Cyclocross Worlds Picks
by brunopitton on Jan 28, 2009 7:24 PM EST
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PrintSo cyclocross world championships is upon us this weekend and I was just wondering who everyone favored to win the Elite Men's event?
I'm fairly certain Katie Compton will take the women's event, assuming she gets the muddy technical conditions she was hoping for.
But I can't figure out who's the favorite for the Men's race. Albert, Nys, Boom, and Vervecken all come to mind. There a couple others that could do it too, Stybar and Wellens to name two.
So what do you all think?
[Chris] Your humble editor chimes in -- I can't do a big preview any justice, but the races (men's and women's) will both be live on Cycling.TV and on-demand at Universalsports.com.
p.s.- I added a couple of links to some previews and info that others had already included in the comments. Thanks to everyone for compiling all this info, teamwork is great.
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Boom
I would think – not that I follow Cross very closely. From what little I’ve read this year, when he has been healthy and in form, he’s won consistently.
All I know
This should be fast. Anyway, Nys beat Boom in a sprint last weekend in Italy. So I guess the question is, are there certain conditions that favor Sven over the Large Bomb? I read that last weekend was on a pretty fast track. If the worlds are in the slop, maybe it’s a different outcome. Or maybe it’s a coin toss every time these two get into the finale together. Seems like there’s no shortage of secondary contenders too.
CQRanking.com, you complete me.
by Chris Fontecchio on Jan 28, 2009 8:30 PM EST up reply actions
Large Bomb is the better runner
so a technical course with mud runs might be better for him. He wouldn’t be my choice on a fast Worlds track.
I just think Nys is not my favorite here for a number of reasons: his poor Worlds karma, his focus on the upcoming Ronde, Belgian team disagreements, his poorer form this year, and the once-a-year focus of other cyclocrossers to deny him the big prize. I go with Albert.
You are wrong about that..
Nys, duuh, won most of the races.. I think boom didn’t won more then 7 races but still he is the huge favorit with Stybar..
btw the ‘mud throwing’ is very nice to read between the Belgian en Dutch
Some say the best things in life, are one the inside.
I need conformation from a dutch person on something.
I read on a danish site that dutch fans have something called “klap klops” , some sort of device with clogs that you clap together to create an infernal noice designed to scare the belgians. I tried googling for it but I found nothing (just regular klops/clogs).
Is this just a joke?
Ok after some googling.. First time I see it
It really exist.. It’s called the klapklomp.. Translation is clapwood.. It’s told that they could handle the Belgian fans with the noise it makes..
Some say the best things in life, are one the inside.
Haha yeah I think he is gonna be terrified..
So… I go with Stybar then.. It’s a fast course and if Stybar can hold the wheel from Boom he beat him in the sprint..
Some say the best things in life, are one the inside.
so is page out or in?
USADA cleared him, but I ran across a reference to the UCI appealing the decision.
Anyone got the story on that? Nothing on the UCI webby, CX Mag, USA Cycling, or Page’s site about worlds or a UCI appeal.
VN
Just says he’s in, but it’s a really short story, only from the USADA perspective.
Some way to prepare for a race, huh?
CQRanking.com, you complete me.
by Chris Fontecchio on Jan 29, 2009 3:53 PM EST up reply actions
on the subject of cross...
This was a rather depressing. Only one of the five US U23 riders will receive funding for worlds from USA Cycling. The rest not only have to pay their airfare, but also have to pay 800.00 to USA Cycling for “team travel.” Follow the linky to read the rest.
Grrr.
same in Canada
none of the Canadians (men, women, U23, juniors) attending ‘cross worlds will get any funding from the Canadian Cycling Association (and in fact I believe have to pay the CCA for a national team jersey and for the “team support” provided at worlds by the CCA ie coach), there’s a group (Friends of Canadian Cyclocross Racers) who do fund-raising every year for them. It has something to do with the fact that ‘cross isn’t an Olympic sport so the associations don’t have any money to spend on it …
yep
It’s exactly the Olympic sport thing. Still, though, we’re not talking oodles of cash here to get the elite U23s to worlds. Fortunately, most of the riders can rely on local or team support to get there. But eh, I don’t know, I think the national fed can do better.
I didn't do a proper preview because I don't have time.
I wasn’t planning this post to make the big time. So if anyone wants to do an enlarged preview, that’d be awesome.
If the conditions are muddy, we may see race like the
World Cup at Roubaix two weeks ago. Slop fest with Vervecken winning over Stybar and Nys. There was a ton of running and a sketchy downhill that most of the men were running. However, Compton was riding the downhill in the warmups but the organizers took it out of the women’s race.
Comments by Wellens
In an interview Wellens has said that Boom has become an arrogant character and that the Dutch team isn’t strong enough to support him in the race.
So I put my money on Boom :-D
More fun facts
Zdenek Stybar is from the Czech town called Stribro, which means Silver in English. Stybar asked some friends in the local town hall whether the name could not be changed into Gold. Ten days ago, the Czech living in Belgium received good news. On the day of the World Cup the village will be renamed gold : Zlaty.
I'd love to say Albert but I can't see beyond Nys or Boom.
Before his ruptured spleen incident, Albert was beating the pair of them fairly regularly but I don’t think he’s been firing on all cylinders since. He came back earlier than expected and it would be a major achievement to find enough form in time to win the worlds. He would have been a joint favourite with the other two, but that injury changed things. He may even only be there as a supporting rider. Plus, he also said something rather ill-advised about wanting to help his trade team mates rather than the other Belgians….will the Belgians actually want to help him if he’s going to take that sort of attitude?!
Katie Compton
Compton seeks to conquer the World
http://www.cyclingnews.com/cross.php?id=riders/2009/interviews/katie_compton_jan09
ba BOOM !!!
The weather forecast is making it look like its going to be a dry, fast course. I’m going with…
1. Boom ( who’s been calling this win in Hoogerheide going on three years now )
2. Stybar
3. Albert
Why did they ever disconnect the toll free Barfko Swill Hotline ??? WHY !!!???
by FrankEffinZappa on Jan 29, 2009 10:38 AM EST reply actions
Interview with Vos
CX Mag has an interview with Vos. She picks Kupfernagel, Compton, and Van Den Brand for the podium. But also says that worlds is her main goal of the season, especially because it is in front of her home crowd in the Netherlands.
Compton for the ladies
and Sven, Boom, and Vercecken for the men. In that order too.
"I didn't look for him and I didn't see him. If you base your race on another rider, most of the time you lose."
Tom Boonen
Race times
for those of you like me who have to really think and check and recheck the time zone conversions to make sure I’ve got it right … the early races (Juniors on Sat, Women on Sun) are at 1130h local time which should be 3:30 am MST, and the later races (U23’s on Sat, Elite Men on Sun) are at 1430h local which should be 6:30 am MST. The Elite men’s race is supposed to run 65 minutes, so should be over by 7:30 am MST. Which means that I am very unlikely to manage to see any of it live ;-) (I can hardly wake up by 9-10 am on weekends these days). I think c.tv’s coverage requires you to be subscribed to the UCI channel, can’t remember if that’s included in the Gold package (I think not for North America but not sure).
Huge uproar happens
and Powers passes them all with Trebon and Shriver following. LOL!
But just in case “that” doesn’t happen, I’m leaning towards Boom for the win. :-)
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
USA Cycling added Page to the start list
So Jonathan Page will ride Worlds this weekend.
CX Mag has the story. I’m too lazy to go to USAC for the press release :-)
Worlds Cyclocross
Are we just saying our option? I think that Sven has been really going at this season with great thought. He rides the early part of the race staying in the top 10 or so before coming to the front towards the final 2 laps. He has shown his overall speed and his sprint and i feel he is our man on Sunday.
Hayden
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