The next best thing to watching the opening Cross race of the season? Doing my own race with JSallee... Or! A roll of pics from our own man on scene, Patrick Verhoest! Sounds like a lovely, muddy day in Ruddervoorde, with Niels Albert shoving Roger De Vlaeminck's words back in his face after De Vlaeminck told the media Albert doesn't work hard. The 25-year-old former arc en ciel has his legs back under him now, and he held off Bart Aernouts for the win today, with Klaas Vantournout a wee bit further in arrears. 4-5-6 were Sven Nys, Bart Wellens and Zdenek Stybar (shown above, looking resplendent in his rainbow Merckx and Quick Step kit). Shocking, I know, but it's early. And it promises to be a very, very competitive cross season if these guys can all stay healthy.
Way more pics on the flip!
I know people in Seattle love cross, and we turn out a good crowd. But it looks nothing like this:
Air Styby! I'm guessing this was in warmups, and that the crowd loved it:
Your Man of the Match, Belgian Champion Niels Albert:
This guy will be heard from...
It wouldn't be cross season without this guy, ol Sven Nys, even if he might not do his Hulk moment til early November...
If you don't love this picture, you haven't figured out Cross yet.
And your podium...
This guy went home happy:
And this bike got a well-deserved scrubdown...
All photos by Patrick Verhoest