You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
For anyone who wants something else to watch on TV other than the string of Christmas films, there's a series of CX races across Belgium almost every other day throughout Christmas and New Year screened on EuroSport (mix of ES1 and 2).
Yesterday was Zonhoven (and a 2nd place for Zoe Backstedt!), on TV right now (23rd, lunchtime-ish) is the Women's race from the Superprestige (Zilvermeercross) with the Men's race to follow at 2pm.
Race calendar here: https://www.uci.org/calendar/cyclo-cross/3H7WQ3LWt6yTH3oqeNJxdn?discipline=CRO
And on Boxing Day is a round of the UCI CX World Cup from Gavere.
That VdP performance was almost literally unbelievable ... if he headn't done it mulitple times before.
It is ruining the racing but it's not his fault. I think it'd be worse if he just sat in & pretended to be at their level
He makes a huge difference to the number of people going to watch though. Overijse felt almost empty but Zonhoven looked packed. If you ignore him the race for the lower positions was great
This season has had great races, both in the womens and mens. I have managed to watch them all on Discovery + this year. And yeah MVDP has just made everyone all the mens elite riders look "ordinary". It is like watching Tadej win stages in the Grand Tours and one day races. Very impressive but also very boring.
amazing yesterday. and what a course.
heading to Belgium early feb for a week. based in Bruges but taking in 3 races in the week. cant wait.
I think it’s amazing to watch
Why though? Would watching a Premier League team put 5 past a second division team be amazing?
I appreciate watching raw power and ability, but it needs context otherwise it just looks weird and crap, watching one rider completely demolish the field of riders you've been enjoying watching for most of the start of the season isn't fun it's just a mis-match. CX clearly isn't in the same league as World Tour road so when these guys get access to the top professional road teams they should just gracefully bow out of CX.
I reckon VDP might quit cx if he wins his 7th world title and equals the record
Why should he bow out just because he's better than the rest, it's not exactly a new thing, he's dominated 'cross since he made his competitive debut at 14 literally winning everything in site from there on in.
I think Wout's form was three years and however many crashes and illnesses ago 🙁
I was starting to root for Sweeck and Van der Haar this season, depending on the race, loved Van der Haar's Kopperberg Cross victory two years ago against the Beloise Trek Lions, a proper three up duel until the last climb, not all done and dusted in 90 seconds...
Just got back home from watching 3 days of racing (Hulst, Zonhoven & Mol).
Hulst was a great race to watch, as the banks in real life are really quite impressively steep, racing was good & the course was super easy to watch a lot from various points.
Zonhoven was nuts, if you are into CX then I would put it on the list to go & see, along with soaking up the atmosphere. In the bowl is a great experience, and watching VDP humble the rest of the field was impressive. There was a few key points around the course yesterday which he looked like he was just cruising around & everyone else was buried in the cave. The race for 2nd was pretty good, at one point there was about ~10 of the field taking chunks out of each other for 2 or 3 laps until it blew apart.
Today was also another VDP display of dominance - the first few laps it looked like he was just chilling in the pack & then got a bit bored, Sweek tried go go with him but the real time blow up was spectacular.
Ate too many frites & mayo, drank too many beers, went a bit hard in the party tent in Zonhoven, but had a great 3 days. Belgians know how to do cross.
Why though? Would watching a Premier League team put 5 past a second division team be amazing?
No but watching once in a life time greats like....Messi or whoever play football was.
CX clearly isn’t in the same league as World Tour road so when these guys get access to the top professional road teams they should just gracefully bow out of CX.
Should Thibaut Nys bow out now then?
Should Pog not be allowed to ride World Tour races as he is too good and wins too much...maybe you should make him ride cross.
Butterbean that sounds awesome, must do it one day!!
Christmas Cross eh? I bet they ride like the wind
Sorry to say, that got exactly as much credit as it deserved, IHN !
The 'Exact Cross' from Belgium on at the moment - Women's race just finished, Men's race up in a few minutes featuring the first clash of the season between WvA and MvdP who had an amusing over the bars moment in practice session which he styled out nicely.
It's the famous course that has 6 pump-track style rollers in it, looking like it's got some really quite muddy sections too with some hidden ruts. Sanne Cant had a heavy fall in one such section in the Women's race but recovered to take 2nd.
Huge crowds too!
Tim Merlier, the sprinter for Soudal-QuickStep is racing, he's right up the front too! British CX Champion Cameron Mason got a good start but is currently down in 16th.
It’s the famous course that has 6 pump-track style rollers in it,
Are these the ones that Pidcocks jumped a few years back whilst in the lad on the final lap and binned it over the tapes?? ?
How do I watch this on the telly box?
How do I watch this on the telly box?
It’s on Discovery+ or Eurosport.
Screw you all
Awww, somebody's weakened - or is that one of those hate-likes we keep hearing about?
😉
My word, Jez Cox is a shocking commentator - it felt like Helen Wyman was close to telling him that he was talking crap several times.
He started rambling on that MVDP had his Whoop strap in his mouth as some sort of sponsor plug, whereas he would have seen that it had come loose when he clipped that post half a lap earlier if he was watching properly.
Yeah, jez is a bit of a plum to listen to for sure.
It would be interesting to see how one of the full time cross racers did if they could do such a selective season.
CX always reinforces just how competitive, and international XC MTB racing is.......and far more variety of courses suiting different rider types. CX is basically all about big power, and lighter riders need not bother.
lighter riders need not bother.
I assume you're talking about the men here? You may as well say "anyone other than MVdP need not bother" because after that there's quite a mix IMO. There's no doubt that a flattish hour of racing needs power but what about Van der Haar, Iserbyt, Nys (said to be about 65kg on, err, wikipedia) ??
Oh, and little Tommy Piddles (who arguably lends "huge weight" to an argument that xco is all about low weight, just that he doesn't turn up all that often)
Floodlit / night time CX on now (5pm, Monday 30th), it's the SuperPrestige from Diegem in Belgium. Women's race on now, Men's in a couple of hours.
This one is a semi-urban race, it's got a long tarmac climb. There's quite a bunch of riders together at the moment.
The women’s race today was a good one and the men’s is a cracker as well. I think it’s is one of the most entertaining races each year, I’d love to head over to spectate one year.
Some nice showboating by the Alpecin riders there with whips on the bridge!
The women’s race today was a good one and the men’s is a cracker as well.
Men's race is a proper smashfest, they're knocking chunks off each other! You know what's making it so good? Lack of WvA and MvdP!
You almost need a split screen when MvdP is racing, one to watch his CX masterclass and another to watch the race for the other podium places.
It was a shame that Vanthourenhout had the shoe issue, he was flying at the front and making it look easy.
That was a heck of a battle in the last lap!
it’s the SuperPrestige from Diegem
Was there and it was indeed great, place was mobbed and the mens race was the best. Not having a big hitter there seemed to result in it staying together longer and I think there was something like 8 men within 10 secs of each other just before the last lap. Womens was a good watch as well and even further down the field there were little battles going in groups all the time. Looked like the party was just starting when I left at 10
Some proper cross today from Dendermonde - mega wet mud. Not really a dynamic race but big power and skill on display, some great podium performances in the men's race.
Been an excellent run of races, as per. National championships next w/e - UK is Gravesend, anyone know if it is televised (it was last year)? Both Thomas Mein and Cam Mason have had some strong top tens over Christmas in Belgium so should be in good form for it.
proper grim that today. Wout is a proper tough cookie. loved the last few weeks watching it all.
24 consecutive podium finishes for Brand, that is an outstanding achievement. Puck and Fem had a good scrap for second, Fem unlucky with punctures.
The men's races when Wout and/or MVDP take part are proving to be more predictable. Yeah it's amazing to see how great cyclists they are, both as a racing spectacle it's not very exciting.
I was hoping for more of a race at the start, WvA took his time to move up, but then it became a bit of a procession (maybe dictated more by the course!).
Shame they can't televise the lower orders, would much have preferred to watch Cameron Mason's race, think he started well, dropped down to 27th (puncture I think) then clawed his way back to 9th. Most exciting bit of the race was watching him try and sprint for 8th against Thibau Nys.
National championships next w/e – UK is Gravesend, anyone know if it is televised (it was last year)?
Not televised this year unfortunately.
The women's world champs race was an intense battle today - no spoilers in case anyone was planning on watching it this evening, but a great race.
Men's tomorrow - course is fast with some hard elevation changes, with enough sticky mud to create some technical selections, punishing of small mistakes or loss of momentum. Hard to think that MvdP won't just flay it to death, but Wout is on the premises (in case anyone missed his change of heart) so will want to show well.
Women's U23 tomorrow also at 12noon uk time with Zoe Backstedt starting as favourite to retain her title. No UK representation in the women's elite race today (also men's U23) - an unpopular decision that's seen plenty of discussion the past couple of weeks.
Totally agree the women's Elite race was excellent, they left it all on the course. Bitter sweet feeling after watching every Cyclocross race on Discovery+ this season that this is the final month of racing before it disappears to TNT.
And I would say the men's race tomorrow will be a MVDP masterclass once again.
That women’s race was fantastic, probably one of the best races this season.
Today should be interesting, it’s difficult to see anyone bettering MvdP with the way he’s been riding this season.
Same goes for Zoe Backstedt, the way she’s been riding this season it’s hard to see past her getting another rainbow jersey.
WvA has thrown his hat into the ring as a very late addition to the men’s race. Might get a competitive event now. ?
Both the ladies races yesterday are well worth watching.
UCI website said it would be on BBC iplayer, but I couldnt find it, watched highlights on youtube instead, some good racing.
U23 Women on now (I'm watching on Discovery+), what a great race. Some proper battles going on, lots of back and forth. Close then it's not, then it is....
It's a fantastic course as well.
Is jealous, can't see it on HBO Max. Going to have to wait for the mens
Men's race starting in a couple of minutes.
Thomas Mein and Cameron Mason for GB.
WvA is on the 4th row, some talk of tactics within the Belgian team for the higher gridded Belgian riders to potentially lead him through / move out of the way to get him to the front.
Why was WvA starting on the fourth row???
He didn't have enough ranking points to be gridded higher due to his short racing schedule. Compounded by missing a couple over Christmas with illness.
He's frequently come through the field very fast starting from deep, but you always need a bit of luck doing that. Didn't get the run of things yesterday and got badly caught up first lap. Shame as he looked great once he'd moved up, but I doubt he could have contested that course with vdP.
Seemed like a very hard technical lap, with riders not sure on pressures plus significant puncture risk - e.g. Toon Aerts was in great form for the race but had three flats.
Watching the women's elite I overheard commentators talking about punctures and it being quite a 'stony' track.
He didn’t have enough ranking points to be gridded higher due to his short racing schedule. Compounded by missing a couple over Christmas with illness
Something really wrong with Wout's/Belgium's thinking there. If he'd been top 16 world cup ranking he'd have been gridded at row 2. He would easily have manahed that if he'd ridden last Sunday, but he chose not to. It was either a genuinely last-minute decision to race (even in the knowledge that he'd be well down the grid) or else somebody got the gridding rules wrong and it went from being clever mind-games to prettty much being doomed from the off even if he did smah it up the start straight