Cyclocross Primer: Part 1

by zegnotronic on Oct 15, 2007 7:26 PM EDT Comment 16 comments

[editor's note, by chris] This is gold... GOLD! Thank you Zegs!

A quick and dirty european pro cyclocross primer. Part 1: Teams and riders.

Rabobank: The first name you need to know is Sven Nys. He is probably the most dominant cyclocross racer of all time, and at age 31, not out of his prime yet. Over 150 cyclocross wins including: 2005 World Champion, 4 time Belgian champion, 7 time superprestige series winner, and 4 GVA trophies. He's been seen occasionally racing Paris-Roubaix for the Rabobank road team. The second name you need to know is Lars Boom. The 21 year old is the current World Espoirs Champion and Dutch National Champion after being the Dutch espoirs champ the previous 3 years and the junior champion the 3 years before that. And of course he was the 2003 Junior World Champ as well. Nys has even tabbed Boom (along with Niels Albert) as one of the riders he fears this year. Other riders: Gerben De Knegt, Bart Aernouts

Fidea: Bart Wellens is the current Belgian champion, but has had to play 2nd best to Nys most of his career. Nonetheless, Wellens has won 2 World Championships, 3 Belgian Championships, 1 Superprestige and 1 GVA trophy. Plus he has his own reality TV show and he's just a badass, once taking a kick at a spectator who was taunting him. See it here. Now that is some impressive bike handling skill. Also on the team is current World Champion, Erwin Vervecken. At 35, he on his way down, but he still is a consistent top 5 threat who always seems to peak for the worlds, as he has won 3 titles and podiumed 5 other times. Other riders: Zdenek Stybar, Kevin Pauwels, Petr Dlask, Klaas Vantornout

Sunweb-Projob: A new team this year, notable for signing Jonathan Page. The 3 time USA National Champion was one of the first Americans cyclocross racer to move himself and his family to Belgium full time. His results have been getting progressively better each year, culminating in the Silver in last season's World Championship. Other riders: Sven Vanthourenhout, Tom Vannoppen, David Willemsens

Palmans-Collstrop: The team of the future with 2 young stars: 23 year old Radomir Simunek Jr, who won last year's World Cup race in Tabor, and 20 year old Niels Albert. The 2 time defending U23 Belgian champion beat Nys twice in last year's GVA series. Nys has publicly stated that Albert and Boom are the riders he fears most. Albert won the final race of last season (GVA Oostmalle) and the first of this season at Dudzele.

There are a smattering of smaller teams that I don't know enough about to write about. A few notables are: 5 time Dutch National Champion and 2000 World Champion Richard Groendaal has left Rabobank and will be riding for AA Drink instead of retiring. Several Americans will be racing a bit more in Europe this year including National Champion Ryan Trebon and Kona teammate Barry Wicks. And there are always a few established road racers who show up and do well in cross as well: Francis Mourey (FDJ) won the UCI World Cup in Treviso last year surprising Nys and Vervecken. John Gadret (AG2R), Enrico Franzoi (Bronze Medalist at 2007 Worlds) of Lampre, and Roger Hammond (T-Mob) are some of the other notable names that have had success at cyclocross.

Next up: The Races

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Quick expansion

Excellent intro by Z, to which I would add that Ryan Trebon (2006 US National Champ) has taken a lesson from Jon Page and moved to Belgium full time to race this season. He's 26 and has been racing at the Elite level since he was 21. He also realizes that to reach his full potential in cross it means he'll have to race against the best for a full season, not just show up after US nationals end in December. He got off to a good start over the weekend with a 7th at the Grand Prix Wallone on Saturday (Njis wins) and 19th at Superprestige #1 on Sunday (Njis wins. See a trend?)

Jon Page was 9th on saturday and 18th on sunday, while Barry Wicks stayed home and took both races in Ohio over the weekend. Wicks most likely will not go to Europe until after Nationals as he's not quite as focused on it as Trebon is. If that ever happens though they could be quite a pair riding in the front group. At 6'5" it's not for nothing that they're referred to as the Twin Towers.

"Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals ... except the weasel. "

by Drew on Oct 16, 2007 9:03 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Do tall guys have an advantage?

I don't pay too much attention to cross but it seems like all the best of the riders are as tall as trees. I presume they have a much easier time getting over the barriers than, say, Levi Lep. would.

by ghisallo on Oct 16, 2007 10:05 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Not necessarily

Sven Njis isn't tall at all and he's the best in the business, nor is Wellens. The barriers are only 40cm high so it's not like they have to leap over them.

"Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals ... except the weasel. "

by Drew on Oct 16, 2007 10:26 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

40 cm!

Levi would need an elevator to get over that!

by ghisallo on Oct 16, 2007 10:52 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

That's because Nys

doesn't have to get off his bike to clear the barriers. He started off in BMX racing and can ride over 40cm with no problems.

Also, most of the European races don't have many articifical barriers (40cm wooden planks) anymore and rely on natural barriers (steep muddy climbs) to get riders off their bikes.

by pbrmeasap on Oct 16, 2007 1:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He hasn't hopped barriers

in an awfully long time. It's frowned on over there.

A steep set of stairs are pretty popular on some courses that have a figure 8 so they can have racers running over the course while others ride under it.

"Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals ... except the weasel. "

by Drew on Oct 16, 2007 1:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Those fly-overs are pretty cool.

It's awesome that they can take the time and expense to "build" cross courses over there.

It's hard enough over here to get permission to even use a public park for a race, let alone bring in dumptrucks full of dirt to make an interesting course.

by pbrmeasap on Oct 16, 2007 4:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If it was

our national sport we'd find a way to do it. We have some very good courses here (NE) so I don't have anything to complain about.

"Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals ... except the weasel. "

by Drew on Oct 16, 2007 4:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ha

It's really not that high. When they run the barriers they are actually quite elegant at it.....as much as you can be carrying a bike on your shoulder :-)

Cycling.tv should be showing some races this season.

"Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals ... except the weasel. "

by Drew on Oct 16, 2007 10:56 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

PAGE PAGE PAGE

All us Yanks need to know is:

Jonathan Page!

Nuff said?

Racing for Victory and Free Beer!

by DemonCats on Oct 16, 2007 1:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Better add

Trebon to your vocabulary.

It will be really interesting after nationals when the Juniors and Espoirs head across the pond. Danny Summerhill had a fantastic silver medal last year at Worlds (after crashing out of the 5 man lead group and chasing back on), and he'll be one to watch again.

"Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals ... except the weasel. "

by Drew on Oct 16, 2007 2:15 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Tim Johnson will also be racing in Europe

for some of the cyclocross season this year.

by lyne on Oct 16, 2007 2:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I hope it's longer than

just Christmas week. Tim's an excellent rider and 5 weeks over there before Worlds would really help his form. Maybe if Lynne Bessette is staying (she's his wife) he might too.

I know Jeremy Powers and Jessey Anthony will be headed back over as well after Nationals but I don't know if they'll stay for all of January. I hope so.

"Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals ... except the weasel. "

by Drew on Oct 16, 2007 3:16 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Tim and Lyne are both going to Europe for cross

this year, and both would like to ride the Worlds.

by lyne on Oct 16, 2007 5:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Excellent.

I'd like to see Lyne B crush at Worlds. That would be uber-cool.

Does this mean that Tim J finally got a pass from the roady suits to play cross until worlds? That also would be uber-cool!

by gavia on Oct 16, 2007 5:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Totally

I enjoy watching both of them race.

The woman to watch from this side of the pond is really Katie Compton. She is an absolute beast (strong)and took Silver at Worlds despite being outnumbered by the French women in the final lap. She has a real shot at Gold this year.

"Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals ... except the weasel. "

by Drew on Oct 17, 2007 8:38 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs