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Cyclocross Season '14-'15
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 25-11-2024 04:38
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| ruben |
Posted on 14-02-2015 12:08
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Vanthourenhout and Sweeck did beat Van Aert and Vdp a couple of times. So I definately expect they can challenge.
I hope Vd Poel doesn't get treated the same way as Boom and Groenendaal when they were too succesfull, otherwise he'll go sooner than expected.. |
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| anderspcm |
Posted on 14-02-2015 12:30
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Ollfardh wrote:
anderspcm wrote:
I guess he'll have won anything there is to win in 3 years, so I hope he'll consider a road career.
I wouldn't overestimate him, one month before the worlds we were all saying how unbeatable Van Aert was. I think those will have a nice rivalry over the years, I can't really see one of them completely dominating.
Then again, we're jumping to conclusions after their first season. They first need to confirm next season. What if Nys gets over his divorce and returns to top shape (even though he's getting older and older). What if Van der Haer gets his big breakthrough? You can't write off Pauwels yet either.
Oh, and what if Stybar, Boom or Albert return somehow? One can only dream  Well VdP has already proven what a talent he is on the road as well, in a very young age, I don't think you can overrestimate him.
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| Ollfardh |
Posted on 14-02-2015 15:45
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anderspcm wrote:
Ollfardh wrote:
anderspcm wrote:
I guess he'll have won anything there is to win in 3 years, so I hope he'll consider a road career.
I wouldn't overestimate him, one month before the worlds we were all saying how unbeatable Van Aert was. I think those will have a nice rivalry over the years, I can't really see one of them completely dominating.
Then again, we're jumping to conclusions after their first season. They first need to confirm next season. What if Nys gets over his divorce and returns to top shape (even though he's getting older and older). What if Van der Haer gets his big breakthrough? You can't write off Pauwels yet either.
Oh, and what if Stybar, Boom or Albert return somehow? One can only dream Well VdP has already proven what a talent he is on the road as well, in a very young age, I don't think you can overrestimate him.
I think you are, in cyclocross terms. Van Aert is the same age and has won more then VDP this year. So dominating the sport next year would be a bit exaggerated in my opinion.
And about the road, team managers don't allow much anymore these days. The times where you could combine road and track like Merckx or road and cross like De Vlaeminck are over. I was really impressed with VDP in Tour of Belgium last year, he made an incredible uphill attack there. But he will have to choose in a few years, when his contract is over.
Changed my sig, this was getting absurd.
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| Selwink |
Posted on 14-02-2015 15:48
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Was going to post something about VDP being away already today. VDH then decided to make that unnecessary
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| Shonak |
Posted on 14-02-2015 16:25
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Ugh, of course VDP had to crash whilst in the lead. He also seems to have lost his rhythm, not riding as smooth as before. Now just stick to Pauwels wheel and claim Superprestige and all's cool, Mathieu!
EDIT Fuck, Pauwels is on fire now. Please Wout win that race!
EDIT 2: Nvm, VDP found his legs again for the last lap, nailbiter!
Edited by Shonak on 14-02-2015 16:30
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
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| Shonak |
Posted on 14-02-2015 16:37
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Tour de France Champion
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Mathieu Van der Champion!! By one point. Great fight by him to take second after that crash and claim Superprestige. Pauwels with a great win today.
Edited by Shonak on 14-02-2015 16:39
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
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| Ollfardh |
Posted on 14-02-2015 17:58
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Good race, but I can't help feeling Pauwels should have tried to pull Van Aert with him.
And well, I can understand VDP lost his rythme, he totaly got his saddle in the family jewels in that crash.
Changed my sig, this was getting absurd.
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| Wilier |
Posted on 15-02-2015 11:21
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Yesterday's results.
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| Deadpool |
Posted on 15-02-2015 14:26
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Quick question for all you folks way more attuned to cyclocross than I am. I saw that Lars Van Der Haar in on Giant's PRT roster this year. Is that a Boom/Stybar situation or a Nys situation? In other words is he going to run a few midseason races for form and PR, or is he really trying to make the jump to the road and be successful there? |
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| Selwink |
Posted on 15-02-2015 14:28
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I'm pretty sure his focus will remain in the cross, so it'll probably be Nys-situation.
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| HuDCC |
Posted on 15-02-2015 14:32
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Domestique
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Selwink wrote:
I'm pretty sure his focus will remain in the cross, so it'll probably be Nys-situation.
isn't his transfer to Giant - Alpecin, because there is not their development team this season?
Edited by HuDCC on 15-02-2015 14:32
Thank you Andy for everything!
Thanks to the_hoyle for banner! |
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| Deadpool |
Posted on 15-02-2015 15:31
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Selwink wrote:
I'm pretty sure his focus will remain in the cross, so it'll probably be Nys-situation.
Ah. It surprises me more riders don't try and make the leap, considering the success that has been had by a number of top crossers on the road and the amount of money to be made.
EDIT: Not sure how that triple post happened...
Edited by Deadpool on 15-02-2015 15:35
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| Selwink |
Posted on 15-02-2015 15:37
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I'm quite sure it has to do with motivation. Van der Poel for example already showed some incredible results on the road, but has just signed a contract at BKCP until 2018, pretty much binding him to the cross. He simply prefers to ride crosses over road races, and with low motivation results are bound to be worse I think.
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| Deadpool |
Posted on 15-02-2015 15:59
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Selwink wrote:
I'm quite sure it has to do with motivation. Van der Poel for example already showed some incredible results on the road, but has just signed a contract at BKCP until 2018, pretty much binding him to the cross. He simply prefers to ride crosses over road races, and with low motivation results are bound to be worse I think.
I'm not denying that, I just feel that consistently across most sports we see athletes going to less ideal circumstances for more cash. Hulk and Witsel to Zenit or any number of players to Man City in football, Lance Stephenson to Charlotte in basketball, and numerous others. So it just surprises me that the only two big name crossers to truly make the leap seemed to do so for competitive reasons (pushing themselves), rather than economic ones (that's obviously me reading a lot into Stybar and Boom's motiviations).
Or maybe I'm just mistaken and the top cross riders make more than I was under the impression they did.
Edited by Deadpool on 15-02-2015 16:00
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| Shonak |
Posted on 15-02-2015 20:16
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For young cross riders like Van Aert and VDP it's reasonable to pursue a CX focus for now. Whilst both of them are easily talended enough to become top-leading puncheurs in the road scene at some point, right now they can compete on the top level in CX and regularly win. Winning is fun. Much more fun than riding in a pack of 100+ cyclists.
They have fans cheering for them, do intense 1-hour races with lots of action, great audience, nice cash involved too. It's basically the perfect cycling sport for young guns. They can conquer the road when they become older. On the other hand, in the road scene they'd be riding under team orders, spend hours on the road just pedalling and collecting bottles. 23 years onward, and it's still early enough. They are still so very young, it's actually scary.
As for Van der Haar, I remember him saying that he himself thinks he's awful on the road and he prefers to be top-level CX rider. Personally I think there's no chance Lars will switch to road, ever. But naturally, I could be wrong of course. So like Selwink said, it's a Nys-situation as for now and will probably stay this way.
btw Stybar actually had a serious cash offer to stay in Cyclo-Cross, I think. So for him I think it has been really mostly competitive reasons, which is very understandable.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
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| Shonak |
Posted on 15-02-2015 20:24
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https://www.vier.b...tle/539225
Meeusen ultra pimp  
Edited by Shonak on 15-02-2015 20:24
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
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| anderspcm |
Posted on 15-02-2015 20:53
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This has to got to be one of the most random videos I've ever seen 
Edited by anderspcm on 15-02-2015 20:54
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| Deadpool |
Posted on 15-02-2015 20:53
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Ah, the three constants in life. Death, taxes, and Europeans ignorantly appropriating African-American culture in a demeaning and offensive manner.
What I mean is that hip-hop culture is a product of a very specific set of history and circumstances, and both its positives and negatives are a direct product of that intricate structure. American culture produces numerous parodies of hip-hop culture, from both within and without the black community. Some are conscious of that history and, regardless of whether they provide meaningful commentary at least hold some respect for that context (see Dave Chappelle, e.g. https://www.cc.com/video-clips/jk2wol/...uncensored). A lot of it, unfortunately does not. European attempts inevitably fall into the latter.
Honestly, how many African-Americans does anyone in that video know, and how much knowledge about the African-American community do you think anyone of them has. I'm not some uptight social justice warrior fighting for the oppressed peoples and checking my privilege. I'm actually by most measures politically conservative, but this sort of thing still makes me uncomfortable.
Wow, I really am back, aren't I...
Edited by Deadpool on 15-02-2015 21:02
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| Ollfardh |
Posted on 15-02-2015 20:55
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World Champion
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As I said above, managers don't allow doing both anymore. If you want to ride on the road, you'll have to stop with your "hobbies". Stybar doesn't always get the green light to cyclocross, Iljo Keisse was forbiden by Lefevre to enter next week's track world championships, etc.
Changed my sig, this was getting absurd.
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| Deadpool |
Posted on 15-02-2015 21:13
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Ollfardh wrote:
As I said above, managers don't allow doing both anymore. If you want to ride on the road, you'll have to stop with your "hobbies". Stybar doesn't always get the green light to cyclocross, Iljo Keisse was forbiden by Lefevre to enter next week's track world championships, etc.
Which is an absolute shame. Obviously cross is particularly bad since its origins lie in offseason training, but you have to think the downturn in fortunes of track racing has to do with the reduced quality of the field. Nowadays you show up to six day and see a couple of minor pros and some track specialists, when in the past half the top ten of that year's tour would be riding.
Cross has obviously professionalized in a way such that it hurts the sport less, i.e. they have dedicated riders who perform at the highest level, but it'd be nice if there was more crossover. You always want to see the best available athletes in any given competition, not being held on the sideline by "commitments" that are a conflict in no where other than the minds of their management. |
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