2012 Canadian Cross National Champs Weekend – Predictions

Posted on November 16, 2012 by

After two years in Toronto, the Canadian National Championships head to the West Coast for a weekend of racing in British Columbia. With the National Championships on Saturday and a C2 race on Sunday, the weekend promises to be an exciting one as Canada’s best riders converge on South Surrey Athletic Park. There are half a dozen riders who should contend for the title, but three men are trying to break a tie for most titles won. Chris Sheppard, Geoff Kabush and Mike Garrigan all have two titles and would love to pick up a third. In an interesting sub-plot Sheppard, Kabush and Craig Richey (my darkhorse pick) are all BC natives. Can one of the boys defend their home turf? Here’s what I think will happen:

Canadian National Championships (CN)

The Winner

Geoff Kabush – Kabush had a great mountain bike season that has translated into a solid cross season. Despite not racing week in and week out, when Kabush does race, he’s a podium threat. I expect him to take the win on Saturday and become a three-time national champion.

The Podium

Chris Sheppard – Sheppard’s bid to win three straight titles is a possibility, but I think Kabush is a bit too strong. Sheppard has become Canada’s top crosser over the past few years and should be a shoo in for World’s. The battle between Kabush and Sheppard should be the highlight of the race.

Aaron Schooler – it almost pains me to put Schooler on the podium. Schooler has finished third for the past four years. I’d almost rather pick him to finish off the podium, but five-straight podium finishes would be impressive. Is he capable of winning? I don’t think so, but I have been wrong before.

BC Grand Prix of Cross (C2)

The Winner

Geoff Kabush – I would expect whoever wins on Saturday to ride the wave to a win on Sunday. Therefore, I pick Kabush to win.

The Podium

Chris Sheppard – as I mentioned, Sheppard has become Canada’s top cross racer over the past few years. Look for him to land on the podium on Sunday as well.

Mike Garrigan – a two-time national champion, Garrigan spends most of his season racing in New England and the mid-Atlantic region. Always a podium threat, I expect him to step up on the podium on Sunday.

Posted in Races | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

US Cross – Week 11 Predictions

Posted on November 15, 2012 by

Ryan Trebon. Photo: Todd Prekaski.

After an exciting weekend in Louisville, the cross collective moves to Iowa City, Iowa for three days of action at Jingle Cross Rock. Like the Cincy 3-Day Festival, Jingle Cross Rock features a pair of C2 races and a C1 race on Sunday. As a result, it’s a who’s who of American cross racers in Iowa.

The only noticeably absent rider is Jeremy Powers. Powers has maxed out on C1 and C2 points, therefore he can only improve his starting position by racing World Cup races. As a result, Powers will use the next few weeks to recover, train and prepare for another European campaign.

Another rider missing from the start list is Todd Wells. Wells still has an outside shot of making the worlds team and has had success in the past in Iowa. However, it appears that his mountain bike commitments will keep him from returning to cross full time for a few more weeks.

Before I get to my predictions, I would like to mention Supercross Cup. The two-day C2 event has been postponed because of the ongoing efforts to get portions of New York City up and running after hurricane Sandy. As a result, the promoters are using Saturday as a volunteer day to help out with the relief efforts. All the info is available on their Facebook page.

With that said, here’s how I think things will shake out:

Jingle Cross Rock – Rock 1 (C2)

The Winner

Ryan Trebon – Trebon is riding very well right now and is one of America’s top racers. He did well in Louisville last weekend and seems keen on keeping things rolling in Iowa. I expect him to be competitive all weekend, starting with a win on Friday.

The Podium

Chris Jones – I will admit that I’m guilty of calling Jones a roadie with a cross problem. The fact is, Jones continues to improve and is a true cross rider. He’s capable of podium nearly every race he shows up to. I expect for him to land on the podium like he did last year.

Jamie Driscoll – Driscoll took Rock 1 last year with a solo victory over Jones and Tim Johnson. Driscoll seems to do well in Iowa, so I expect him to be a podium contender.

Jingle Cross Rock – Rock 2 (C2)

The Winner

Ben Berden – every weekend, I stare down the list of riders and seem to skip over Berden, despite him being one of the top racers in the US this season. While I consider him a solid podium threat, I’m going to step out of my comfort zone and pick him to win Rock 2 on Saturday.

The Podium

Ryan Trebon – while I’m sure Trebon would love to go three-for-three this weekend, I think he may dial it back a notch in preparation for Sunday’s C1 race. However, a win’s a win, so if he can get away, he could easily sweep the first two races.

Tim Johnson – Johnson seems to be having and up and down season thus far. While he always has to be considered a podium threat, his podium appearances this season are a little less frequent then I would like. With that said, look for him to land on the podium on Saturday.

Jingle Cross Rock – Rock 3 (C1)

The Winner

Ryan Trebon – Powers and Driscoll are the only two riders two win C1 races in the US this season. In the past, that’s not saying much, but considering there has been a C1 race nearly every weekend, the fact that only two riders have won them says a lot. Look for Trebon to join that list on Sunday.

The Podium

Tim Johnson – a winner here last year, a repeat is not out of the question for the veteran cross rider. I expect him to podium on Sunday and it wouldn’t make surprise me if he made a run at a victory.

Ben Berden – Driscoll, Jones, Schouten; the list of riders who could podium this weekend is nearly endless. Look for Berden to rise above the rest and pick up his second podium of the weekend.

Posted in Featured, Races | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Cross Top 25 – Week 10

Posted on November 14, 2012 by

[top25-vote start=’1352678400′ end=’1352851200′]

After another week of domination in the US, Jeremy Powers maintains the number one spot in this weeks Top 25. Despite the success of Sven Nys and Niels Albert in Europe, Powers continues to be number one in the computer rankings. While the gap is closing, Powers was the number one vote getter as well this week, cementing his overall.

In what can only be seen as a meeting of man and machine, the top three in the computer rankings were also the top three vote getters. Powers was number one with 76% of the vote, Nys was second and Albert third. Interestingly, Albert was roughly one vote shy of Nys in the polls. Lars van der Haar was fourth in the polls followed by Bart Aernouts. Ryan Trebon, Adam Craig and Dan Timmerman were the other Americans to rank in the top ten in the polls.

As far as the overall goes, Trebon (5th) and Powers are the only two Americans in the top ten as Jamie Driscoll drops to 14th. Van der Harr had the biggest jump this week moving into eight overall, primarily due to finishing fourth in the polls. Despite moving up a spot in the computer rankings, Ben Berden took a tumble this week as he’s now 15th.

Powers remains number one in UCI points, while Jonathan Page remains number one in terms of field quality and strength of schedule. Maintaing the number one spot in winning percentage is Aitor Gutierrez, who has won the only race he has entered.

Enrico Franzoi and Thijs Al drop out of the Top 25 this week, while Justin Lindine and Radomir Simunek return after dropping out last week.

Powers looks to be sitting out this weekend, while Nys and Albert will do battle in a C1 and C2 race in Belgium. Will this spell the end of Powers reign? We will find out soon enough.

[top25-week id=16]

Posted in Featured | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cross Predictions – Week 10 Wrap-Up

Posted on November 13, 2012 by

Photo by Balint Hamvas | cyclephotos.co.uk

As predicted, Jeremy Powers picked up a pair of wins in Louisville, Kentucky and now has a commanding lead in the USGP series. In Europe, the weekend was split between Niels Albert and Sven Nys (I had Nys both days).

In the smaller European races, Francis Mourey picked up a victory in Switzerland while Martin Bina continued his domination in the Czech Republic. Overall, it was a good weekend as far as my predictions went. Here’s how I did:

US Cross

USGP of Cyclocross – Derby City Cup Day 1 (C1)

1. Jeremy Powers – 1st
2. Ryan Trebon – 2nd
3. Jamie Driscoll – 13th

Points: 4

USGP of Cyclocross – Derby City Cup Day 2 (C2)

1. Jeremy Powers – 1st
2. Ben Berden – 2nd
3. Ryan Trebon – 4th

Points: 4

Total: 8/10 (80%)

European Cross

Toi Toi Cup – Round 5 (C2)

1. Martin Bina – 1st
2. Petr Dlask – DNS
3. Michael Boros – 3rd

Points: 4

Soudal Jaarmarktcross Niel (C2)

1. Sven Nys – 3rd
2. Niels Albert – 1st
3. Aur̩lien Duval Р6th

Points: 2

Superprestige – Hamme-Zogge (C1)

1. Sven Nys – 1st
2. Niels Albert – 2nd
3. Kevin Pauwels – 5th

Points: 4

Entega City Cross Cup (C2)

1. Johannes Sickmueller – DNF
2. Michael Schweizer – 2nd
3. Ole Quast – 4th

Points: 1

Internationales Radquer Frenkendorf (C2)

1. Francis Mourey – 1st
2. Simon Zahner – 2nd
3. Enrico Franzoi – DNS

Points: 4

Total: 15/25 (60%)

Posted in Races | Leave a comment

Cross – Week 11 Poll

Posted on November 12, 2012 by

The list of winners this week is long. Sven Nys won both races this weekend in Belgium, while Tim Johnson won two out of three races this weekend in Iowa. Geoff Kabush picked up a third national title and Martin Bina continued his dominance in the Czech Republic. Other winners this weekend include Jamie Driscoll, Francis Mourey, Yu Takenouchi, Marcel Wildhaber and Kevin Eeckhout. Who do you think should be number one?

[top25-votePage]

Posted in Featured | Leave a comment

US Cross – Week 10 Predictions

Posted on November 9, 2012 by

Jamie Driscoll leads the charge. Photo: Todd Prekaski.

The USGP of Cyclocross continues this weekend with a stop in Louisville, Kentucky. All eyes will not only be on the racers, but the course itself as the world gets a look at the venue that will play host to the World Championships in February. With a C1 race on Saturday and a C2 race on Sunday, this weekend is a pre-Worlds tune up for all involved. As far as the racing goes, Jeremy Powers has a commanding lead over Ryan Trebon in the series and will look to keep growing that lead. Chris Jones, Ben Berden and Tim Johnson are all on the outside looking in. A solid result from any of those riders could catapult them into contention for the overall. Here’s how I think things will play out:

USGP of Cyclocross – Derby City Cup Day 1 (C1)

The Winner

Jeremy Powers – out of the six C1 races held in the US, Powers has won five. The only one he didn’t win (Harbin Park), he wasn’t even there. Powers seems to be on another level this year and looks destine for a win in Louisville. I’m going with my gut and sticking with the heavy favorite.

The Podium

Ryan Trebon – Trebon has had a solid season and is always in contention for the win. Last year he nearly beat Powers on day one and could do the same on Saturday. While it wouldn’t shock me if Trebon won, I think Powers is till one step ahead.

Jamie Driscoll – after capping off a solid weekend in Cincinnati with a win at Harbin Park, Driscoll looks like he’s on some good form. I expect him to ride well this weekend and should podium on Saturday.

USGP of Cyclocross – Derby City Cup Day 2 (C2)

The Winner

Jeremy Powers – last year in Louisville, Powers went two-for-two en route to a USGP overall title. While he’s not unstoppable, I expect Powers to be victorious both days this weekend.

The Podium

Ryan Trebon – Trebon suffered a knee injury in Louisville last year that cost him the overall title and nearly cost him his season. With that bad luck behind him, look for Trebon to land on the podium again on Sunday.

Ben Berden – the veteran Belgian cross racer finished just off the podium last year in Louisville. With the strong season he’s having I expect him to do a bit better this weekend and finish on the podium on Sunday.

Posted in Featured, Races | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment