PHOTO BY BALINT HAMVAS | CYCLEPHOTOS.CO.UK
Sunday’s Süpercross Baden in Switzerland will mark the start of the 2012/13 cross season in Europe. This C1 race promises a lot of UCI points and a lot of action as some of the best cross racers in the world will line up on Sunday. While this is a predominantly Swiss race, the talent coming from outside of the country should dominate. Here are my predictions:
The Winner
Sven Nys – The “Cannibal of Baal†should reign supreme in a race that he wants to win. Nys may be entering the last season of his storied career, and will be looking to take advantage of every opportunity he can. He focused all year on the Olympics, but we all know when it’s time for cross, Nys is there. It may be close, but I expect him to take the top step of the podium.
The Podium
Francis Mourey – The always consistent Mourey kicks off his season in Baden. Mourey is dominant on his native soil, but seems to struggle to win outside of France. He was the runner up last year and looks set to be the runner up again. If he can get a head of Nys early, he could take home the victory, but I’d call it an upset if he does.
Simon Zahner – There’s a handful of riders who could be battling for third on Sunday. Zahner gets the edge for one simple reason: he’s Swiss. While he’s no lock, I think a Swiss rider will finish on the podium this weekend and Zahner looks to be the best choice. However, Steve Chainel, Enrico Franzoi, Thijs Van Amerongen and Sven Vanthourenhout should all be in the battle for third. Should Zahner falter, look for Marcel Wildhaber or one of the Flückiger brothers to be the top swiss rider.
I’m still working on a method to keep track of my predictions, but I hope to have some sort of points system in place after this weekend. As always, your comments and/or predictions are welcomed. Feel free to let the world know who you think is going to win.