Cyclocross World Cup Round 5 Preview: Namur
by mattio
Coming off another action-packed weekend of International cyclocross, here’s this week’s installment of Pavé’s power rankings.
1. Kevin Pauwels (1) - Pauwels is on fire. It’s not that he’s winning races – we knew he was capable of that – but rather that he’s riding away from Niels Albert early in the race and then dumping Zdenek Stybar late in the race. And he’s doing it all sorts of ways, too – going solo one week, outsprinting somebody the next week, and this past week, outmaneuvering his opponent late in the race. His performance is causing Nys and Stybar to deliver tweets of admiration...Continue Reading
As predicted, the 14th edition of this race in Dottignies, Belgium came down to Belgian National Champion Niels Albert, World Champion Zden Stybar and French National Champion Francis Mourey. Albert was able to slip away from the rest of the competition, beating Stybar by 12 seconds. The real surprise was Radomir Simunek, who finished third, right behind Stybar and in front of Mourey. Mourey once again takes 4th place in an international race, and we can’t decide if his ability to do so is an exciting confirmation of his talent, or if it’s starting to get a little bit boring....Continue Reading
French National Champion Francis Mourey went two-for-two in his native France this past weekend, proving that he has great form. Mourey won this race last year and is a favorite to win again, but in order to do so he’ll have to content with a handful of competitors who usually best him. Belgian National Champion Niels Albert will be looking to rebound from a bad race on Tuesday’s Koppenbergcross and should provide a good challenge for Mourey. Zdenek Stybar is a late addition to the start list and would love to finally take the top step of the podium after...Continue Reading
Superprestige Round 2 – Zanhoven (C1)
Conditions in Zonhoven were a clear challenge to the riders. Two features were immediately noticeable: a pair of precipitously steep descents through deeply-rutted sand, and the corresponding run-up. The descents caused many people problems – Tom Meeusen wasn’t the only rider to crash, going over his bars after losing his front wheel, but he managed to do so right in front of Bart Aernouts, who in his attempt to avoid Meeusen, launched himself over his bars and landed squarely on Meeusen’s bike. The run-up, meanwhile, was a steep, loose, long grind – by the end...Continue Reading
Superprestige Round 2 – Zanhoven (C1)
After two weekend in the Czech Republic, the world’s top cross riders head to Zanhoven, Belgium for round two of the Superprestige series. All eyes will once again be on Zdenk Stybar who would love to repeat his victory in Zanhoven last year. Stybar has looked like the strongest rider over the past few weeks, but has been outfoxed by the Belgians. The other obvious contenders for the victory are Sven Nys and Kevin Pauwels who won round one and round two of the World Cup, respectivly. Last year, Pauwels beat Nys for second place...Continue Reading
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