Cyclocross - CX and SSCX races and training

Van Aert will be training in Lucca instead of racing in Tabor

Odd, do the European Championships not have a very high standing amongst the top riders? Or perhaps more of a clue that his focus is towards the end of the season.

Great showing from Toon Aerts yesterday, be good to see him put a fight up to retain that jersey.

Odd, do the European Championships not have a very high standing amongst the top riders?

Last year, WVA and MVDP did make that impression on me as they both refused to go with/after Aerts, trying to force each other to chase. In WVA's case that's understandable of course. Maybe it only showed the rivalry between the two big guns, and they don't care if it's a local cross or a 'big championship'. I think the other riders might see it as a good prize.

We should ask @Jon. if being European champion is a big deal?

SS euros are definetly a serious business. At least the drinking was.

The way VdP is riding the hurdles today is astounding. live here if anyone's interested

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijgCiiz7XYs

MVdP killing Cyclocross one race at a time

Race for 3rd was good though. Happy toon aerts got it

So Leeds Castle. Anyone ridden there before? Will it be as muddy as Ardingly?

It was a new venue last season. The course can be split into two halves, the upper half which involves some pretty straightforward terrain in a field, but which was extremely bumpy, and the bottom half which involved a series of off camber turns, approached at speed but which gradually rubbed off that speed. You then drop down to a flat section, with a small ditch crossing, before you hit the bottom of a massive run up, a huge bank that is relatively easy to plod up, but takes 30 seconds or so I'd think.

I don't know if the course will change much, but it wasn't that bad in terms of mud last year. It could get very messy on the bottom section, that's for sure.

thanks. Think I'll put the proper mud tyres on for grip then.

It's more about being able to take the abuse the bumps throw at you on the down, there were a couple of turns that you have to commit to (guess who didn't), the uphill slog that Andy refers to is a fair old bollocks. If it's like last year, it grinds up, there's a horrible off bike and shoulderand clamber up, then some more turns before another grind up. The bit through the trees, is nice, but leafy.

I have no fucking idea what the castle looks like. This was one of my last races, my fitness was fucked, and my back was killing by the end. Because all the things I outlined above.

There was a strong headwind on the uphill slog last year, I think that made it feel much worse than it actually was.

I was blowing out my arse by about lap 2.....

Is it worth the trip? @sumo any chance of a lift?

We may have a spot in the van, I've asked.

Sorry I couldn’t stop to chat @Howard - had 12 minutes to get to the station to catch a train home, otherwise I’d have had an hour to wait and be very unpopular at home.

Hope your race was better than mine - I missed my pedal at the start and it was all downhill from there. Think 38x18 was slightly too high for that course.

Has anybody got a link for watching todays race? Couldn't get live feed to work

it was all downhill from there

Apart from the bank of death, obviously.

Was it Isaac Mundy that won the seniors?

Also, any word on why the water hazard was shut halfway through the seniors?

Isaac put in an incredible ride and bagged a convincing win. But then you'd expect him to, right?

I heard there was a complaint to the comms about rocks in the stream, so the course was rerouted as a precaution. We did a pretty thorough inspection of it yesterday but always a chance something was missed.

No problem! Gloriously awful course ;)

Not a criticisim - thought the course and the event was great! Thanks to all involved.

Glad I disregarded @andyp's advice about that course being good on a singlespeed. I don't think it would have been.

Isaac rode away from the whistle. I heard @leggy_blonde turned his ankle in the stream (hope it's not too serious), and the commissaires were already a bit unhappy about it, so the b-line became the only line.

Grand course, and good to have something different from most other modern cross courses around here.

this is missing a bit but

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4TeQD3Ajdc

and short highlights are here

https://www.playsports.be/videozone/samenvatting/hansgrohe/samenvatting-telenet-superprestige-gavere-heren?mpDuQ5_VID&orderby=

Today's race was cracking, such a good course. Thanks to anyone and everyone involved if they read this.

Most of it was okay, the toughest part was the second half of the off camber section in the bottom half of the circuit, had to dismount and run up three, sometimes four, of the uphill bits.

Any link to watch european races with english commentary?