Domestic Cyclocross Report and Power Ranking – Week #2

Vegas, Baby!

The spectacle that has become CrossVegas enjoyed one of the deepest fields ever seen on US soil last Wednesday—and lived-up to all the hype. A ridiculously large and powerful field came down to one of the closest sprint finishes ever seen in a cross race, with Francis Mourey coming out on top—continuing his successful US road trip. Mourey dashed Jamie Driscoll’s hopes on the finish line after Driscoll spent almost the entire race alone off the front. Mourey caught and passed Driscoll in the finishing straight, winning ahead of a World Cup caliber chase group. It was a race...Continue Reading

World Championship Preview – Elite Men’s Time Trial

Here’s a run-down of our top favorites for Thursday’s World Championship time trail from Melbourne, Australia.  Share your comments and picks below.

5-Stone Favorites

Fabian Cancellara

The last few weeks haven’t exactly gone as planned for Switzerland’s Fabian Cancellara He failed to finish the year’s Vuelta a Espana—much to the disappointment of team management—and was uncharacteristically defeated in the race’s one and only ITT by not one, but two men.  All signs point to a poor performance Thursday is Australia for the reigning World Champion, right?  Think again, this is Fabian Cancellara we’re talking about.  Do you have the courage to doubt him?

Tony Martin

Of the...Continue Reading

Monday Musette – A Closer Look

Editor’s Note: In today’s Monday Musette, Mattio takes “A Closer Look at Stage 19 of the Vuelta”, a stage that might prove to have been a good indicator of who will be wearing the rainbow jersey six days from now.

On paper, Stage 19 of the Vuelta looked like just another sprint finish.  However, the stage profile didn’t indicate the true difficulty of the last few kilometers before the finish. That said, it’s likely Phillipe Gilbert knew exactly what to expect—he finished 2nd to Paolo Bettini in 2008, when Stage 6 finished in Toledo with the same run-in. Gilbert is a...Continue Reading

2010 Vuelta – Winners & Losers

The season’s third and final grand tour came down to the wire, ending what might have been one of the most competitive grand tour seasons in recent memory.  Before we all turn our attention to Worlds and the fall classics, here’s a rundown of the race’s winners and losers.

Winners:

Vincenzo Nibali

Nibali iced the cake on a fantastic season for himself and Liquigas. His Vuelta win and his podium finish at the Giro this year, during which he rode for Ivan Basso, indicate more good results to come. The small things about his performance suggest a fine Grand Tour rider: the effective...Continue Reading

2010 Cyclocross Preview – 7 Women to Watch

We’ve spent the majority of our time covering the male side of things over the past two weeks—now it’s time for the ladies! Here are 7 women to watch this ‘cross season:

Marianne Vos

Clearly Marianne Vos is the woman to beat. While some say Katie Compton is the best female cross racer in the world, Vos has proven time and time again that she can win when it counts. Her biggest “failure” last year was two-fold: she finisehd 2nd overall in the World Cup and at the Dutch National Championships. However, Vos won the European Championships, the World Championships, and ended...Continue Reading