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.

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.

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.

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!

Wednesday Cross Report and Power Ranking - Nationals Beckon

Here's Erik's latest Cross Report and Power Ranking.  For more, visit his website, The Run-up.  And please feel free to share your comments below.

The New Year kicked-off in style this week with no less than a dozen cross races in Europe. No race was more important than the GP Sven Nys, which in addition to being named after a cross superstar, was a round of the Gazet van Antwerpen Trophy. Nys took the victory himself in incredible fashion over Zdenk Stybar, while Niels Albert finished a distant 3rd. Behind them, Gerben de Knegt continued his push towards a national title and potential World Championship podium, finishing 4th; while a resurgent Francis Mourey took 5th. Beyond the top-5, there were a few surprises, including an absent Bart Wellens and a fading Kevin Pauwels. The rest of the top-ten was filled with the usual cast of characters.

With the prestige of a national title on the line this upcoming weekend, most riders picked and chose their races based on location and form. As a result, besides the GVA Trophy round, only one other race was hotly contested: the mid-week race in Tervuren. Stybar pulled-out the win there while Nys and Pauwels rounded-out the podium. Behind, Albert, Mourey and a handful of other Belgians filled the top-10. While Nys and Stybar had the biggest wins of the week, Bart Aernouts, Mourey and Dieter Vanthourenhout all graced the top step of podiums in other events. Needless to say, everyone appears to be on form for his shot at a national title. Jonathan Page found his way onto a few podiums this week too, which is a great sign heading into Worlds. However, this weekend all eyes will focus on Belgium, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic (among others), to see who will wear their nation’s colors for the next year. That said, here's how everyone lines-up this week:

International Power Ranking

1. Sven Nys (1) - Nys chose to only do two races this week placing 1st and 2nd. His win at the GP Sven Nys (go figure) puts him in command of the GVA Trophy, the only series in which he's still in contention. Nys seems to have found his stride, just in time for a shot at a national and possibly world title.

2. Zdenek Stybar (4) - Stybar flip-flopped podium positions with Nys and also picked-up a 4th in Bredene. He's the heavy favorite to win the Czech National title this weekend, but the pressure to win Worlds in front of his home nation keeps mounting. Imagine, being in the lead group on the last lap of Worlds wearing your nation’s colors in front of all your countrymen. For Stybar, it's a distinct possibility.

3. Niels Albert (2) - The reigning World Champion continues to ride just off the pace of the rest of the leaders, especially in the bigger races. He raced 3 times this past week, picking up 2 thirds and a fifth. He's a major contender for the Belgian title this weekend, but Nys seems to have his number right now.

4. Francis Mourey (na) - The Frenchmen finally returns to the rankings this week after a pair of top-10’s and a victory in Sint-Niklaas. To say he's a favorite to win the French National title again is an understatement; the real question is can he return to the lead group at the upcoming World Cups and World Championship.

5. Dieter Vanthourenhout (7) - While Vanthourenhout finished a disappointing 13th at the GVA round this weekend, he also managed a 3rd place and a win in Bredene. He has an outside shot at a Belgian title this past weekend, and is making a strong push for a spot on the Belgian Worlds team.

6. Gerben de Knegt (5) - de Knegt picked up another 4th at the GP Sven Nys this past week. He also managed a 2nd and a 7th at some of the smaller races. Vanthourenhout's win is the only reason de Knegt isn't in the top-5 this week—but that should all change with a Dutch National title this weekend.

7. Bart Aernouts (8) - Aernouts picked-up a stellar win at the GP Groenendal along with a 6th at the GP Sven Nys. While he continues to be a regular in the rankings, he still lacks the ability to contest the lead at the bigger races.

8. Kevin Pauwels (3) - Pauwels struggled to finish 12th in last weekend’s round of the GVA. However, he managed a 3rd behind Nys and Stybar in Tervuren. Perhaps I dropped him too far down the rankings this week; that can all change with a podium spot this weekend.

9. Petr Dlask (na) - Dlask made his presence known this week, picking-up two top-10’s. Dlask's season has consisted of top-20 World Cup finishes and podium spots in the TOI TOI cup. Perhaps his slow and steady build is finally paying off—just in time for the Czech rider to make his country’s Worlds team.

10. Klass Vantornout (6) - Vantornout is the only rider in the rankings this week who only raced once. He picked-up a top-10 at the GP Sven Nys and appears to be prepping for the Belgian National Championships this weekend. He has an outside podium shot, but that's about it.

Dropped this week: Bart Wellens (9) and Radomir Simunek (10).

There are only a few races this weekend, but they're the second-most important of the year as almost every European country will be handing-out national titles. The real fight will be in Belgium where Nys, Pauwels and Albert are all capable of winning. Stybar should pick-up the win in the Czech Republic, Mourey in France, and de Knegt in the Netherlands. However, it's been a year of surprises and great racing, I expect some more this weekend.

Wednesday Cross Report and Power Ranking

Here’s Erik Mitchell’s last cyclocross report and Power Ranking of 2009. For more from Erik, visit his site, The Run-up. Feel free to share your comments and questions below.

It's Christmastime throughout the world and that can only mean one thing: lots and lots of European cyclocross racing. Since last week’s Power Rankings came out there have been 4 big races: a Belgian national-level event, a round of the World Cup in Zolder, and rounds of the Superprestige and GVA Trophy. The only consistent theme throughout all 4 races was the domination by the Belgian riders. Nys bookended the week with wins at the Noordzeecross and the GVA Trophy race in Loenhout. In between, Kevin Pauwels picked-up a huge win, taking Round 7 of the World Cup, while Niels Albert won the Superprestige race in Diegem. Needless to say, it was an action-packed week and a great one for the home riders.

Behind the Belgian Brigade, the usual cast of characters jostled for good results. Zdenek Stybar struggled in Zolder, but managed to podium at both the Superprestige ad GVA Trophy races. Behind Nys, Albert, and Stybar, the two stories were Gerben de Knegt—who pulled-out three-straight 4th places—and Sven Vanthourenhout’s conspicuous lack of results. All in all, we're seeing the same faces at the front and nobody really seems to be storming onto the scene. It's safe to say that Albert, Nys and Stybar are the best 3 riders in the world; the rest are struggling to prove they belong in the same class. So, where did everybody land? Time to check out this week’s Power Rankings:

International Power Rankings

1. Sven Nys (1) - Nys retains the #1 position partly because he raced all 4 races this week and partly because no one proved that they were truly better. The only issue for Nys was a crash that knocked him out of the Superprestige race—and most likely the overall title.
2. Niels Albert (3) - Albert's rocky past few weeks have begun to even out. He picked-up 2nd to Pauwels at Round 7 of the World Cup, won a round of the Superprestige, and finished 2nd to Nys in Loenhout. More importantly, he regained control of the Quadruple Crown: UCI Points, World Cup, Superprestige and GVA Trophy. The question is, can he hold it?
3. Kevin Pauwels (10) - As I said last week, Pauwels always responds well when he has a bad race. Honestly though, I didn't think he'd win a round of the World Cup. Nonetheless, the man to watch has suddenly launched himself into the limelight. Unfortunately, Pauwels suffered another letdown with a 16th place in Loenhout. I can't wait to see how he rebounds—again.
4. Zdenek Stybar (2) - Stybar lost major World Cup ground with a 6th-place finish in Zolder. He's only 20 points behind Albert, but when the series continues toward the end of January, he'll probably have other things on his mind. He still remains the only non-Belgian capable of donning the rainbow jersey. He's also the only person able to challenge Albert for the Superprestige overall.
5. Gerben de Knegt (8) - This week's #1 is 34 years-old, followed by guys 24, 26, and 25 years-old. Then there's the man from the Netherlands who made fourth place all his own at the ripe old age of 35. Even with all the consistency he's had this season, de Knegt still surprises me. Perhaps he'll figure out a way to beat these young chaps.
6. Klaas Vantornout (4) - Vantornout finished inside the top-10 three times this week. Points-wise, he's still ahead of Pauwels, meaning his spot for Worlds is nearly locked-up. Vantornout continues to knock on the door of greatness, but I think the aforementioned riders are just that little bit better—at least for now.
7. Dieter Vanthourenhout (n/a) - Three top-10’s mark Dieter's return to the rankings. Each week I write Dieter off—especially after his horrific crash earlier this year—yet he always creeps back into the rankings. He needs to find some consistency to remain here next week, but for now he earns the 7 spot.
8. Bart Aernouts (6) - Aernouts finished inside the top-10 in the three races he entered this week—barely—and is one of about a half-dozen riders battling for a spot on the Belgian Worlds team. I think this year he’s destined to remain in the chase group, but in a few more he should be with the leaders.
9. Bart Wellens (7) - Wellens finished a disappointing 21st in Zolder, but bounced-back with a 5th and a 7th. Wellens needs to remain consistent to have a shot at Worlds; he's still trying to find his race legs after some extensive (forced) time off. He’s only 32 though; he'll have plenty more years to represent his nation.
10. Radomir Simunek (9) - Simunek's 5th in Zolder was his best Word Cup to date and is very surprising since the Czech rider barely makes the top-10 at such important races. He's still young (27) which means he has a few more years to develop before things will really begin to click. At this point in the season, I think his goal is to try and win his national championship (not very likely with Stybar as his main competition) and represent his nation at Worlds, where he may use the hometown crowd to turn some heads.

Dropped this week: Sven Vanthourenhout (5).

The racing madness of "Christmas Week" continues over the next 7 days. However, it mostly consists of national-level races in Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland. Obviously, the bulk of the action will be in Belgium, where riders can contest three straight races beginning New Year’s Day with the GP Sven Nys. Yes, Nys has his own race, which this year is once again a part of the GVA Trophy. It's still a three-man race in the GVA series, with Nys trailing Albert by a mere 5 points. I should also note that next weekend almost every country is hosting its National Championship, which may cause riders to back off a bit this week or not race at all. Regardless, I'm sure many of the big boys will be out to play.

That’s it for 2009—see you next year! And please, share your comments below.

Wednesday Cross Report and Power Rankings

Here's Erik's latest Cross Report and Power Ranking.  For more from our cross expert, check-out his site, The Run-up.  And please, share your comments below.

In what was supposed to be the weekend where the World Cup overall would be decided—or at least create a clear leader—the opposite happened. We are now left with a tie for the World Cup title between Niels Albert and Zdenek Stybar—each with 435 points. More importantly, a resurgent Sven Nys has thrown his hat in the ring with three World Cup races remaining after taking the victory in style this weekend in more than deplorable conditions in Kalmthout, Belgium. Nys’ race was marred by some first lap disasters including a dropped chain and a crash, but he battled back, taking the lead on the final lap—where he crashed once again near the finish. Needless to say, Nys proved that he can win when it counts; he's perhaps the best rider in snow, sleet and rain. Behind Nys, it was the usual cast of characters with Stybar picking-up 2nd and Albert holding-on for 3rd. As a result, Stybar got the points he needed to tie Albert for the overall lead.  With a few races left, Nys needs to put some serious distance between himself and Albert/Stybar if he wants to capture the title.

The severe weather wreaked havoc on the rest of the field and produced some very unique results. Thus, there will be a few riders staying in the rankings this week that might have otherwise been eliminated—most notably: Radomir Simunek and Kevin Pauwels.  There was also a race on Friday in Belgium that can be considered a precursor to Sunday’s World Cup where Nys picked-up the victory with Tom Meeusen (a name for the future) and Stybar rounding out the podium. Albert finished a distant seventh.  All in all, it was a good weekend for Nys, The races continue prove there's great parity in cyclocross’ upper echelon.  That said, here's this week’s rankings:

1. Sven Nys (2) - Nys took home an "epic" victory in Kalmthout proving once again that you can never count out the elder statesman. He's in the thick of things in the Superprestige and GvA Trophy while a World Cup overall may be just out of reach. The next few weeks will prove critical to the Belgian Champion's season if he wants to win any of the major cross series—not to mention the elusive rainbow jersey, which will be awarded in about one month.

2. Zdenek Stybar (3) - The Czech superstar continues to prove he belongs at the front, doing just enough in Kalmthout to capture a share of the World Cup overall. With 3 races left, it's a crapshoot between him and Albert. And let’s not forget: there's nothing like winning the World Championships in you're own country.

3. Niels Albert (1) - Albert's season began in almost Nys-like fashion.  He’s since cooled-off a bit though, and as a result things have become quite interesting. Albert, Nys and Stybar are all in contention to win the GvA Trophy, Superprestige and the UCI overall ranking. To say that every race matters for these 3 would be an understatement.

4. Klass Vantornout - Vantornout returns to the rankings this week with a stellar 4th place in Kalmthout. Even with a half-lap to go, Vantornout was in contention for the win. He hasn't finished better than third this year and with the aforementioned riders I don't think he'll buck that trend any time soon.

5. Sven Vanthourenhout - Vanthourenhout stole Francis Mourey's usual 5th-place spot (Mourey finished 8th). He continues to have an up-and-down season, but seems to have more down’s than up’s lately. Perhaps he's beginning to turn the corner for a solid end to the season.

6. Bart Aernouts (5) - Aernouts managed to survive the mess with a top-10 finish in Kalmthout. At this point in the season he should definitely make the Belgian World's team and continues to have an outside shot at a podium placing.

7. Bart Wellens - Wellens' comeback hit another bright spot with a 9th-place on Sunday. It remains to be seen if he can return to the front of the field, but with increasingly good results, I have high hopes for him.

8. Gerben de Knegt (9) - de Knegt continues to surprise me with his consistent riding. He's the best Dutch rider this year (not bad for a 35-year-old), but remains chase group fodder. All things considered, that's not a bad place to be.

9. Radomir Simunek (7) - Simunek finished 4th in Friday's race and was in the lead group on Sunday. Sadly, a nasty crash knocked him out. Regardless, he continues to be one of the stronger riders this season.

10. Kevin Pauwels (4) - Pauwels had his worst result of the season on Sunday, finishing 32nd. He placed 6th on Friday and clearly suffered under the deplorable conditions in Kalmthout. It's only his third finish outside of the top-10 this year though, which is impressive. He also tends to bounce back very well following a bad result.

Dropped this week: Dieter Vanthourenhout (6), Enrico Franzoi (8) and Jonathan Page (10).

It's Christmastime throughout the world, which means one thing: lots of cross races. Over the next few weeks there are nearly a dozen cross races throughout northern Europe. This weekend holds the most prestige with a round of the World Cup and the Superprestige. There's also a GvA Trophy event next week. Needless to say all eyes will be focused on Albert and Stybar this weekend in Heusden-Zolder for Round Seven of the World Cup. However, another win by Nys wouldn't surprise me. With a win in Diegem on Sunday, Nys could all but lock-up his 10th Superprestige overall, but Albert and Stybar are only two and four points behind, respectively. Needless to say it will be no easy task and I can't wait to watch the fireworks.

Have a terrific holiday!

Wednesday Cross Report and Power Rankings

Erik Mitchell's latest weekly cross report and power rankings are below.  For more, head to his site, The Run-up.

A few weeks ago, I boldly declared that there are two certainties in cyclocross this year. First, if a Cyclocrossworld.com rider shows up to race they will win. Second, Niels Albert will win every race he enters by a sizable margin. This past weekend—to a certain extent—justified those claims. On this side of the Atlantic, Tim Johnson proved that he's the best rider in the United States by winning his third stars and stripes jersey. In Belgium, Niels Albert was back to his usual self, picking-up a pair of solo victories on Saturday and Sunday. While he didn't show the domination he had earlier this season, Albert has clearly found his stride again. He also extended his lead in the UCI ranking as well as the GvA Trophy Series.

On Sunday, Tim Johnson took his third Elite National Championship in dominating fashion over Ryan Trebon and Jonathan Page. Page, the European-based American, had nothing to say except that he had a horrible day and Johnson had a great one. On the flip-side, Trebon acknowledged that he had the hometown advantage, but couldn't match the speed and technical ability of Johnson. Behind these three, Todd Wells continued to show his good form, as did the other Cyclocrossworld.com guys.

Since this is effectively the end of the North American cross season, this is the final week of the domestic power ranking. However, there's still a lot to look forward to. For the first time in years, Tim Johnson is prepping for the World Championships and hopes to represent this country in style. Jeremy Powers and Jamey Driscoll will most likely spend some time in Europe as well. Behind the elite men, there's a slew of U23 Americans looking to cut their teeth on the European circuit—as well as Katie Compton’s quest for a rainbow jersey. Needless to say, the season is far from over for the Americans. In the rankings, Tim Johnson climbed back to the #1 spot, but where does every one else fall? Time to find out, one last time:

North American Rankings

1. Tim Johnson (3) - Johnson has been the fastest rider when it counts this year and ended the US season on top, picking-up another National Championship as well as the NACT overall title. For the first time in over a decade, Johnson will turn his focus to the World Championships. The tough part is we won’t have an idea of how he'll fair until mid-January.

2. Ryan Trebon (4) - When all was said and done on Sunday, Trebon ended-up where he belonged. While he showed signs of the form that won him a National Championship last year, he never really proved he was better then 2nd place. He won the USGP overall, but failed to really impress. His relaxed approach to the season was interesting to watch, but was a very big part of why he's the second-best rider in the country.

3. Jeremy Powers (1) - Every year, Powers continues to improve and turn heads. This year he found the podium in all sorts of ways and looked poised to finish in the top-3 at Nationals. Some will argue that he may have won if it weren’t for an untimely crash. I would argue that every time he's taken-off at the start, Johnson has bridged across and won. I think the best he could have done was second, perhaps next year he'll finally take the top spot when it counts.

4. Todd Wells (2) - Wells proved it's better late than never, grabbing a slew of UCI wins ahead of Nationals. Somehow that put him at the top of everyone's list for the big dance. I was more reserved figuring he would only finish on the podium. His 4th-place finish this year means his cross career may not be over just yet.

5. Jamey Driscoll (5) - The most consistent US racer of the year, Driscoll ended-up 6th at Nationals, whereas last year he capped-off the season with a silver medal. With another season or two in the US, mixed with some European racing, Driscoll should be a true National Championship contender for the future.

6. Dan Timmerman (6) - Timmerman was my wild card for a podium spot after a tremendous breakout season. He finished 8th behind some very impressive company. He took the NECCS overall proving that he belongs with the other heads of state. Hopefully he’ll travel a bit more next year and if all goes well he could end his season on the podium.

7. Chris Jones (7) - Jones rounded-out the top-10 in Bend, again proving that he's not just another roadie who struck it lucky at a cross race or two. Depending on how his road season plays out next year, Jones could move from the front of the chase group to the lead group.

8. Daniel Summerhill (9) - Summerhill picked-up another National Championship in the U23 race. He has experienced the feel of the World Championship podium; if he keeps his focus and finds his form come the end of January, he could do it again.

9. Geoff Kabush (8) - You can either blame the Canadian or me but when it came down to it, Kabush was more consistent than Barry Wicks this season. It should be interesting to see what Kabush does with the rest of his season. From here, he could put in a solid European campaign, or back-off a bit and go all-out next year on the MTB circuit. Either way, he’s earned the #9 spot this year.

10. Adam Craig (10) - Much like Wells, Craig figured-out how to race a full mountain bike season and half of a cross season with great success. Hopefully we'll see more of him next year; perhaps he can better his 7th at Nationals.

Internationally, Niels Albert returned to the top step of the podium for the first time in nearly a month on Saturday, ahead of the usual crew of Sven Nys and Zdenek Stybar. Nys lacked the usual excuses and essentially admitted that he had a bad day. Stybar, who lives in Essen where the race was held, also lacked excuses as he settled for third. Sunday was more of the same as Albert took another victory followed by Kevin Pauwels and Nys. It’s hard to tell for sure if Albert is back though. The only safe thing to say at this point in the season is that there are 3 men capable of winning every weekend and the rest just have to watch the fireworks. I still have a feeling that Nys will pull something off before it’s all said and done, but for now all eyes should be focused on Stybar and Albert. Once again, there are several changes to the rankings as the European cyclocross world continues to mix thing up. Here's this week's ranking:

International Rankings

1. Niels Albert (2) - Albert returned to the top step with a pair of wins in Belgium. The World Champ was up to his usual tricks, attacking from the start and never looking back. More importantly he regains control over the UCI ranking (a competition that doesn't matter as much any more) and the GvA Trophy.

2. Sven Nys (3) - Nys had another legitimate chance to take the victory on Saturday. A mid-race bike change turned the tide for the Belgian National Champ, but he ran out of real estate in the end. He seemed very upset about losing valuable GvA Trophy points; it appears that at this point he's focused on overall series wins rather than individual races.

3. Zdenek Stybar (1) - The Czech Champion could only muster a 3rd and 5th this past weekend. He's still amongst the top three in the world right now, he just needs to continue to try to win and control the races. Trust me, he'll be back on the top step of the podium soon enough.

4. Kevin Pauwels (na) - Pauwels returns to the rankings this week with a pair of top-5 finishes. He's been my surprise pick from the start and dropping him from the ranking last week was tough. He's still knocking on the door of a huge win this year, but seems a small step behind. That will change with experience.

5. Bart Aernouts (5) - Aernouts had another solid weekend of riding, however, he still isn't capable of riding with the leaders. He's another relatively young rider who could have his chance over the next few seasons.

6. Dieter Vanthourenhout (na) - Vanthourenhout looked poised for another stellar season until that nasty crash a few months ago. Since his return, he continues to be up and down. He's definitely off the pace of the leaders, but continues to finish in the top-10. If he can remain consistent there's no reason to believe that he'll drop from the rankings.

7. Radomir Simunek (8) - Simunek's 7th place on Saturday seems to fit the Czech perfectly. He has consistently finished just off the podium this year in races both big and small. He's another rider who needs a few more years to mature; then, he'll be a regular protagonist.

8. Enrico Franzoi (na) - The Italian continues to struggle to stay in the top-10 in the rankings. He's consistently riding in top-15, but has failed to make a significant impact in any race this year. With the names ahead of him on this week’s rankings that's not hard to believe, but unfortunately, I don't expect it to change any time soon.

9. Gerben de Knegt (7) - de Knegt picked-up another pair of top-10 places this past weekend. He dropped a couple of spots, but still remains in the rankings thanks to his consistency. He's the second-oldest rider to make the rankings this year, but he's lasted longer than some of the youngest.

10. Jonathan Page (10) - This may or may not be my Christmas gift to the American. His 3rd at Nationals was clearly a disappointment. However, his 8th in the World Cup two weeks ago—combined with his Nationals result—leaves him here for one more week.

Dropped this week: Klaas Vantornout (4), Bart Wellens (6), and Erwin Vervecken (9).

Kalmthout, Belgium will host Round Six of the World Cup this Sunday. With the US season over, we will begin to see some Americans making their way across the pond, however, they usually take this weekend off. That said, I expect Katie Compton and Jonathan Page to head back to Europe soon to continue their seasons. With a nearly 100-point lead over 3rd place, the World Cup has become a two-man battle with Albert taking his “commanding” five-point lead over Stybar to Kalmthout. This is a crucial battleground for the two riders. Obviously, whoever comes out on top will take the lead with 3 rounds remaining. More importantly, it's a battle for momentum and the mental edge. All-in-all, it promises to be a slug-fest.

That’s it for this week! Share your comments below.

Wednesday Cross Report and Power Rankings

Here are Erik Mitchell's latest cyclocross insights and Power Rankings. For more, head over to The Run-up.

With just one weekend left before the US National Championships, chaos ensued in Portland, leaving more questions than answers. Many, including myself, thought it would be a two-horse race in "the showdown" at the final two rounds of the USGP; however, by the time the dust settled, two new riders had thrown their hats into the ring for a national championship. Todd Wells and Jeremy Powers came-off the previous weekend’s victories to dominate the competition in two of the closest races we've seen all year. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, the Czech National Champion Zdenek Stybar proved that he's a force to be reckoned with by winning his second-straight World Cup race. The usual protagonists were there, including a frustrated Niels Albert and a bitterly disappointed Sven Nys, but it was the first time this season we saw daylight between Stybar and the rest of the field, albeit by 6 seconds.

It would appear that Stybar's win is the beginning of another shift in Europe. For the first two months, it was Niels Albert pulling-out all the victories, now it's Stybar's turn. How long it will last is anyone's guess. Obviously he's hoping to have this kind of form and luck come the World Championships in January. The only common thread behind these two dominant figures is Sven Nys' issues. To be fair, Nys has suffered an extraordinary amount of mechanical problems this season. This time however, it was a lapped rider that apparently got in his way. I just hope that these aren't excuses for a lack of domination. Behind these three, things continue to change including a surging Jonathan Page and a consistent Erwin Vervecken. One last note, after all of the hype over the past few weeks, Francis Mourey suffered his worst result of the season—15th. A returning Bart Wellens took his place in 5th. Here are this week’s International Power Rankings:

International Rankings

1. Zdenek Stybar (2) - Last week Stybar dropped-out of the top spot and perhaps that was the motivation he needed to win another World Cup race. The biggest thing to take away from his victory was the fact that he did it solo. This means he can win the hard way and in sprints. That’s dangerous.
2. Niels Albert (3) - Albert moves up a spot after a solid 2nd-place finish on Saturday. Albert saw Nys take sole control of the Superprestige last week and is close to losing his World Cup overall lead to Stybar. He still controls the UCI overall ranking and the GVA Trophy series, but those leads are closing as well. He needs to figure-out something soon, or he may be left with nothing at all.
3. Sven Nys (1) - A big drop for Nys this week. Could he have won? I think so. Nys isn't what he used to be, but he's close. I give him the edge to take control of the GVA overall this weekend, meaning he has to best both Stybar and Albert.
4. Klaas Vantornout (4) - Vantornout continues to ride very well. He's slowly getting his shots at victory and it wouldn't surprise me if he pulls one out sometime this year. For now, he'll have to settle as “the guy behind the big three”.
5. Bart Aernouts (6) – Aernouts’ 6th place on Saturday moves him up one spot this week. He continues to finish just outside the lead group this year; I don't expect that to change any time soon.
6. Bart Wellens (na) - Wellens' return to the World Cup was very impressive this past weekend. He picked-up 5th place and thus, has returned to the rankings. I'm not going to say he's here to stay, but I see this as a sign of things to come. It's nice to see him back racing.
7. Gerben de Knegt (10) - The elder statesmen of the Netherlands continues to ride well. I keep saying that his best years are behind him, but at this rate, I can't wait to see what he'll do next. Either Vervecken or he will do something special this year.
8. Radomir Simunek (na) - Simunek bounces back into the rankings after a nice top-10 finish on Saturday. While his countryman continues to get all the press, Simunek is showing he's capable of mixing it up with the best in the world.
9. Erwin Vervecken (9) - Vervecken's newfound consistency keeps him in the rankings this week, ultimately knocking-out my man Kevin Pauwels. The Farewell Tour has been very kind to Vervecken and I couldn't be happier. If only he can show-up these young punks sometime soon.
10. Jonathan Page (na) - In the North American rankings, I allude to who I think will don the stars and stripes. Page scored his biggest result of the year this past weekend, finishing 8th in Spain. He will return to the US this week, giving us a true idea of where the US and Europe stand. Let's just say I think he's found his form.

Dropped this week: Kevin Pauwels (5), Francis Mourey (7), and Sven Vanthourenhout (8).

In the USA, things are coming down to the wire; just when I thought I had my Nationals pick locked-in, two new riders surged to the front of the men's race. While Ryan Trebon took the USGP overall and Tim Johnson ended-up on the podium both days, Wells and Powers stole the show. Perhaps the most interesting thing about this newfound duel was the fact that Wells and Powers were the only two riders who raced the weekend before—in fact, they both dominated the competition. Behind, Jamey Driscoll failed to impress as he wound-up 5th on Saturday and 7th on Sunday. The only real surprise was Adam Craig who continued his late season cross campaign with a 4th place on Sunday. In New England, Dan Timmerman grabbed two victories en-route to a NECCS overall title. He will surely be a wildcard at Nationals this weekend.

So, as we head into the final weekend of racing in the United States, here's this week’s Power Rankings:

North American Rankings

1. Jeremy Powers (1) - Powers rode extremely well this weekend, narrowly missing victory on Day One to Todd Wells. He was able to reverse that on Sunday though. Is he the next National Champion? I'm going to let that question linger. It should be noted that the following 3 riders represent the only National Champions this decade not-named Jonathan Page.
2. Todd Wells (8) - A few weeks ago I tipped Wells for some late season magic. Who knew that he would produce four-straight UCI wins? A crafty finish on Sunday prevented him from five-straight, but the two-time National Champion seems poised for another title.
3. Tim Johnson (2) - Johnson struggled a bit (relatively speaking) behind Powers and Wells. He knows how to win when it counts, but I'm surprised to see him drop a spot in the rankings. He'll be the third rider on the starting grid and is still a heavy favorite.
4. Ryan Trebon (4) - Trebon's up and down season continued in Portland. While he did manage to wrap-up the USGP overall, he looks a bit behind the form that saw him win Nationals last year. While he's still a favorite in my book, he should probably wear the stars and stripes all week—it may be a long time before he wears them again.
5. Jamey Driscoll (3) - "Mr. Consistency" slipped a bit as well this week. Perhaps it was the pressure of the USGP, or maybe it was just a bad weekend. Either way, Driscoll popped onto the scene with a silver medal at Nationals last year, perhaps he'll shock the world once again.
6. Dan Timmerman (5) - Timmerman wrapped-up the NECCS overall with another pair of UCI victories. I have high hopes for the New Yorker this upcoming weekend, but honestly, I don't expect him to win. He's in my top five though, especially after barely losing to Jeremy Powers the week before.
7. Chris Jones (7) - A pair of top-10 finishes keeps Jones in the rankings, but he seems to have dropped back to become the perennial leader of the chase group. But like the rest of the guys in the rankings this week, he's still within striking distance of the podium.
8. Geoff Kabush (na) - Kabush already has his National Championship jersey, so he'll take this weekend off. He continues to ride well though, and I expect some decent results if he chooses to visit Europe this winter.
9. Daniel Summerhill (na) - Summerhill has had a quiet cross season thus far, but when he races, he does well. He's my pick to win the U23 jersey at Nationals, I just hope his road commitments for next year don't clog his mind or his legs.
10. Adam Craig (6) - Craig responded well from a disappointing 11th on Saturday, finishing 4th on Sunday. He has an outside shot at a podium this weekend, but the odds that the mountain bike superstar picks-up the stars and stripes are slim.

Dropped this week: Valentin Scherz (9) and Justin Lindine (10).

This weekend, the biggest US race of the year concludes a stellar North American season. I won't make my outright predictions here (you can visit The Run-up for my predictions of every US National Champion), but I think I've outlined the contenders pretty well. As usual, I expect a big surprise this weekend, but it won't come from anyone outside of this week’s rankings. All that's left is to watch what may be the most exciting National Championship race in years.

While all eyes in the US will be on Bend, Oregon, there's a bevy of races throughout Europe this weekend. Most importantly, there is a round of the GVA Trophy in Essen, Belgium. All the big names should be there, but the focus will be on Nys, Albert and Stybar (what else is new?). Those three are separated by 4 points in the GVA rankings, so one of them should finally take command of the series.

What about you? Who are your picks for Nationals? What about the GVA—how do see things shaping-up?

Share your comments below.