[ire]

Is anyone going to be buying Worlds off cycling.tv? Who are you guys rooting for? I'm hoping Compton can take the womens and I'm hoping we have a good showing by the Oregon guys. Is there a slim chance one of you will be attending?

 

[Squeak]

Cyclocross Magazine is having a live feed, with Tim Johnson doing commentary or something.

http://cxmagazine.com/live-coverage-2009-uci-cyclocross-world-championships-in-hoogerheide-and-tim-johnson-live-chat

I may have that going on the 'puter.

Wait, that would be starting at 230 am for me or so. Forget that! Ill read a recap

 

[Heidi]

Did you see this on the OBRA board?

also wanted to pass on this information that was sent to my team manager. It is a free way to watch the world championships. I am hopeful that this year will be the FIRST ever to have an American as the world champion for CX! Katie has had a great season and it will continue on Sunday. I am proud to be a part of this team and look forward to seeing her on the top step!
The links are from Universal Sports, a website and channel partnered with NBC that highlights Olympic Sports all year long. They are going to be broadcasting the Cyclo-Cross World Championships this Sunday. The broadcast will be free and they are really just trying to reach out to all the true cycling fans to let them know where they can come to watch these major events. They asked that it be forwarded and the word spread, so I am doing my part!

Schedule with Video Links ( the video links will come up as soon as they are available the day of the event): http://www.universalsports.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=23000&KEY=&SPID=13044&SPSID=105620

Cycling Channel Page: http://www.universalsports.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=23000&KEY=&SPID=13044&SPSID=105618

SEE EVERYONE SOON! Updates continue on www.suebutlerrides.com.

 

[ire]

Thanks for the links....I guess I should have read that email prior to deleting it! I also put the stickers on my OBRA license incorrectly I need to pay attention more often

 

[Heidi]

Thanks for the links....I guess I should have read that email prior to deleting it! I also put the stickers on my OBRA license incorrectly I need to pay attention more often

hahaha - those stickers are lame!

 

[Sghost]

Go Powers Go!

 

[ire]

I hope Ryan has a good showing

 

[ire]

the U.S. sucks I feel bad for Trebon, what a crummy situation. I'm going to go sit on my trainer and watch the video

http://www.velonews.com/article/87133/belgium-s-niels-albert-wins-cyclocross-worlds-ahead-of

Belgian Niels Albert may have some reason to thank his Dutch rival Lars Boom for his win in the elite men’s event at the world cyclocross championships in Hoogerheide, the Netherlands, on Sunday.

The defending world champion didn’t even come close to affecting the race on his home turf in Holland, but his strong performances at worlds last year and in this year’s World Cup series may have given the usually dominant Belgians reason to set aside personal interests and work together as a team.

“I’ve ridden for ten years on teams made up of individuals, guys who come to the world championship only to win for themselves,” said third-place finisher Sven Nys, world champion in 2005. “This year, we came as a team, with only the goal of winning the world title for Belgium.”

On Sunday, both the Belgian and Dutch national teams lined up with seven riders, the top squads in the 69-rider field. As has been the case in every race this weekend, the start — 200 meters up a moderate incline on narrow streets in Hoogerheide — played a big role.

Boom and the Dutch moved quickly to the front and tried to establish an early advantage, keeping the pace high and hoping to create an early gap. The Belgian team, however, would have none of it. Matching the Dutch in pace and effort, the team started sending riders off the front almost as soon as riders hit the grassy portion of the course.

“I think it was when Sven (Vanthourenhout) made the first attack and none of us followed, the Dutch riders figured out we were here as a team,” Nys said.

Instead of relying on Belgian superstars to chase down Belgian superstars, the Dutch were forced to give chase. Boom and teammate Al Thijs moved to the front, shut down Vanthourenhout and set a tough tempo through the first lap.

But then the Belgians did it again, sending Albert off the front. In less than half-a-lap covered, the day’s winner emerged at the front of the field with Czech rider Zdenek Stybar chasing hard.

“I like the course and I like that the cold weather made it fast,” Albert said. “It was ideal for me and I just set about riding at my own pace. I knew if I was caught, one of my teammates could carry it on.”

The new-found sense of cooperation seemed to take the wind out the Dutch squad’s sails. Boom took a trip into the pits reporting that his rear tire “felt soft.” He repeated that on the next lap, noting that his new bike “just didn’t feel right.” Whatever the problem, Boom quickly became a non-factor in the race, spending most of his day dangling off the back of a large chase group, dominated by uncooperative Belgians, who themselves were happy to see a teammate up the road.

Indeed, after Albert established a gap, the chase group was soon controlled by the Belgians, with Van Thourenhout, Nys and former world champion Bart Wellens moving out front, but never threatening Albert’s grip on the lead.

Motor-pacing pays
Stybar, meanwhile, did all he could to close the gap to the 22-year-old Belgian riding ahead of him. Stybar, who arrived in Hoogerheide this week to find the course surface hard and conditions to his liking, had even motor-paced sections of the course in training.

“I knew speed would count here,” he said. “I tried to see just how fast I could ride some of the less technical portions.”

The preparation appeared to pay off for the 23-year-old Czech and at one point, he even closed to within 10 meters of Albert.

“I was close to him on the stairs,” he said. “I got very close, but on getting back on my bike I missed a pedal and Neils’ advantage went up again.”

Albert, himself, had motor-paced earlier in the week, although he spent all of his time drafting out on the road.

2009 Cyclocross worlds, men: Boom, leading the chase.
Photo: Graham Watson
“Tuesday and Thursday I did a bit of motor-pacing,” he said. “I think that was enough.”

Nys rolls out of the chase
Albert’s training program wasn’t in question by the halfway mark of the 10-lap race. On each trip through the 3.1km course, Albert added time on Stybar and with three laps remaining, he had edged his advantage to 15 seconds, nearly enough to remain out of the chasing Czech’s field of vision.

“The best man was winning the race,” Stybar said. “Over those last laps, I was cramping and just hoping to maintain my position.”

Behind, the large chase group began breaking up and Nys emerged from the group, riding on his own and trailing Stybar by about 30 seconds.

“Stybar is strong rider,” the World Cup champion said. “I would have liked to catch him, but I was just happy to see the jersey back in Belgian hands.”

After 10 laps, Albert crossed the line with arms raised and then fell into the arms of his parents. Albert, who will celebrate his 23rd birthday on Thursday, has been considered to be an up-and-coming Belgian talent ever since he won his first junior worlds title in 2004. He added the world U23 title last year in Treviso, following in the footsteps of Boom, who also scored that same hat trick.

Asked whether the two riders’ wins in the past two years signals a changing of the guard in cyclocross, Nys shrugged and noted “that last year they were hailing it as a new generation and I finished third … this year, still the new generation and I finished third. What’s most important to me is that this year marks a change for Belgian cycling. After 10 years of this, I feel like I am part of a team.”

American troubles
After a protracted battle simply to be able to toe the line in Hoogerheide, American Jonathan Page wasn’t able to turn his team selection into anything close to his silver medal performance in 2007.

“Either way you look at it, Jonathan wasn’t able to have the best preparation possible for this race,” said U.S. team manager Marc Gullickson. “He’s had a tough few weeks.”

Page finished the day in 52nd place, a disappointing 5:47 behind the winner. Page’s troubles, though, didn’t compare to those of U.S. champion Ryan Trebon, who ran into a camera boom as he was negotiating a tricky part of the course.

Apparently with major contenders having passed, the directors were hoping to get a shot of the crowd near ground level. Unfortunately, Trebon was still coming through and struck the boom.

“He came into the pits to get a new bike,” said Gullickson. “It didn’t look like he was hurt, but he had banged up his knee … I think he dropped out on the second lap.”

Trebon was last seen limping toward a team van, but preliminary reports are that his injuries were not severe.

Jeremy Powers turned in the top U.S. performance finishing 35th at 2:54. Matt Shriver and fellow first-time worlds competitor Brian Matter finished 44th and 49th, at 4:44 and 5:19 respectively.

“I can’t complain,” said Powers. “It was a great race, fast course and a good day. Hey, I even saw the front of the race for a while. It’s been a long season and I’ve enjoyed every bit of it.”

Powers returns to the U.S. this week to attend his Jelly Belly team’s road camp. He will not, however, compete in the Tour of California, meaning that “I get to take a vacation.”

 

[Squeak]

What a lame course that was.

Compton had a pretty good race!

 

[SuspectDevice]

We are all just stoked to get J.pows home. His Crown Vic is parked in front of the garage door, and I can't find his keys to move the damn thing.

 

[Heidi]

Ryan has a black cloud that follows him to big races but it doesn't rain on him, oh no, it ****s on him!