Last season was an amazing one for Christian Schiltz. European champion, victory at the Luxembourg challenge, 2nd place in the Worlds, 2nd place in the Coca-Cola trophy, and cumulative results that mean he goes into this season with number 3 on the way back.
What will this season hold in store for Schiltz? Well, he may well be a little better on the climbs - as over the summer he has embraced his inner mountain-biker. Luxembourg is not a nation blessed with many top cyclists, but this provided a great opportunity for Christian this year. There is much excitement in the cyclo-cross world about the opportunity to become Olympians in 2018, well, Schiltz has now become an Olympian already!
That's right, this August Schiltz could be seen lining up at the Deodoro Olympic Park to compete in the Mountain Bike cross-country event. CX and MTB do have some similarities, and while Schiltz of course did not win, or come particularly close to a medal either, taking part in a Summer Olympics was still a great experience.
Rather than return to Europe after the Olympics, Schiltz headed down under to spend some time in Australia. A mixture of preparation for the season (including a fun ride out at the NCXS Series in Adelaide), and just enjoying a nice break. This October, Schiltz is riding in the famous Crocodile Trophy - which means he won't be making the trip back to Europe for Duinencross or Blaarmeersen. It does mean that jet lag will not be a worry at all though, when it comes to Hobart and Melbourne, where he will rejoin the global Cyclo-Cross circuit, linking up once again with the rest of his BKCP-Powerplus team.
An interesting season lies ahead for ice and world cup specialist Hafthor Eldfjallsson. Another year with Team Odfjell and the reliable partnership with Hammerling in the cold weather is hoped to bring matching success to previous seasons - if not better - but this is no year to be complacent. It's the final year of his contract with Odfjell, and with Hammarling set to leave cyclo-cross behind, the 2017-8 season could be time for a fresh start for Eldfjallsson in a new environment. But where? His performances this year will surely be a key driver in that respect
Nobody knows what he did in the off-season. He is one of the quieter and more elusive riders on the circuit, and certainly didn't waste any time pretending to be a road cyclist. There were rumours of a maverick entrepeneur coming to Iceland in a bid to build a road team, but we will never know if Hafthor was even tempted by that, given that the entrepeneur went awol just a day before an announcement was due to be made. Maybe it was just a scam, but even so, it's a hint that interest in cycling is growing in Iceland, and that is largely down solely to Hafthor. Maybe in future there could even be a race on the island?
And while little attention was paid to Eldfjallsson during the summer, he has certainly caught the eye in the pits area of Duinencross in preparation for the season opener - all thanks to the extraordinary beard that he is currently sporting.
Amadou Bakari failed to grasp the point of the recent fun at the beach competition. Where's the fun in riding up a sand dune? Much more fun to ride down it, so this is what he did - it was no trouble to ride all the way from top to bottom! The subsequent limbo game was also quite fun, but raising the bar to 79 centimetres rather negated that by making it too easy!
Team BAKARI are worried about allowing Amadou too much exposure to distractions however. After improving from 15th in the 2015 Arenberg Classic, to 8th in 2016, natural progression indicates a victory in 2017, and he must be fully prepared to achieve that!
I'm really looking forward to my first race of the season. It's not my favourite course as you know, but I'm just happy we're starting in Belgium. I honestly have no idea where I'll end up. I had one good season, one bad season, which one will my third season be?
Duinencross is what it says, lots of dunes. I don't have the cyclocross skills other riders have, but I'm hoping to power through the sand without crashing. Actually, skip that, I will probably crash in the sand at some point, so I'll settle for not landing on my face.
I already want to thank all the fans who are going to support me at the races this year, I hope I can make you prous at some point this season.
On paper, the UCI program paper to be precise, it seems like Milan Listerijn would be all over the Duinencross. But the paper doesn't tell you about what really happens until the second page.
"I've got no pressure to perform here, the team understand that I don't have power yet, but I really want to try the legs out, put in a few digs here and there, be aggressive." he says. But we saw at the dune competition how far he'd come, that he had been training as promised. But he's still acceleration over power.
But Lotto do have a one-time winner of this race in their ranks, Mark D'Anvers. Before Cornelis mastered the sand, he once used the technical section at halfway to win solo, way back in 2003. "Mark is obviously a modern legend of the cross, and he's won here. He's got unmatchable experience and a cool head, between him and Dries we've got the greatest tutors and mentors in the world to draw from here at Lotto." Listerijn says. He sounds a little bit... Awestruck?
"Yes, being riding alongside Dries at times was a phenomenal experience but now riding in the same team as Mark and then having Dries in sometimes support role and mentoring is just too surreal for me. Four years ago." he pauses for a bit. "Four years ago I never thought this is where I'd be, that I'd ever meet these two let alone ride with them."
So, I'm here in Oostende and will ride here my debut race in professional cyclocross. I'm extremly excited! Yesterday was the fun at the beach event, my first "meeting" with the professional cyclocross circuit. I also met my team mate Georges the first time, Alpecin signed him just a few weeks ago. I met also the other team mates again, and some guys from the last year U-23 World Cup.
Also by my side is my friend Michael, who will accompany me this season. Originally, he wanted to travel around the World, but in modern cyclocross, you also travel around the world, and this for less Money, because he is accredited as a coach! Of course he will help me with training and inform me in the race. It's good to have a friend the whole time by your side.
The Fun at the beach event wasn't special for me, decent finishes in both races, and I just stood out because of my fall at the dune challenge. Luckily I didn't injured myself, so I can start full prepared at the race. I like the course, it's great for objective viewers, because there are many different types of terrains, but I don't like the sand, because it's difficult to ride on it, at least to difficult for me! But I'm in good form because I trained much, so maybe I can achieve a small surprise!
Welcome to the start of the season! It's raining lightly and the wind is quite strong, so perfect cross conditions. For the crowd, not so much, but it's hardly noticeable as almost 1000 people are here to witness the start of the cyclo-cross season.
It is a season where Vague will want to show his World Champion jersey. The young Belgian is still only 21 years old and is already a household name in this ancient sport. It is also a season where Cornelis' absence will be filled up, but many contenders are on the lookout to pick up pieces left and right. It's fair to say Elliot Cook - The Cookie Monster - has the biggest appetite of all, though. I wouldn't want to reach for a cookie when he's hungry.
Lastly, it'll be the first season where the younger generation has completely taken over. Youth triumphs over experience and history teaches us that can lead to unexpected situations. Welcome to the Duinencross.
Weather Conditions
Temperature: 12° C
Precipitation: Rain, Light.
Wind: 4 Beaufort
Start Line: Many familiar faces here at the start line. Some look quite relaxed, such as Power, Cook, Welling. Others show a great concentration; Vague, Listerijn, Lipawsky. The last reporters are stepping aside because the countdown has begun. One minute left.
No Christian Schilz today. He's been spending some time in Australia and is skipping the opening races. Which is quite risky, seeing as he came in 4th both in the Duinencross and the Blaarmeersen last year. That's a lot of UCI points to gamble with. But it does mean Vague is absolute leader for today's classics. Will we finally have a match?
Not much time left to find out. 10, 9, 8...
Lap 1: 2..1.. And the riders are off for a new season of excitement! Eldfjallsson is famous for his fast starts and does so again today. but the short and explosive Sylvain Lipawsky wants to show he's ready for the new season and takes the upper hand in a tight sprint at this race start.
And so the riders head into the sand. Lipawsky, Eldfjallsson, Vague, Listerijn. Gormley not with the best start, he is the winner of the latest two editions. Is he ready for a third one?
The sand is quite tricky with this rain that's been falling. Elliot Cook, sixth last year, is in about tenth position. He is not one to take a flying start, but instead warms up his engine and then gets full gas in the second half of the race.
We're out of the first sand section and we still have many riders together. It's the start of the season, so everyone is just checking each other out right now. Testing the legs.
Bollinger comes to the front. Just in time to head into the second, longer, sand section. It's here a rider like him can make the difference. But he doesn't go full gas. Still, the pace increased and we see the sand experts coming more to the front. Here is Power, in 5th position. Etxeberdea right behind him. Cook. Gormley is moving up some places, having just passed Mazzarelli, who is doing his best in the sand.
Looking at the newcomers, Rosanksi has taken a nice start. He's already in 25th position, starting from back row.
Lap 2: It's probably more than just this, but Cornelis leaving does seem to have an impact. Nobody wants to show his legs too soon, and so we still have a large group of riders near each other. It's a waiting game so far. Just waiting for that one rider to have a go at it.
And it's Eddie Goldenberg who goes into the sand first here, his team mate Power at his wheel. He increases the pace, now, visibly! Cook, Gormley and Etxeberdea delve deep into the wheel in front of them. Vague choses a different path through the sand and moves quite smoothly. We haven't seen him like this in the sand ever before. Has he been working on these skills?
Gaps are appearing, now. Mutahi isn't in top shape yet and gets dropped, alongside Alinejad and Visconti. Bauer, too.
Arda Akdeniz has taken a fall on the cobbles! The first one to go down this season and it's quite serious, he abandons the race with a painful knee.
Gormley wants to show off his new colours immediately. The last signing of Team Red Bull goes onto the attack right before the longer sand section! Goldenberg reacts and brings along Power. Cook leaves the gap and looks at Bollinger, Etxeberdea and Vague. He wants them to close it.
But it's Listerijn who dives in and tries to sneak away to bridge the gap!
A Giant-Alpecin duo is coming. Rosanski and Bruggemann have made up a lot of terrain, starting on the back row, and are slowly coming in the top 15.
Lap 3: What's the current situation? We have Goldenberg, Power and Gormley up ahead. Listerijn is a few seconds behind. Not far behind are Cook, Bollinger, Etxeberdea, Lipawsky, Welling, Vague and Mazzarelli.
And now it's Welling who comes to the head of the chasing group. He brings Vague to the front and goes looking for the escapees.
Listerijn's caught in no-man's land and realizes his action is a waste of energy, he waits for the chasing group. Welling picks him up.
Welling with big strokes and he brings the chasing group back to the three leaders, and so everything's back together. 11 riders. We hear Pieter Van Dyck has left behind Guido Visconti, too. But that's further down the field.
Lap 4: Three laps of the nine completed! This is still anyone's race at this point! Welling keeps leading this group over the tarmac, now turning into the sand.
Everyone's catching their breath for the moment. It's not been the fastest start but it was pretty intense at times. I think the real race can finally begin.
And Cook must think the same, as he now attacks on the small, cobbled road! Vague is quick to react! The rest of the group takes a bit longer, but catch up just the same. Welling is found at the back of the group, now, though, rather than at the front.
Approaching the Cornelisduin, which can be decisive later in the race. The rain has stopped, but the ground is still pretty soaked. Welling, Mazzarelli and Lipawsky can't match the pace set by Elliot Cook up front and have to let the group go.
This race is turning into a marathon. No real attacks so far, but increases of pace sharp enough to drop a few riders each time.
Olivier Dubois, famous for his trial career, is moving up slowly but steadily. He now enters the top 20, alongside Van Dyck and D'Anvers.
Oh and bad luck for Listerijn! Milan, that is. His gearing is stuck, probably the sand. He can't shift his gear and will have to ride to the technical area with this low gear.
Lap 5: Seven riders left at the front. Listerijn has been able to change his bike but he's lost a good 10 seconds. There's still time to return to the front, but it'll cost energy he needs in the race finale.
He reduces the gap to 7 seconds. But now Gormley goes onto the attack and that increases the pace!
It's Goldenberg who takes up resposibility of the chase. He still have Power in this group so Blue Bell CX is playing the Power card today.
Vague is trying to conserve his energy as well as he can. What's striking, though, is that he always takes a different path in the sand than most of his adversaries.
Gormley now dismounts for this steep climb. It's impossible to ride this one to the top, as we've seen yesterday at the dune challenge.
Lap 6: Is Gormley gone for a third victory? Let's hit chrono!
Gormley is not in the clear yet, though. Still four laps left in this race!
Young Listerijn, Louis, quits the race. Not the debut he was hoping for, but he looks to be having problems with his stomach or something.
Some riders in the chasing group are becoming nervous, now. They see Gormley ride away further. Onto the Cornelisduin, now. Look at how Etxeberdea rides through the sand there, amazing. What a technique that boy has in the sand. Compared to Cook's pure powering through it. Though don't let it fool you, Cook has technique, too, but it doesn't look like it.
Lap 7: Listerijn is cracking. He didn't make the jump back to the chasing group quick enough and now he's a bit lost.
Meanwhile, Rosanski and Bruggemann leave Moli behind. The battle for the honorary places just outside the top 10 is raging!
But for the top spot, too. Gormley is at 9 seconds, now. Still increasing his lead!
It looks like Goldenberg's role is played out. He lets the other riders pass. So Bollinger picks up the pace, now.
Vague is still in position to win this classic and that's pretty rare, so he moves to the lead of the chasing group and ups the pace even further on these small paths between the sand sections.
Cook relays in the sand and Gormley's lead is shrinking! Has the Irishman gone too soon?
Lap 8: Oh and this is the real one! Cook with a monster attack here in the sand! Max Power is the only one who can react. Vague sees it happening but is at the other side of the pit, riding his own lines. He is smarter than to try and answer this attack in the sand.
And at the end of the sand section, Cook and Power have reached Gormley! 6 seconds closed in only 100 meters. What an acceleration!
Gormley has taken a mental hit and actually has to let Cook and Power go on this slightly uphill road.
Behind them, there's no organisation. Goldenberg is barely hanging on after his long pulls, Bollinger is at the end of his rope, too. Vague wants to, but can't ride as hard through the sand. Etxeberdea obviously has something left in the tank and looks very frustrated to have missed the cut!
And Etxeberdea wants to do something about it! He rides away from the rest of the group on the Cornelisduin.
He passes Gormley, who really has taken quite a blow by Cook and Power passing him. He doesn't know left from right at the moment.
Lap 9: The last lap! We have two leaders, Cook and Power. Etxeberdea follows at 5 seconds. Gormley gets caught by Goldenberg, Vague and Bollinger.
And Cook has little attention for Power. He keeps the pace as high as he can. He wants to shake off the American the old fashioned way. Ride him into destruction by keeping up an excruciating pace. But Power is showing some real resilience!
The Cornelisduin will be all-decisive! Oh and Power overtakes Cook right before taking the dune! What a bold move as now he dictates the pace over the dune. Cook is stuck behind him.
And so we are going towards a sprint finish to see who wins the first race of the season!
Power starts the sprint from the head! Cook doesn't get out of the saddle, but he rarely does. Power looks behind him. He is getting away. He's got it! Arms raised high, victory for Max Power here in Oostende! Cook is second and starts his season on a high level, but he's disappointed to lose the race here.
Etxeberdea came short to contest for the win but takes a nice third spot.
And now the sprint for place 4. It's Vague who wins it ahead of Bollinger and Gormley! Goldenberg had nothing left and comes in 19 seconds behind Power.
Milan Listerijn is 8th. Not bad but it could've been better without that technical problem. Lipawsky is ninth just ahead of Welling. Mazzarelli finishes 11th, a good spot for him on this profile.
Well, that's it for the first race of the season. See you next week for the Blaarmeersen cross! Until then!
There was bags of promise in the performance of Milan Listerijn, but when you lose your chance to contest a race in that manner when you're just 19, what can you do but slam your wheel on the ground and go full hulk on your handlebars?
Milan, a tale of what might have been. How gutted are you?
I know the whole mantra for us was no pressure, get the legs in tune of us but as soon as I got in a good spot in the first two laps and held it on the dunes and the cobbles I thought I was in for a top 5 and a chance to contest the win. I tried to ride aggressively but tactically, I almost bridged to the leaders at one stage and then was in the group that eventually caught them, before my gears failed me. I never really had it in me to chase six guys going full steam chasing Gormley, I was getting there before he attacked.
Can you give us an insight into your gearing problem? Milan picks up his bike at shakes the sand out of it. Well, you see over there where the kids are playing in the sand? Some more must have got in because it was deeper than I've ever seen sand. And with my luck, I was the only one who chose that line. It got into my gears and my chain and when I tried to shift, nothing happened. Had to almost freewheel the flat bit where I thought I could make time up to the the mechanics, thanks to them I still had the chance to hold off Lipawsky but nothing else, physically I just couldn't do it.
So what are your plans for Blaarmeersen?
Same as, just try and be a little more relaxed, take it aggressive and see where I'm at. Then we can evaluate what I ride and what I don't before my big early season goals down under. Obviously every place counts for the Superpeestige, don't get me wrong. My legs are there, just need the attitude, form and a little bit of luck to get me into race-winning shape in a week or two (laughs).
And then the rest of the season?
Coke, Coke, Superprestige, Coke, Superprestige, Coke, Coke, classics then World Cup podium hunting in that much priority each time I said it (laughs). Then I'm really going up and at it for the big one, I don't want to even visualize, y'know, yet but it's almost my dream course, especially if some snow turns up as well. Riding through bunkers on a golf course, as a law abiding citizen it's new on me but should be fun.
Your brother abandoned with stomach issues, can you say more?
Only what Granddad said to me just now, he's very very sick and will probably go to Grandad's for a while before making it to NZ in his own time and hopefully meeting us there. Get well soon Louis, and can you please not ask me on what I think of my brother's performances and vice versa every race? Not that we don't care, just we hate to think the other one is more important (laughs). Seriously though, don't.
The light rain favored Vague's riding quite much, navigating his own lines through the sand pits. Coming eventually fourth, the World Champion achieved his best result by far at the Duinencross as well as possibly in any classified sand race to date.
A strong performance by you where we did not know yet you could ride for the win as well. Seems like your comments of training the sand wern't exaggerated.
Yeah, I don't think I'm quite there yet. I had luck with the rain today, which made the sand deeper but also more technical, which suited me fine. Someone like Gormley likes his sand to be be perfect, I like it when it gets a bit muddier and you need more finesse to stay on the wheel than to just power through. But overall this exceeded my expectations today, I'm very pleased with my riding and my form althogether.
You were seen many times finding and creating your own lines in the sand. Any reason for that?
Yeah definitely, I was used to riding it the proper way in a line because when there's already a line you can usually end up being faster and can better hold the wheel and pace of your rivals. Which makes sense of course, and I did it like that in previous years. But I did some training this seaosn, for that I was really focused on doing my own stuff, gettin' my own vibe in the sand pits - we had the intention of basically starting at point zero, taking it from there. You know how swimmers sometimes need to reinvent themselves, learn basic strokes over and over again to achieve a perfect style in water? I may lose some pace now with this style but it helps me better to control my bike through the sand, makes me more flexible too. It worked out well, obviously I will want to adapt to the racing more though and make the best ouf of both worlds. It's quite some specific training though, so it'll take time probably and I hope to further perfect it in the coming off-seasons. I'm very happy with the progress so far, we'll see how I do in the other sand races of the year, most notable the World Championships.
Being pleased with a 4th place doesn't sound quite like the Francis N. Vague who was devastasted after coming 2nd in the World Cup last year, a change in attitude?
[Laughs] No, not at all and not by a long shot. Duinencross is the opening classic, it's prestigious but it's none of my goals yet. I go with a different mindset into such a race where I know I have to be happy when I make a good race. Blaarmeesen on the other hand.. you know, it's a race I have already won, so I definitely go into the race with a different mindset, attitude of winning. Nonethless, you give the best in both types of races; it's just that sometimes you are content with getting less out of it. Sometimes, you arn't.
Some comments on the other favourites, are the guys right there where you expected them to be?
First race yet, so we got a long way to go still to make a fair judgement of the early season form. Cook is obviously going strong but he lost it to Max Power in the end there, so who knows how strong he is exactly and how he'll be in Blaarmeesen. Others could have ended well up ahead of me, but finished right after me. So, I'm definitely optimistic for the upcoming challenges.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
Paul, first of all, how happy are you with the result? The track didn't really suit you.
No, it really didn't. I'm quite happy to be honest, though. Starting from the back of the grid, slicing my way through the field with my Team-Mate Daniel(Brüggemann) close next to me and finishing 13th in the process. I hope that it won't become an unlucky number for me, though.(laughs)
You talked about Brüggemann, your Team-Mate. You two seemed to work well together.
Yes, we really are. We are both german, which means that we speak the same language and communicate very well with each other. Also his age is a big advantage for me, since he can kinda act as a mentor for me. I really think that my performance today showed, that I am already on his level, and that, with some more experience, I could be a worthy leader for our Team.
What are your goals for this season, after you raced your first race?
Well, I would really love to win a race, this season, but for now, it would be great to finish within the Top 10. The field is very strong and the 10 best riders are all very well known. Also beating Goldenberg would be great. He seems to be the rival of Milan(Listerijn), and every rival of Milan is a rival of my own.
Big words. You mentioned (Milan)Listerijn. Did you already have a chat after the race?
Yes, we had. He was very disappointed with his mechanical and I told him to look forward to the next race. He is really, really motivated now. I think, that he will be a real threat for the next races. He also congratulated me to my good first race. That makes me really proud. I hope that I can improve during the season.
Spoiler
P.S.: My english isn't on the level it once was, and I hope it will improve. Right now, I have the motivation to write longer texts, but its simply too exhausting, since it takes ages.
It's time for the traditional kick-off of the Superprestige. Blaarmeersen is a well known and well loved course in cyclo-cross. Recent winners include Francis Vague (in his first pro victory ever) and Elliot Cook. So this is no profile for suckers, you can guess. With predicted rain, our cyclo-cross season is off to a wet start.
We've had a sort-of surprising winner with Power in the Duinencross, after a very steady and closed cross start. Will we see a similar scenario here in the Blaarmeersen?
Race Information
Country: Belgium
City/Place: Ghent, recreational parc 'Blaarmeersen'
Classification: Superprestige
Starting Time (Elite Men): 15h
Favorites: Francis N. Vague, Elliot Cook, Matt Mazzarelli, Sylvain Lipawsky, Milan Listerijn.
Record: 5x Raphael Visconti (1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1990)
Race History: The Blaarmeersen have always been a popular location for cyclo-cross and cross country running. The man-made hill and little beach, combined with the forest, open a wide variaty of grounds for the cyclists to cover. In the 20s, the race was organised for local policemen. The first official edition was in 1934. It was an instant hit. Between 1950 and 1972 it was used as final race in the Superprestige. In the 1972-1973 season it was moved to November and a few years later, finally, to where it is now, early in the season.
Route Information
Technical: 4
Sand: 2
Uphill: 5
Cobblestones: 0
This cross has the famous reputation of changing its route constantly. However, the current profile has sort of remained constant since 2007. The route is technical as well as it is uphill. There are only a few places where you can use your power and flat riding to create some real speed. Mostly it's about turning, climbing, running and - not unimportant - the extremely technical downhill. There is a big chance of a rider arriving solo. Last year, Cook and Mazzarelli decided the race in a two-man sprint, though.
Last year, the jumping bars were placed elsewhere. This year, they've chosen to keep them at that location. They're 50 meters before the Pastoors-climb. We only expect a handful of riders to jump them, as they reach 40 cm, the maximum allowed height.
The sand is usually not too deep, not like at the real beach. Definitely not enough for a sand expert to make the race there, but more than decent to make the race tough enough. The climb is the main attraction, though. Not only is it steep, but it's long and the ground can be slippery with enough rain. Depending on the precipitation, the top part of the climb may or may not have to be climbed on foot.
Besides the main climb, there is a small uphill, too. Small, but extremely steep. Riders will have to climb it on foot. In the last decade, only one man has been able to ride to the top. The technical yet powerful Eric Pastoors claimed his victory after riding it to the top with a combination of power and technical brilliance. Let's see if there is someone to fill his shoes in the pack this year. Who dares to try it? Succeed, and your name shall be written in the stone next to the climb. Fail, and everyone will know.
Last year, the route was dry. With enough rain, though, this profile turns into a real hell. The flat dirtroads, dry so easily to ride on, turn into deep mud. The climb is ten times harder, the downhill trickier. The jumping bars in the mud pose an impossible task. The Pastoors-climb turns into a wall of mud, hard to climb even when you do dismount. They forecast some rain, so it might turn interesting!
A small addition this year is a tricky section through the woods. It's quite short, but extremely technical. Most riders will dismount and run through it, though. Riding here costs more energy and you're not bound to win a lot of time anyways. But staying on that bike does have a mental edge so who knows! With this section after the Pastoors-climb, it's dangerously close to the finish line. So make no mistakes here!
Finally, this is one of the longest circuits of the calendar. With lap rounds around 9 minutes in the last few years, it's 95% sure we'll see a total of 7 laps tomorrow. Still, 7 times up that hill is more than enough for any sane man.
All we know for sure is this: if you can't climb, you will curse that man-made hill more than once during the race. But you're braver than I am.
Expected Weather Conditions
Temperature: 7° C
Precipitation: Rain, Light
Wind: 1 Beaufort
Nothing special for me really at Duinencross, I'm happy to finish in the top 10 and stay starting on the front row, with racing form will come form so no rush about that.
However this could likely be my best chance to win a historical race at Blaarmeersan. The running section should really benefit me and the rain will make it even harder to ride across, as it will be wet and slippery, I fail to even see someone keeping up with someone running on the section, even if it was Vague riding there.
As for the other riders, Cook is looking good but is the hill too hard? He did win last year though. Matt doesn't look in the best form yet based on Duinencross but the course suits him so I'll be watching him, Vague is the real favourite here though, came fourth at Duinencross so he looks in good early season form and he's great on this course.
Either way, I'm hoping for a good race, it's great to have the season start again.
A week since the Duinencross, similiar settings can be expected. Light rain, low mud, lots of opportunity to make up time by actually staying on your bike. Especially the man-made climb features a dangerous descent, thinking of the light rain and the possible dangers of many riders within a short timeframe.. You get the image, don't you.
Vague has had the quality in previous seasons to keep up with Cook on the climbs. That's to say, he could have, but unforunate race circumstances placed him just out of reach. Thanks to Welling and Schiltz - who isn't featured this time around - Vague made spectacular strong comeback, still finishing third and making sure his gap onto Cook was reasonably small at only two points. Later on, Vague went on to win the Superprestige. It's obvious when talking about last season and the fantastic 13,36 avg run throughout the season Vague enjoyed, he is fire and flame to defend and repeat his Superprestige triumph.
Arguably his legs are on this level again, and whilst Vague took his first pro victory in Blaarmeesen thanks to his cunning and technical quality, he'll also need top legs to keep up with Cook and Mazzarelli on the two tough climbing sections. Especially the Pastoors climb will be out of reach though this time around, seeing as the expected light rain will make raining it up to the top almost impossible.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
The Duinencross is over, and I finished beyond my expectations on a still decent 31st place. I was blocked at the start by some slower riders and then missed the backwheels of my colleagues Brüggemann and Rosanski. I think I could finished higher when I could hung on their backwheels, especially because the sand wasn't that difficult. But that is too much complaining!
Next up is Blaarsmeersen. I said that Duinencross is an exciting race, but Blaarsmeersen is much better! I just rode some training laps on the course and I really liked it to cycle around. You need some power and uphill skills to ride fast over the short and steep climbs, two of my strongest specialities. And I'm confident of a good race on saturday, but also realistic enough to know that I need a special day for a top 10. And so I need to do unorthodox things in the race...
That was a good start to my season, 15th place is way better than I'd hoped for but today is the big day. This is where I find out whether that was beginners luck or if that really is the level I can compete at.
Making my way up through the field was fun, and I'm glad I managed to drop the 2 Belgians then catch and pass Estifanos and Naveed which suggests my fitness is better than I initially thought.
It was disappointing to see my new teammate Shay fail in his bid to make it a triple at Duinecross but unfortunately I started too far back to be able to give him a helping hand. I'd like to say that I want to change that in the next race but I'm going for my own chances as this course should really suit me and to be honest if this was later in the season then I'd fancy myself as an outside chance for a win here as I think it really plays well to my skill set and can see it being one of my strongest courses. Hopefully with it being so early in the season the rest of the pack will be lack fitness a little meaning I can really make the most of the technical sections and compete with the best at the sharp en of the race.
If the weather lets me I think I can emulate Eric Pastoors and make it all the way up that tough climb, I definitely have the technique but I don't know if I'll have enough power yet or if that is something I need to work on to manage it in future seasons. I'll definitely give it a try though. I'm also aiming to ride the whole way through the woods as I've got the technical skills and can see myself gaining a little bit of time there, I really love forest sections, the more technical they are the better, especially if they contain lots of little tree stumps and roots as that gives me plenty of chances to make up time on other riders. I just wish the technical descent was in this forest too.
I hope that I'm not forced to dismount due to being blocked in the forest and up the climbs as if I'm robbed of my best chances to make up time then I can see it being a long day in the saddle. At least it shouldn't stop me being able to pick up some time over those jumping bars and getting a good run at the climb.
I'm not sure if the forecasted rain will help me or not, it depends if the mud around the course helps me make up more time than what I'd lose from the technical sections becoming virtually unrideable as I know I'm not the strongest runner in the pack but that's why I'm so glad that my technical skills mean I rarely need to dismount.
Well that was an exciting opening race, I didn't originally plan to take part in the Duinecross but seeing as I was already here for the beach challenge, where I really struggled, I thought I might aswell have a go at the opening round and see how far off the pace I am. I thought I'd try and stick with my teammate Dubois but after half a lap he was well gone, I just couldn't keep his wheel as he was expertly cutting through the field and was probably up about 15 places by the end of the first lap. One day I'll have to get him to teach me how he manages to find gaps that seemingly aren't there as there were a couple of times when I was right on his wheel and he could squeeze through somewhere I couldn't follow.
I really fell back hard after the halfway mark, these senior races are a lot faster and longer then the junior ones I'm used to, and I just couldn't keep the strong pace I had over the first few laps. Hopefully I'll slowly get closer to the pace and endurance required as the season goes on but if every senior race I try feels like that then I don't know how I'll be able to step up.
On the positive side of things at least I didn't finish last, hopefully next time I try a pro race I can get in a group with some of the Italians and learn from them just what it takes and what I will need to improve most over the season.
For now I'm heading back off home to train some more then provided my Under 23 schedule lets me I'm hoping to get a chance to acclimatise to New Zealand ahead of my next pro race so I won't be suffering from jetlag as it's a long flight down there from Europe and it will be my first time on a long haul flight having never left the continental mainland before.
It's just hours until the Blaarmeersen cross and with that the first manche of the Superprestige trophy. Milan Listerijn is being talked up as a favorite, which looking as his track record suggests that he will disappoint and come between 6-8th. Optimism is always key.
Milan, last year here you came around 30th and now you are among the bookies' favorites to upset the big two.
Well, it makes me feel pretty weird when you put it like that. This is a beautiful old setting for a cross and the gist of the course, with the single lane track by the woods and the hill and the Pastoors-climb, I didn't think of myself of being a winner here but hopefully I can prove them right and put up a good fight.
The dust has settled on Duinencross and many riders are making bold statements about good legs.
Well, yes they are. It's been a week and along with a few other pros we raced an amateur event here in Ghent to bridge the gap, it was just a test I put in to see if the rythym helped. I came second but the focus for me was on the form, keeping the legs spinning. Lipawsky seems to think he has the measure of the rest of us, I am inclined to agree with him about Vague's form but I think Cook is still the best climber in the world. Dubois says he has the skills to pay the bills and then some, he's got talent many of us don't but that doesn't mean we have to like it being shoved down our throats. It's gone real dry on me real quick. Huser says he was blocked unintentionally in Duinencross, and that he can do well here. Unfortunately for us I don't doubt that he is right on the latter count, at least.
What do you think of the new parts of the route and indeed the parcours itself?
Recently it's been a magnificent course which I have loved to watch. It's full of little tics and hidden parts that you only notice and pick up on when you ride it in a race. How the Pastoors-climb has those little bits which are sharper than others, how in all the tricky sections of the woods you must watch out for potholes made by feet. The new section, I've practiced on and off the bike and it comes down to situation whether I will attempt it today.
Your friend Rosanski did well last week. How did you feel about his performance?
Yeah it was good to hear about and then watch his performance, Paul did a good job with Brüggemann to do that well where he doesn't feel that confident. We shared a drink and a yarn after the race and he helped me get on with training and the amateur event as all I wanted to do after last week was rest. It's good to have a friend in the elite sport, with Louis here as well I'm spoiled for choice for people to talk to [laughs]. Nah our other friend Marco travels with us now with a service passport for Giant so I'm mentally in a much better place than last year, and importantly I'm just having the time of my life, results are secondary to fun for me right now.
The Superprestige is arguably the toughest classification on account of the 12 manches it has. Among those are Kwaremont, Ansbach, Alpe d'Huez, Lisbon... And Blaarmeersen for starters. Francis N. Vague, the World Champion, has his eyes set on this trophy once again. Last week, he showed a great early season form.
But there are many riders here to pick up on the challenge. Names like Cook, Lipawsky and Mazzarelli should come to mind on a profile like this!
Weather Conditions
Temperature: 7° C
Precipitation: Rain, Light
Wind: 1 Beaufort
Start Line: Well, we have rain, as predicted. And that makes 2/2 for rainy conditions so far in this season. A different start from last year's. Those targeting the Superprestige face an important race. It's always good to start a trophy well. You don't have to win the first race, but if you fall outside the top 10, you're only making it hard on yourself.
No Louis Listerijn. Probably still that stomach. But we eagerly await his brother's race. No real impact last year, but he seems to be in form, so let's see what he brings!
Lap 1: The riders are about ready... And here we go! Not the biggest crowd you've ever seen, probably because of the rain, but still people that can make some noise and cheer for their favorites!
World Champion Vague with a good start. Same can be said for Lipawsky and Goldenberg. With the World Cup starting next week, Goldenberg can use this race as a good final training!
But it's Vague who heads into the sand first. This sand can't be compared to that of Oostende, though, so no major problem for the likes of Vague or Mazzarelli.
The World Champion choosing for the offensive early on. No passive racing here, he wants to make the first lap count and thin out the peloton as soon as possible! Baris Dao, caught with a bad start, will have a tough job moving up if Vague gets his way.
It looks like Mazzarelli wants to play ball. He overtakes Vague right before the woods and goes into the more technical area first. Elliot Cook follows closely. Then we have Listerijn, Mutahi, Etxeberdea, Lipawsky.
The big climb. You can win or lose the race here easily. Let's see what everyone does the first ascension. Mazzarelli keeps the pace high, very high. Vague follows. And then gaps start appearing. Elliot Cook can't seem to handle the pace right now. A rare sight, but Cook has to let them ride uphill! Listerijn seems content with Cook's pace and stays in his wheel, though.
Lachy Bauer is moving up quickly, here. He seems to be feeling good and comes in the top 20.
The Pastoors-climb is impossible to ride on a day like this. Vague has taken the lead again and dismounts. Mazzarelli follows his example and takes a quick look behind. There's already a considerable gap back to Cook, who is leading the chase.
Here between the trees you're better off running. Vague and Mazzarelli don't take any risk and do that. Cook follows their example.
Lap 2: And that's one lap completed. Six to go! We have two leaders, Vague and Mazzarelli. They are being chased by Listerijn, Cook and Lipawsky. Behind them, we have a rather large group. But those are already 17 seconds behind on the race leaders. What a first lap!
Mazzarelli and Vague now turn the corner, out of sight. Listerijn asks Lipawsky to relay. The pace needs to be upped if they want to catch those two up front. Both of them can keep up their effort, they know that. Can't give them a gap and expect them to fall back again later in the race.
Oh this is nice. Pieter Van Dyck made the jump from the bigger group and comes to support team leader Cook. He brought along Olivier Dubois, who's moved up well, too.
Both Mazzarelli and Vague change bikes. There's quite a bit of mud here so it's wise not to stay on the same bike too long. Van Dyck leads the chasing group through the woods, now. Coming up to the big climb, what can he do for his captain here?
More riders are trying to bridge the gap, coming form behind. Etxeberdea and Bauer got away. We've also seen attempts from Moli, Soucek and Visconti.
Vague heads downhill first. With this weather, the riders don't take too many risks. Perfect skills from the World Champion, though. Mazzarelli is quite gifted, too, and follows. I'd say the two strongest riders in the race are here. Who can bring them back?
Van Dyck throws himself downhill now, with Cook on his wheel. Listerijn, Lipawsky and Dubois let Randstad do the work.
Will Vague jump the bars? The mud makes it hard, but he does it! Mazzarelli dismounts, no risks here. Same for Pastoors. Both riders dismount and climb it on foot. No professional rider is stupid enough to attempt it, now, it's just not realistic.
The rain has stopped now, though. But the damage is done. Riders are soaking wet, ground has turned to mud...
Lap 3: Still those two leaders. With only Van Dyck chasing, their gap will only increase. Surely the chasers must realize this? Perhaps they can't do better at the moment. Etxeberdea and Bauer have now joined the first chasing group, too.
Oh what's this? Matthias Barthez is in the lake! How did this happen? Camera didn't pick it up, but the rider is in the lack and will not finish the Blaarmeersen cross. But he isn't the only one. With this underground, we'll see many more abandon before the race ends.
And now Lipawsky attacks! He wants to thin out the chasing group. Van Dyck has to let him go. Listerijn and Cook react! We're going towards the big climb again.
On the climb, Dubois attempts to accelerate and find the escapees! It's a nice thought, but Lipawsky's pace is high enough. He doesn't quite reach them and is now caught between the two groups.
Meanwhile, the two leaders just simply carry on, hardly making any mistakes.
Is Cook warming up, now? He takes the lead in the chasing group and increases the pace. The gap to the two leaders is around twenty seconds, though.
The two leaders dismount now for this muddy section through the trees. Some sharp corners and then you're better off running. Oh Vague's pedal gets caught on the advertising sign on the fence. It takes a few seconds to unravel it. Mazzarelli has seen this, will he wait for the World Champion or give it a shot?
He's not waiting! Mazzarelli makes himself aerodynamic and approaches the finish line solo. Vague jumps back on his bike and can start chasing Mazzarelli.
Considerable gaps. If nothing happens soon, I'd say the winner is already at the front, though. Vague or Mazzarelli can go the distance, that we know.
Mazzarelli keeps the pace as high as he can, through this sand, now. Vague is keeping his head cool and follows his pace. He's not making the mistake of closing that gap in one effort, because that would cost him on this section. Better wait for the technical area, where he can make the difference in the corners.
Goldenberg is riding a decent, race. Climbing's not his thing so it's impressive he's in 14th position at the moment. We can't wait to see him next week, back in the sand!
And talking about form, look at this man. Iban Etxeberdea. He now attacks Bauer and Dubois and leaves both of them behind in the technical area in the forest.
Mazzarelli goes up the big climb alone, but Vague is near. Only 2 seconds left, that gap.
And Mazzarelli realizes he isn't getting away just yet. He builds in a small rest and reaches the top with Vague. Back together after half a lap.
Lap 5: More riders abandoning. There are about 45 riders left in the race. Wait, make that 44, as Lorenzi gets picked up by the two leaders, now. He's out of the race.
We're in the second half of the race, now, and Dubois is starting to lose a bit of his power. He's not looking to hot and has to let Bauer go.
Vague again chooses a different trajectory through the sand. He explains it as a new technique which allows him to ride through the sand with less risk, but it does take more power. Still, it's too early to tell. In the Duinencross, he was rewarded a nice 4th spot, though. Isn't that high best result in a classic ever?
No time to check that, as Cook moves on to the attack! His engine has finally turned on and he rides away from Listerijn and Lipawsky. The hunt for Mazzarelli and Vague is on! Still, can he close a 27 second gap?
The riders are black from the mud at this point, what a race so early in the season. That is Blaarmeersen, I guess. Most riders don't even ride the big climb to the top. But the riders at the front are world class and can manage it.
Lap 6: Two laps left. And still we have our two leaders. Elliot Cook has decreased the gap to 23 seconds. Is there still hope for a miraculous comeback?
Mazzarelli doesn't relay anymore and now puts the ball in Vague's court. With Cook coming and Mazzarelli bluffing, the game is on! Vague hesitates for a moment... But he picks up the pace. He can't allow his biggest rival for the Superprestige to return. Mazzarelli digs into Vague's wheel.
Lipawsky and Listerijn had to let Cook go, and now seem to be riding for the 4th and 5th spot. Sometimes, it's just a matter of accepting who's strong enough and who isn't.
Eldfjallsson is pulling through, too. After a missed start, 23th after lap 1, he has his eyes back on the top 10. Dubois might have started a bit too fast and is now dropping behind rapidly.
And this is Vague's moment! Mazzarelli misjudged a corner and lost Vague's wheel for a second, there. the World Champion was waiting for this and sprints away. He's approaching the big climb, can he increase his lead there or will Mazzarelli bridge the gap?
Cook is 22 seconds behind and is just out of the forest.
Vague doesn't get out of the saddle on the climb. His wheel would most likely slip away with this mud. Mazzarelli has lost a bit of his schwung. The World Champion is off on his own!
Oh and a dramatic turn of events! Elliot Cook has broken off his gearing, how did this happen? He's stranded on foot, so far from the mechanics. He's got a long run to get a new bike. Race over for him. But the Superprestige is at stake, so every point may count!
Lipawsky and Listerijn pass him, now. Etxeberdea, too. And Bauer.
Vague increases his lead after a nice jump over the bars and dismounting for section through the trees.
Lap 7: The bell rings. One lap remains. Vague seems broken loose. Mazzarelli follows at 19 seconds. Vague took those 19 seconds in half a lap, that's impressive!
Cook's back on his bike, too. He's looking at a minute's deficit, riding in 7th position. Talk about bad luck.
Listerijn now wants to shake off Lipawsky. The podium is back at stake, with Cook gone! But the ex-World Champion won't let the Kiwi just ride away and so they're staying together for the moment.
Mazzarelli is smart enough to admit defeat and now looks behind. He'll do his best to keep this second place, now. He's been broken, mentally.
Etxeberdea is growing in this race and actually has Lipawsky and Listerijn in sight. The two will have to hurry up if they want to end up on the podium.
On the big climb and Cook has caught Bauer. He's looking strong, we wonder what would've happened without that broken gear.
Vague is not taking back any gas! He throws himself in every corner and jumps the bars with style. He makes a little slip on the Pastoors-climb, but manages to stay upright and pull his bike up. It's slippery even on foot. But even a little mistake like that won't make any difference, nobody can threaten him anymore.
And here he is. His second as a World Champion, his first of the season. Big waves to the crowd, a fist and a loud yell. Francis N. Vague makes a perfect start in the Superprestige and adds a second win in the Blaarmeersen on his palmares.
Mazzarelli is second. He fought but in the end he had to bow his head for a super strong World Champion.
The sprint for place 3 is on! Listerijn goes from far. A bit too far? Yes, Lipawsky passes him.
And Etxeberdea was close, but has to settle for 5th. A nice race from him and what a start to the season.
Cook is sixth, but it could've been much more. Bauer is seventh.
Soucek is a surprising 8th, very nice. Mutahi 9th and Eldfjallsson completes the top 10.
And so Vague simply continues his impressive Superprestige statistics and is the first leader. See you next week in Australia!
Paul...not in the Top 20. Does this demotivate you?
No, surely not. I know that I can do better, even though the Race suited me very well. At least I don't have the pressure to perform well anymore.
What did you do right after the race?
I threw my bike in a corner.(laughs) But after that, I was really happy to see Milan giving me a hug. I really needed one today. It's great to see, that we are always there for each other. We motivate each other very well. I mean he finished 4th and almost got on the podium. I told you that he's going to be a force to be reckoned with.
Will you adjust your goals after this defeat?
I wouldn't call it a defeat. It's all a process. No gain without pain. And today I had alot of pain. I will still keep looking forward and hope for some good results in the future.
Don't you think, that it was too early to switch to the Pros?
(stares at the reporter)No!? Are you serious? Really? I didn't live up to the expectaions for ONE goddamn race and you start questioning my move into the Main league? You can't be serious. I had a bad day and instead of asking interesting stuff, you just ask for such B*******. The interview is over. Go and find someone else to interview.
Well now I'm on my flight to Oz I can reflect on a good opening to my season in Belgium. Duinencross was a tale of what I could have done, Blaarmeersen a good show of why sometimes you have to admit that there are three better riders on the course that day. A journalist asked me about this, and I said two things. There's a thin line between admitting you can't make up 40 seconds on the World Champ in one lap with one companion and admitting defeat. Also, when I'm 20 seconds down on second place with half a lap to go and I'm in 4th, I'm racing against the guys in 3rd, 5th and sixth. I can't say "I had the fastest time up the hill for the final lap and so could have beaten Vague" because however true the journalist said that was, it's impractical and just a bitter excuse.
At the line I made a junior mistake, I blew myself out in the sprint for third, and I'd already made things hard for myself by fruitlessly attacking Lipawsky three times on the last lap. As soon as I crossed the line I saw I saw Marco coming round, apparently he'd done his job for Giant. We talked for a but about the race and I asked after Paul. He came in below where he may have wanted and the journalists picked at him afterwards. We embraced earlier and now we are catching the flight together. He's having the time of his life but as part of the trio of hyped Germans all the writers who prefer Huser or Brüggemann try to bring him down.
The atmosphere in the team is great despite courses that haven't suited Guido very much. Mark has been a great big brother figure for us and helped Guido through the race today, apparently Guido had a headcold early on. It's strange, for me and Guido we both (especially him) await the ice, which is the opposite of Lotto in recent years for the most part. I'm comfortable in any weather I am proud to say and so have a duty all season round. I've got the full backing for now and will have to help out Gudio when his time comes. It's a setup I'm comfortable with and with Naveed here too as a voice of reason during team talks we're a great brotherband of four.
Granddad came to watch today, he has never been one for this course with a high result of 8th but he had a lot of useful tips on hoe not to fall into the lake. He says Louis will be back for Melbourne, a cross I will probably sacrifice to be fit for the Kiwi crosses. It's good to be traveling to sunshine despite the long-haul flight and I look forward to racing there. I've just got goals to keep my form up in Tasmania before I try and get a victory in Whakapapa or Tekapo. I've got a tracker in my back now though, as shown at the end of last season. It's a curse and a blessing, cursed to never be able to pull of my Seattle trick, blessed to feel like a big boy now.
Edited by jandal7 on 06-12-2015 23:22
You couldn't spot his stripes through the black mud but the whole of Belgium knew who just won that race, and was going 2 out of 3 there now, making an early statement towards Raphael Visconti: To take Blaarmeesen record back from Italy. But whilst this remains optimistic talk of the future, Vague is happy enough with the presence of the race. Just as he saw Rosanski throwing away his bike, Vague took the patience to enjoy his time in Ghent.
Almost a perfect opener to your Superprestige ambitions, walk us through your race.
I thought it was important to make an early selection, especially given the technical downhill you know. There were times in the past where people ruined the race there and I wanted to get out of that danger zone. As it turns out, making a selection even before Lap One was over was half the battle. Matt and I were pretty confident in our abilities, it was easy for us to have the other 50-odd riders as our rivals for now. It worked out really well for both of us there.
In fact, once you were gone, neither of you was to be seen again. But Mazzarelli later decided for tactical games.
Yeah, it's not the first time he has done that and tried to take advantage of my rivalry against Cook, I'm used to it now [laughs] Fact is, I decided right at keeping on going good pace. There's only so much energy you save in the slipstream of a cyclo-cross event, it was way more important to keep up my own pace, and limit the surge of Elliott Cook. It's unfortunate that Cook had the mechanical but I can't deny that the point loss is in my favour. And whilst Mazzarelli is a fabolous opponent, you surely can't sprint, so that's always something that plays into your cards when you race Mano-a-Mano against the Italian.
Mazzrelli tried a move after a mechanical too, you took advantage of a steering mistake of him. It was a race full of unusual small mistakes and moments of bad luck.
Obviously it's part of a cyclo-cross we've grown accustomed, too. I was lucky to limit and react to Mazzarelli otherwise I probably couldn't have caught him in time. It were just a few seconds anyway but those seconds can make all the difference. I knew though that the descent, for example, is a welcome place to make up time, even if Mazzarelli is one of our best downhillers. Maybe it was good for me that he did his move, since it exposed him to my attack later on, which was the key for me winning solo here.
No one attempted the Pastoors Climb. Not you, not Dubous. Not even Bakari. In such conditions, is this a missed opportunitiy?
Every year the same question about that climb, eh. I think I've said one, two seasons ago, I don't think it's possible for riders to take on the climb in a race any longer. Pastoors did the climb when it was still placed in the mid region of the calendar, arguably the place where many riders have built up enough race form to get the power from it, and actually take it on at 100%. This early in the season, traditional crossers don't have it in them, yet. Just a few percentages down on the table, you know. And full-on road cyclists are likely to weakened by a long road season anyway. I've been close once; if it works out, for me or anybody else, here, at the start of the season.. it'll be a small miracle given the circumstances.
2/2 rainy races yet. With it, your season start has been great, currently ranked number one in the UCI ranking. Your ambitions for Down Under?
We'll see how Melbourne goes, maybe we can form the race to my liking. I don't really expect rain there though, a bit of a shame. It'll also come in handy to further work on my 'sand' credentials. Tekapapo and Whakapapa(?) should be fun then. The sport is global, and although the travelling always takes its toll, it's also something I've grown very fond of. It's
(A few yards to the left in an interview corner, Rosanski starts yelling at a reporter and leaves the irritated behind. As the German suggested, the reporter comes later over to Vague, who is smiling at the poor, older man, with a look on his face, wanting to know, of what just happened?) Very apparently he was offended by my question of whether he was too young for the Pro classifications yet, seeing as he didn't really have full U23 experience either. Any comment on that?
Uh, ookay... What's his age, anyway? I guess he'll have to adapt himself like any of us U23 riders had to do in the past, and that will happen over time. Look at how Schiltz and Visconti came through the ranks after over a year. I don't know if he's too young for this level, but having seen the drama from afar, shouting at you journalist lot for a simple everyday-question each of us had to listen to hundred of times, it looks to me more like he's definitely too immature for the pro circuit just of yet. In a race, it's mental games all over the place, even afterwards when it's just about commenting on your own performance, you know..
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
Duinencross - Report
