International Cyclocross Weekend Wrap-Up: Nys Guys Finish First

A last-lap mechanical cost Sven Nys his shot a victory in Antwerpen last year. This year, Nys rode the race to near perfection, taking the victory a head of Tom Meeusen and Dieter Vanthourenhout. Meeusen continues to have a stellar season with another solid ride, while Vanthourenhout surprised many with his podium finish. U23 World Champion Lars Van der Haar rode with the Elite Men for just the third time this season, finishing seventh, 1:10 behind Nys. Finally, Nys showed a bit of brains over brawn by running the barriers on the final lap, rather then bunny hop them...Continue Reading

International Cyclocross Weekend Preview: Around the World

Last year, the action in Antwerpen, Belgium got started early, when a dog dug up a grenade from WWII in the sand that is prominent throughout the course. After a slight delay, Radomir Simunek picked up the victory, his second in Scheldecross. Other previous winners include Sven Nys (2009,2005), Thijs Al (2008) and Niels Albert (2006). With Zdenk Stybar skipping the race, the battle should come down to the Belgians Kevin Pauwels and Sven Nys. Niels Albert is on the preliminary start list and if he shows, it will be interesting to see how his broken wrist is doing. Perhaps...Continue Reading

North American Cyclocross Weekend Preview: USGP, Bend

Jeremy Powers, meanwhile, has won the last three USGP races and taken over the series lead. Trebon sitting out and Geoff Kabush in a distant third, Powers could sleepwalk to the overall victory. Kabush would need to win both races, and Powers would need to crumble disastrously in order to not score the points to hold off Kabush – in all likelihood, we’re looking at a Powers victory of the USGP for the second year in a row.

The front of the race will be a bit more of a question mark. Recent months have seen major races turn into the...Continue Reading

North American Cyclocross Weekend Wrap-Up: Bi-Coastal Edition

Shimano and Verge Series Finals: NBX Gran Prix

A pair of races in Rhode Island played host to the final installment of New England’s major professional cyclocross series. East Coast hardman Justin Lindine had dominated much of the series and much of the East Coast racing for a good chunk of the season, but the tables had been turning, hinging on the Cycle-Smart International in November, when Luke Keough went two for two and took over the series lead. All eyes were on the pair to see how the series would play out.

The Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com squad showed up with Jamey Driscoll and...Continue Reading

Monday Musette: World Cup Wrap-Up

1. With Kevin Pauwels’ victory in Igorre, it looks like he shrugged off a pair of losses to Sven Nys last weekend. This time, Pauwels didn’t give Nys an opportunity to box him out in the sprint, instead distancing himself from Nys and the rest and going solo for nearly five laps. For a guy who won most of his races last year in the sprint, this represents an admirable bit of physical maturity.
2. It should be noted that Nys lost touch with Pauwels due to a flat tire. It was a bit of poor luck that Nys nearly overcame, swapping bikes...Continue Reading