I checked a "little" and must say its a great write up, great story.
Keep it up like this and im sure you will win again best story prize and break some more records in Daily.
After Rome I felt like I was already back again. Riding up there with the best. It felt like the missed races in the first half of the season didn’t do much harm in Rome. But I won’t get carried away. My goal were to ride some CX races, take part in the World Championships and then concentrate on my Road Season Debut for Cannondale in 2014. I still hold on to that. A 2nd place in Rome does not change that, but it surely felt good nonetheless.
The World Cup in Nommay is a first being raced. It looked like a solid race on the pre-runs I did and yes, it was fun. It didn’t suit me as good as in Rome I thought, but I was rather surprised by my own performance here eventually.
Tom Meeusen took the win in Nommay. His teammate Wellens as well as Bart Aeronauts broke loose very early on, and nearly would have made it. But Meeusen caught up to them ahead of the beginning of the final lap and together the two riders from Telenet-Fidea had Aeronauts very well in control. For the 25 year old Meeusen it’s the second World Cup victory.
When Meeusen increased the pace I tried to follow him but it didn’t quite work. I was somewhere between no man’s land caught for a while until Nys and Co. caught up to me. While I did manage to hold up with them for the most part, I had some tough legs at the beginning of the second half of the race. They felt heavy and instead of fighting already, I decided to not overdo it here in Nommay yet.
I lost them out of sight, but eventually I saw them again when I was riding a steady, solid place. They were playing a bit of tactical games and not minding the other riders. Albert, Nys, Mourey, Van der Haar… looking out for points or biding their time to make a move? In any case, when I came from behind, they didn’t realize it at first. I wasn’t even resting for some slipstream. The finish line wasn’t too far off. I got a second wind. I felt great. They were riding on the right, I was coming on the left. And thus just took them over. These few vital seconds of surprise were enough to get away.
I don’t know what they thought when I just stormed passed them. I didn't catch a breath in between catching up to them and attacking. I wanted to treasure the momentum I felt. Keep going.
I know what I though: Just keep breathing, keep riding.
When I looked back, I saw that they still didn’t react. I knew I caught the lucky moment, and came in 4th eventually.
The World Championships return to Europe as they take part in Hoogerheide (NED) this year. Zdenek Stybar hopes to defend his title and snatch a fourth victory, while Niels Albert and Sven Nys are inclined to profit from their late form. Lars Van der Haar, dominator of the first half of the season, may hope to come into form now for the last big race of the season 2013/2014. Further favourites include Mourey, Pauwels, Meeusen and Vantornaut. I myself was looking to impress once again after two great appearances in Rome and Nommay.
Regardless of any intention, it turned out to be a horrible race for me. I wasn’t used so much the rain and the mud. Oh, the dangerous mud. It was so deep and my bike forsake me any real confidence in my abilities. I was feeling like I was riding on a thin rope and when I fell from it…
Still, I managed to stay with the favourites throughout the course. There was lots of hectic right from the start and the pace quite horrendous. Many attempts by the usual suspects such as Mourey (infamous for his head-starts or Meeusen). But none of them came particularly far. It was raining cats and dogs, the ground was shaky at best… Then I crashed. Once more.
Images of the crash
Spoiler
And I wasn’t just done yet. Stybar rode into my ribs, fell over me. Lay there too then. It hurt but I was getting up and then Van Leeuwen crashed into me as well when he took the turn. Again, right at me. It knocked me right back down again. But last time when I crashed, back in Hasselt, I just laid there and wanted to forget. This time I wanted to get up and race… I was a bit disorientated when I stood up. I didn’t see my bike but a spectactor was showing it to me. It lay right there next to me. I must have looked like I came from another planet. Planet Mud & Pain.
I told Stybar sorry, then we both raced and went to hunt down the other guys. It was intense, painful hunt for them. Fast and unforgiving. We both took turns and just kept striking our pedals. Maybe I overtook myself or maybe Stybar is just that much stronger than me, but on one of the last times climbing, Stybar managed to actually get into the group again – and stayed there until the finish! What a beast. I myself merely missed the chance by a few meters. When they rolled back down the climb, and I came over it, they were far gone again. I didn’t see any land at that point, but instead wanted to focus on a solid result.
I came in 10th. Honestly, after my showings at Rome and Nommay I had hoped for more, but with a crash in one of the final laps I’m rather satisfied. My muddy face was relieved when crossing the line though. I looked terrible but at least I looked like I was supposed to.
The race was won by Niels Albert who was the strongest in the sprint finish of Hoogerheide. Although there were numerous attacks apparently, none of them managed to get significantly away from the others. This resulted in a bit of a game of Cold War. Kevin Pauwels and Sven Nys once more take 2nd and 3rd, just like last year. Stybar achieved a formidable 5th place after he and I crashed.
Impressions
Spoiler
Stybar and me on the hunt.
Stybar making the cut. I don't.
After the crash at the World Championships in Hoogerheide, it was time for me to call it quits. I had thought about maybe racing in Middelkerke again, but for now, I had enough of CX. I suppose there have been reasons why I lost such large parts of the CX season.
One Journalist wrote:
Two of the biggest talents in Cyclo-Cross have taken different paths this season as of late. One of them rose to greater heights than any time before; the other one was close to a burn-out after a formidable first professional CX season in 2012/2013.
…Lars Van der Haar continued his upraise to the world elite and claimed the World Cup classification. His advisory since the youth days, Raphael Visconti, merely took a long trip to the USA and thus missed out on large parts of the season. With Visconti having already such problems of exhaustion and stress early on in his career, one has to question the demands of young professional athletes these days in general. More particularly though, you’ll have to ask yourself about how much suited Raphael Visconti is for the world of professional cycling.
Only a few people know what the young Italian did there exactly, but his first two results after he came back surely were to be understood as a promise for the future. However, both of them disappointed at the World Championships in Hoogerheide, where the Belgians once more reigned supreme. […] In the future, the question will remain whether young guns like Visconti, Van Aert and Van de Poel can establish themselves in the CX world elite, or if only Van der Haar succeeds in doing so.
CX Classifications 2013/2014
Road Season Debut!
Today I'm very proud to announce that I'll be part of the Cannondale Road Cycling squad for 2014 for sure. There has been some talks about continuing the CX season, but I wanted to make an impact now on the road. I wanted a change for now. It got tough to breath at some point. Too much pressure on my weak shoulders.
My Season schedule up until May includes following races:
Country
Cat
Race
Date
1.1
GP Costa Etruschi
2. February
1. HC
Omloop
23. February
1.1
Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne
24. February
1.1
GP de Camaiore
28. February
1.1
Strade Bianche
2. March
1.1
Roma Maxima
3. March
WT
Tirreno-Adriatico
6. - 12. March
1.1
Nokere Koerse
13. March
1. HC
Dwaars door Vlaanderen
20. March
WT
E3 Prijs Harelbeke
22. March
WT
Gent-Wevelgem
24. March
WT
Ronde van Vlaanderen
31. March
1.1
Gran Prix de Cermai
4. April
WT
Paris-Roubaix
7. April
1. HC
De Brabantse Pijl
10. April
WT
Amstel Gold Race
14. April
WT
Fleche Wallone
17. April
WT
Liege-Bastogne-Liege
21. April
Afterwards I'll be up for a rest and we'll reasses my situation then.
I will be mostly riding and supporting Peter Sagan, Oscar Gatto and Marco Marcato, although I hope to get into a breakaway or two at some point. This season is about learning. I am eager to do so.
See you on the road!
Edited by Shonak on 17-03-2014 16:50
Ian Butler wrote:
Mate, I can't say it enough.
This is another brilliant story.
You, my friend, have been the best addition in story writing since sliced bread.
Sliced bread, that popular story writing tool...
Anyway, I've also really enjoyed this so far, and look forward to the road season, since I'm not much of a cyclocross fan.
@Ian Butler: Oh, you are making me blush. I enjoy writing this story and since lately lots of busy stuff is going on, this is also a way of relaxing for me. It's most fun to write sometimes when you don't have to worry about it too much.
@The Hobbit: Thank you The Hobbit. I'm aware that Cyclo-Cross is certainly not for everybody, but it's a part I really like to share in this story. By the way: Your stage making tutorial helped me a lot with creating my own circuits for racing. So thanks for that too!
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
Some of the guys were kicking off their season in Australia, while large parts of the roster actually wait till February to make any kind of racing. The lucky ones are Cameron Wurf, George Bennett, Jean-Marc Marino, Cristiano Salerno, Davide Villella, Juraj Sagan and Alberto Bettiol.
I'd imagine worse places to race in January than Australia.
In any case: The peloton is moving again. From January onwards we will see lots of such pictures.
Since there’s not much racing going on besides Santos Tour Down Under for Cannondale, I actually could follow their races, although I didn’t watch every stage. I found the Old Willunga Hill stage particularly interesting, where Diego Ulissi attacked at the first time climbing Old Willunga and actually came through to the end. His lead of 39 seconds to some of the competitors wasn’t enough though. Like many other riders, he lost some time on a previous stage, and instead of him Martin Elmiger from BMC took over the jersey and eventually won the race. Still, Diego Ulissi was the man for me that stood out with a great performance as well as Ben Swift with two victories.
Stage
Name
Team
Leader’s Jersey
1, FL
Daryl Impey
Orica Green Edge
Daryl Impey
2, FL
Ben Swift
SKY
Ben Swift
3, FL
Vicente Reynes
IAM Cycling
Vicente Reynes
4, FL
Kris Boekmans
Lotto - Belisol
Vicente Reynes
5, HL
(Old Willung Hill)
Diego Ulissi
Lampre
Martin Elmiger
6, FL
Ben Swift
SKY
Martin Elmiger
As usual, catch below some impressions from cycling journalists from all around the world. Smooth rhythm.
Spoiler
Impey winning the first stage.
Ulissi placing his attack at Old Willunga Hill.
Eurosport always with us.
Villela attacking. Too late, too little.
Ulissi taking the win at Old Willunga Hill.
So, that was it from Santos Tour Down Under. In case you are wondering; my first race of the season is coming up soon. I’ll attend GP Costa degli Etruschi alongside Peter Sagan and Marco Marcato.
I guess the cyclo-cross is a part of why this is my favorite story at the moment
But I'm equally excited about seeing Raphael on the road. I wonder if he'll take RvV one day. I certainly hope so.
But he mustn't get out of the field. We need him to be the next Nys
Ian Butler wrote:
I guess the cyclo-cross is a part of why this is my favorite story at the moment
But I'm equally excited about seeing Raphael on the road. I wonder if he'll take RvV one day. I certainly hope so.
Once again, thank you. He was born on 31st March 1993. Obviously RvV is one of his big goals, next to becoming Cyclo-Cross World Champion and taking Lombardia at some point.
But he mustn't get out of the field. We need him to be the next Nys
What, you really want an Italian dominating all your fellow belgians? Be careful what you wish for, mate. But honestly, I could imagine him becoming quite popular in Belgium at some point. Similiar to how they admire Stybar. But hey, that's too far in the future. Edited by Shonak on 17-03-2014 21:17
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
Ian Butler wrote:
I guess the cyclo-cross is a part of why this is my favorite story at the moment
But I'm equally excited about seeing Raphael on the road. I wonder if he'll take RvV one day. I certainly hope so.
Once again, thank you. He was born on 31st March 1993. Obviously RvV is one of his big goals, next to becoming Cyclo-Cross World Champion and taking Lombardia at some point.
But he mustn't get out of the field. We need him to be the next Nys
What, you really want an Italian dominating all your fellow belgians? Be careful what you wish for, mate. But honestly, I could imagine him becoming quite popular in Belgium at some point. Similiar to how they admire Stybar. But hey, that's too far in the future.
Sorry for posting so much here
RvV and Cyclo-Cross WC I can see happening at some point. Lombardia is a nice objective but will be hard, seeing how it is almost a mountain classic nowadays. But he's only 20 so he can develop into it. If the peloton stays together until the final (smaller) hill, he could just do it.
I'm actually not so much of a sport-nationalist. My two favorite crossers are Nys (okay he's Belgian but he just rules) and Van Der Haar and I'm hoping for Stybar to win RvV this year
But Raphael could very easily become popular in Belgium, especially seeing how he seems to like our races here and participates in the Bpost Bank trofee
Don't be. I apperciate yours and anybody elses comments and interest in the story.
RvV and Cyclo-Cross WC I can see happening at some point. Lombardia is a nice objective but will be hard, seeing how it is almost a mountain classic nowadays. But he's only 20 so he can develop into it. If the peloton stays together until the final (smaller) hill, he could just do it.
Haha, look at us speculating about his future. Just like when Henry was young and at the start of his career.
I don't know what's realistic yet or into what he will develop honestly. I think about redistributing gained statpoints over several seasons, like it often happens IRL, where sprinters become classic riders etc. We'll what I'll come up with. I have sort of the finale goal of him becoming the ultimate monuments man, since I have never achieved that in any PCM.
I'm actually not so much of a sport-nationalist. My two favorite crossers are Nys (okay he's Belgian but he just rules) and Van Der Haar and I'm hoping for Stybar to win RvV this year
But Raphael could very easily become popular in Belgium, especially seeing how he seems to like our races here and participates in the Bpost Bank trofee
What's so special about Bpost Bank Trofee?
Stybar, Van der Haar and Nys. Those guys are my favourites too, although I don't really root that much for riders in cyclocross. I just like watching those races as it's something quite unique.
(Oh, and a little secret: I'm currently working on a stage for the Winter Olympics 2018 for Cyclo-Cross. So that may end up as a goal for Raphael as well ).
Edited by Shonak on 17-03-2014 21:40
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
Seeing cross as a winter olympic would be epic, irl and here
Raphael could certainly snatch a medal there!
Bpost Bank isn't very special but an Italian coming all the way out here to race the entire trofee is pretty nice. If we look at Mourey, for example, or Lars Van Der Haar: they ride World Cup and Superprestige, but decide agaist Bpost Bank trofee and ride races in their own country, winning more than they would in the Bpost, though
Raphael could take a few victories in local Italian races, but he decides to participate in the Bpost Bank trofee, so that'll gain some followers in Belgium
I enjoy writing this story and since lately lots of busy stuff is going on, this is also a way of relaxing for me. It's most fun to write sometimes when you don't have to worry about it too much. 
