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**Spoilers** 2022 Cycling Thread --LOCKED
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**This thread is locked, head over to 2023 thread for conversation: https://forum.slowtwitch.com/...;;page=unread#unread **
Last edited by: Carl Spackler: Jan 4, 23 13:17
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Re: **Spoilers** 2022 Cycling Thread [Carl Spackler] [ In reply to ]
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Ahhhh. Fresh tarmac.
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Re: **Spoilers** 2022 Cycling Thread [WannaB] [ In reply to ]
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Like new kit day.
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Re: **Spoilers** 2022 Cycling Thread [Carl Spackler] [ In reply to ]
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Some good cross racing today. WvA finally found the limit in how much he can handicap himself. Casual double shoe change wasn't enough, but 40-second chain unwrapping gave Piddles enough room.

Very nearly a youth insurrection on the women's side with Pieterse, Van Empel, and Blanka Vas dominating early, but Brand did her thing, as usual.
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Re: **Spoilers** 2022 Cycling Thread [trail] [ In reply to ]
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trail wrote:
Very nearly a youth insurrection on the women's side with Pieterse, Van Empel, and Blanka Vas dominating early...


Shirin van Anrooij, too. They were riding 1-4 for the longest time. That and the race yesterday with US women placing 9th, 10th, and 11th was enough to make me cheer. Women's cyclocross is the best. I can't wait for Fayetteville.
Then again, on the men's side, with MvdP out and Wout a maybe at best, who's a worthy World Champion?
Last edited by: jstonebarger: Jan 2, 22 13:10
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Re: **Spoilers** 2022 Cycling Thread [trail] [ In reply to ]
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He looked fairly casual riding Aerts off his wheel, hopefully he’ll signup for Worlds and have that extra match to use.
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Re: **Spoilers** 2022 Cycling Thread [WannaB] [ In reply to ]
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Fresh tarmac indeed!
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Re: **Spoilers** 2022 Cycling Thread [turdburgler] [ In reply to ]
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Provence, Feb 10-13. (There's something about that race. It has a certain je ne sais what.)

Omloop, Feb 26.
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Re: **Spoilers** 2022 Cycling Thread [jstonebarger] [ In reply to ]
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jstonebarger wrote:
Then again, on the men's side, with MvdP out and Wout a maybe at best, who's a worthy World Champion?

Today provided the likely answer. Pidcock would have to be a favorite. Particularly since the Fayetteville course seems closer to the punchy Dutch course we saw today than the heavy Belgian courses. Pidcock seems to do better on the faster XC-like courses than power-grinding through mud.
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Re: **Spoilers** 2022 Cycling Thread [trail] [ In reply to ]
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I still have trouble believing Pidcock is on the same level as Mathieu and Wout. At least on anything but the perfect course for him. I realize you have to race to win, but if neither Mathieu or Wout toe the line I'll be rooting for Lars to have the ride of his life.
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Re: **Spoilers** 2022 Cycling Thread [jstonebarger] [ In reply to ]
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jstonebarger wrote:
I still have trouble believing Pidcock is on the same level as Mathieu and Wout. At least on anything but the perfect course for him. I realize you have to race to win, but if neither Mathieu or Wout toe the line I'll be rooting for Lars to have the ride of his life.


I agree about Pidcock, though at times he's surprised me, like outkicking Wout at De Brabantse Pijl for the win. Of all the ways I figured Pidcock could beat WvA, beating him in a match sprint would have been the last. Though the context is that Wout hasn't yet learned the art of not chasing down every attack.

I love the Lars pick! One of the few remaining guys who was racing before the MdVP-WvA hegemony, and is still going at it. I'll go with Toon as my non-superstar pick.
Last edited by: trail: Jan 4, 22 16:52
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Re: **Spoilers** 2022 Cycling Thread [jstonebarger] [ In reply to ]
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oh no - Peto tests positive for second time; think this will affect his spring campaign and his lifestyle
may affect his season
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Re: **Spoilers** 2022 Cycling Thread [trail] [ In reply to ]
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I'm excited to be there, regardless. Besides, the women's race is usually better anyway!
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Re: **Spoilers** 2022 Cycling Thread [heyMartin] [ In reply to ]
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heyMartin wrote:
oh no - Peto tests positive for second time; think this will affect his spring campaign and his lifestyle
may affect his season

Almost gave me a heart attack! Peto gonna make party. This was inevitable.
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Re: **Spoilers** 2022 Cycling Thread [jstonebarger] [ In reply to ]
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jstonebarger wrote:
I'm excited to be there, regardless. Besides, the women's race is usually better anyway!

jumping in to +1 this. i've actually only watched women's 'cross for a while now. partly because my 2- and 4-year-old daughters love it, but partly because the women's fields are just so bloody interesting these days. when you've got half a dozen dutch girls alone who could legitimately be world champ (vos, worst, pieterse, brand, alvarado, betsema, etc) and then a handful of americans, canadians, italians, etc who all roll, it's just great stuff every time.

my favourites currently are vos (just because i'm sentimental) and pieterse, though. puck in particular could have a wonderfully long career ahead of her: super skilled, growing fitter, and absolutely fearless.

____________________________________
https://lshtm.academia.edu/MikeCallaghan

http://howtobeswiss.blogspot.ch/
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Re: **Spoilers** 2022 Cycling Thread [iron_mike] [ In reply to ]
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My wife caught Puck sessioning the log stairs at Trek CXC. She's been a huge fan ever since.
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Re: **Spoilers** 2022 Cycling Thread [jstonebarger] [ In reply to ]
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jstonebarger wrote:
I still have trouble believing Pidcock is on the same level as Mathieu and Wout. At least on anything but the perfect course for him. I realize you have to race to win, but if neither Mathieu or Wout toe the line I'll be rooting for Lars to have the ride of his life.

As I've told you many times, Pidcock is a far better CXer than Mathieu or Wout. Doesn't have the raw power, but in terms of brains and handling ability he's better. Not going to win any tractor pulls, but a hard course with plenty of elevation and technical descents is made for him. Also, nobody paces himself better than Tom.
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Re: **Spoilers** 2022 Cycling Thread [carlosflanders] [ In reply to ]
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According to results, he’s not a “far better CXer” by any measure.
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Re: **Spoilers** 2022 Cycling Thread [Carl Spackler] [ In reply to ]
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Did you read the following sentence?
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Re: **Spoilers** 2022 Cycling Thread [carlosflanders] [ In reply to ]
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carlosflanders wrote:
Not going to win any tractor pulls, but a hard course with plenty of elevation and technical descents is made for him. .


Ironically, I think the one time Pidcock beat a healthy MdVP was a...tractor pull contest at the Telenet Superprestige Gavere. :)

Same irony that the one time Pidcock beat WvA to win a classic was a 2-up flat sprint (De Brabantse Pijl).
Last edited by: trail: Jan 4, 22 20:03
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Re: **Spoilers** 2022 Cycling Thread [trail] [ In reply to ]
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trail wrote:
carlosflanders wrote:
Not going to win any tractor pulls, but a hard course with plenty of elevation and technical descents is made for him. .


Ironically, I think the one time Pidcock beat a healthy MdVP was a...tractor pull contest at the Telenet Superprestige Gavere. :)

Same irony that the one time Pidcock beat WvA to win a classic was a 2-up flat sprint (De Brabantse Pijl).

Pedantry alert, the Brabantse Pijl sprint is on a false flat ( finishing km avg ~3%)

But Piddles sure has good tactical nous (see his sprint at 2021 KBK)
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Re: **Spoilers** 2022 Cycling Thread [carlosflanders] [ In reply to ]
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Do style points count more than world championships?
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Re: **Spoilers** 2022 Cycling Thread [echappist] [ In reply to ]
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He’s a very clever, especially for so young.

To win the Baby Giro yet hang in the classics with guys he gives away 40+ pounds to is some kind of rider.
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Re: **Spoilers** 2022 Cycling Thread [Carl Spackler] [ In reply to ]
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Tom is 22 and weighs 58 kg. Hardly going to have the Palmares of Wout or Mathieu. He's already won Worlds at Jr and U23 level in Cx and other disciplines. As well as a certain race in Tokyo.

Don't want to start a fight over it, I think it's amazing that he has the success he has in a sport that requires such brute strength. I admire him most out of all the cxers because he uses his brain more to maximize his results. Line choice is impeccable, pacing is close to perfect and his descending is a thing of beauty. He can't afford to waste any bullets, so keeps them for when it matters.

Can't see him beating Wout at Fayetteville, but if the course turns filthy it'll be a darn close thing.
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Re: **Spoilers** 2022 Cycling Thread [carlosflanders] [ In reply to ]
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I was just listening to him on GT's podcast few weeks ago while on trainer. Interestingly, he said road is his favorite. Cx was an oh by the way discipline, at least when he first got into it. And he appreciates and gained more confidence in the fact when he attacks MvdP and Wout don't let him go.
Last edited by: WannaB: Jan 4, 22 22:55
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