Monday Musette - Paris-Nice Wrap-Up, Sad News from Poland, & One Great Ride

Here’s today’s Monday Musette:

1. Let’s begin with yesterday’s completion of Paris-Nice, where Astana’s Alberto Contador kept his cool to survive an onslaught of attacks from Caisse d’Epargne to win his second Paris-Nice. Give me some credit for predicting the top-3—even though I had Contador and Valverde in the wrong positions.

Here’s what we noticed:
--Astana and Katusha work well together. Maybe it was just a coincidence, but I found it interesting to see Katusha—not Astana—setting the pace at several points during yesterday’s stage. Were they trying to place Joaquim Rodriguez higher on the GC? Maybe, but more likely a deal was made where Katusha offered support to Astana for a favor to-be-named-later.

--Peter Sagan’s for real. At one point, I thought he was going to win a third stage on Saturday. Liquigas heads to Milan with perhaps the strongest overall team for Saturday’s La Primavera. If they’re smart, they’ll work to keep the young Slovakian tucked safely near the front of the pack, ready for the attacks on the Cipressa and Poggio, as well as a possible small group sprint. He’ll be one of my top favorites in Friday’s Milan-San Remo Preview.

--Where was Levi Leipheimer? If you’re Johan Bruyneel, you’re worried.

--The French rode a respectable race, taking two stages and placing two riders in the top-10. Cofidis’s Reim Taaramae might be Estonian, but he rode a fantastic race as well—I might have learn how to spell his name as we could be seeing more of it.

--Watch-out for Sylvain Chavanel when we get to Belgium. He put in some attacks here and there during the week and is certainly hoping to be peaking in 10-days time. With Stijn Devolder conspicuously absent down in Italy, Chavanel looks to be Quick Step’s #2 man for the cobbled classics.

--Nicholas Roche appears closer and closer to earning a big win—he finished 11th in Paris-Nice. Look for a top-10 result this Saturday—if his team’s up to the challenge of keeping him in contention.

2. Moving to Tirreno-Adriatico, the action over the last 3 days has been pretty exciting as we’ve seen some difficult finishes. As we expected, Michele Scarponi and Stefano Garzelli seem to be waging a two-man civil war for the GC, while Cadel Evans lurks in 3rd. We’ll let the race finish tomorrow before making our final judgments, but for now I’ll say this: the next 3 weeks should be very exciting.

3. I wasn’t surprised to hear of the Szczepaniak brothers testing positive for EPO at Cyclocross Worlds this past January. And while I smirked at how obvious their transgressions were after the fact, I’m saddened to have heard the news of younger brother Kacper’s suicide attempt following the news. First of all, let’s hope the kids get some help as clearly they have bigger problems than giving back their medals. But the bigger question remains: when will we learn that doping goes beyond just being a cheater. It’s like faulting a student for failing an exam without considering the fact that they can’t read. Maybe there’s a better analogy, but at some point I hope the UCI, WADA, and the IOC devote some money to not only catching dopers, but also to researching why they do it in the first place.

4. Here are two great sites I found recently—one from New Zealand and one from Italy. They’re connected, but I’ll let you read to find out for yourself. Great stuff!

5. Thanks for finding this video, BQ. Close your eyes if you’re squeamish.

6. And finally, I don’t talk about my own riding too much, but yesterday I participated in a ride that was too good not to share. It’s called the Philadelphia Spring Classic; it’s unsanctioned, unadvertised, and unlisted—but if you know someone who knows someone, you can get the details. Occurring over 3 weeks, the Classic incorporates some of the dirtiest, narrowest, and craziest roads, trails, and paths Philadelphia has to offer. Each week is about 55 miles in length—If you ride all 3 “stages” you’ve completed the equivalent of a “real” classic and have earned the right to enjoy a cold stout and a warm cigar upon crossing the finish line.

Due to NAHBS and some family commitments last weekend, I was only able to partake in yesterday’s final stage—luckily the wind, rain, and cold temperatures arrived to celebrate my participation. What ensued was several hours of some of the most fun I’ve ever had on my bike including one crash (not me), several flats (not me), at least two flasks of hooch (okay, I had a little), several cans of sardine “nourishment” (not quite there yet), and one leg-cramping ascent up The Wall in Manayunk.

I’ll be certain to make arrangements for next year’s event well in advance—those cigars looked mighty satisfying.

As always, thanks for reading—share your comments below.

Cyclocross Power Ranking - Final Edition of 2009/2010

Here's the final installment of Erik's Cross Report and Power Ranking--for this cross season, at least.  Thanks to Erik for all his time and efforts--his insights are greatly appreciated.  Keep checking Erik's site, The Run-up for more news and info this off-season.

It’s been a long season with a lot of great racing from a great group of riders. Each week since mid-September I've been cranking out weekly power rankings for European and US cross racers. This week, I've decided to put together one last ranking for 2009/10 that takes into account the entire season—it’s the top ten riders in cross this year. I’m going in reverse order this week to help build a bit of suspense. But if you've been following my column this year, you can probably guess the top 3. So without further delay, here's the final power rankings of 2009/2010:

10. Sven Vanthourenhout - Sven started the season very strong, but failed to produce results in bigger races. Since he was consistently inside the top-10, he ends-up 10th on this list. Sven’s Belgian, which always hurts when it comes time to head to Worlds. In any other country he would have been at Worlds as one of his land’s best riders.

   Photo: Tim Van Wichelen

 9. Bart Wellens – Wellens’ first half of the season was destroyed by a bizarre illness. He bounced back in late December though, and ended-up making the Belgian Worlds team. He then ripped through the competition during the final few weeks of the season, capping it off with a win in the last race of the year. Hopefully next year will bring him more success—and better health.

8. Gerben de Knegt - de Knegt's biggest win should have been at the National Championships in his native Netherlands until Lars Boom spoiled the party. Still, de Knegt had a great season—all things considered. At this point he's still the Netherlands’ top cross racer, so I don't expect retirement any time soon.

   Photo: Tim Van Wichelen

 7. Bart Aernouts - Aernouts may be one of the most overlooked riders of the year. He was in the rankings virtually every week, but only cracked the top-5 twice. He's Belgian, which helps explain his anonymity, but he ended-up eighth in the UCI Points. If you take away Worlds (where he finished 37th), he never finished outside the top-20 and finished outside the top-10 only three times (two of those were 11th-place finishes). However, he only finished on the podium once. A little more experience and he could be a force to be reckoned with.

6. Francis Mourey - The French National Champion has some very interesting stats. He finished seventh overall in UCI Points due to a combination of consistent World Cup finishes and national race wins. Mourey did eight World Cups, finishing fifth four-times. He also finished fifth at Worlds. In addition to winning the French National Championship, Mourey won six races, four of which were in France. Overall, he had a very successful season, and I look forward to watching the 30-year-old improve over the next few seasons.

5. Kevin Pauwels - Pauwels was my pick to surprise this year; his victory at the Zolder World Cup proved he's got what it takes to win. He's only 26, so he'll continue to improve. My guess is he'll win 3 major races next year, challenging the likes of Sven Nys, Niels Albert and Zdenek Stybar. The biggest thing helping Pauwels is his consistency. Of the 33 races he did this year, he finished on the podium 12 times and outside the top-10 only 7 times.

4. Klaas Vantornout - Vantornout's 2nd-place at Worlds surprised a lot of people, but if you watched him this season, you knew something was coming. He was usually the last guy to get dropped from the Nys/Albert/Stybar trio, and often was in the hunt for the win until the final few laps. He finished outside the top-10 only once this season, but failed to pick-up a victory. Next year, he should win several races, including some big ones.

   Photo: Tim Van Wichelen

 3. Sven Nys - Nys dropped-out of the rankings once this year due in part to his poor start to the season. As the season progressed, Nys gained some traction, but never returned to the form that made him a superstar. Nys did pick-up the GVA Trophy, a National Championship, and a Bronze Medal at Worlds. To most, these were good results, but it's the first time since the 2003/04 season he didn't win the Superprestige or World Cup. He's had five-years of utter domination; perhaps this was just his first off year since the 03/04 season. Or, perhaps, we watched the changing of the guard. Only time will tell.

   Photo: Tim Van Wichelen

 2. Niels Albert - By mid-December, Albert seemed to have it all locked up. He was the reigning World Champion; Superprestige, the GVA Trophy, World Cup and UCI Points leader; and couldn't be stopped. However, chinks in his armor began to appear around Christmas and by the second week in January, it all began to unravel. In the end, Albert was left with very impressive statistics, but nothing really to show for it. That said, Albert finished 31 races, winning nearly 50% of them, and only finished off the podium 3 times. Hopefully next year he can put it all together.

  Photo: Tim Van Wichelen

1. Zdenek Stybar - Was there any doubt that Stybar would be #1? He's the only rider to not drop from the rankings and has been #1 five out of the past six weeks. Interestingly, Stybar won less races than Albert and Nys; he dominated by winning when he had to and riding as consistently as possible. For example, he only won three World Cup and two Superprestige rounds, yet managed to win both overall titles. It proves that cyclocross is all about consistency--how Nys has dominated in the past. The scariest part: Stybar is only 25. Even scarier: he's Czech—the Belgians must be scratching their heads as to how managed to take the UCI Points, World Championship, Superprestige and World Cup titles away from them. Hopefully he continues his great riding next year.

And there you have it—the final Power Ranking of the 2009/2010 cyclocross season—I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.  See you next fall!

Cross Report and Power Ranking

It’s a bit later than usual, but here’s the penultimate edition of Erik’s Cross Report and Power Rankings. For more coverage, check-out Erik’s site, The Run-up. He’ll be joining Pavé at NAHBS as well, so if you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of our in-house cross guru! 
 

All Photos by Tim Van Wichelen

With just one race left this year, Zdenek Stybar has returned to the top step of the podium and won another major competition. The World Champion did just enough Sunday to hold-off a charging Niels Albert on a slick, icy course in Vorselaar, taking the win and the Superprestige overall title. The big surprise came from Radomir Simunek who lead for a majority of the race before a crash allowed Stybar to catch him with 3 laps to go. From there, it was an all-out dash to the line as Albert and Sven Nys would eventually catch and pass Stybar as he headed to the pits. Albert took full advantage of Stybar’s momentary stoppage, launching an attack for the win. Chaos ensued including a spat between Nys and Simunek resulting in both men going down in a corner, allowing Stybar to slip-by to chase Albert alone. With half a lap to go, Stybar caught Albert and the two went toe-to-toe for the victory and the overall title—no one could have drawn it up any better. The two traded punches until Stybar got a gap over the fading Albert with a few hundred meters remaining and never looked back.

In addition to the stellar action up front, the penultimate race of the season held a few other surprises as several riders tried to end their seasons on a high note. Dieter Vanthourenhout rode a terrific race. He was dropped from the lead group with only a few laps remaining, but managed to hold-on to 5th. Jonathan Page managed to make his way up to 6th at one point before a few technical mistakes dropped him 7th. Perhaps the most interesting result came from Mariusz Gil as the Polish rider found himself in the top-10 in Vorselaar on Sunday and in the GP de Eecloonaar on Saturday (which was one by Bart Wellens).

All in all, it was spectacular weekend, setting things up nicely for another showdown in Oostmalle on Sunday. It was yet another week of big changes in the rankings—time to see where everyone landed:

International Power Ranking

1. Zdenek Stybar (2) - All Stybar needed to do was finish one place ahead of Niels Albert and the Superprestige title was his. He managed to do it, and the spectacular fashion in which he won the race will be etched in my mind forever. The Albert-Stybar battle is long from over though. Stybar's final chance to do the impossible comes Sunday where he has a very outside chance of taking the GVA Trophy.

 
2. Niels Albert (4) - Albert won the final round of the World Cup in January in an attempt to take the overall. Stybar needed to finish 3rd or worse for this to happen; Stybar finished second. Albert needed to beat Stybar by one place on Sunday to take the Superprestige overall; he lost by 6 seconds. Needless to say, it’s been a rough year for the former World Champion. He essentially has been left with nothing after destroying the competition in the first half of the season. He's tied for 2nd (yes, with Stybar) in the GVA Trophy series. Sunday's his last chance for a title this season.

3. Sven Nys (1) - Nys would have you believe that had Simunek not taken him out, he may have won the race. I beg to differ. Ultimately, there's only one race that Nys needs to worry about: the GVA Trophy’s final round in Oostmalle on Sunday. He has a 14-point lead over Stybar and Albert. Nys hasn't won much this year; a GVA Trophy would allow him to end the season on a high note.
4. Dieter Vanthourenhout (10) - Vanthourenhout finished 2nd on Saturday and seems to have found some great form. His 5th on Sunday was surprising, but it was a shame he was never really in contention for the win. After a season of ups and downs, it's nice to see the young Belgian end things on a positive note.

5. Bart Wellens (6) - Wellens finally grabbed a victory this year at the GP de Eecloonaar on Saturday. The race featured all the big names including Nys, Albert, and Stybar. Wellens was able to beat them all and pick-up a well-deserved victory. Next year, may be Wellens’ last, so ending this season on a high note is very important.
6. Radomir Simunek (n/a) - Simunek was in the mix all day on Sunday and at one point it even looked as if he might take win. In the end, he narrowly defeated Sven Nys for 3rd place. I won’t go too deep into the conspiracy theory, but Simunek did just enough to keep Nys out of Stybar's way, preventing him from bridging across to Albert. One thing's for sure: it's all about the Czechs and the Belgians right now.
7. Klaas Vantornout (5) - Vantornout finished inside the top-10 in both races this weekend, but never managed to make the lead group. I have a feeling that next year Vantornout will do some real damage, adding to the chaos at the front of the field.
8. Kevin Pauwels (3) - Pauwels continues to have a rocky end to the season, only managing 6th and 11th this past weekend. It's been a long season for the young Belgian, but it appears that his future is very bright. He won Round 7 of the World Cup and has dozens of podium finishes. Perhaps next year,he'll be in the mix for an overall title in one of season’s many race series.

9. Mariusz Gil (n/a) - Gil has won one race this year: the Polish National Championship. Beyond that, he's finished in the top-10 only twice—but that was in September and October. Needless to say, the Polish rider’s pair of top-10’s this past weekend came as a big surprise. I'm not sure if it's good luck or late season form, but either way, Gil made it into the rankings for the first time this year.
10. Jonathan Page (n/a) - Page returns to the rankings after a stellar 7th in Vorselaar. His season will conclude with an indoor race at the end of February, before he heads back over the Atlantic for the off-season. It has been a rough year for the American. He started-off strong, but has had sporadic results over the past few months. Perhaps he can put it all together this weekend and go out with a bang.

Dropped this week: Sven Vanthourenhout (7), Bart Aernouts (8) and Gerben de Knegt (9).

The final race of the 2009/2010 cyclocross season will take place in Oostmalle, Belgium on Sunday. It's the final round of the GVA Trophy and after last Sunday's showdown in Vorselaar, it promises to be a good one. Sven Nys leads Zdenek Stybar and Niels Albert by 14 points, so all Nys really needs to do is finish. Stybar or Albert can take the overall with a win and a Nys finish outside the top-10. Cleary, it's Nys' title to lose.

Have a terrific weekend—share your comments below.

Monday Musette - Valverde, Oman, Algarve, and 2 Great Videos

1. This weekend I learned a valuable lesson: never bet against Alejandro Valverde (unless it's July). 

"It’s February," I thought. 

"He’s saving his best for later in the year," I assumed. 

"The competition is more motivated than he is," I predicted. 

I was wrong on all counts—with the lone exception being yesterday's super-motivated stage winner, Francesco Masciarelli. My pre-race favorite, Johnny Hoogerland, finished the race in a respectable 4th-place overall—9 seconds behind the winner. The other favorites finished about where we expected: Vino, Gesink, and Danielson all finished inside the top-15. But in the end, it was Valverde who punched his victory card a bit earlier than we might be used to, thus cementing his status as the World’s most dangerous man in every race that's not cobbled or the Tour.

2. Two stages of the Tour of Oman have come and gone, and things are running as we expected: sprinters have won the first two stages and Edvald Boassen Hagen has taken the overall lead. It was nice to see Jimmy Casper continuing Saur-Sojasun’s optimistic start to the season with a Stage 1 victory. Kudos as well to Daniele Bennati—he and Chichi seem to be one of the sport’s most-formidable sprint duos at this point the season. Here’s hoping they can keep it up once they return to Europe.

3. The early season stage races continue this week in Portugal with the Vuelta Algarve, a race with quite an interesting start list. Algarve marks the first appearance of many of the favorites for this year’s Grand Tours including Astana’s Alberto Contador, Radio Shack’s Levi Leipheimer, and Garmin’s Christian Vande Velde. Several of the sport’s best one-day men will also be using Algarve to continue their slow builds to April including Stijn Devolder, Sylvain Chavanel, Geert Steegmans, Samuel Sanchez, Sergei Ivanov, Nick Nuyens, Thor Hushovd, and Heinrich Haussler. And don’t forget the sprinters—they’re here too led by Robbie McEwan, Andre Greipel, and Julien Dean. There are also several wild cards, talented men hoping Algarve will present them with chances to take their first win of the season while the stars collect their kilometers. Of these, Geoffroy Laquatre, Ryder Hesjedal, David Zabriskie, Joaquin Rodriguez, Lars Boom, Luis Leon Sanchez, Sandy Casar, Manuel Cardoso, and Bjorn Leukemans come quickly to mind.

In the end, look for a rider talented enough to finish well in the sprints and do well in the final stage’s ITT to take the overall win. I’ll go out on a limb and pick Thor for the overall victory—he’s sure to finish well on the flatter stages and the relatively short ITT suits his strengths.  

4. There were some great cyclocross races this weekend as well—but you’ll have to come back for Erik’s Cross Report and Power Rankings to hear more about those.

Away from the racing scene we have several other goodies—including some great videos.

5. My friend Fxdwhl at lockring.not.included posted a series of excerpts from the great Merckx-era documentary, Stars and Watercarriers. Of all the scenes Fxdwl includes, this one is my favorite. It’s got it all: a funky “recovery device”, an overly demonstrative Italian soigneur, scenes from mealtime—with separate tables for riders and staff, and of course, mechanics taping bars and gluing tires. In a word, it’s perfect. (Sessa, Geert, and Kepa: I miss you, guys.)

6. Let's jump from 1973 to 2001, and scenes from the USPS team car at Paris-Roubaix (I believe this comes via the Road to Paris documentary.  I enjoy this one for many reasons, but here are 3 of the best: it’s Paris-Roubaix in rough weather; it’s the one and only year that Mercury got an invite; and it forever answers the question as to who really ran the USPS team (if there were ever any doubts).

7. And while we’re on the subject of the 2001 Paris-Roubaix, check-out this terrific picture of Wilfred Peeters and his short-lived bid for Roubaix glory. Notice the front wheel--does it look familiar? Well, let’s just say it wasn’t standard-issue for Domo back then—heck, it wasn’t even "standard-issue" for Mercury. But that’s a long story for another day…

Enjoy your week!

Sunday Preview - Faron, Oman, and Vorselaar

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! We’re still at a point in the season where the schedule bounces around a bit from one week to another. This weekend’s action occurs mainly on Sunday with one stage race ending, another beginning, and a Belgian cyclocross finale to the Superprestige. Let’s take a look:

Fotoreporter Sirotti

We begin in France where today’s Stage 4 of the Tour de Med was neutralized due to bad weather after 114km of racing with Cofidis’ Julien El Fares being declared the “winner”. Tomorrow’s showdown on the slopes of Mont Faron is threatened as well—here’s hoping the weather improves as the stage looked certain to produce some of the most exciting racing we’ve seen thus far this young season. Should the race occur unaltered, look for fireworks from the 3 strongest men still capable of taking the overall: Alejandro Valverde, Johnny Hoogerland, and Alexandre Vinokourov. Valverde and Hoogerland lie a mere 10 seconds behind FDJ’s Jussi Veikkanen, with Vino a further 7 seconds back. In the finalé, FDJ will be hard-pressed to hold down the bastille, as all 3 men possess the explosivity necessary for success on the 1st Category climb to the finish. While Valverde and Vino will be tough to beat, I’ll stick to my original prediction: Hoogerland will take it by a narrow margin. If he’s smart he’ll offer Vino the stage win in exchange for some solidarity against Valverde—his 7-second cushion offers him the wiggle room he needs to do so. Hopefully the weather will let us see what happens.

Heading farther South, weather won’t be a problem at the Tour of Oman, Eddy Merckx’s new venture. The majority of teams and riders from the Tour of Qatar have stuck around, undoubtedly drawn to the abundant sunshine and high temperatures. They better live it up though; there’s nowhere to hide after Friday when everything heads back north. As for this week, while the terrain in Oman is a bit more “diverse” than Qatar, the race is still essentially a sprinter’s paradise, aside from an 18km time trial on the final day. Look for the traditional fast men to rule the first 5 stages, with perhaps one long breakaway finding success should the sprinters’ teams feel generous. Boonen and Chicchi got the better of the rest in Qatar; Farrar, Cooke, and Napolitano will be looking for some form of revenge. In the end, Edvald Boasson Hagen should take overall the win. He showed an ability to sprint with best in Qatar and the ITT on the final day will certainly put him heads and shoulders above the rest of the competition—it’s an ideal situation for Team Sky’s first GC victory of 2010.

Finally, we head back north to Belgium and the final round of the Superprestige in Vorselaar. Sven Nys needs a miracle to take the overall title—he’ll have to win with both Niels Albert and Zdenek Stybar finishing well behind him. Stybar and Albert will certainly be eying one another closely—they’re tied for the overall lead with the spoils going to whoever crosses the line first. In the end, their game of cat and mouse could play right into Nys’ hands, perhaps giving him the leeway he’ll need to ride with a victory on the day. And the overall title? Well, stranger things have happened.

Fotoreporter Sirotti

As always, enjoy the racing—hopefully the weather wherever you reside is allowing you a ride or two as well. Please share your comments and predictions with the rest of as comments below.

Cross Report and Power Ranking

If you thought the European cyclocross season ended last week at Worlds in Tabor you're mistaken--there are still several weeks of racing left with some titles still undecided. To give us a run-down of where things stand, Erik's back with his weekly Cross Report and Power Ranking.  Let's see where everyone stacks-up!  Feel free to leave your comments below!

One week after the spectacle that was the World Championships, the cyclocross community returned to its unofficial homeland for 3 races in Belgium. As is typical of this time of year, unless riders get some serious start money or are in contention for a top spot in either the Superprestige or GVA Trophy, they usually wind down their season. As a result we have another week with some major changes in the rankings. Francis Mourey, Martin Bina, Martin Zlamalik and Christan Heule all elected not to race this week and were dropped from the rankings. Needless to say, things are being shaken-up as we enter the final few weeks of the season.

At the front this week, one man stood out from the rest: Sven Nys. The Belgian champ elected to start all three races this week, winning two of them. And he most likely would have won Wednesday in Maldegem, had he been able to recover from a hard crash on the final lap. Behind him, the newly crowned World Champion, Zdenek Stybar, finished a distant 7th. Last year, Niels Albert finished 13th in Maldegem after earning the rainbow stripes and acknowledged that there's a "rainbow curse" of sorts. Stybar quickly found his legs over the weekend and finished 2nd in Lille (GVA Trophy) and Zonhoven (Superprestige) behind Nys. Kevin Pauwels also rebounded from his poor showing at Worlds to finish on the podium in all three races. Meanwhile, Niels Albert continues to struggle with consistency, winning in Maldegem, but finishing 4th in Lille and 5th in Zonhoven.

Clearly, Sven Nys is the man to beat right now, but where does everyone else fall? Time to find out:

International Power Ranking

1. Sven Nys (3) - Nys could have gone 3 for 3 this week, but an untimely crash spoiled his trifecta. However, his win in Lille has nearly locked-up the GVA Trophy and bumped him up to second in UCI points. The Superprestige might prove too far out of reach for the Belgian, but with a total 3 races left on the calendar, he would love to go out with a bang. It should also be noted that Nys was on antibiotics this week and is just starting to feel healthy—amazing.

2. Zdenek Stybar (1) - The World Champion will be at any and every imaginable cyclocross race over the next year, so it was no surprise to see him line-up for all three races this week. Coming into the weekend, Stybar had a shot at the "Cross Quintuple" (World Championship, World Cup, UCI Points, GVA Trophy and Superprestige). However, Nys spoiled the party by out-sprinting him in Lille. He did do just enough in Zonhoven to even the score with Albert in the Supreprestige though (they're now tied). Perhaps he'll win the Quadruple?

3. Kevin Pauwels (n/a) - Pauwels really let me down at the World Championships, where I had him pegged for a top-10 finish. However, he bounced-back, finishing on the podium in all 3 races this week. He's one of the many stars of the future and while he’s only had one big win this year (Round & of the World Cup Round in Zolder), he has consistently mixed-it-up with the big boys. Next season could be a big one for the young Belgian.

4. Niels Albert (10) - Albert picked up the win in Maldegem after Nys crashed out of the lead, but struggled over the weekend, barely finishing inside the top-five. He's had to watch Stybar storm through the last half if this season and take away the World Cup, the World Championship and UCI points. Hopefully he can grab the Superprestige title, but I'm sure Stybar would love to snag that as well.

5. Klaas Vantornout (2) - Vantornout barely missed the top step of the podium in Tabor; it’s starting to become a theme for the 28-year-old Belgian. In fact, while Vantornout hasn't won a single race this year, he's only finished outside the top-10 once. Talk about consistency! It won’t take much for Vantornout to start picking-up wins next year, but he'll have to contend with the usual suspects for the next decade or so.

6. Bart Wellens (6) - Wellens has bounced around the top-10 during the latter half of the season after suffering a severe illness last year. This week, the 4-time World Champion finished on the podium in Maldegem, but struggled over the weekend. I think at this point, Wellens can toss-out this season and start thinking about next year.

7. Sven Vanthourenhout (n/a) - Vanthourenhout returns to the rankings this week after a string of top-10 finishes. It’s been a rough season for the Belgian and while things have smoothed out a bit, his lack of success at the bigger races kept him off Belgium’s Worlds team. It will be interesting to see if he can turn things around next year.

8. Bart Aernouts (n/a) - Aernouts has had a surprisingly solid season, continuing the trend with a pair of top-10’s over the weekend. He's another Belgian with plenty of years ahead of him; he has some time to make things click

9. Gerben de Knegt (5) - de Knegt finished 10th in Lille, keeping him in the rankings this week. He's the oldest guy in the rankings and the only Dutchmen. The good news is that there's a bevy of younger talent joining the elite ranks over the next few years. But for now, de Knegt is the man in the Netherlands.

10. Dieter Vanthourenhout (n/a) - Dieter is another rider making his long awaited return to the rankings this week. Much like his cousin (Sven), Dieter has had an up and down season and is looking for some positive momentum as the racing winds down. At age 25, he’s still learning how to play with the big boys and should continue to improve every year.

Dropped this week: Francis Mourey (4), Martin Bina (7), Martin Zlamalik (8) and Christan Heule (9).

The GP de Eecloonaar in Eeklo, Belgium will serve as a fine warm-up for the fireworks in Vorselaar on Sunday. The final round of the Superprestige will prove to be the most important race of the series as Zdenek Stybar and Niels Albert are tied for the lead with 95 points. Sven Nys is a distant third with 86 points and his streak of 5-straight Superprestige titles looks certain to come to an end. However, all Stybar and Albert have to worry about is each other, leaving room for someone like Nys to pick-up the win on the day. In case you're wondering, there is one wacky scenario that would allow Nys to win the overall: points go 15 deep (15,14,13, etc.), meaning Nys must finish 6th or better and Albert and Stybar must finish at least nine spots behind him. As far as those two go, Stybar has all the momentum, but Albert will have the home crowd. It promises to be a great race!

Wednesday Cross Report and Power Ranking

Only a few weeks left for Erik Mitchell's Weekly Cross Report and Power Rankings.  It was a fantastic weekend of racing.  For more insight and analysis, head to Erik's site, The Run-up.  As always, feel free to share your comments and insights below.

In what was billed as one of the best cyclocross races in years, the 2010 World Championships in Tabor, Czech Republic delivered the fairy tale story every rider (and fan) dreams about. Wearing his nation's colors, Zdenek Stybar destroyed one of the best fields ever assembled, and collected the Rainbow Jersey in front of a hometown crowd. Stybar spent more than half the race by himself and wound-up winning by 21 seconds. Behind, the usual heads of state were noticeably absent, as a bevy of somewhat unsung riders made their bids for podium spots. Sven Nys, the other early favorite, found himself out of contention for the win, and could only watch as fellow countryman Klaas Vantornout picked-up the Silver Medal. Nys held-on for Bronze, while defending champion Niels Albert dropped-out with a few laps to go.

Vantornout wasn't the only surprise of the day. Behind the two Belgians, three more Czechs made their way into the top-10: Martin Bina (4th), Martin Zlamalik (6th), and Radomir Simunek (8th). I guess there's something about racing on your home soil that leads to extraordinary performances. Mixed among the surging Czechs were a few other surprise names; Francis Mourey finished 5th and Christian Heule drifted back into 7th. Tim Johnson was the top American, using a late surge to wind-up 14th. Needless to say, when a World Championship is on the line, we get a chance to see wonderful performances from riders we rarely talk about.

All in all, it was one of the best races of the year, and one that will be remembered for a long time. In terms of the rankings, obviously Stybar takes the top spot this week, but where does everyone else fall? Time to find out:

1. Zdenk Stybar (1) - In what still must seem like a dream, Stybar proved that he's the best in the World right now by winning the rainbow stripes in his home nation. Stybar will be going for it all over the next few weeks. He already has the World Cup Overall Title and the World Championship and is well within striking distance of the Superprestige and GvA Trophy series. Only time will tell if the Czech can win the Quadruple Crown.
2. Klaas Vantornout (3) - Vantornout continued his impressive run of top-5 finishes with a silver medal in Tabor. This tied his best result of the year (at the Roubaix World Cup) and has firmly planted him as one of the best Belgian cross riders. He hasn't won a race this year, but has only finished outside the top-10 once. Even if he doesn't pick up a win this February, he'll still be a major threat next year.
3. Sven Nys (4) - In typical Nys fashion, the Belgian superstar failed to win the biggest race in the World. He has promised to race cross until 2013, leaving him a few more opportunities to take another World Championship. Nys appeared to have good form, but his superb technical skills were nowhere to be found. He has two more races left in the GvA Trophy to defend his lead and wrap-up the overall. That's really all that matters for him at this point.
4. Francis Mourey (n/a) - Mourey may never win a race outside of France, but he's still one of the best cross racers in Europe. His 5th place was no surprise (he's had six of them this year), but the fact that he was on a verge of a podium spot definitely turned a few heads. Perhaps he'll surprise us with a win later this month, or maybe he'll continue his impressive streak of 5th places.
5. Gerben de Knegt (8) - de Knegt struggled a bit in Tabor, but finished just inside the top-10. He remains the best Dutchmen in the world right now and has resurrected his career at age 35. With the retirement of Erwin Vervecken, de Knegt becomes the elder statesmen of cross next year, but I'm sure his results won’t show it.
6. Bart Wellens (n/a) - The four-time World Champ struggled to make the Belgian team this year, but with a 10th place in Tabor, he proved he belonged there all along. Due to the bizarre illness he suffered last fall, it's been a tough season for the Belgian. I think he's really looking forward to next year; we’re hoping he hopes to get back to the greatness he once showed.
7. Martin Bina (n/a) - Bina was the first of many Czech riders to surprise everyone in Tabor. He lost a shot at the podium thanks to a devastating sprint from Nys. Still, his 4th place was perhaps the biggest surprise of the day. This will most likely be Bina's best result of the year, but leaves hope that he may be able to produce similar results more consistently next year.
8. Martin Zlamalik (n/a) - Zlamailk's 6th place was yet another Czech surprise. In fact, the Czech Republic finished with more riders inside the top-10 (4) than any other nation this year. Much like Bina, Zlamalik hasn't had much success in the bigger races this year, but while it might have been a result of home field advantage, the future looks bright for the Czech Republic right now. It's shaping-up to be a Czech vs. Belgian battle for years to come.
9. Christan Heule (n/a) - Heule raced in America in September before heading over to Europe where he produced some good results. Over the past few months his success has fizzled though, making his 7th place all the more remarkable. At age 35, Heule's career is almost over and while it's not clear when he'll bid the cross world adieu, a top-10 at Worlds isn't a bad way to go.
10. Niels Albert (2) - Albert really didn't prove much coming-off his victory in the final round of the World Cup a week ago. He failed to finish on Sunday in Tabor and was never better then 12th during the race. But while he lost the World Title and the World Cup this year, he still has a shot at the Superprestige and GvA Trophy. It's going to be a tough end to the season for the young Belgian if he fails to win at least one of those titles.

Dropped this week: Erwin Vervecken (5), Kevin Pauwels (6), Tom Meeusen (7), Bart Aernouts (9), Jonathan Page (10).

While the cycling world begins to turn its head towards road races in Southern Europe and Qatar this week, the cross boys will be battling it out in Belgium. With only a few weeks left in the season, it's time to wrap-up the Superprestige and GvA Trophy. There's a mid-week race in Maldegem, but the real fireworks begin on Saturday in Lille, with another round of the GvA. Sven Nys will be going for broke as he tries to defend his lead over a rocky Niels Albert and the newly-crowned World Champion, Zdenek Stybar. On Sunday, the trio moves to Zonhoven for the penultimate round of the Superprestige series. Nys needs a miracle to win this overall, but another victory on home soil is always nice for the Belgian Champion. Meanwhile, Stybar and Albert will battle it out for the lead heading into the final round next weekend in Vorselaar. Needless to say, there's no rest for the weary.

Monday Musette - Cross Worlds, Euro Openers, "Therapy", and Belgian Bikes

What a weekend!  Cross Worlds, European season openers, and--as always--some other interesting bits to discuss:

1. The obvious weekend story was the East-West showdown at Cyclocross Worlds in Tabor, Czech Republic.  Yes, the Wall has fallen, but a quick rundown of the results indicates a beating reminiscent of Rocky IV (the beginning of the movie—before the funky training-in-a-barn to the sound of “Eye of the Tiger”). 

 Photo Tim Van Wichelen

In the Elite Men’s race, the pre-race favorite, Zdenek Stybar continued his dream season with a resounding win before a home crowd.  While Stybar’s result wasn’t much a surprise, the way in which he won might have been, as the Belgian contingent seemed to have little response to the Czech’s display of power. 

 Photo Tim Van Wichelen

That said, the bigger shock came in Saturday’s U23 race, where another pre-race favorite, Belgium’s Tom Meeusen, went down quicker than Apollo Creed to not one, but two Polish riders--brothers no less! Meeusen--who the winner admitted is a better rider--could muster no better than 4th on a day that began with the young Czech Tomas Paprstka taking the first Rainbow Jersey of the weekend--a taste of bigger things to come for the Czechs.  

When it was all said and done, the only world title heading West belongs to Holland’s Marianne Vos, who stormed away from her competition early in the race—winning her second consecutive World Championship in the process.

While the traditional powerhouses—okay, let’s be honest, we’re mainly taking about Belgium—still have reason to be optimistic about the future, it’s clear that Stybar has a long and successful career ahead of him.  Belgium’s toughest competition might finally come from somewhere other than Belgium.

 Photo Tim Van Wichelen

But don’t worry, my fine Flemish and Walloon friends—you’ll always have beer.  Or will you?

2. In other racing news, the European season is officially underway in France and Italy.  Look for weekend previews to reconvene here every Friday—particularly as we draw closer and closer to more important events.  For now, I find it interesting that 2 new teams—or redesigned teams—took wins over the weekend with Jonathan Hivert punching Saur-Sojasun’s card, and Matteo Montaguti taking a win for De Rosa-Stac Plastic.  

Fotoreporter Sirotti

3. And by the way, I’m officially submitting Saur-Sojasun as an example of a team with kit I actually like.  That might not be saying anything, considering the overabundance of—let’s call a spade a spade—ugly designs filling the peloton this season.  Regardless, I like it—the Gitane’s are a nice touch too.

4. Moving-on, here’s another article from VeloNews on the “therapeutic” merits of PRP Therapy (platelet-rich-plasma).  Unless I'm reading it incorrectly, WADA seems to consider this method okay—for now.  Maybe I’m missing something, but how is this not considered performance enhancement?  Where is the line here?    

5. On Friday, I wrote about what might be considered a looming crisis in French cycling.  One of my astute readers mentioned that the same could be said of Spain.  Footon-Servetto, Euskaltel, and Caisse d’Epargne are Spain’s three Pro Tour teams this year (one more than France).  However, Caisse d’Epargne has already announced that this season will be its last, and Mauro Gianetti seems to struggle every year to put his team together.  And bikes?  Spanish makers BH and Orbea back two of the Spanish squads, but from there the list gets smaller.  Riders?  Aside from Alberto Contador and Carlos Sastre, Spain’s doing a better job than France of keeping its home talent at home—at least from a Grand Tour perspective; Alejandro Valverde, Samuel Sanchez, and Luis Leon Sanchez all ride for Spanish teams.  Classics-wise, the best Spaniards ride for teams more suited to their talents: Juan Antonio Flecha and Carlos Barredo come to mind.  

So is the situation in Spain the same as it is in France?  Not quite, but with a major team set to dissolve if a new title sponsor cannot be found, the landscape could change quickly.

6. Not sure where it fits in today's post, but Belgium Knee Warmers published a terrific article on Het Nieuwsblad.  We’re less than 4 weeks away!

7. From Belgian racing to Belgian bikes—sort of.  I met Craig Gaulzetti through my contributions to Embrocation Cycling Journal.  If you didn't read his piece on VDB, you missed perhaps one of the greatest pieces of writing from 2009.  He’s also a talented frame builder who has recently received some very favorable press for his efforts.  Aluminum’s his preferred frame material, and the style is all-Belgian.  These bikes are tools of a trade and are built to last accordingly.  Aluminum doesn’t have the cachet of other materials currently in vogue, but when you’re building something to be raced in an environment of incessant foul weather and bad roads, “en vogue” is not what you need.

Perhaps I’ve said too much—I hate sounding too “precious” about things like this.  Regardless, check-out Craig’s work—if you’re the right person for it, you won’t be disappointed.

8.  And speaking of bikes, El Cyclista has a terrific new piece about the current color palette of team bikes.  Of the 4 images he includes, it’s tough for me to tell which I like the best.  Aw heck, I’ll just kill two birds with one stone and say “Ridley”.

Thanks for reading!  As always, share your comments below.

Cyclocross Worlds Elite Men Live Stream

Enjoy the race!

Wednesday Cross Report and Power Ranking

The 2009-2010 cyclocross season is winding down, but there's still one major event on the itinerary: the World Championships this weekend in Tabor, Czech Republic.  Erik's back again this week with his Weekly Report and Power Ranking.  For more--including Erik's in-depth World Championship Preview, visit his website, The Run-up.  As always, leave your comments for Erik below.

Just when I had written-off Niels Albert’s chances for a Worlds repeat, he comes storming through to surprise everyone, winning the final round of the World Cup in Hoogerheide, Netherlands. Needless to say, it was a bittersweet weekend for Albert, because Zdenek Stybar did just enough to take home the World Cup overall, finishing 2nd. Stybar received a heap of help from his teammate Kevin Pauwels who finished 3rd and never really challenged Stybar’s bid for his first World Cup title. Pauwels was followed across the line by fellow countrymen Klaas Vantornout and Sven Nys to fill-out the top-5. And, with the Belgians picking up 6 of the top 10 spots, they're clearly ready for the World Championships this weekend. Behind the Belgian brigade, Gerben de Knegt finished inside the top-10 in one of his final few races in his home country this year, while American Jonathan Page managed to hold-on to his early success to finish 8th. All in all, it was a very exciting final round of the World Cup; and a number of great story lines still remain for the World Championships this weekend in Tabor, Czech Republic.

In Holland, Albert picked-up the win, but Stybar wound-up with the jersey. So who's Number One this week? Time to find out:

1. Zdenek Stybar (1) - Stybar did just enough to take the World Cup overall with his 2nd place on Sunday. In the end, that's good enough to stay Number One here. The Czech National Champion will have a lot of pressure on him in front of his fellow countrymen this weekend in Tabor. So far, he's been able to handle it well, but Worlds is all about national teams, meaning Stybar will be without much help and almost all alone against the Belgians this weekend.

2. Niels Albert (9) - Albert simply rode away from the leaders on Sunday and really never looked back. He jumps-up 7 spots this week and seems to have found the form that brought him early season success. A few weeks ago, he said a Worlds repeat was out of the question. However, with Sunday’s performance, he's on my list for the podium, and could definitely pick-up the win.

3. Klaas Vantornout (3) - Vantornout continues to quietly ride his way into the lead group, hanging-on for several top-5 finishes. He hasn't shown the ability to attack the "big boys", but always seems to be near the front when the winning moves are made. With a bit of luck and some great legs, the Belgian could find himself in the middle of the battle for the Rainbow Jersey.

4. Sven Nys (2) - Nys was the best of the chase group in Hoogerheide, raising a lot of questions. The most popular regarded Nys' decision to race on Saturday in a meaningless Belgian race (which he won). The other big story was Nys' comments about Sunday's race not mattering ahead of Worlds. Bottom line: Nys needs to win on Sunday to make everyone forget his antics and excuses.

5. Erwin Vervecken (5) - Vervecken narrowly missed a second consecutive top-5 World Cup finish on Sunday. With his recent string of success, Vervecken has to be a favorite to podium in his final World Championships. Here's a good tidbit to chew on: Vervecken has won three World titles; his first came in 2001—in Tabor.

6. Kevin Pauwels (na) – Pauwels’ podium finish launches him back into the rankings. He remains a wild card for a podium spot at Worlds, but it would take a lot of luck for him to take the top step. Regardless of how he does, Pauwels is another young Belgian who will have plenty of opportunities to pick-up a World Championship jersey in the future.

7. Tom Meeusen (4) - Much like Stybar, Meeusen wrapped-up his U23 World Cup overall with a second place in Hoogerheide. Meeusen is the odds-on favorite to win the U23 World Championships in Tabor, and is another Belgian superstar-to-be. He has already proven that he can race with the best in the world and thus remains in the rankings.

8. Gerben de Knegt (7) - de Knegt may not be the Dutch National Champion, but he has proven this year that he's the best rider from his country. He'll lead his nation on Sunday in Tabor and should finish inside the top-10. A podium spot seems out of the question at this point, but de Knegt continues to surprise everyone—even at age the of 35. Imagine if Nys (34), de Knegt (35), and Vervecken (38) were to finish on the podium!

9. Bart Aernouts (8) - Aernouts has rarely cracked the top-5 this year, but rides consistently in the top-10. His consistent season has earned him a Worlds spot. Clearly, he's capable of a top-10 in Tabor, but anything better would be major surprise.

10. Jonathan Page (na) - Page's 8th place on Sunday surprised everyone, including myself. As a result, Page will have a second row start in Tabor along with a lot of confidence. While he's capable of a top-10 this weekend, I think a podium spot is out of the question. That said, he shocked the world in 2007—could he do it again?

Dropped this week: Bart Wellens (6) and Steve Chainel (10).

Unless you haven't been paying attention, the 2010 Cyclocross World Championships take place in Tabor, Czech Republic this weekend. Overall, it’s been an incredibly exciting year and the World Championships promise to be no different. Belgium and the Czech Republic will both start seven riders, each country receiving a bonus rider due to having the current World Champion (Albert) and World Cup overall champion (Stybar). Belgium will start four former World Champions (Wellens, Nys, Vervecken and Albert). The odds-on favorites are Stybar, Nys and Albert, but a surprise could be lurking around every turn. All in all, it promises to be a battle to the end, one that I cannot wait to see. Enjoy the fireworks!

Weekly Cross Report and Power Ranking

Erik's report is a bit late this week--he was in Roubaix doing some advance scouting for his Worlds predictions. He's back now though, and has provided his weekly dose of commentary. For more, check-out his site, The Run-up.

With a bevy of freshly-crowned National Champions, the cyclocross world returned to a bit of normalcy this past weekend with the penultimate round of the World Cup in Roubaix. The course, which finishes on the famed Roubaix Velodrome, has become famous for its harrowing descents and horrific conditions. Sure enough, the sloppy mud and technical nature of the course led to a natural selection containing all of the big names—except Niels Albert who was clearly suffering from the broken rib he received thanks to a run in with a drunk fan at the Belgian National Championship. Zdenek Stybar was the strongest on the day; he rode clear of the rest of the top-5 with a few laps to go. As a result, he takes sole control of the World Cup and UCI Points overall rankings. Behind him, Klaas Vantornout managed to pick-up second place ahead of a self-proclaimed "not fresh enough" Sven Nys. Last year’s winner, Erwin Vervecken, ended-up 4th, a handful of seconds ahead of Bart Wellens.

The two biggest disappointments of the weekend had to be Francis Mourey and Petr Dlask who finished 21st and 22nd, respectively. As a result, both men are dropped from this week’s Power Rankings. Lars Boom also dropped-out of the Rankings when it was announced that the Dutch National Champion will not be a part of the Dutch Worlds Team due to his desire to focus on the Classics—a bit of a shame if you ask me. From an American standpoint, the biggest disappointment of the weekend came on the women's side of things when Katie Compton was forced to the sidelines due to persistent leg cramps. As a result she lost her lead in the World Cup and UCI Points overall rankings. And speaking of the Americans, Jonathan Page was the top US rider, finishing 18th. Ryan Trebon made his European debut; he finished a disappointing 39th.

Zdenk Stybar deserves top honors this week, but where does the rest of the field stand? Time to find out:

1. Zdenek Stybar (2) - With only two weeks remaining before the World Championships, Stybar seems to be making all the right moves. After a solid first half of the season, Stybar has come on hard and as a result he currently leads the World Cup and UCI Points overall rankings. With only one World Cup remaining, the pressure is squarely on the Czechs shoulders—not to mention the pressure he'll face one week later when Worlds are in his backyard.

2. Sven Nys (1) - Nys claimed he lacked the "freshness" to win after a very hectic week. (Sounds like another lame excuse for not winning.) He's out of contention for pretty much everything except the GVA Trophy. However, all will be forgotten if he picks-up a rainbow jersey in a few weeks.

3. Klaas Vantornout (4) - Vantornout continues to climb the rankings after a very strong late-December and early-January. Right now, I consider him the second-best rider in Belgium—even though he got the better of Nys this week. A trip to Worlds is nearly locked-up for Vantornout; a podium finish is not out of the question.

4. Tom Meeusen (8) - Meesuen won another round of the U23 World Cup this weekend and jumped-up the rankings this week. He's the best U23 cross rider in the World right now and has proven that he's one of the top Elite riders as well. The real issue for Meeusen: he's already being called the next Sven Nys—talk about a tough position to be in.

5. Erwin Vervecken (na) - At the beginning of the year I promised that Vervecken would surprise everyone with one last, great, performance. Honestly, I thought a repeat was in the cards on Sunday in Roubaix. Either way you look at it though, the 38-year-old made his bid for a Worlds spot. He still has some time to pick-up one last "big win," but to see him race Worlds one last time would cap-off a great farewell season for the superstar.

6. Bart Wellens (na) - Wellens has been very inconsistent since returning to racing after battling a nasty virus. The 4-time World Champion admitted he was unprepared for the Belgian National Championships, where he finished 14th. However, he bounced-back in Roubaix with a superb 5th-place. It's hard to imagine he'll be left off the Worlds team, but with his inconsistency it could be a big risk to take.

7. Gerben de Knegt (7) - de Knegt continues to ride very well and hasn't let his narrow loss to Boom last weekend effect him. He remains the top Dutch rider in the World and his country's best hope for a medal at Worlds. The 35-year-old is still on my short list of podium contenders; I think he could surprise quite a few people at Worlds.

8. Bart Aernouts (10) - Aernouts finished 7th in Roubaix and as a result, added his name to the Belgian Worlds candidate list. So far, Albert is the only rider guaranteed of a spot since he's the defending World Champion. And, if you go by my recommendations Aernouts and Pauwels (who once again failed to make the rankings) would get the last two spots (of the 7 allotted for Belgium). It's amazing to think that some of these riders may not even make the Belgian Worlds team.

9. Niels Albert (na) - Last week Albert got bounced from the rankings; this week’s 8th-place finish hasn't done much to change my mind. If Albert’s ribs heal a bit more I think he may be able to make a last minute charge for the World Cup and, perhaps, another World Title. Albert's a true wild-card at this point, but one that cannot be ignored. After all, he still leads the Superprestige series and is within striking distance of the lead in the World Cup, GVA Trophy and UCI Points.

10. Steve Chainel (na) – Chainel’s posted back-to-back top-10 finishes in the last 2 rounds of the World Cup. He had huge support from the hometown crowd in Roubaix and for a few laps it looked like he was going to surprise a number of people. It will be very interesting to see how he does this weekend; he continues to improve every week.

Dropped this week: Francis Mourey (3), Petr Dlask (5), Lars Boom (6) and Dieter Vanthourenhout (9)

With one weekend remaining before the World Championships in Tabor, all eyes will be on Hoogerheide in the Netherlands for the final round of the World Cup. Niels Albert trails Zdenk Stybar by only 16 points. Can the Czech hold on, or does the World Champion have a surprise in store? While it will be our last chance to see where everyone stands before Worlds, this weekend will mark Tim Johnson's first appearance in Europe. The former Worlds medalist and current US National Champion has taken an unorthodox approach to Worlds (by training in California) and it's time to see if it will pay-off. As previously mentioned, Katie Compton failed to start last week in Roubaix and has been forced to watch her World Cup title slip away. Can the American bounce back right before Worlds? Or is her season done for good? All in all, a lot of questions will be answered this weekend. But I'm sure a bevy of new ones will arise just in time for the World Championships.

Monday Musette - Pavé News, Cyclocross, Service Courses, and UCI Record-Keeping

I’ll begin with some big news for Pavé. I’m pleased to announce that ace international cycling photographers Stefano Sirotti and Tim Van Wichelen will be providing images from the 2010 cycling season. Stefano’s contributions will begin shortly as he’s currently covering the Tour Down Under. Tim’s first major date is cyclocross Worlds in 2 weeks—but who knows what goodies he might offer between now and then. All in all, I’m hoping this is just the start of what we’re hoping will be a big year here at Pavé. As always, thanks for your continued reading and commenting—you’re the inspiration for all we do. (Oh boy, I’m starting to sound like Peter Cetera).

As for the rest of the Monday Musette:

1. All signs point to a serious showdown in Tabor, Czech Republic two weeks from now as the majority of the favorites for a cyclocross World Title are rounding themselves into form. Hometown favorite Zdenek Stybar took the World Cup honors in Roubaix yesterday, with Belgians Klaas Vantornout and Sven Nijs in 2nd and 3rd respectively. I'll leave the bulk of the commentary to Erik and his Wednesday Cross Report, but did you notice Erwin Vervecken and Bart Wellens in 4th and 5th place at less than a minute behind Stybar? These are two men not to be discounted in Tabor. Both have won Worlds before (Verwecken 3 times—once in Tabor—and Wellens twice) and both have the savvy and skill required to pull-off what some would consider a slight upset (not me). Furthermore, both have something to prove: Vervecken’s retiring and would love to go out with a bang; Wellens is eager to remind us that he still deserves to be mentioned with the giants of the sport. Working against them? They're Belgian--their biggest challenge might simply be making the team.

2. Last week, VeloNews provided a terrific glimpse behind the scenes at the Garmin-Transitions Service Course in Girona, Spain. It’s tough to imagine the amount of preparation that goes into running a professional cycling team—especially when you’re doing it on two continents. Do you have any idea how much space 22,000 water bottles occupy? Well, now you do.

Garmin’s mechanics face an additional challenge this year, as longtime wheel sponsor Zipp is out and Mavic is in. As a result, several hundred fresh tubulars will need to be glued—if you’re at a race hotel restaurant any time between now and May, Garmin’s mechanics should be easy to spot: they’ll be the ones with the menus sticking to their fingers.

And I wonder what Mavic will give them for the Classics? Raise your hand if you’d love to see an updated version of these Classics!

3. And lest we forget, there’s racing this week! Team Sky’s Greg Henderson took the season’s first blood, winning yesterday’s Cancer Council Helpline Classic. It was an impressive victory for Sky, albeit one that came after only 51km of racing. Things begin in earnest tomorrow, as the “real” racing gets underway in Stage 1 of the Tour Down Under. My pick for the overall win? André Greipel. My dark horse? Chris Sutton.

4. I’ve started writing Pavé’s team-by-team 2010 season preview and pre-season ranking (to be unveiled soon), and while printing rosters from the UCI’s website, I noticed something. Anyone missing? A quick perusal of other rosters revealed more errors, although none as glaring as omitting a former Tour de France champion and one of the sport’s hottest young talents. Next thing you know an 8-year-old boy will show-up on the USA’s No-Fly List! Thank heavens for Cycling Quotient.

5. And finally, are you going to NAHBS? We are; and while I’m not yet sure what the plan will be, I’d love to arrange some sort of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad viewing event. Any ideas?

As always, share your thoughts below.

Wednesday Cross Report and Power Ranking

Nationals are over, Worlds beckon--clearly, we're nearing the end of the 2009/2010 cyclocross season.  Here's the latest report and Power Ranking from Erik Mitchell--our man in the mud.  For more, go visit Erik's site, The Run-up.

This past weekend, the superstars of cyclocross split-up and went home as the Belgians, Dutch, Czech, French and Italians (just to name a few) all held their National Championships this past weekend. Arguably, the biggest race is the Belgian Championship—they have the biggest names and the deepest field of any country. Sven Nys' victory in Oostmalle came as no surprise; the seven-time National Champ has been on a tear lately. In the Czech Republic, it was much of the same as Zdenek Stybar took home top honors ahead of a respectable group of riders. The biggest surprise came in the Netherlands, where Lars Boom seemingly popped-out of nowhere to out-sprint Gerben de Knegt to take the win. All-in-all, it was another exciting weekend; now everyone can relax—sort of—before the World Championships in a few weeks.

Behind, Nys, Stybar and Boom, lies a bevy of riders making their case for a spot on their countries’ World Championship teams. Obviously, the biggest pressure was on the host county’s riders—the Czechs. Stybar proved that he's the best rider in the land (and possibly in the World) while Petr Dlask continued his late season run, finishing 2nd. Dlask proved he could finish in the top-10 last weekend, but he still struggles with the World Cup races—hopefully that will change. In Belgium, Tom Meeusen (a rider to watch) pulled-off a stunning 3rd place finish behind Nys and Klass Vantornout. Meeusen was forced to race with the Elite Men because he has a professional contract, but will race with the U23 Men at Worlds, as he's only 21. More surprises came from Belgium where Niels Albert and Kevin Pauwels finished 9th and 10th, respectively. Pauwels simply had a bad day, while the reigning World Champion claimed he was pulled-off his bike by a rabid Nys fan. Regardless, they both had sub-par performances.

As you might expect, Sven Nys and Zdenk Stybar top the rankings this week; but where does everyone else fall? Time to find out:

International Power Rankings

1. Sven Nys (1) - While all National Championships are prestigious, the Belgian race takes top honors. A star-studded field and a crazy race combined for some great action. Nys came out on top, and continues to lead the rankings. He's once again the talk of the town when it comes to a World Championship, but I'll reserve that conversation for a later date.

2. Zdenek Stybar (2) - Stybar will have the honor of wearing his National Championship jersey (or at least his national team jersey) in front of a hometown Worlds crowd in a few weeks. He's one of the few men who can beat Nys and should have the course dialed-in by now (the Worlds course was used for the National Championships). Stybar is also in contention for the World Cup, the GVA Trophy, and Superprestige overalls. He definitely has a lot ahead of him to look forward to.

3. Francis Mourey (4) - Mourey picked up his fifth French National title in style this weekend, narrowly beating Steve Chainel. Mourey had a very strong early season, which quickly tailed-off in December. Two victories in two weeks prove that he's found his form again, but can he hold it until Worlds?

4. Klaas Vantornout (10) - Vantornout took crazy risks in an aggressive bid for a Belgian National title. In the end he came up short, as Nys overcame a bevy of crashes and mechanicals to win. Vantornout seems able to ride at the front in the races that matter most; he's definitely a wild card when it comes to Worlds.

5. Petr Dlask (9) - Dlask moved into the rankings for the first time last week and for good reason. He was the only rider who could keep Stybar in his sights and took a well-earned 2nd place. As I said last week, Dlask struggles at the bigger races, but is dominant in his home series (the TOI TOI cup). With a few World Cups coming-up, we will soon see how well he fairs outside of his native land.

6. Lars Boom (na) - Boom returned to the cross scene just in time to pick-up his fourth consecutive elite National title. The former cyclocross World Champ-turned roadie, has not mentioned any intentions to ride Worlds this year. But that may have changed now that he wears his Nation’s colors once again.

7. Gerben de Knegt (6) - de Knegt was my pick to win in Holland, but a last-lap stumble allowed a resurgent Boom to rejoin the lead and out-sprint him for the win. Even if Boom races Worlds this year, de Knegt is still his country’s best shot for a medal. Regardless, the 35-year old is having an outstanding season.

8. Tom Meeusen (na) - While nobody is the next Sven Nys, Meeusen may be as close as we'll ever get. The 21-year old has won nearly 50% of the races he's entered this year, dominating the U23 age group along the way. He is the odds-on favorite for U23 Worlds.

9. Dieter Vanthourenhout (5) - Vanthourenhout has continued his strong last-half of the season. His 5th-place finish in Oostmalle was hard-fought. It will be a battle for the last few Belgian spots at Worlds, but Vanthourenhout should have earned his ticket.

10. Bart Aernouts (7) - Like Vanthourenhout, Aernouts rode a solid race in Oostmalle, proving he's a worthy candidate for a Worlds spot. It will be interesting to see if the Belgian can crack the top-5 over the next few weeks.

Dropped this week: Niels Albert (3) and Kevin Pauwels (8).

It's back to a bit of normalcy this week in Europe. With the National Championships behind us and the World Championships right around the corner, we're in the midst of one of the most competitive parts of the season. Right now, team managers are finalizing their Worlds rosters and almost everyone wants to prove worthy of a spot. This weekend there's really only one race: Round 8 of the World Cup in Roubaix. Last year, the technical course, which goes in and around the famed Roubaix Velodrome, was turned to mud—epic mud. In fact, most riders were forced to run down the descents because it was safer and quicker. In the Overall standings, Niels Albert leads Zdenek Stybar by a mere 20 points, which means the first of that duo across the line should take the World Cup lead. Sven Nys is a distant 3rd and needs a miracle to wind-up the Overall. Last year, Erwin Vervecken shocked everyone with his victory, perhaps Nys can do it again. We’ll have to wait and see!

Share your comments below!

Monday Musette - Money, Assault (Aesthetic and Physical), and Craftmanship

1. By now you’ve heard the news of Milram and Saxo Bank’s withdrawals from title sponsorship following the 2010 season. (If not, The Boulder Report has a nice summary of all you need to know.) Here’s my question: at what point will the bubble burst? Some might be inclined to say no, as this season sees several new sponsors joining the ranks—including big investments by both Radio Shack and Sky. But to me, these deal seem more a result of companies hoping to cash-in on the sport’s biggest stars at the height of their popularity (such as Armstrong and Wiggins) and less an indicator of the sport’s fiscal health.

Losing sponsors such as Saxo Bank and Milram could be very, very bad for the sport should replacements not be found. Hopefully it’s not the tip of the iceberg. Luckily, Bjarne Riis has proven himself adept to find last-minute funds when he needs to. Look for him to have someone new on-board by the Tour, most likely a co-sponsor that will magically become the title sponsor in 2011. However, Milram’s Gerry Van Gerwen faces a tough proposition; his task is made more difficult given the fact that Milram’s not quite a team known for winning races.

2. And while we’re on the subject of teams and sponsors: is it me, or is this the ugliest jersey you’ve EVER seen? As their tans deepen by mid-summer, some of these riders will look downright naked! A better choice would have been something similar to the design used for the team’s two Austrian Champions, Markus Eibegger and Matthias Brändle, a tasteful red and white color scheme. Ugh.

3. Tough luck for Niels Albert in this weekend’s Belgian National Cyclocross Championship as a collision with a drunken fan broke one of his ribs. Don’t forget, this isn’t the first time there’s been a scuffle between a rider and a fan at a Belgian cyclocross event, right Bart Wellens? This time, the unprovoked actions of one inebriated spectator threaten to ruin one of the purest fan-to-racer experiences the sport still has to offer.

One of the best things about cyclocross is the close proximity we as fans can get to the action. We don’t need a car to ride from vantage point to vantage point, and lap times aren’t so high that we lose interest before the next go-around. We can stand in one place for an hour, drink, frites, or cowbell in hand, and watch the events unfold right before our very eyes. It’s a front row seat to the action.

But like so much in life, it’s all fun and games until someone breaks a rib. And it must be noted: Belgium’s quickly developing a reputation for producing hooligans dressed as fans. Remember the encouragement Filippo Pozzato received while chasing Tom Boonen in last year’s Paris-Roubaix? Passion is passion, and hometown favoritism is hometown favoritism; but assault’s something else.

Before moving-on, I think it’s important to include one of the more entertaining bits from Cyclingnews’ report on the incident:

“Roodhooft [Albert’s manager] went on to say that the spectator claimed to be a supporter of Albert, although he was standing with fans of Nys.”

I find this comical only because I’m certain there’s an investigation underway in Belgium to find the true allegiance of the perpetrator—it will be a topic of conversation for weeks.

And for the record, Albert said he wasn’t going to win anyway, so enjoy your 7th title, Meneer Nijs.

4. On a related note, Lars Boom won the Dutch National Championship in his first season as a “retired” cross racer. I can’t wait to see what he’ll do in this year’s Classics.

5. And finally, take a look at the beautiful bike Justin Spinelli assembled for one of his customers at Svelte Cycles. It’s especially interesting when juxtaposed with Competitive Cyclist’s explanation of its decision to stop selling Pegoretti framesets. Personally, I’m on the fence. I agree with Competitive Cyclist: when you pay for a bike from the master, you’re paying for the master’s expertise as well—no questions asked. But at the same time, there’s something to be said for a builder able to take a customer’s idea and craft it with skill. Svelte’s Mondrian IF is a fine example of what can happen when a customer, a shop, and a master frame builder are all on the same page.

That’s it for today. What are your thoughts on the fiscal state of the sport? How about your picks for Ugliest Jersey? And what can be done about spectator-racer “interaction” at cyclocross races?

Share your thoughts on these and all others topics below—and have a great week!

P.S. A little self-promotion: tomorrow’s the deadline for the nominating your favorite blogs for the 2010 Bloggie Awards. If you have the time, cruise over and nominate your favorites (there are several categories from which to choose). I’m not saying you should vote for Pavé, but I’m sure you can think of someone out there who deserves some recognition—it might make his/her day.