International Cyclocross Report & Power Ranking – Week #6

Posted on November 4, 2010 by
2010 Koppenberg CX - S. Nijs

Tim Van Wichelen Photo

Following last weekend’s World Cup, several riders made the trip back to their respective home countries, while some stayed in the Czech Republic for the Velka Cena Mesta Tabora in Tabor. The last time we saw the world gather in Tabor was for last year’s World Championships, where Zdenek Stybar stole the show. This time around, Radomir Simunek Jr. shocked everyone by becoming the first rider to defeat Stybar this season. It was a bittersweet victory for all involved though, as Simunek dedicated the victory to his recently deceased father. As for Stybar, not only did he fail to win, he finished outside the top three, placing fourth on the day for his “worst” result of the year. Behind Simunek, Christoph Pfingsten finished second and Steve Chainel came across the line in third. The only other notable finish was Niels Albert who came in right behind Stybar for fifth.


For the first time this season, Europe was filled with racing this past weekend with races in the Czech Republic, England, France, Spain, Switzerland and Belgium. Obviously, the biggest race of the weekend—on Halloween—was the latest round of the Superprestige series in Zonhoven, Belgium where after suffering through his first non-win of the season, Zdenek Stybar powered away from a strong field to take his eighth victory in nine races.


Stybar made the selection during the first lap, leaving only six riders within shouting distance of the World Champ. The borderline ridiculously sandy course has become a staple in Europe, producing some of the most amazing racing of the year. The course features massive sand dunes and elevation changes, making it incredibly demanding. It was in one of these technical sand sections where Stybar attacked the group of six, establishing the gap that would provide him with his second Superprestige victory of the season.


Behind Stybar, chaos ensued as the group of six splintered. Niels Albert and Kevin Pauwels formed the first chase group, while Sven Nys and Bart Aernouts formed a second. Behind, Bart Wellens rode his own pace, settling-in for a sixth-place finish. The action wasn’t done yet however, as a spectator nearly (accidentally) knocked Stybar off his bike allowing, the chasers to narrow the gap. Pauwels rolled across the line second, only seven seconds down while, an angry Nys finished third. Aernouts wound-up fourth and a fading Niels Albert held on for fifth.


After Sunday’s mayhem in the sand, everyone headed to the infamous Koppenberg for the annual All Saints Day rendezvous—recently a round of the GVA Trophy. Sven Nys surprised many by riding away from the rest on the first lap. He was clearly able to handle the muddy, technical course with ease on the way toward his eighth Koppenberg victory—and his first major victory of the year. Niels Albert overcame a poor start (at one point he was outside the top thirty) to finish second, over one minute behind Nys. Kevin Pauwels rode a solid race and finished third.


Stybar, who crashed at one point and found himself back in seventh-place, was able to recover, ultimately finishing fourth to maintain his GVA Trophy lead. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day was American Jonathan Page, who led almost the entire first lap until Nys attacked. Unfortunately, the American’s race quickly unraveled after a downhill crash forced him out of the top-10. He would eventually finish 25th.


All in all, it was a wild week in Europe. Stybar finally showed signs that he may be human, while Nys returned to the top step of the podium. Behind, the usual cast of characters battled it out, with some showing signs of great form, and others fading quickly. Let’s see how this week’s rankings shaped-up:


European Power Rankings – Week 6

1. Zdenek Stybar (1) – Despite only winning 1 out of the 3 races he entered this past week, Stybar remains the best rider in Europe. After all, he’s won 8 out of the 10 races he’s entered, and never finished lower than fourth. He still controls all the major series in Europe and has been in the driver’s seat for so long that it’s going to take a lot to dislodge the World Champion from his perch. Stybar’s taking some time off to train in Spain right now, when he returns it will be interesting to see how he performs.


2. Kevin Pauwels (2) – Pauwels keeps his second spot this week after a pair of podium finishes. His second place in Zonhoven was impressive, considering he had Stybar within his sights several times on the final few laps. And even though he finished third on Monday, he was very close to reeling in Niels Albert and finishing second. Most importantly, he’s improving: last year Pauwels would have been nowhere near the front in the deplorable conditions that surrounded the Koppenberg Monday.


3. Sven Nys (7) – Moving-up to third spot doesn’t mean that Nys is back; it just means he’s riding really well right now. The Belgian champ was ecstatic about his win on the Koppenberg and hopes it will carry him for a couple of weeks. The only downside to the win is that the moment he slips and doesn’t finish in the top-3, everyone is going to be talking about his age again.  Pressure’s back!


4. Niels Albert (3) – After fading a bit during the final laps of the Superprestige race on Sunday, Albert rebounded with a strong second place finish in Monday’s race. It has been a very impressive comeback for the former World Champion, but he still seems to be missing that extra gear that will take him to the front of the race.


5. Bart Aernouts (4) – Aernouts drops one spot after finally having a “bad” weekend—his eighth-place finish at Koppenberg marks one of his worst performances of the year. That said, his fourth-place the day before in Zonhoven proves he’s in the midst of a phenomenal season.


6. Francis Mourey (6) – Mourey remains in sixth this week despite picking-up a victory and a second-place. The French National Champion stayed home, skipping the Superprestige and GVA Trophy races, losing a two-man sprint to Steve Chainel on Sunday and obliterating the field on Monday. Mourey’s M.O. last year was dominance in France and strong rides elsewhere, but he’s already bucked that trend with a strong start to the season. I think he’s using this time to recharge his legs and keep his confidence high—there’s still a lot of season left.


7. Klaas Vantornout (5)  – There were almost a dozen riders who dropped-out of the second round of the Superprestige in Zonhoven—Vantornout was one of them. However, he bounced back with an impressive fifth-place finish in the mud at Koppenberg. After showing some great early season results, Vantornout continues to slip a little each week. Hopefully, he won’t drop any further down the rankings.


8. Bart Wellens (10) – Wellens rebounded from last weekend’s poor World Cup showing with a pair of top-tens in two of the most difficult races of the year. I really want to see Wellens breakout a big win this year, but for now I’ll settle for continued consistent riding. Plus, he needs to make sure he remains on the Belgian World Cup team.


9. Tom Meeusen (8) – Somehow Meeusen managed to drop a spot this week despite a pair of top-10 finishes. The young Belgian still has a few more weeks to prove he belongs on the Belgian World Cup team. With his continued success, it will be hard to argue that he doesn’t deserve a shot.


10. Gerben de Knegt (n/a) – One of cyclocross’ elder statesmen joins the ranking this week after an impressive sixth-place result at Koppenberg. De Knegt also finished just outside the top-10 in Zonhoven as well. After a strong start to the season (third at CrossVegas and ninth at the first round of the GVA Trophy), de Knegt hasn’t raced much outside of the World Cups and appears to be very selective about his race program. It will be interesting to see how the rest of his season pans out.


Dropped this week – Dieter Vanthourenhout (9).


As I said with yesterday’s Domestic Report & Power Ranking, I’m forgoing my customary brief weekend preview for a more in-depth preview and predictions tomorrow. Featuring a breakdown of all of next week’s major races in the US and Europe, along with all sorts of predictions. Come check it out!


Share your comments below!

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Domestic Cyclocross Report & Power Ranking – Week #7

Posted on November 3, 2010 by

2010 Granogue CX - V. Scherz

Photo by Anthony Skorochod, http://www.cyclingcaptured.com

After last weekend’s showdown in Kentucky, the bulk of the US cyclocross field headed to Colorado for Rounds Five and Six of the NACT. Saturday’s race picked-up right where last weekend’s races left-off as Jeremy Powers took the hole-shot and used his trademark first lap attack to get a gap on Ryan Trebon, Tim Johnson, and Todd Wells. While Powers’ gap stretched, Trebon abruptly dropped-out after pulling a muscle, leaving Wells and Johnson to chase down the lone rider.


Wells was forced to set the pace as Johnson rode shotgun in pursuit of his teammate until a minor bobble by Wells in one of the sand sections gave Johnson the room he needed to make his move for second place, fifteen seconds behind Powers. Wells came in another 30-seconds later for third. Behind the first three, Canadian National Champion Geoff Kabush rode an impressive race to finish fourth. Alex Candelario picked-up fifth place after spending nearly a decade away from the competitive cyclocross scene.


If there’s one thing we’ve learned this season it’s that Johnson and Powers usually swap wins—and podium positions. Sunday’s race in Boulder proved that to be true as Johnson picked-up an impressive victory to extend his NACT lead. With Trebon absent, all three Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com riders (Powers, Johnson, and Jamey Driscoll) occupied the first three starting positions.  Once again, Jeremy Powers took-off on the first lap, but this time, he was joined a lap later by Wells and Danny Summerhill. Unfortuantely, Powers suffered an ill-timed flat, dropping him from the leading group.


But Powers’ loss was Johnson’s gain, he joined the leading duo a few laps later, as a large chase group formed behind. Summerhill soon flatted leaving Wells and Johnson alone at the head of the race, while Driscoll attacked the chase to bridge across. With four laps remaining, Johnson attacked and never looked back, taking the win in a race that seemed nothing more than a formality for the national champion. Wells gapped Driscoll after bunny hopping the barriers and help his small lead to the line. Kabush finished fourth again, while Adam Craig earned a solid fifth-place finish.


Back east, with the bulk of the nation’s best racing in Colorado, a surprisingly strong field took the line for a pair of UCI C2 races in New Jersey. As both races were events in the MAC series, it’s no surprise that Valentin Scherz showed-up ready to win and extend his lead in the series. Other notable riders included Adam Myerson (fresh off his first UCI win last weekend in New England), Luca Damiani (returning from Korea), Adam McGrath, and Ryan Knapp.


Saturday’s Beacon Cross saw a talented six-man leading group remain intact for most of the race. After a bit of a selection on the final lap, all eyes were on Scherz and Myerson as they cruised toward the line with McGrath. Unfortunately, Myerson flatted inside the final 500 meters, leaving Scherz able to hold-off McGrath for his first UCI victory. Behind, Knapp rolled-in for third, while local cross star Wes Schempf finished fourth ahead of Canadian Craig Richey. Myerson hung-in for sixth, a disappointment considering he was in contention for the win until the race’s final moments.


With a more technical course Sunday, many thought that Scherz would take back-to-back UCI victories. However, Luca Damiani surprised everyone by jumping out to an early lead. Scherz rode in second place for the bulk of the race until Damiani suffered a mechanical, at which point Scherz took the lead and never looked back (Daminai would finish seventh). Myerson won the sprint for second ahead of Richey while Jerome Townsend finished fourth and Knapp fifth.


So in both Colorado and New Jersey, the usual cast of characters prevailed thanks to impressive rides—and a little bit of luck. Yet injuries, mechanicals and other problems still plagued a few of riders in the rankings. How does that affect them this week? Let’s find out:


Domestic Power Rankings – Week 8

1. Jeremy Powers (1) – Ordinarily, coming in over two minutes down would net you the #1 position in our Power Ranking, but when looking at Powers’ weekend, I still think he’s the best rider in the US. Powers stormed to victory on Saturday, virtually attacking from the gun. Sunday he took the early lead again, only to be undone by a mechanical. Luckily, with Johnson skipping the final two rounds of the NACT, it looks as if Powers has a clear shot to becoming this year’s overall champion.


2. Tim Johnson (2) – The US National Champion continued trading wins with Powers this past weekend following his teammate’s winning performance Saturday with one of his own Sunday. His second-place Saturday was pretty much a shoe-in after Powers got away—it was only a matter of time before he attacked Wells. Johnson later admitted he has bigger fish to fry: he’s returning to Europe in a few weeks.


3. Todd Wells (4) – Wells moves-up another spot this week, proving that taking a break in October is really starting to pay-off. He looked very strong both days in Colorado and looks poised for a victory at some point this season—if he can find a way to beat Powers and Johnson.


4. Valentin Scherz (8) – Making the biggest jump this week is Valentin Scherz. His pair of UCI wins came in exciting fashion—Scherz looked very, very good. At this point in the season, he still seems as if he would struggle to win a major race (USGP, NACT, etc.) against the nation’s best competition, but he’s young and there’s plenty of time left. For now though, he’s certainly one of the top five riders in the US.  Can he climb higher between now and his eventual return to Europe?


5. Ryan Trebon (3) – Trebon pulled his groin early in Saturday’s race, ending the day and his weekend. That said, he’s already saying he feels better, keeping him on track for the weeks to come. The fact remains: Trebon is one of the top riders in the US; but until he gets healthy and shows what he can do, he’ll remain there.


6. Geoff Kabush (na) – Kabush enters the ranking after being dropped last week. My issue with Kabush has always been his consistency, or lack thereof. Still, his pair of fourth-place finishes proves that the “Maple Leaf Man” is enjoying good form. If he can remain consistent, he’ll remain in the rankings.


7. Jamey Driscoll (6) – Driscoll had another solid weekend of racing with a seventh-place Saturday and a third-place Sunday. Sunday’s ride was most impressive as Driscoll escaped from a large chase group and made it across the gap to Wells. If it weren’t for Wells bunny hoping the barriers (which were close to the finish line), Driscoll might have finished second.


8. Luca Damiani (10) – Damiani suffered from a bit of bad luck in New Jersey this past weekend. On Saturday, he trashed his rear derailleur and was unable to make it back to the lead group. On Sunday, he suffered yet another mechanical after taking the lead in a solo effort that looked as if it could stick. Clearly, it wasn’t the return to cyclocross Damiani was hoping for. The good news is, aside from his technical issues, Damiani appears as if he hasn’t lost a step following his trip to Korea.


9. Tristan Schouten (5) – Schouten drops down this week after taking a well-deserved break. It appears he’s also skipping this weekend’s racing ahead of the next two rounds of the USGP. A mid-season break has worked for many—Todd Wells comes to mind—will it work for Schouten as well?


10. Davide Frattini (7) – Frattini had a rough go of it in Colorado, failing to finish on Saturday and winding-up 28th on Sunday. Otherwise, the Italian has enjoyed a superb season so far. Hopefully this weekend was just a case of bad luck.


Dropped this week: Jesse Anthony (9).


This weekend there are two pairs of UCI races in Massachusetts and in Los Angeles, California. Instead of my usual ultra-brief preview here, I’m debuting a new column on Friday with my predictions for this weekend’s action. Come back to check it out.


And share your comments below.

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Monday Musette – On Judgement

Posted on November 1, 2010 by
2010 Tour de France - M. Breschel After Stage 8

Fotoreporter Sirotti

Here’s today’s Monday Musette


1. If you don’t already read The Inner Ring, you need to start.  Matt published a fine run-down of the Team Lux situation—it’s definitely worth your time.


2. And speaking of dubious new teams, check-out today’s What’s New from Competitive Cyclist.  There’s also the added bonus of a video from the 1996 finale to Milan-San Remo.


3. So it appears as if Mark Cavendish has his eyes set on next year’s World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark.  According to the Manxman, the course looks harder than advertised.  Any doubts that Thor Hushovd will be looking for a repeat victory in front of a friendly Scandinavian crowd?


4. Cavendish’s former teammate, Michael Rogers, has officially announced his move to Team Sky.  If they don’t completely undo all the progress he made at HTC (like they did with Edvald Boasson Hagen) look for Rogers to deliver a weeklong stage race victory or two in 2011. Let’s hope Sky’s delusions of grand tour GC glory don’t cloud the Aussie’s judgment. Does the move mean we’ll see the boys in black and blue at the Tour of California to defend the Australian’s title?


5. Speaking of judgment, here’s a textbook case of a rider coming to his senses.


6. And is this one a bit delusional?  I think not. He certainly will be leading a stronger team than his Swiss former colleague—assuming Cancellara finally pulls the trigger and heads to Team Lux.  If all goes as planned, look for Breschel to have a breakout 2011.  A cobbled classic and a world title are certainly within his reach.


7. With Ivan Basso targeting next year’s Tour, look for the 2011 Giro to provide the most exciting 3 weeks of racing we’re likely to see next season.  As if the course weren’t exciting enough, Vincenzo Nibali and Roman Kreuziger are making the grand tour their first major objective of the year.  Expect fireworks—and worldwide server crashes as poor souls like myself drain bandwidth trolling for live streams.


8. In effort to improve its riders’ bottle throwing skills, Quick Step has signed Tom Steels as a trainer and part-time DS; while Team Sky has signed Servais Knaven and Nicolas Portal to similar roles, the latter signing proof that sometimes its less costly to give a rider a job than a roster spot.


9. Like it or not, Floyd Landis has started a bit of a comeback to racing, competing in New Zealand at the Powernet Tour of Southland.  Say what you want about Floyd, but you can’t deny that his return to form could certainly make things interesting—and uncomfortable—for more than a few individuals—on and off the bike—in 2011.


10. Last but not least, thanks to everyone who has expressed interest in our as-yet-to-be-released 2011 team kit.  We’re finalizing the new design and should be releasing ordering information in time for the holidays.  Feel free to send an email to paveblog@gmail.com if interested in getting on board!


Have a great week—share your comments below!


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International Cyclocross Report – Week #5

Posted on October 29, 2010 by
2010 Neerpelt CX - K. Pauwels

Tim Van Wichelen Photo

Zdenek Stybar took his seventh-straight win of the season in his home country, at Round Two of the World Cup in Plzen. As usual, Stybar crossed the line alone after riding virtually everyone off his wheel. The race started fast, with all of the usual names going straight to the front on the first lap. Niels Albert set the bulk of the pace on the first lap before Stybar took over. By the beginning of the second lap, the duo had created a small gap.


Behind these two, several riders made attempts to bridge across to the leaders. The best of these, Sven Nys and Kevin Pauwels kept the leading duo in sight with Pauwels eventually bridging across—Nys blew-up, unable to follow. At that point, everything looked good for the leading trio until Stybar put in a vicious attack with two laps to go. Albert completely exploded, but Pauwels was able to hang-on before puncturing on the penultimate lap. Stybar elected not to wait for his teammate.


The decision gave Stybar a solo victory in Round Two of the World Cup while wearing the rainbow jersey in front of his home fans. Behind, Pauwels was able to hold-on for second ahead of Albert, while Francis Mourey posted his best World Cup result in years after outsprinting Nys for fourth. The only real surprise was Germany’s Philipp Walsleben who finished seventh and may be his country’s best hope for a world title in January.


With the World Cup on hold for another month (Round Three is November 27th), riders will now focus on goals. As a result, many big names skipped Tuesday’s race in the Netherlands, the Nacht van Woerden, where Tom Meeusen soloed to his first professional victory ahead of Bart Aernouts and Gerben de Knegt. Clearly, Meeusen is trying to prove that leaving him off the Belgian team for the first two rounds of the World Cup was a mistake.


(One final note: yesterday’s race in the Czech Republic (won by Radomir Simunek, Jr.) does not count towards this week’s rankings since it occurs after this column was posted. I will cover it in next week’s column.)


In the rankings, Stybar remains #1 of course, but will a resurgent Niels Albert and another impressive ride from Pauwels mix-up the rankings? Let’s see:


European Power Rankings – Week 5


1. Zdenek Stybar (1) – At this point in the season, there’s not much left to say about Stybar. He’s won (almost) every race he’s started this year and doesn’t appear as if he’s going to slow down any time soon. The most impressive thing is how he’s winning: shortly after the start, he takes over the pace-making and then simply rides everyone else off his wheel.  Incredible!


2. Kevin Pauwels (5) – It’s hard to imagine but if Pauwels didn’t puncture Sunday, he would have had a shot at winning. Stybar was seemly that unbeatable but, Pauwels was able to bounce back from his puncture to finish second with a very impressive ride. He bridged to the leaders virtually by himself and was able to hang on to each of Stybar’s attacks. Should Stybar falter—or have a bad day—perhaps Pauwels can ride himself onto the top step of the podium.


3. Niels Albert (2) – Albert has finished inside the top-10 in four races so far this year and his worst result seventh place in his first race back (Superprestige #1). After last weekend’s second place in Aigle, I had Albert picked as the man most capable of beating Stybar at this point. However, racing in his home country gave Stybar a huge boost. This weekend, everyone heads back to Belgium this weekend where Albert could be the spoiler.


4. Bart Aernouts (4) – Aernouts has struggled, relatively speaking, at both World Cup rounds this year. In non-World Cup races, he hasn’t finished worse than fourth. His second place at the Nacht van Woerden race on Tuesday further proves my point. I think Aernouts will score a major win this year, I just don’t think it will be at the World Cup. He needs to be careful though, the battle for the last two spots on the Belgian World Cup squad is a tight battle—he needs to remain consistent to hold his place.


5. Klaas Vantornout (3)  – It’s hard to believe that someone could be disappointed with a sixth-place finish in a World Cup race, but that’s the case with Vantornout. He’s steadily improved over the course of the season and looks poised for a breakout victory. It’s about time a Belgian wins a cross race, especially one in Belgium.


6. Francis Mourey (8) – The French National Champion moves up two spots to sixth this week after an impressive fourth-place finish in Plzen. Mourey has been a bit of a slow starter in the first two rounds of the World Cup. However, he definitely knows how to finish—just ask the CrossVegas crowd. Perhaps if he started stronger, he wouldn’t have to work so hard to get to the front.


7. Sven Nys (7) – For a while Sunday, it looked like Nys was going to get across to Stybar and Albert. However, the Belgian National Champion had a bad moment at the worst possible time and was unable to follow Pauwels across the gap. With Round Two of the Superprestige this weekend, Nys is focusing all his energy on the race. The odds for victory are stacked against him right now, but if anyone could pull-off an upset, it’s Nys.


8. Tom Meeusen (10tie) – I refused to leave Meeusen off the list last weekend due to the fact that he hasn’t been racing after being left off the Belgian World Cup squad. Needless to say, he’s angry—he won Tuesday night in dominating fashion. With a month to prove he deserves a spot on the Belgian roster for World Cup Round Three, he’s clearly out to prove that he’s one of Belgian’s best.


9. Dieter Vanthourenhout (10tie) – One of those racers whom Meeusen hopes drops off a bit, Vanthourenhout picked-up a pair of top-10’s this past week. Vanthourenhout has been very consistent so far. While I don’t expect a podium finish out of him any time soon, I do expect him to finish inside the top-10 in just about every race he enters.


10. Bart Wellens (6) – Just when it looked like Wellens was back, he finished 27th in Plzen. Yes, everyone has a bad race once in a while, but 27th is really bad—especially for someone who hasn’t finished outside the top-10 all season. Look for Wellens to bounce back with a vengeance this weekend.


Dropped-out this week: Steve Chainel (9).


Obviously, the big race this weekend is Round Two of the Superprestige in Zonhoven, Belgium on Sunday. Many of the riders contested Thursday’s race in Tabor, home to last year’s World Championships, before heading back to Belgium.  There’s another race in the Czech Republic on Saturday, but most of the big names will skip that race to avoid an overnight trip. For the few not competing at the Superprestige, there are three other races in Europe on Sunday. Nys desperately wants a tenth Superprestige title, but, like everyone else, he’ll have to beat Stybar to have any chance at getting it.  Maybe Monday’s traditional Koppenbergcross—an important race that Nijs has won 7 times.


And that’s it for this week’s rankings.  What are your thoughts?

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Domestic Cyclocross Report & Power Ranking – Week #6

Posted on October 27, 2010 by


2010 NECCS Round 4 - Myerson Takes It!

Photo by Natalia Boltukhova, Pedal Power Photography


All of the top domestic cross racers were back in the States this weekend, with the bulk of nation’s best heading to Rounds Three and Four of the USGP as Louisville, Kentucky—home to the 2013 World Championships—played host to two hot and exciting days of racing. As has become the norm in the US this season, the Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com team dominated with Tim Johnson and Jeremy Powers swapping first and third-places, sandwiching Ryan Trebon as the runner-up both days.


Saturday’s race started fast and hectic thanks to an early crash that knocked several riders out of contention. Valentin Scherz took the hole-shot over the likes of Trebon, Powers, and Johnson. Eventually, Trebon took over the pace-making and, along with Powers, established a small lead by the end of the first few laps. Johnson soon made his way across the gap to join the duo and shortly thereafter, Trebon put in a few attacks, shedding Powers. The race stayed this way until four laps-to-go when Johnson opened a 5-second gap through the sand pit and held it to the line.


Behind Johnson and Trebon, nearly half a dozen riders made a bid for the third spot on the podium. Eventually, Powers was joined by Todd Wells, Jesse Anthony, and Tristan Schouten. In the end, Powers held-on for third finishing 1:19 behind Johnson. Wells was fourth, with Schouten coming across the line in fifth. Early race leader Valentin Scherz suffered a bit under the intense heat (around 80 degrees) and dropped-out of the race along with a handful of others. In fact, it was so hot, Johnson elected to start with a water bottle on his bike, something virtually unseen in cyclocross.


Heading into Day Two, it was clear that the Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com guys had Trebon and Co.’s number. The riders were greeted with a more technical—and longer—course that once again saw Scherz set the early pace. Eventually, the Swiss ride would drop-off the pace as Johnson, Powers, Trebon, and Chris Jones the lead group. Much like Saturday, Trebon put in some significant efforts in an attempt to shed at least one of the Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com riders; his efforts paid-off, as Jones and Johnson were dropped.


With four laps to go, Powers finally pulled-away from Trebon thanks to some great technical riding and his ability to bunny-hop the barriers. Trebon immediately started to lose large amounts of time (he blamed the heat), but held-on for second. Behind, Tim Johnson rode a consistent, but hard pace to lock-up third. Unfortunately, a crash on Lap 6, left Jones in a rather large chase group containing Davide Frattini, Wells and Schouten. Wells again came across the line in fourth, while Schouten held-on for fifth.


Most eyes might have been focused on Louisville this past weekend, but the NECCS featured a pair of UCI Category 2 races in New Gloucester, Maine as some of the Northeast’s best gathered for an all-out battle for control of the NECCS leader’s jersey. On Saturday, pre-race favorite Justin Lindine suffered from an early crash and mechanical. He launched and impressive chase, reeling-in all but one rider: Dylan McNicholas, who picked-up his first UCI victory in the process. Behind McNicholas and Lindine, Christian Favata, Josh Dillon, and Peter Bradshaw rounded-out the podium.


Sunday’s Round Four came down to a three-up bunch sprint between Lindine, Adam Myerson, and McNicholas. The three leaders quickly escaped from the rest of the field, but were unable to shed each other. In the end, Myerson won the sprint, taking his first ever UCI victory. McNicholas was second and Lindine was third. Nick Keough came across the line fourth, while Josh Dillion rounded-out the podium in fifth.


All in all, it was another great weekend of domestic cross racing. The USGP is currently locked in a virtual tie between Tim Johnson and Jeremy Powers. Meanwhile, Dylan McNicholas put his name into the running for a NECCS overall. Where has everyone ended-up in this week’s Power Rankings? Time to find out:


US Power Rankings – Week 7


1. Jeremy Powers (2) – Powers moves up one spot this week. His impressive ride last weekend in the Aigle World Cup combined with his great rides in Kentucky move him ahead of Tim Johnson. I often go back and forth on who’s truly better, but in this case it comes down to style. Powers is always active and aggressive. While he may not win every race, but he throws everything he has at it. And even when he fades, he still does well.


2. Tim Johnson (1) – As I said, it’s a tough call to choose between Powers and Johnson. At this point in the season, I think head-to-head Powers has a leg up. I’m sure these guys will swap positions several more times before the year is out, but for now, Johnson’s #2.


3. Ryan Trebon (3) – There’s only one reason why Trebon is not the best cross racer in America right now: the Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com team. This weekend he came closer than ever to beating the juggernaut. However, he still has to work too hard to shed one of the two Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com riders he usually finds himself with. Trebon’s best shot a victory may be in Bend at Nationals. It might sound weird, but with a National Title on the line, we may finally see a little less cooperation from Johnson, Powers, and Driscoll.


4. Todd Wells (7) – Wells returned to cyclocross after a month-long absence. Clearly, with two fourth-places, his plan is paying-off. He’s a threat once again, and may be moving closer to a National title. Wells’ biggest issue right now is that he seems to be constantly chasing. If he were able to make the initial selection, he might be able to play-off the Trebon/Johnson/Powers battle and make a bid for victory.


5. Tristan Schouten (9) – Jumping up to the fifth spot is Schouten. One of several riders who took a break last week, Schouten continues to prove he’s a force to be reckoned wit after finishing fifth both days in Kentucky. To break through, Schouten needs a bit of luck and a perfect race. I can’t see him doing it this year, but he continues to surprise me.


6. Jamey Driscoll (4) – Driscoll went a bit unnoticed this weekend, but still managed to pick-up a pair of top-10’s in Kentucky. I would like to see Driscoll take a huge victory this year. He’s capable of it and has great help in his two teammates, Johnson and Powers.


7. Davide Frattini (5) – Frattini has criss-crossed the North American continent over the past few weeks and came to Kentucky in great form. Unfortunately, the heat and dust got to him (and virtually every other rider), but he still posted impressive results finishing eleventh on Saturday and sixth on Sunday. He continues to ride consistently, but he hasn’t been able to cross that gap to podium contender.  Once he does, he’ll rise a few spots here.


8. Valentin Scherz (6) – Swiss Sensation Valentin Scherz continues to impress forcing everyone to take notice as he grabbed the hole-shot both days. He’s the best U23 rider in the US and could be one of the best in the World. I’m really interested to see what he does when he goes back to Europe. For now though, he needs a UCI victory to cement himself as one of the best.


9. Jesse Anthony (n/a) – It was a tough call to keep Anthony off the rankings last weekend. I’m still not convinced he’s back, but after a pair of UCI victory’s last weekend and a top-ten Saturday, he’s looking really good. The question, as usual with him, is can he remain consistent?


10. Luca Damiani (8) – I was disappointed Thursday morning when I received an email telling me that Damiani would miss this past weekend’s races. His road commitments forced the Italian to skip the USGP and head to Korea for the Tour de Seoul. Hopefully he’ll return sometime soon.  For now, his place is safe, but for how long?


Dropped this week: Geoff Kabush (10).


Once again, there are two sets of UCI races this upcoming weekend. Virtually everyone from the USGP will head to Boulder for two days of UCI racing, including a C1 race on Sunday. The Mid-Atlantic will be active with a pair of UCI C2 races in New Jersey where Valentin Scherz is the heavy favorite.  Tim Johnson and Jeremy Powers look poised to continue their win streaks in Boulder. That said, each weekend holds its share of surprises, I’m sure this one will be no different.


Share your comments below!

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Monday Musette – Tour Routes, Challenges, & Mimicry?

Posted on October 25, 2010 by
2011 Giro d'Italia Presentation - Bike with Campy Electric?

Fotoreporter Sirotti

1. The routes for the 2011 Tour de France and Giro d’Italia have been announced amid much fanfare. Jeremy will be providing some in-depth coverage later in the week, but for now I’ll leave you with this.  What’s not to get excited about?


2. An interesting side note from the Giro announcement Saturday was the first public appearance of Campagnolo’s new 11-speed electronic group.  Details are sketchy at this point, but Movistar will be testing the new stuff throughout 2011.


3. Along with the route announcement for the 2011 Tour, ASO has announced not one but three interesting sportive options for those craving a bit of their own glory.  First, the traditional one-day l’Etape du Tour has been expanded to two days.  The first (July 11) covers the 109-kilometer Stage 19 including the Télégraphe, Galibier, and Alpe d’Huez, while the second (July 17) takes riders over Stage 9’s 208-kilometer route from Issoire to Saint-Flour.  On paper, the 3 massive cols of the first étape seem the more difficult, but the latter of the looks to be the toughest at twice the length and with nary a flat road to be found.


4. But the real news—for Pavé fans at least—is the “official” announcement of the ASO-organized Paris-Roubaix Challenge, a sportive to take place on the eve of the Hell of the North.  Beginning in St. Quentin and ending at or near the Roubaix Velodrome (details are still fuzzy), the 135-kilometer trek plans to cover 30 kilometers of the race’s most legendary cobbled sectors.  It remains to be seen how this event will compare to the traditional Roubaix sportive run every other June (and offering a full course option).  Regardless, fans now have the option to participate in the ultimate classics vacation with both the Ronde and Roubaix offering sportive options the day before the monuments themselves.  Perhaps a Pavé-organized field trip is in order?


5. Sticking with Roubaix for a moment, rumors surfaced last week that the 2011 edition would be run without the legendary trip through the forest of Arenberg.  ASO has yet to confirm or deny the rumor leaked by Joel Lainé, organizer of the Roubaix Challenge.  The “Queen of the Classics” last skipped Arenberg in 2005 when Tom Boonen took his first of 3 titles.


6. By the way, is there any race with more nicknames than Roubaix?  Seriously—Hell of the North, Queen of the Classics—am I missing others?  It might be a fun—albeit pointless—off-season activity to compile a list of as many race nicknames as we can think of.  I’ll let you start the ball rolling if you’re so inclined.  Once we have enough, we can set about filling in the blanks with some of our own—maybe there’s a Pavé cap in store for the person who creates the best.


7. Brian Nygaard, the general manager of Team Luxembourg, added more fuel to the fire of speculation surrounding the new team when he tweeted the address of a website that appears to be the squad’s internet home.  While twitterati are spending their time debating whether the team really will be called “Team Leopard True Racing” (I doubt it), I’m more interested in learning if Rapha will be the team’s official graphic and web design sponsor.


8. And speaking of Rapha, have you downloaded the new Rendezvous iPhone App?  While I have yet to explore it deeply, it looks promising.  What do you think?


9. We’re getting our stones in a row for Pavé’s 2011 kit.  If you interested in being kept abreast of any news about when and how to order, drop me an email at paveblog@gmail.com.  Look for a new design and possibly a new manufacturer.


10. For you cross fans, Zdenek Stybar made it a perfect 7 for 7 on Sunday by winning Round Two of the World Cup before home fans in Plzen.  But ever the ambitious champion, Stybar wants more.  What are his chances?  There’s a big difference between racing for an hour and racing for six, but as Lars Boom has proven, it’s possible.


11. Last but not least, if you haven’t read it yet, Ryan at The Service Course has once again nailed-it with his review of the new Paved Magazine.  While I’m excited to see a resurgence in the availability of high-quality print media (Paved and Peloton look certain to raise the bar), I can’t help but wonder if I’m entitled to feel a bit flattered by “Paved” magazine calling what looks to be one of its regular columns “Musette”.  Interesting.


And that’s it for the 46th edition (since its inception on July 20, 2009) of Pavé’s “Monday Musette”.


Have a great week!

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