Oh Louis, you really have made things hard for yourself, haven't you? Yes, the younger Listerijn is in sixth row after finishing his first race this season due to missing the first three with a stomach bug. Lucky he's known from the U-23 ranks for having a fast start, but it's not what he, or indeed the BKCP boss wanted. Can't help Vague when you're trying hard to move up to the mid-thirties.
He's spent the last days with his grandparents recovering before landing in Melbourne and landing himself almost in the top 30, pleasing from the youngster as he almost shot straight into the top 30, always a nice aim for a neo-pro who isn't amazingly talented for the moment to aim for with his first result.
He's not as hyped at the moment as, say, Rosanski, but he's expected to grow into his skin later, mature as a rider at an older age than the upstart talent of Vague or Schiltz, his teammates. He's an entertaining rider to watch at the amateur and smaller U-23 only events that the lesser riders frequent, he's always bouncing around, dancing on his pedals and generally negating the fact he's a good sprinter by attacking a lot over his favored cobbles and hills. We're not convinced he can translate this so much to the elites yet, but it will be sure entertaining to see his development.
The team manager is sure that he can by the end of the season pay off the team's faith by putting in some work for Vague. Louis isn't so sure. He knows, deep down, this year won't be his year, maybe not even to top fifteen a race. But he's waiting, waiting for his legs to grow and working hard to encourage them. It's only a matter of time.
Well it's been a tough start to the season for me. I don't like the sand to begin with and its hard for me to find form, I'm doubting myself a bit if I'm honest. Maybe in Perth I will see where I'm at. For now I'm just focusing on the next race. Now that's Whakapapa, if we get snow my best chance yet for a good result to finally kick off my sluggish season.
Riding alongside Matt and Lachy is just great, they're both extremely talented and friendly guys who haven't wavered in supporting me as I look everywhere for a slice of form cake. Then there's been meeting legends of the modern sport, I even got to have a conversation with Lachy's friend Lipawsky! I was literally pinching myself during the race start yesterday, I kept it up for five minutes at least!
So yeah, now I'm pro and it still astounds me. I'm back home in New Zealand now and will hope to use home advantage, well, to my advantage, to try build up some form for Perth. I'm hopeful for the US stint to use my supposed hitherto technical skills to use, I'm hoping my fourth in the jumping competition was no fluke either, I was very proud of that and it's a small glimmer that I can compete in at least one competition with the pros here!
Edited by jandal7 on 14-12-2015 02:01
Time for Tekapo. The Coca-Cola Trophy is setting off here in New-Zealand. Last year's winner of the Trophy Cook doesn't seem at the peak of his abilities, while last year's winner of this cross Vague could hardly be any better. It'll be an interesting race to say the least.
Race Information
Country: New Zealand
City/Place: Tekapo lake.
Classification: Coca-Cola Trophy
Starting Time (Elite Men): 08h30
Favorites: Elliot Cook, Francis N. Vague, Christian Schiltz, Matt Mazzarelli.
Record: 1x James Carlisle (2014), 1x Francis N. Vague (2015)
Race History: The Tekapocross was first introduced in the cyclo-cross milieu only two seasons ago. For a first edition, it was quite successful, as Coca-Cola made a real festival out of it. Last year, it moved up from the evening to morning, mostly to adjust to the warmth. At morning, the temperatures should be a bit lower.
But that won't discourage Coca-Cola from the festivities. Tekapo Lake is the place to be Tuesday evening for the festivities and Wednesday morning for the race! Bring it on!
Route Information
Technical: 2
Sand: 0
Uphill: 5
Cobblestones: 1
The Tekapocross takes us around the Tekapo Lake. Well, no, not around, because we'd have a cross of a few hours. But it offers a beautiful sight for the crowd and the riders to enjoy.
The profile is very hilly, and it's mainly about that. Some technical skill is required for the downhill, but they are rather straightforward and wide, unlike the Blaarmeersen descent. The big hill, dubbed unoriginally as the Coca-Cola hill, will offer a great spectacle. In dry conditions, most riders should ride it all the way to the top. But the slope just keeps going, and we will see big differences at the finish line, no doubt about that.
What else can be said. There is no sand, almost no cobbled ground. Hardly any road, too. The only road is the finish line, where we'll see an uphill sprint. Not the steepest slow, but it'll make for an interesting finish, where those who are already dead may lose a few more seconds near the end. This is not a profile for out-of-form cyclists.
The wind can blow harshly around this lake, especially on the mid-section of the race, which is between two larger tops. Sudden gusts of wind may surprise you.
Expected Weather Conditions
Temperature: 8° C
Precipitation: Rain, Light.
Wind: 2 Beaufort
Hey guys, sorry I’ve not been able to get anything out last weekend but my flight was delayed so I only got in to OZ in the early hours of Friday morning. I spent all day Friday either in practice for the double header this weekend or trying to catch up on lost sleep. Now that we have just touched down in NZ I’ve finally got the time to update you all.
It’s been a good start to my season, with most races going well for me. Duninecross was a good opener and as I previously said I did better than expected there. I must admit I was hoping to be able to get a top 10 at Blaarmeersen but unfortunately I fell away late on to come home 14th but I was still happy to hold on for a top 15 considering how badly I hit the cliff.
The rain definitely robbed me of a chance to tackle the Pastoors climb. I think next season I’ll have adjusted to the fitness and stamina required for Cross far better and providing it’s dry I’ll definitely be giving it a go as I’ll be able to have a better off-season and come into next season flying.
It was nice to ride with Pieter again for a bit early on in that race, and then just hold him off when I was fading. He definitely seems talented and I can see him getting a big result later in the season if he can keep this up.
I went into Hobart with a game plan but couldn’t quite execute it. I wanted to put in a good effort helping Shay out early on but couldn’t reach him in time. After Elliot’s bad start I ended up riding with him for about a lap and a half and it was good to see just how quick the best can go. I’m glad I could match his speed but I just couldn’t maintain it anywhere near as long as he could and didn’t want to blow up again a second race in a row so knocked it back a little to save something for the end of the race.
It’s nice to see I’ve already started making some friends in the pack, obviously I’m already friends with Alessio, I trust that young kid fully and it’s really nice to be able to help him start his career whilst I try and find my form and adjust across. I know I might not be the best role model for him in terms of Cyclocross knowledge but I’m hoping my love of the bike and the sport will make up for that somewhat and if I can impress upon him the attitude it takes to be a champion and help him out with the mental side of being a professional racer then I’ll feel a lot better for it even if I never reach the heights I got to in the Trials world. Speaking of which having him back in the peloton for these next couple of races should give us a great chance to catchup between Tekapo and Whakapapa. Shay is a great addition to the squad as he gives us something different and has brought in a couple of guys behind the scenes who know the sport really well and who I’ve been able to get a few pointers from. In terms of riders on other teams Mark and I seem to have got on well so far and he’s someone I’m hoping to get a chance to ride with up the sharp end at some point, I really admire him coming back into the sport and showing that he’s still got it whilst coaching the next generation and he’s probably the guy in the peloton I’d most like to see doing well. His teammate Guido looks talented and is someone I’d like to ride with in the future but I’ve got to say first impressions suggest D’Anvers is going to have his hands full trying to help out Milan if you know what I mean .
I know Milan doesn’t seem all that enamoured with me so far but I guess that’s his problem, who knows what’s going on there. If I didn’t know better I’d say it sounds like he feels threatened by a rider that hasn’t got a top 10 finish yet as he seems pretty focussed on what I’ve got to say. In terms of other riders I’m not sure where I stand with Sylvain, surely he’s going to have to end up as a rival of mine at some point if I want to be the best Swiss rider, hopefully that will be in friendly spirits though as I imagine we’ll need to get along and co-operate should either of us want to challenge the Belgians and their poster boy Vague for the World Championships and in Pyeongyang in a couple of years.
Anyway as I said, I'm now here in New Zealand and am really enjoying life in the CX peloton, especially now Alessio is joining us for a bit, it will be nice to have him step up and to get a third Red Bull jersey out there.
Time for the Kiwi races, I’ve had a decent start to the year I the Under 23 ranks so far and having already been down here for the last couple of weeks I’ve already acclimatised to New Zealand and what this great land has to offer.
It’s been nice to have a little bit of variation in my training location this past week, getting to explore the forests of this country and ride quite a few trails and loads of off road sections through dirt, mud and tree routes and stumps. There are some really beautiful places here and the elevation change is nice as it’s given me a chance to continue working on my hill training. I still might not be at the level of my brother on them but then again that’s why he’s managed to go into road racing with Sauber whilst I’ve focussed on cross as I always was far more all-round than he was.
Speaking of which it’s been nice to have a catch up with Luca earlier this week whilst he had a day off from his team’s training camp, spending the day with him having some fun out in the forests before finding a nice meal out, it really reminded me of when we were young and has left me feeling better about all this travelling that I’ll have to do with him passing on a few tips on how he’s coped this past year racing all over the world. We were always close growing up so it’s been nice to have our first proper catch-up since he came back home the last off season.
I know I’ll be starting these pro races a long way down on my teammates so it will be hard to give them a helping hand so I’m just going to have to try and find some guys that have a similar pace to me and try and ride round with them. Maybe later in the season when I’ve started to adjust more to the pro ranks I’ll be able to give Dubois and Gormley some support and prove that the team was right to try and help me into the pro ranks. If things go well then I hope to step up next year and show some glimpses of my talents whilst doing a better job for my leaders.
My main goal for the year is to build up some experience and stamina in these pro races and to become the first Sammarinese rider at the CX World Championships.
Ahh, Tekapo. Read: Holy moly wow ermagherd it's crazy here Tekapo Tekapo Tekapo whatdoido Tekapo lets go whatdoido!
So, Tekapo. The opening of the Coke trophy, my big ambition this season. And it's in New Zealand. Awesome. The course suits me as much as one with that much climbing can, of course it's made of a Vague or a Dao but if you get that kind of insane ascending and had to design a course, that's what I'd do. Especially that uphill sprint. It's like heaven to bounce on those pedals practicing there, just hope I'm there to actually bounce on said pedals at said place.
There's been talk (uh-oh) while I've been gone, there's a great chemistry and unity in the pack right now, obviously with Paul I've got a good friend and many more from various teams, and Goldenberg, frostily but hopefully friendly or at least respectful rivals, I've tried to talk to him publicly and at start lines but blanked. Then there's Olivier. I was a bit of a jerk to him right at the start if I'm honest, I didn't like his attitude when he came up to us and acted like his counterpart Giroud, all hair, much flair. But he's actually nicer beneath the exterior and although we're pretty different I think with work we could be friends. But that's got to start with me, I was cold and he's been suitably cool to me since.
So back to business. I've slipped down the pecking order as the first top 5 UCI rider at the time to skip a race. Definitely not quite sure on this one, it's only a couple more days and I steel feel good, does Vague or Schiltz feel better, I don't know. I've just got to ride, ride like my life depends on it. I want to hid the ground running in the trophy and in the following few weeks of racing which could suit me and aiming for some podiums to give me confidence and a sense of where I'm at moving forward.
Inside the team, Guido's publicly stated that the headache hing, the trading mode, all a facade. Honestly that's what Mark said to me, I didn't have trouble believing that as he seem out out and not at the level he was. Agains showing my periodically slipping interpretation of body language and others in general. Something that has cost me in and off the bike. Mark is just loving it, he's probably having the most fun in the pack and he's an interesting mix of eight year old who just loves riding his bike and veteran bike handler and tactician. He's an excellent older brother, even though he was a world champ when I couldn't read. I restyled that twice, no less awkward. Also talk that he's got his hand full with me? He's not big brother making me eat my Veges to earn money form the parents? Oh, you mean J7 sports contracts? No biggie but no truth in that at all.
So business. Tekapo. Must train but not too hard, it's a big race for me and the team expect me to do well in this trophy, the fans at the festival today evidently want me to do week in this races and I want to do well, well yeah I want to do well. Recipe for disaster? Nah, what could do wrong? Oh right, that's what I said right before I blew my podium chances in every race this season.
My time in Australia is over, as is the opening round of the World Cup. Melbourne is about as perfect a World Cup round as possible for me, well maybe Port Elisabeth as well. I had to do well and 2nd place is certainly "well". I tried my hardest to shake Lipawsky off and for a moment i thought i had it. But credit to Sylvain he clawed back and had some incredible reserves to sprint like that.
40 points is a great start as i hunt for the overall podium, as an added bonus it helps keep my front row slot very secure. Not sure how Tekapo will go, it's probably too tough for me to compete on but i would like to give the Coca-Cola Trophy a shot, so we'll see. Certainly i will skip the Superprestige in Whakapapa. I won't go well on that course, i have no interest in the competition, and it will allow me to be better preppared for the USA races.
Radio
The American races are coming quickly now. It's been a very quiet start to the season for me. Goldie and Power are kicking ass on the sand whilst i'm just riding myself back into things. Like Goldie and Power i'll skip Whakpapa to head straight to the USA and it's in those races where i'll start to shine again. For now i'm happy a bit further down and i get a good look at the rookies as well.
TDF
6th place in Melbourne was a bit of a surprise to me. Yes it's a very sandy race but it's a World Cup event and people make big efforts in those. Either other guys are still lacking some form or i've really taken some steps forwards in my riding abilities. I'm not going to complain! Race Tekapo then on the plane to the USA for my favorite month of the season, and final one before i head back to a domestic calendar.
Last year, Tekapo Cross was the side of Vague's first victory, back then he wasn't so sure about how his season would go. Tekapo Cross gave him the confidence for a long, stressful season ahead full of ups and downs.
This time around, it's different. Vague is already on a high coming into this race as UCI Number One. It suits him very well although the tactical side of this race can not be underestimated despite its heavy emphasis on the climbing. In theory, the uphill finish can be well enough decisive for Vague to take a second victory there and kick Carlise out the obscure record book for good.
He's in great form, especially Coca-Cola will be pleased about that. They have given Vague the right incentives to race for the Trophy again full this year; given he remains healthy and uninjured, it's highly likely Vague will be in this trophy for the long run this season.
It's not only about the money that this trophy provides; it's also for the stamina Vague wants and needs to build. In regards to Pyeonchang, it'll be vital to know how your legs will respond after a presumably full season of racing. Not skipping Coca-Cola Trophy is a given for this; forcing yourself to give your all in three classifications will be a challenge in itself - racing each to win them is, to say the least, the esprit of champions.
His teammate Schiltz has shown fantastic racing as well in his two races, and with his sights set on the Coca-Cola Trophy, the BKCP-Powerplus duo is undoubtley in a favourite position. Of course Vague is interested in the win (he's Vague, after all - it goes without saying) but there is also the concern about the team chemistry. Schiltz has lost significant time in the Coca-Cola race previous season due to Vague; he probably did not lose the overall classification but enough time to put him in a disadvantage in the contention.
It's still early in the Trophy though, everybody starts at Zero - so Vague racing for Schiltz is unlikely. Plus, you can lose and win some seconds easily throughout the trophy. And, BKCP-Powerplus knows that it's fairly dumb to limit your options when you have two winners on your side who can give their opponents a tough time any day of the week, who can make a lasting impact in the history books. It's good to keep both of them happy: By letting him do their stuff. However, this time around, Vague will not only care about the win but also about not putting his teammate at a serious disadvantage right from the first start, and keep him in mind when they are separate. Alas, that's what he is advised to do.
Edited by Shonak on 15-12-2015 01:27
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
Lachy Bauer is a man on a mission. He wants this one race, this one race so close to his heart, and he wants it more than anybody else.
Lachy, the crowds are flocking to see you all train and before the race early tomorrow morning. Many are overbooking lodges here in the town or camping by the course. How much does this mean to you?
Yeah the support I get every single year I come here just overwhelms me. The fans always seem to give me a few bumps up the ranking, as shown in both years where i achieved a top 5. I just hope the stars align and my legs act as good as they feel and i can pay their support back with a victory at last. It will be hard but I'm very experienced at peaking for certain events and I can't wait to race.
How does this course make you feel?
Good, of course the big hill is very important for me, there's forecast for light rain, hope it's wrong. But still I expect to ride all the way. Then some cobbles, I know I can hold position there at least and then more hills and the uphill sprint, on the road. Its all grass until the finish but I feel the road combined with the uphill drag will suit me a lot.
You are written off by many, how does that make you feel?
I know Vague likes, or used to like to fantasise that saying I'm out of it weakens me, personally I couldn't care less, if they underestimate me then that's their problem. I know I haven't shown anything much this season so far but I feel I'm near a high right now and hopefully that just translates into my performance tomorrow, that's when you can judge the performance, not before it even happens. But overall, who cares?
Do you think not being an overall contender helps?
Certainly, I'd rather take this win and not do well overall than come 6th overall and come 7th here for sure. Not many people who have a good shot at winning either would say that and tactic-wise, I'm free to take as many risks, or not, as necessary to take victory here. It's a smaller advantage, granted, but certainly one I could exploit to my advantage tomorrow.
And finally, how do you shake the best of the rest spot you've earned here two years running?
Easy. Don't spend the whole time chasing Cook or Vague, focus on being there early to make them chase you, or at least don't eat wind the whole race. That's easy to say, at any rate (laughs).
Welcome to the Tekapocross. Doing well in this cross is essential for the Coca-Cola Trophy. Tekapo is a climb-heavy course, yet strangely enough it never offers extreme time differences. You can't win the Coca-Cola Trophy here, but you can lose it for sure. Mostly, though, the top 10 is still close within the minute, so with seven manches left after this one, a lot can still happen. But fall outside that top 10 and the minutes go up quickly, at least that's what history shows us.
Weather Conditions
Temperature: 8° C
Precipitation: Rain, Light.
Wind: 2 Beaufort
Start Line: Tekapo in the rain, it's an interesting sight. However, it has not been raining that long and it's not coming down that heavily, so it shouldn't turn into a mud fest that easily. Still, it's an extra challenge on the hills.
Let's see what Tekapo has in stock for us today!
Lap 1: Green lights! The Coca-Cola Trophy is off. Eldfjallsson, Vague and Listerijn are fighting for pole position at this point.
Vague is on a high form and he can't hide it. He wins the early rush sprint and sets the pace high, he wants to make this race hard from the start, thin out the pack early enough.
The peloton gets stretched out because of Vague's pace. It's not easy to move up here. Young Forcellini, though, is very eager in his second race with the pros and moves up a few places early on. What can he do on this terrain?
Etxeberdea, the man in form, seems to have missed his start. That's too bad, he'll have to do some catching up to get back in the race.
On to the big Coca-Cola Hill, now. Can they ride it to the top in this weather? Vague wants to try. Lipawsky is on his wheel, then Cook, Mazzarelli, Listerijn, Schiltz, Eldfjallsson, Bauer.
Near the end of the climb, though, Vague realizes it's an impossible challenge so he dismounts. They all follow his lead. Maybe later in the race someone will attempt it in an all-or-nothing attack, but now it's safer and wiser to dismount and not waste the energy trying it.
Now for the descent. Technically not the most demanding, but with the rain it's getting slippery. And since it's a pretty straightforward downhill, the riders gather quite some speed. So it's quite dangerous in the current conditions.
Vague shows why he is called an artist on the bike. Perfect balance. Eldfjallsson slips away and goes down. It's tricky here!
Lap 2: Vague hasn't been away from the pole position a meter this race. But now they come onto the tarmac leading up to the finish. It goes uphill slightly. And now Vague looks behind for the first time in the race. What damage has his opening round done?
Cook, Bauer, Lipawsky, Schiltz and Mazzarelli are all still there. About 20 meters behind them, we have a duo of Robin Huser and Milan Listerijn, using this tarmac to make some extra pace and try to catch up.
Behind them, there's a bigger gap already. We see Etxeberdea, Eldfjallsson, Dubois, Van Dyck, Payne, Visconti.
And now Vague moves sideways, it's up to someone else to make the race. And so we have Lipawsky, always eager to race, coming to the front and set the tempo. Huser and Listerijn just managed to get back in this group, and so we have eight leaders after one lap.
Lipawsky feels good in the rain, and especially now with some amount of running to be done. Like this section, it's better to dismount. Only Vague stays on the bike here. He loses a place, but he managed to stay on his bike.
Second time Coca-Cola Hill now. What will happen?
An attack! Matt Mazzarelli makes a break for it! Usually he reserves his energy for later on in the race, but he wants to go early, now! Vague reacts straight away, Bauer gets in his wheel!
Lipawsky can't quite follow the pace, and so Cook takes over in the chasing group.
The three leaders dismount and run to the top of the hill. They have a gap, but Cook is strong and starts to decrease that gap. Lipawsky is hanging on, he can run quite well.
Mazzarelli with a sense of risk in this downhill. Vague keeps a safe distance, not to take any unnecessary risks. Bauer follows Vague closely.
Lap 3: The three leaders cross the finish line together. Cook is just a few seconds behind. He managed to shake off Lipawsky on one of the shorter, punchy climbs. Behind them, Schiltz, Listerijn and Huser are trying to limit the damage and get the leaders back in their sights.
This is a rather tricky section with the rain. Cook gets back to the front and so we have four leaders against four chasers, as Lipawsky fell back to group Schiltz.
And Cook is feeling good, now, goes immediately to the front and increases the pace. The power in his lower back, it's legendary. Vague digs in deep. Mazzarelli is a few meters behind. Bauer has been blown away. Literally, as a harsh gust of wind destabilized him there for a second, making him lose his pace.
Onto the Coca-Cola Hill, now, and Vague makes an amazing manoeuvre going over Cook and dictating the pace himself. Mazzarelli is playing yo-yo, losing a few meters, regaining contact, then losing a few meters again. Mid-race, he's trying to find his best legs.
Lap 4: Three laps of the seven completed. It's been a tough race from the beginning. Yet the time gaps are not that high, this shows that a big part of the peloton is really in okay-form. We still have 14 riders within a minute of the head of the race and the top 20 is still within 90 seconds.
The rain has stopped, now, but it's done its job. The ground is slippery. Not very muddy, but slippery enough to cause accidents.
Bauer on a section really not suited for him. Long and flat, alone against the wind. With his weight, he doesn't stand a chance against Cook, Vague and Mazzarelli up front. He looks behind and can see group Lipawsky approaching.
Mazzarelli is pulling through. Or the two rivals are taking it more easy, that could be, too.
I think that's it. We've been racing head-on since the start of the race, so they're taking a relative break right now, just keep the pace high. Try to catch their breaths a bit for the big finale.
And so Bauer is caught by the chasing group. It's Lipawsky and Listerijn who're doing most of the work here. Schiltz can sit back since he has Vague up front.
Olivier Dubois is riding a strong race. He just left Eldfjallsson behind and goes looking for Etxeberdea.
Lap 5: With this relative peace, Mazzarelli decides to profit from the situation and sneak away. Vague is at Cook's wheel and waits for Cook to bridge the gap. But Cook doesn't even seem aware that Mazzarelli's awake. He's playing bluff like only Cook can and just keeps riding the way he was. Mazzarelli getting smaller and smaller from their position.
The chasing group is falling apart, now. Listerijn and Schiltz have been caught behind, while Lipawsky suffered another flat tire. Luckily he was rather close to the pit.
Huser and Bauer are the main chasing duo, now. But that's already over 15 seconds behind the race leader.
The Coca-Cola Hill. What will happen here? Mazzarelli has about 25 meters on Vague and Cook.
Oh and now Cook goes for it! Out of the blue, he pulls his handlebars hard and increases the pace with several kph in an instant. Vague, taken by surprise, has to get out of the saddle to try and counter, but the ground is slippery and he has to sit down again instantly.
Nobody can get that much power while sitting down but Cook, and here it plays to his advantage. Vague can't match his pace without getting out of the saddle, but the slippery ground prevents him to do so, and so Cook reaches Mazzarelli just before they dismount to tackle the final meters of the climb.
Vague now plunges downhill with a sense of risk. He has to catch up quickly.
It looks like Cook's form is returning. After a mediocre start of the season, he looks back to the old Cook. Now Mazzarelli is leaving Cook to do the work. An eager and hard working Cook.
Lap 6: Vague in time trial position. He's only four second behind, so he's limiting the damage.
Meanwhile, Huser and Bauer are riding away from Listerijn and Schiltz, who have just been joined by Lipawsky after his flat tire. Lipawsky might still bridge that gap, he looks strong enough to do so today.
Rosanski is a lone rider in ninth position. It looks quite secure two laps from the finish, though. The place for place 10 is raging, though. Etxeberdea and Dubois are attacking each other regularly. Who will come out the better man?
Vague has caught up with Cook and Mazzarelli! And just in time, he takes a breather. It took him some energy, though.
Cook is still keeping the pace high. But Mazzarelli looks more comfortably then before. Is Mazzarelli growing in this race, or is Cook still not at the top of his fitness?
Further behind, Goldenberg and Van Dyck have really found each other well and are working well together. Both want to find out what they can do in this Coca-Cola Trophy and they want to ride for every second now.
Coca-Cola Hill. Mazzarelli takes the initiative now. Vague in second position, Cook now in third, overlooking his rivals. Who still has an attack left up his sleeve?
Vague overtakes Mazzarelli running and takes the lead going downhill. It looks like the three leaders have already started their final sprint. It's going to be a sprint of half a lap!
Neither of them think they can shake the others attacking, and so we're going to a sprint! But it's no ordinary sprint! First you have a good 150 meters uphill at about 5-7% in the field, then a final corner with percentages up to 13% on the tarmac, 50 meters.
Mazzarelli starts the sprint early, in the field. Vague follows him. Cook gets out of the saddle... Oh but sits down immediately, and seems to park himself! He's got no energy left and won't be competing for the win!
Mazzarelli turns the corner first, Vague still behind him. Mazzarelli is going strong, and if he's ever going to win a sprint, it's uphill like this.
But Vague wouldn't be Vague if he didn't give everything until the finish line. He still has an acceleration up his sleeve and passes the Italian a few meters before the finish line. A second victory of the season for Vague! Mazzarelli 2nd again, after Vague, again, after Blaarmeersen.
Cook is third, but look at that. In just over 100 meters, he lost 7 seconds. What a race it's been.
Bauer beats Huser in the sprint for fourth, but it wasn't easy. What a performance from the neopro Huser here, though. Hats off.
Lipawsky is sixth, Schiltz seventh. Listerijn eighth and looks completely empty, as does any rider passing the finish line here.
Rosanski is ninth and Dubois got the edge on Etxeberdea for place 10.
And so the Coca-Cola Trophy is off to a great start. This Sunday it's Whakapapa time, next Coca-Cola race in in Seattle. See you then!
The second manche of the Superprestige. A new cross, too. Whakapapa is as exotic as it gets for cyclo-cross, yet we find one of the most flandrien crosses we could wish for.
Race Information
Country: New-Zealand
City/Place: Whakapapa Ski Resort
Classification: Superprestige
Starting Time (Elite Men): 15h
Favorites: Francis N. Vague, Elliot Cook, Matt Mazzarelli, Sylvain Lipawsky, Milan Listerijn.
Record: New
Race History: Whakapapa has made an impressive bid on the cyclo-cross calendar and was rewarded with a Superprestige spot. Now it'll have to prove its worth and host a cross in the oldest classification in the sport.
Route Information
Technical: 5
Sand: 0
Uphill: 3
Cobblestones: 0
Whakapapa offers us an interesting profile. It's late October but around the Ski Resort where the race takes place, there are permanent patches of ice, along with some areas of snow. It's a tricky profile, perfect for the Superprestige.
The route rides like a roller coaster. It's constantly turning and twisting. Add ice into that equation and you're in for a very technical race. You'll have a hard time using all your power here, no, this is for the riders with finesse. Use too much power and your rear wheel slips away. You'll need to be able to handle your bike more than anything, and handle ice.
But there's more. Halfway the cross, the riders start going uphill slightly, but with the constant turning and twisting, they ride the uphill head-on, but then suddenly they're perpendicular with the climb and they have to try and get through a very skewed section while staying upright. After a while of this, things go downhill again.
The final straight line is 80 meters, and if things come to a sprint, the riders will fight it out here. It goes uphill slightly, but only about 2-3%. Not enough to have a big impact, but enough to get to the legs and risk blowing yourself out.
Expected Weather Conditions
Temperature: 4° C
Precipitation: Cloudy
Wind: 3 Beaufort
I cross the line, cross eyed and out of breath. I'm unable to think straight since the crash, I've just been so goddamn angry, damn the windm damn my skin and bone weight, damn my lightweight bike, can somebody give me a break, I've put up with this BS for almost 2 years now, you can stop! As you can see, I'm practically still in this condition.
I accept a Coke from, someone, and drink half of it then shove it back, the reporters are in my face, the podium music is at full blast and they ask me the questions, what happened, is it impossible for a pure climber to do well in the cross. If it was any other race where I got knocked off I would have given them a piece of my mind but I just staggered towards the mechanics, I just want to get on the next plane to Wellington to take a pit stop at home and have a sleep.
The race, woah, I felt amazing, I really did, I felt like I could beat anyone in the world. Of course Vague was as always on his other planet but the feeling of being in control was amazing. That's probably the fifth time I've been literally blown off my bike in the cross, all 58kgs of me. But before now Dunkerque where I was top ten was the highest I've ever been during a race whilst that happened. Today, I was in the decisive break for the race I've wanted to win most in my life after the Worlds.
Whakapapa this weekend, that's more of an outside chance than yesterday but I'm down for it, it's not Tekapo for me but it's a home race, maybe I could retire in peace with it on my palmares. Or maybe not. Either way, it will be the first time I do this jersey proud and a home race is a home race, in fact as a North Islander it's more of a home race despite my love for Tekapo. Matt also is peaking herem I know near his home it's a huge race for him and it suits him to a T, so we can help each other out if I can handle the ice. Arhur is excited, it suits him, but I think he's holding back for Perth.
So now for the rest of the season, I just want to win a race. I'm not bothered by overalls, may have a shit at Coke top ten and I'll ride all the races at least but a race win anywhere would be preferable to a top ten there. Of course it will be tough to defend my jersey again if Milan shows up but a three peat is a pretty Kiwi thing, plus he'll never here the end of it if he returns to Belgian licence in an Oceanic Champion jersey. Speaking of Milan, we caught up again yesterday, he seemed pissed. Don't hold your breath about hearing from him if his face was anything to go by, poor kid.
Good Day Mr Payne, we are in your home country now so how are you feeling at the moment?
I don't like to be up myself at all but at the moment I am feeling very good about my racing and about my form.
Speaking of your form, you finished 21st in a Hobart Race which didn't exactly suit your ability and then 17th in what was a tough Tekapo race. Have you surprised yourself?
I certainly wouldn't say I am surprised at my achievements because that really isn't the right way of looking at things. Hobart was certainly a race where I was hoping just to finish and the fact I finished 21st resulted in me being pretty chuffed. Tekapo obviously in my home country and I had a certain will power but it was definitely the fans that helped me out down there.
Your fans and support, certainly one thing you shouldn't lack at your next race in Whakapapa?
I know that my family and friends will make the trip down South to the mountain to watch me on home soil on my preferred terrain. I certainly hope that they will be supporting me and my All Blacks team much more than anyone else and I believe that they will!
The word of mouth within the media and experts is that you're an outside favourite for the race in Whakapapa. What do you have to say about that?
Is that so? I can confirm that I haven't heard a thing about this (*laughs*). Although Lachy does also seem to believe that I am in good form and that the race suits me and it is always nice to receive support from your team mates. I am however honoured to hear that the 'experts' have faith in my ability to perform well here and that is certainly something I will be looking to do.
A great result result here could begin to write your name in the history books of New Zealand Cyclo-Cross. Is this pressure that you think you will be able to handle? Especially against the likes of Vague and Cook who have been successful on the scene for a while now.
Well I'm not sure about getting in the history books but a great result here would certainly give me confidence early on in the season which is very important. I'm not feeling any pressure is exerted on me at all and I look forward to the challenge. Vague, Cook and others are very strong and experienced but none of them have ridden in this area before and I know this area like the back of my hand so I think I have the upper hand in this one.
Well, Matt, I wish you luck in what is a very important race for you and I'm sure we will catch up with you on the finish line!
Thanks man and hopefully I'll be a happy, tired and satisfied cyclist when that time comes. I shall see you all on the Mountain.
I got my first top 10 today in Tekapo, it feels really good to say that so early in my season, especially in a race where I wanted to take it slightly easier to begin with. Jumping up to 15th in the UCI ranking aswell is a brilliant move for me and is an area I've been battling around since I started, Hopefully I can hold it in Whakapapa. I'm not sure how I'll go there, the fact it's technical should really play into my hands as that's where I excel but I can't help feeling worried about those Ice sections. I think I should have enough technique to keep the bike upright but I know I can't keep the same speed through them as the others, I've just got to hope my losses there aren't too bad.
With Eldfjallsson likely to be strong on the Ice I'm going to have a hard time holding him behind me in the UCI rankings after this next race but hopefully I've got enough of a gap there already to do so. Estifanos and Sven are a lot closer in points but I don't know how I'll fare compared to them so I've just got to give it my all.
Edited by sammyt93 on 18-12-2015 00:10
Wow, That felt really good, I can't believe I managed to get a top 20 there, I thought that would be a far tougher race for me but I fared much better than I expected. I guess my training's gone well and my form from the Under 23's has held. I expected to get blown out the water abit there.
I got off to a very good start there and was able to make up quite a few places early on which really helped as I managed to get on the back of a group containing Bollinger and ride that for a while. the pace they were going at felt comfortable at the time, I've got to say that it feels like it definitely helped having some quicker guys to ride with early on and not trying to jump from rider to rider as I was expecting t have to do from such a bad starting slot.
I've not really got any hopes for Whakapapa and will just be using it to try and maintain/ build form ahead of Perth. I think that series is my best chance to shine and show that I do have talent and am not just here to make up numbers.
Oh and I can't believe that I managed to beat Gormley, don't know what was up with him today, maybe he was just saving himself for races that mean more to him but I expected him to be miles up the road from me, still if he was sandbagging that's one way to give the new kid on your team a real shot of confidence.
Edited by sammyt93 on 18-12-2015 00:20
Back-to-Back, Vague gave his return to Tekapo Cross a sweet victory to continue his streak through the history books. 3-1-1 is quite an achievement so far, Vague's reign at the Tekapo Lake is so astounding despite the class of riders such as Cook and Mazzarelli, who are always close enough for comfort.
With the Whakapapa Cross coming up next, Vague has little time to celebrate though. There, his quest for his second Superprestige trophy continues. Looking at the profile, there's little doubt that Vague has to be named the top favourite, especially with the departure of Cornelis from the field. The technical course suits him well enough, add to that the icy parts. You got a dream race right there.
At the Tekapo Cross, the story was the same as many times before. With the rain and the slight mud, Vague had at times problems to follow Cook on the slopes, but ultimately his great riding ability made him catch up with them. And whilst Cook was cook'd in the end, Mazzarelli still was going strong on his end. It's just that Vague has by now finely developed presumably his finest skills: To finish first. That he is able to get back despite being on the verge of losing a race, to claw his way back. And to settle the score on the line.
For his opponents, it must be annoying, but it also adds a certain extra flavour to the racing, when you know that Vague can win a race if he manages to come back for good. There's always a given pressure on the leaders at any time in this regard.
In a later statement, Vague declared: "I love racing here and to celebrate my second victory is a fantastic feeling; but I also now need to focus on Whakapapa already before the american events are coming up. It's true, my legs are doing wonders right now. I want them to be in this condition all season long, probably I can even get a few kicks more out of it. Cook is getting better, Mazzarelli is on a roll as well. The Coca-Cola Trophy is a great competition, we'll see what's possible after the Rio Cross though. Any statement before that race is a bit useless, simply because there's always a different situation after that event."
At last, BKCP-Powerplus was obviously happy with that win, but even the Coca-Cola sponsors seemed to have been happy to see Vague giving his all, thus representing and honouring the Trophy in its deserved way. With the upcoming fight for the Trophy, Vague stands now tall next to Cook - with them two gaining in importance for the overall fight, whilst some other favourites like Schiltz, Listerijn and Lipawsky conveided quite a time gap early on and have to play catch-up from here on out. "It's good for the Trophy", says a Coke spokesperson and continues: "It forces the action of other riders in the upcoming Coca-Cola events. There is plenty of time to be gained and lost, which makes the challenge so attractive to our viewership and the riders as well."
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
It’s been quite some time since I last had the chance to thrash my fingers through the faded, grimy keys of my antiquated keyboard. I caught myself with a bit of spare time, and I figured I would do that today.
Well since I last posted right here that confusion of futile statistics, surrounded by a faint, meagre synthesis of the most intense half-a-year of my life, a new season kicked off, while the good old fellow crossers are still there. And they’re still the same, mostly.
We’ve started off with the historic Duinencross, which the sloppy Irish boozer managed not to win. It might have been the dramatic switch he had to face this summer, when he had to leave Guinness and Irish Coffee to embrace the much cheaper Red Bull. I just focused on putting some muddy kilometers in my legs with a look to the following race, whilst still honoring my presence there.
Blaarmeersen – yup after 2 years I can get it right too, was just the proof I’ll have to wait for something going terribly wrong with Franny to win something. At the same time it was the clear evidence I’ll have a shot at being for the 1st year ever the first amongst the humans, now that Cookie apparently lost the shape of a time. Or at least I’m trying to make use of the time he’s leaving me to get some glory.
It was quickly followed up by some Australian races, which I obviously didn’t try hard enough to get some decent results at. Melbourne especially was an important event, acting as World Cup’s season opener. So far, so good with 4 top 10s in a row. Solid Matt.
Next up, I had to show off my skills in the Coca-Cola season opener – which is also my #1 objective for the season just so you know and so that I do not find any excuses later on, and I do believe I did actually. Vague himself admitted I was stronger than him that day. However no one like him has the ability to scraping the bottom of his everlasting barrel, and he stripped me of every single hope I had in the final few meters. I expected Cook to beat me on the line as well, but apparently he was done by then.
So what did I learn after 5 very unpredictable races (I’m yet to get a different result than 2nd or 10th)? Nouvelle will kick our ass. He will do it again. But he’s very free to prove me wrong.
And yay, I’m done with my cheap catch up! Whapakapakapapa is in front of us now, but for the time being I’ll just chill here in NZ. I should do well there, but I’ll bite Francis’ dust at best.
I'm happy.
More I just couldn't say after the Tekapocross, where I showed myself in a positive way, taking a surprising fifth place. After the race many journalists wanted to talk to me, but I replied to their questions very briefly and just said things like how happy I am. Some guys now say that I'm shy, but I don't have a problem with that.
To be realistic I have to say that the course in Tekapo suited to my likings because it includes uphill sections and parts where you have to use power, and that are my two strongest abilities. But that's why I like the course, it was also one of my favourite courses since the first edition, also to watch, and after the training laps, I knew that I can go strong!
That result was also good for my self-confidence after several mid-table positions. Now I know that I can Trust my legs and achieve a very good result, if I'm feeling good and the course suits me. And I hope for a good race in Whakapapa, to push my confidence before the start of the NES even more.
Who would've thought to find a typical flandrien cross all the way here in New-Zealand? Well, it's not that typical, but with the many twists and turns, icy patches and tough sections, it could've as well been in Flanders.
Superprestige means it's all about those 15 points. There used to be a time when we had 8 Superprestige manches, which meant a slight mess-up could ruin your entire trophy. However now with 12 manches, you can afford to lose a few points here and there. Still, Superprestige is only for the strongest, and with Vague winning the first race, you can imagine how the others will want to tackle this race.
Weather Conditions
Temperature: 4° C
Precipitation: Cloudy
Wind: 3 Beaufort
Start Line: It's pretty cold up here. But even further up the climb we have ice. No snow, though. It looks like we're in for a dry cross today. Vague should love this profile. It's perfectly suited to his needs and he gets a chance to hurt the competition even more in the Superprestige. With Cook still not in top form, he could put him at a distance early on in the trophy.
We're also looking forward to seeing the neopros doing their thing. With the season lifting off properly, now, they're adapting to the life of a pro and their results should start to reflect that. But today's a tough course, so it might be we won't see them at the front yet today.
Lap 1: The riders get the race started. Eldfjallsson is happy to see an icy cross this early in the season with Whakapapa added to the calendar. He'll want to make something of today's race and is off to a fast start. Vague is off with a quick one, too.
It's really a technical profile and it shows early in the race. I don't remember ever seeing so many corners put together. Left, right, right, right, left. There is no place to really get your engine going, instead it's all accelerating, braking, taking a corner and start over.
Vague takes the inside corner and takes over the lead from Eldfjallsson. He gets out of the saddle to get over this bridge. Lipawsky is moving up on the left.
This is a dangerous section. The ice here is half-melted and so it's rather slippery and wet. Vague powers through it easily, though. He looks very focused and is showing great gusto here. Lipawsky hits a wrong track and gets his front wheel in a hole.
Some guys are really struggling here. Bauer doesn't get in his rhythm and gets passed by Faizullah.
Vague takes this corner perfectly and Lipawsky has to leave a small gap. The terrain starts going upwards here, now. Lipawsky makes an effort and catches up with Vague. On his wheel is Eldfjallsson, then Mazzarelli, Listerijn and Schiltz. Where is Cook? Can't see him at the moment.
Now for the skewed section. Let's see what happens here. Vague rides at the top and goes strongly! Lipawsky and the others go at the bottom, since it offers a bit more stability and has a deeper track to ride in.
With a sensational ride here Vague is just riding away easily! Out of the skewed section and the gap is 5 seconds! Francis Vague is taking the aggressive approach, now who will follow?
Eldfjallsson wants to do his part and goes over Lipawsky. It goes downhill now and Eldfjallsson takes some risks. But Vague seems to float.
Lap 2: Vague crosses the finish line. He looks over his shoulder. What should he do now? He got himself in this position now, he'll try to go for it, I think. There'll be seven laps today.
The chasing group consists out of Lipawsky, Listerijn, Eldfjallsson and Schiltz. Obviously, Schiltz is doing none of the work. Further down the pitch, we see Mazzarelli, Etxeberdea and Dubois, trying to make most of their race. Wouldn't consider any of them top favorites for today so they'll try to do their best to finish as high up as they can.
Still haven't seen anything of Cook. Maybe if we can find his manager on the sidelines he can tell us what happened, maybe a mechanical problem or something?
Oh wait, there I see him. He's in around 20th position, quite far back. He's trying to move up places, so it probably was a mechanical that set him back early in the race. It's just not his season so far.
Lap 3: It'll be interesting to see how Vague plays this out. He's got 23 seconds already, a huge gap. Nobody can match his pace today. He makes no mistakes and just floats over the road. The others seem to be bothered a lot more by the many holes in the field. Nobody knew about this before they came down here.
Schiltz just blew his tire, one of the many today. The terrain here is not acceptable. Well you could argue that this is cyclo-cross, but the holes are hard to see with the water from the melted ice and whatnot. Listerijn, Eldfjallsson and Lipawsky leave Schiltz behind.
Vague is riding perfect lines and is already at the skewed section. He still starts at the highest point, contrarily to the other riders. But he keeps himself upright.
Lipawsky loses his balance there for a moment and decides to dismount. Listerijn and Eldfjallsson follow.
Ledoux is moving up nicely, he's latched on to Visconti's wheel, who's finally riding a good cross again. That's a first this season. Good to see.
Mazzarelli has really made a step forward in the off-season. He's become a better rider. Even on this icy profile, he is riding easily in the top 10 and now he and Dubois leave behind Etxeberdea.
And Cook is finally making up some places. He enters the top 10, now. However, this is already a minute down on Vague. For the victory of the day, he's come too late, but the Superprestige isn't lost, not yet. He's already 5 points down on Vague, though. So he can't afford to lose any more.
Lap 4: He seems turned inward completely. Here he passes the finish line for another four laps. Francis Vague. 37 seconds ahead of the first chasers. Not even halfway the race and it seems game over already. Only an accident can stop him now.
The three chasers try their utmost best but they don't get a meter closer. On the contrary!
Mikel Hammarling is not in his top form yet. But still he's riding a decent race. It's a bit too early season for him anyway, but this is a good first test how he's doing. He'll finish 10th or something if things stay this way.
Pieter Van Dyck has had a harder time adjusting to the professional milieu than he thought he would've. Today is no different. He's riding around with Lachy Bauer and Sven Welling now, though. Those are good pros so if he can match their tempo, it's another step up for him.
Lap 5: Eldfjallsson left behind Listerijn and Lipawsky, now. He's got a few seconds on them. This is all ages behind Vague, though, who seems untouchable today. His gap is growing towards a minute.
And Cook passes Visconti, now. With some luck, he might still catch up for the top 5 today. Though he'll have to reach Mazzarelli and Dubois for that. Those two are really working well together.
Ouch Paul Rosanski went down! He's not the first today, though. His right side is all wet, now, not pleasant to ride with.
How are the kiwis doing on their home turf? Listerijn is excellent, riding for the podium. Though he's half Belgian and perhaps next year not even a kiwi anymore. Ledoux is doing very well and is giving his best performance so far. Payne is riding steadily in the top 20, Bauer is a but further behind. The All Blacks are doing their best to show themselves in this race.
Lap 6: Two laps remain. Eldfjallsson got caught again, he managed to stay ahead of Lipawsky and Listerijn for one lap, but fell back automatically. Vague's lead is about a minute and 10 seconds, now. It's astounding. He doesn't slow down a second. He's doubled quite a bit of riders already, looks like we won't have that many finishers today.
Cook and Schiltz are working together, now, to try and reach Dubois and Mazzarelli. But it looks like Cook is too strong for Schiltz here on the uphill slopes. The rider from Luxemburg has to let the Brit go.
Robin Huser must've expected something else from this race after Tekapo. But the German has slipped and went down again, for the third time this cross. It's really not unusual on this terrain, but it's not pleasant.
Only one man has made no mistake as of yet. He seems untroubled by anything today.
Lap 7: Final lap! Vague has 1 minute and 33 seconds on the first chasing group. What a gap, incredible. And now he can start his lap of honour. A formidable performance from Vague, he is simply unstoppable at the moment.
It's nice to see McLaughlin doing a bit better, now, too. He had a good run there for a while two seasons ago but then he seemed to have disappeared, much like Carlisle.
Oh and now Lipawsky attacks! Listerijn counters immediately. Eldfjallsson has been taken by surprise and is left behind!
And a bit further behind, Mazzarelli wants to rid of Dubois. He is no sprinter, we all know that. So he accelerates on one of the bridges! Dubois does his best but it it's hard for him.
He's waving at the crowd, giving a few high fives. Three out of six races won. Considering three of those were sand races, Vague is simply doing whatever he wants. Three victories, two second places. Amazing. He crosses the finish line with a wheelie. The crowd loves it.
And here comes the sprint for place 2... Listerijn takes it before Lipawsky! Eldfjallsson is fourth, not too far behind.
And Mazzarelli just held off Dubois and is 5th. Cook is seventh and still has an option on the Superprestige, but he'll have a hard time, being already 11 points behind on Vague.
Schiltz is 8th, Visconti 9th, nice. It's good to see him do well again finally. And losing the sprint from Visconti are Etxeberdea and Hammarling. Ledoux is our first All Blacks rider in 12th, the team will be happy.
It's been a sensational solo, surely one of the greatest races in the past few years. Vague is unstoppable at the moment. And so the peloton, besides the NES riders, goes towards the United States with one thought on their mind: how to beat Vague?
You know the drill: It's one thing to win a race. It's another on how to win it. Whakapapa Challenge can be compared to Alpe d'Huez of last year. Mountain, snow, unique technical terrain, and a man on a mission, doing his thing. From start to finish as if it was him and the course all alone on the world. Fully focused there until the high fives take away the pressure and let him grab his second Superprestige win of the season, third in total.
What a solo ride today, Francis. You gotta love Whakapapa, right? How was it, walk us through the ride.
This course suited me really, really good, plus my legs are in fantastic shape. I've worked well over summer to keep my shape, improve on some stuff. The technical side, the snow, it suited me a lot, so I wanted to take advantage of that right from the start. I can start a race fast, just go my race. When I was upfront, I could go my own pace: That was vital, so nobody stopped or blocked your way when you could go faster. In fact, I got also very lucky because the other riders obviously blocked each other throughout the race whilst I managed to escape this trap. If I had been caught back there behind, I don't know how the race would have turned out.. When you have an advantage over other riders in some aspect, than you want to use that for as long as possible obviously. It's my super mario cart-logic, so today I felt like riding with some enforced speed, picked up by those golden stars. Super red mushrooms [smiles] To me, it was just magic but you get to enjoy very little of it throughout the race. But, this was also a special race & experience for me, so I wanted to thank the fans in the last meters, to really let it sink it in. Often times, like in Tekapo, you don't get to enjoy the victory that much in the race because you win the race on the finish line or in the last lap.. That's also what makes solo rides so lovely. You know all the fans are cheering for you.
As for the the course, it is really, really tricky, and it's your greatest advisary. To avoid crashes, to make your race fast, keep your bike in good condition. When I started to catch the first riders from behind, I saw how they had difficulties not to crash. Obviously it was the same for me, but I had the advantage of having the flow, that I was confident everything works. This is very, very important in such a Cross. The confidence that you can keep the bike all the times upright alongside the abilitiy to actually do it, d'oh. This allowed me to go the upper way all the time, to risk it, to ride it in a way that did not let me fall down. Around half-time through the race, when the Coach told me I had a minute, I knew I could only stop myself but I still kept my rhythm because that's how you lose a race, by taking off the edge, thinking you want to play it safe. But we don't do that here, we are here to race.
Some have said this is your perfect race, arguably next to Alpe d'Huez. What exactly defines this race that makes you that much stronger compared to other riders?
I don't know but I like to think that I force my luck on this terrain. That I ride with a mindset of wanting to take seconds out of every corner, every obstacle. Each acceleration in each turn is defined by purpose. I don't like to follow wheels in this type of races, I like to do it all alone here you could say. Of course I'm glad about my technical schooling from a very young age and that I have the legs right now to pull it off, but racing is also a lot of mental, psychological warfare; and I feel very good recently in this regard. Maybe that's how defeats can form you.
Cook is already 11 points behind, Lipawsky, Listerijn and Mazzarelli are your closest followers with 4 respectively 5 points behind you.
There are still 10 races left. Each of them is strong enough to make life horrible for me, to put up a great fight for the trophy. I am right now very happy about my form but especially Cook will only get stronger today. I don't know what happened with him today, but I won't ever make the mistake of underestimating him, neither goes for the other three riders. Then again, I make no secret of my ambitions this season. In the way it works out so far, I couldn't dream of a better season start.
Next up is the American November. Many World Cup races, alongside some Superprestige and Coca-Cola flair. Your goals for the Cup of November?
I'm not sure if I like the thought of a super month for the World Cup, it reminds me obviously of December but this 12th month is already exhausting enough. To double the effort seems a bit careless to me in regards to the riders. It leaves us little room for recuperation. Thus you have to be very careful with your energy in the next two months, there's need to rest well. I have done well enough in the USA events so far, I look forward to them very much. Much like the lovely NZ crowd, the American are also very enthusiastic about Cyclo-Cross, with many amateurs turning up to watch us Pros. Most of the races suit me very well, I think I can even limit my damage well enough in Rio by now, I hope. I want to be competitive in all classifications, November and December are vital for this. Right now, my shape is obviously fantastic, we'll see how it develops from here on out. It may get tougher but it's part of why I love this sport.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
It's been a magic reminder of what was 2016 in the first two months, when Visconti was suddenly contesting with the best. In Whakapapa, he was briefly back to this level, to that new sought-out self, tha the wish he could be always.
Though he lacked the power to follow most accelerations of that happened many between the riders in various attempts to make life tough on each other and create gaps, Visconti was certainly doing well enough for himself. The turns and pins were welcome, he welcomed the technical challenge of the parcour, and showed most importantly a certain elegance of coming back from the third row forward to finish Top 10 in a race that proved to be a real cumbersome challenge to actually pass someone and even more prominelty drop them.
But he dropped some riders alright and got dropped in return. Visconti was for now glad to have made his first Top 10 of the season. That it was still not enough to be Lotto's best rider is thanks to the incredible ride by young Milan Listerijn who did well to control his energy and seems to already profit from the knowledge of Cornelis & D'Anvers. Visconti meanwhile lacks in this aspect, the relationship with D'Anvers may be more of colleagues but Visconit has in fact talked rarely to Cornelis himself. After all, Guido is mostly occupied with the teaching and antics of his father, Raphael.
Together the two Visconti want to work on Guido's steady rise. Whakapapa was a first step in the right direction again after some setbacks recently. It's all part of the process though, and with the Americas coming up now soon, Guido may be soon tipped as a out-side bet in races that could suit him. At least that's what he is hoping for but the progress of Listerijn, Lipawsky and most notably Vague leaves little hope in that regard.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
Tekapocross - Preview
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Goldie
![imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg](https://imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg)
