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So the short track kicked off on Friday, Kate Courtney looked very strong tactically and physically and Nino’s been off his pace through the winter. MVDP looked very strong and punchy to win the men’s short track.
Full Womans XCO kicks of 10am Sunday all in Red Bull TV, here we go...
I'm guessing at Langvad & VdP FTWs.
I'll be watching on catch up later 🙈🙉
Well, this is looking interesting!
It certainly is. I'm thinking theres going to be some surprises in the Mens race also.
Annie Last 🙁
Isla Short in 22nd is good progress for her.
That turned into a slip slop fest!
Cracking race for MvdP to fight his way back. I suspect that Nino went out hard to force MvdP to blow up, but in the end it backfired as Nino came off worse.
It’s was a great race, nice to see it mixed up a bit. Schurter confirms you thoughts on Instagram Dawson, and also adds he couldn’t, stay with the pace after he’d been passed. A shame that Lars fell, I wonder if he’s the new Nino, because whatever Scott did to train him and Courtney has raised their game a fair bit.
So, is it long live the king... or will Nino reign in next weeks more technical terrain?
They're most impressive aren't they ! LOL
MvdP shocked me again by his comeback... I'm sitting there thinking "nah, he's not got it today...." but he pulled it back most impressively with great pacing.
Course seemed a lot better than the Sprint layout anyway. But it does turn into a crapfest when it rains there LOL.
Neff is a bit tasty on the downhill stuff LOL... i bet she'd trounce the lot of us on a downhill section !
@weeksy There's some interesting videos on Red Bull tv - season summary/preview type things - that look at this. She's head and shoulders above the others on the dh, gains so much time!
Brilliant racing.
I was left a bit opened mouthed after watching the short track once I worked out their avarage speed.
The men were lapping the short course in just over 2 mins, so if my maths are correct, thats over 55km/h per hour right !
I tired to ride my road bike - on the road - on a flat section, as fast as I could. For a short period of time I saw just over 40km/h. How they manage that sort of speed, for 20 mins, off road up hills and on fat tyres is pretty impressive.
What sort of FTP do they have, as the short track is not techy, their speed must be due to power more than skill.
Zone entered:
The men were lapping the short course in just over 2 mins, so if my maths are correct, thats over 55km/h per hour right !
Nah, not having that for a second. At the TDF they're happy doing that for a shortish TT on the road... No chance on the trails, even nicely groomed ones like the short circuit.
I'd love to be proven wrong though.
What sort of FTP do they have, as the short track is not techy, their speed must be due to power more than skill.
Well over 400W I'd say, considering MvdP was up over 800W peaking at something like 1400W when he won Amstel Gold and Sam Gaze reportedly puts out the most wattage on the UCI MTB circuit so he must be hitting mega watts, considering he's frankly massive for a pro cyclist at 6'2" and 85kg
The article below from a couple of years ago says 400W, i'd bet its higher now.
https://cyclingtips.com/2017/11/mathieu-van-der-poel-is-most-talented-bike-racer-on-planet/
Haven't watch racing for years - really enjoyed this weekend's XCC/XCO.
The men were lapping the short course in just over 2 mins, so if my maths are correct, thats over 55km/h per hour right !
Nah, not having that for a second. At the TDF they’re happy doing that for a shortish TT on the road… No chance on the trails, even nicely groomed ones like the short circuit.
I’d love to be proven wrong though.
AFAIK an XCC course is 2km. Van Der Poel did 9 laps, his time was 20:28. Working it out in my head that's an average speed over 50km/h - 30mph?? Can that be right? Amazing if so.
Victor Koretzky did 19.1mph. With watts for stat nerds:
https://www.strava.com/activities/2375138000/analysis
Which is frankly, nuts
AFAIK an XCC course is 2km.
Not the case then looking at those Strava stats. Just over a km per lap, explains the superhuman average speed I worked out 🙂 Still mind-boggling though.
Impressed with Malene Degn getting a top 10 in her first Elite race.
Mathieu van der Poel winning 2018 Dutch national road race championship in style
https://twitter.com/Peter_SagFan/status/1013422014386851842
Nino's posted some numbers on Insta, qualified by it being wet and slippery:
Average NP: 368w
Start Loop NP: 461w
Average NP on the long climb: 421w
Nino's weight @ 68kg
This means he raced with an average NP of 5.4w/KG!
How the chuffin' hell do you take a hand off your bars and shove someone out of the way mid-sprint?!?!?!?!
That's some serious wattage from Nino, given that he didn't win MVDP must be approaching 6W/KG as their handling skills are pretty much on a par
Just watched the short track, MVDP seems to do what he wants when he wants, should be an excellent season. It'll be good when Gaze is back for a power shoot out
Odd race, that "main" XCO (men & women) - venue looks tame but then somebody greased it while nobody was looking ! The fall on the boardwalk by one of the women was nasty.
Not sure it does much for predicting the season's outcome.
My guess is they might drop the venue or move to mid-summer as I think it was much the same last year, wasn't it ?
It was consderably worse last year yes. They did make it a lot 'better' in some ways, but removed masses of character in the process. I'd certainly think about moving the date, but then again there's no reason in May it has to be soaked, it's not like we've had much rain in the UK/Europe mostly.. but certain bits, wrong time.... yup, mud-fest.
That was an exciting womens race.
It was. Courtney v. impressive this year so far. Coverage seems to be missing key points in the race? Courtney flatting early on, then Tauber's mechanicals from the lead on the last lap (how do you miss that?)
Gutted for Anne Tauber she was going so well.
Agreed. Was building up to a tense finish - Tauber off her bike and running up that elite climb, Courtney catching but tiring...
WTF where the racing gone?
WTF where the racing gone?
What the RBTV stream? Working here.
Mine changed to some freeride film, had to close the app and re-launch it.
Yesssssssssssss.
That some pace they kept up for 7 laps.
Boom! Get in!
The way VDP gapped Nino on that last lap was incredible!
Booom - MVdP took 15 seconds out of Schurter on that last climb. Even if he waiting for the sprint, Schurter couldn't really expect a different outcome.
Some boy. Has won Cyclocross everything, 4 classics wins inc. amstel. Couple of Short tracks and a XC World Cup proper all in one season. I don’t think we’ve seen anything like it. ever.
Marianne Vos? She won on the road, mtb, cx and even in the velodrome.
Pauline Ferand Prevot won MTB, Road and CX world titles in the same year
Not sure we'll ever see that again
In terms of sheer dominance of events, though, VdP may be on for a record of sorts this year/season
Vos I’ll give you. Trying not to be churlish about someone who held 3 world titles but MVP edges prevot for me.
I guess I like the way he’s ripping up recieved wisdom in the men’s cycling. For years good mountain bikers, cross riders have only really proved themselves once they’ve won on the road. MVP seems to be focused on CX and MTB and winning road for fun in his off season. If anything it’s showing how good the likes of schurter, toon aerts, van aert really are.
Nino just went backwards but then MVDP is 10 years younger!
MVdP is a kid relatively speaking. It'll be an interesting career to follow. He rides like a 4th cat on the road* If he was more tactical and had a team around him to support he'd be unstoppable - like a better version of Sagan.
*Or just like a mtber/cxer where the tactics are different i suppose.
He just rides on the road like someone who doesn't care whether he wins or loses, and doesn't have a big name DS and team telling him what to do. At top pro level they're often petrified of doing too much work and then losing and that becomes self-fulfilling (see Flanders).
If he can win Amstel, Dwars Door Vlaanderen and Brabantse Pijl with no real support beyond Stijn Devolder then he can win anything that isn't a GT already.
I would love to see the whole short track race from the on bike view. Looks flipping fast and furious.
Looking forward to this weekend. It's been a cracking season so far; especially the women which has been very open. Men's could have been a bigger contest, but can only really see it going one way barring incident.
Charlie Aldridge wins junior men!
And great rides from the other junior men and women.
Finally the Supercalibre is revealed...
Seems to go quicker without that cover on it 🙂
Great move by Neff
An amazing ride from Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and a good finish for Annie Last, good to see Emily Batty finish in the top 10.
So, Nino wins again and finally wins at short track great tactics slightly aided by Alvensini’s crash. But what happened to Yolanda Neff I the short track? I do wonder whether she held back deliberately to give Kate Courtney a proper beating tomorrow.
That was a significant bonk after her furious first lap. Kate needed the points and will have been well into the hurt locker yesterday. First time in 3 events she's actually looked strong though.
Should be a good'un tomorrow!
Just caught up with the short track. Can't wait for the women's xc tomorrow should be a good race. It's also great seeing Jenny Rissveds back in form and winning.
Yeah, loving the women’s XC this year. Very closely fought races.
The men's just isn't exciting me in the same way.
What time today?
5:00pm
Now playing.
Oh dear 🙁 Sickness?
Kate looks like she's suffering 🙁
Annie's looking on fine form 🤞
🥉🥰
Not the fight between Neff and Courtney I was expecting but great fight for the 3rd overall position.
Great ride from Annie Last.
Ah damn, I took Terpstra out of the fantasy team this morning and put in Rissveds. Cracking race though. Intriguing how it ebbed and flowed throughout.
drama!
coming in hot!
Lol indeed.
Njno on fire still
great race that!
Not sure I would have been hugging my team mate if I had dragged him back into contention from 30 secs down, to have him suck my wheel and steal the victory.
A fantastic race in every aspect for the Scott team I thought.