrow, it's going to be a corker.
Is this the final test of the parcours towards the Olympics? The profile hasn't changed much, but we'll see how it goes today. The winner today will definitely look forward to next year's Winter Olympics.
Start Line: Welcome here in South Korea. The World Cup is still up for grabs for Vague, Goldenberg or Lipawsky. Some crediting Welling as a dark horse, but it seems unlikely. The podium might still be possible, but we'll have to see what happens today, first.
The weather is nice here. Luckily no rain so the cobbled road isn't as dangerous as it can be. This will still be up for discussion going into the Winter Olympics.
Either way, an interesting day in more ways than one, that's for sure.
Lap 1: The riders sprint for a good early position. It's damn cold here, the difference with just a few weeks ago is immense, here in this height. Minus 6 degrees and so some riders are better prepared than others. Someone like Mazzarelli doesn't like the cold so much. Others seem to thrive in it.
One of those is Hammarling, who's had a good start and looks like he wants to make something of this race!
Jan Soucek comes to the front and increases the pace.
We see Goldenberg surrounded by his entier team. Young and Markson.
The pace is high, a bit too high to attack at the moment. Vague with one of his worst starts so far this season, he's in 20th position or so. That might inspire some to try something.
A fall! The terrain is slippery and Gormley is down on his behind. He won't be the last, rest assured.
Lipawsky takes initiative now. He's noticed Vague has had a slow start and wants to avoid him coming back too easily. Soucek makes way for his team leader and you can see the pace goes up another few km/h.
Mazzarelli is in trouble! But he isn't the only one. Vague isn't jumping the ditches, he lacks space to do so, trying to make up places. He passes D'Anvers here.
And the group is breaking in pieces. Young moves up, possibly sent by Goldenberg to watch Lipawsky. Hammarling and Van Dyck also come forward.
Lap 2: It's definitely happening now! Lipawsky has broken free. Young and Van Dyck are the only ones able to follow him. Young refuses to relay, Van Dyck also decides to play it cool so early on. Lipawsky has gotten himself in a tough situation early in the race. Should he wait now - or keep going and take a big risk?
Vague is in position 15, being brought forward by Welling.
Visconti has recovered well from his ride Wednesday, he seems eager to ride another good result today.
A flat tire for Fred Markson. Bad moment, too. Goldenberg is now isolated. He's got Young up front annoying Lipawsky and Markson behind with a flat.
Vague senses he has to hurry. Lipawsky is not waiting - or is he?
Help is on the way! Listerijn, Hammarling and Eldfjallsson are coming! And this might be good for Lipawsky. Bad news for Vague, perhaps.
Lap 3: Yes, Listerijn, Eldfjallsson and Hammarling all relay with Lipawsky. There's more than the World Cup at stake, namely the victory of the day! Vague is still between riders moving slower than him and on this technical parcours you can get stuck behind someone without a chance to pass him for quite a while.
Meanwhile, the attackers are gaining valuable time. The last known time difference was almost half a minute.
Oh, and this is Olivier Dubois. Way down the field. It's not his day, it seems. The Swiss is already a minute behind and is not showing any signs of improvement.
Here's Schiltz, now! Schiltz has been waiting a bit and now takes Vague further forward.
Lap 4: Vague is finally released! It took three whole laps to get out of the crowd and now he can start chasing for real. Schiltz is ahead of him. In his wheel, Goldenberg. Vague has used up more energy than Goldenberg so far, but their battle can finally start. At the start of lap 4, Goldenberg and Vague are together.
In the front group, Van Dyck and Young know a tough moment, they're caught behind a few meters.
Luckily this is a technical terrain and Van Dyck is an excellent rider. He uses these corners to get back with the front group. Young follows.
Hammarling has attacked! An attack by the Swede. Finally temperatures to his liking, and he's showing us he likes them!
Lap 5: Bad news for Welling's ambitions at a World Cup podium. The Belgian is in 20th position and is clearly suffering from the speed of the race. Also the many technical challenges ask a lot of energy.
Visconti leaves Mazzarelli behind in this running section. Visconti is a fine runner, and he's illustrating it here once more.
Hammarling has 7 seconds on the chasers. Listerijn and Lipawsky are the main forces, doing most of the work.
Lap 6: Robin Huser is riding a decent cross. However right now he's been left behind by Visconti, who's on his way to a possible top 10.
And Goldenberg is still hanging onto Vague and Schiltz. Vague is not riding around with his usual gusto. He's still at 24 seconds from the race leader. He's making small mistakes, we're not used to that from him.
Wait! Just as we're talking he moves over Schiltz, jumps the ditch and attacks! Goldenberg has been caught with his pants down. And now Schiltz sticks to his wheels, as Goldenberg must try to chase down Vague on this terrain.
Write these names down for the Winter Olympics next year: Hammarling, Eldfjallsson. Numbers 1 and 2 last year and now again at the front, despite their lack of great form. That means this profile really suits them.
But Hammarling has now been caught!
Lap 7: And so we go into the final two laps with still six riders. Young, Lipawsky, Listerijn, Van Dyck, Eldfjallsson, Hammarling. Behind that there's a big gap, and then Vague.
Another acceleration! This time from Listerijn. Eldfjallsson and Van Dyck follow instantly.
Young is still glued to Lipawsky's wheel. Lipawsky's trying to draw him out, but because of that they both missed the attack. Let's hope for them it won't be important at the end of the day.
Hammarling still needs to recover from his earlier effort and falls behind.
Goldenberg still has Vague within his sights and is riding an amazing cross. In these circumstances, the American shows he's grown into a very mature rider. Perfect for the World Cup.
But Lipawsky's riding his heart out, too. And he's ahead and can actually take the lead in the World Cup if he keeps this up!
Lap 8: Final lap! It's attack after attack now. Listerijn first, then Eldfjallsson. Van Dyck is staying in the shadows, now, and that might be the wisest thing at this point.
Meanwhile Young keeps making Lipawsky's life harder. The Swiss seems tired of this and uses this running section to attack! He distances Young and looks headed for a fourth place. Or is the race win still within reach?
Vague can see Hammarling up ahead. If he can move up one more place, that'd save his World Cup lead! If I'm counting right that is.
And the trio is heading towards the finish line together! We'll have a three-men sprint! Eldfjallsson tries to go from far out!
Listerijn comes out of his wheel. Van Dyck is in second position. He makes his move... And takes it!
The Dutch rider really has a gift for finishing off a race. His third win and that makes him the second most successful rider this season, qua victories that is. Still a way to catch Vague, though, with his seven victories.
Listerijn is 2nd, Eldfjallsson 3rd.
Lipawsky is 4th and takes valuable World Cup points!
Young is fifth and did all he could do sabotage Lipawsky.
Hammarling just manages to stay ahead of Vague and is 6th. That means... Yes, Lipawsky is the new World Cup leader!
And here comes Goldenberg. Schiltz is still glued to his wheel... And steals away valuable World Cup points right from under Goldenberg's nose!
This was certainly an interesting race. And an entertaining one, too. The World Cup stays exciting as ever, and the riders have had another taste at the Winter Olympics parcours. Who has learned of his mistakes?
That's a question to be answered later. Right now, we're going towards the Continental Championships. That is, we still have the last race of the NES Trophy Wednesday. See you then!
I tried the best I could but my personally worst start of the season hasn't done me any favors. On the deep ground it was nigh impossible to get past some riders and this bumped my progress all through the first initial laps. When I finally got out of the spill, Schiltz was luckily there to help me along for the ride and ultimately got some points from a strong Goldenberg.
I can't say so much about the race. Lipawsky has certainly stepped up his game, from the once ultra peak he is now very consistent. Almost a complete turn-over but it looks like it's paying off, now that Cook is gone. Van Dyck may just be here to replace the Cookie Monster though for Randstad and is the most hungry rider in the field right now.
I am sure I could have fought for the victory today but I had a bad moment and paid for it. With some races like Trondheim and Ardennes Cross still coming up, I am ambitious for the World Cup, which is as close as ever. The overall situation is quite okay, since the Coca-Cola Trophy is gone and Superprestige is solid, I look definitely forward to the next World Cup event in Torku. It's still 3 places to go and a large pool of points to spill. From experience I know it isn't over until we have hit the Ardennes Cross.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
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I think that's it, so just remember to find an illegal livestream wherever you are tomorrow, it's going to be a corker.
