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He’s back đđ„
Matthieu Van Der Poel takes the win in the Men Elite race in Hulst đłđ± #CXWorldCup pic.twitter.com/GUtoIxGqV4
â UCI Cyclocross (@UCI_CX) November 27, 2022
This Mathieu van der Poel fellaâs a decent bike rider, isnât he? I reckon he could go placesâŠ
After a rather inauspicious end to a tumultuous road racing season, it didnât take long for the big Dutchman to get back to doing what he does best: destroying the field at cyclocross races.
At yesterdayâs World Cup event in Hulst, Van der Poel â starting his first âcross race in over eleven months and despite an inconvenient fourth row start and two early crashes â looked like heâd never been away from a muddy field, storming through the pack on the diabolically difficult Dutch course.
Former World Champion van der Poel đ didn’t miss his start in đłđ± Hulst. After a fast start he is one of the seven riders in front of the race after the first lap. #CXWorldCup pic.twitter.com/4zFbVQZEVb
â UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup (@UCIcyclocrossWC) November 27, 2022
Capitalising on a mid-race mistake by Tom Pidcock (more on the world champion later) on one of the courseâs desperately steep, wall-like ramps, Van der Poel powered away to secure his first win on the cyclocross bike since he took the rainbow bands in Oostende, way back in January 2021.
đ Mathieu van der Poel is back!
đHulst đłđ±
â
First race of the season.
â
First win. #CXWorldCup pic.twitter.com/uRCfOaSCJ9
â UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup (@UCIcyclocrossWC) November 27, 2022
So, how did the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider kick back and relax after his sprightly return to the âcross field, on a brutal course that involved as much running up massive mud walls as it did bike riding?
By running a further seven kilometres, thatâs how.
The 27-year-old took to Strava last night to share his âtempo celebration runâ, which saw him cover his 7km âwarm downâ in just under 27 minutes.
Not quite as quick as Pidcockâs infamous 13:25 5km run from February 2021 â the result of a GPS error and not Olympic track athlete legs, it turned out â but Iâm sure heâs happy with his nice ârace and runâ day outâŠ
Mathieu van der Poelâs staggeringly quick sub-27-minute 7km run â he had just finished rampaging around a cyclocross course for an hour, after all â got us thinking about other pro cyclists fond of donning their running shoes during the off-season.
Back in February 2021, MVDPâs âcross rival, and current world champion, Tom Pidcock famously wound up the entire running community by uploading a post claiming to have run a 13:26 5km, just five seconds slower than the British record.
A post shared by á”ᎌáŽč ᎟᎔Ꮀá¶áŽŒá¶áŽ· (@tompidcock)
The greatest running achievement by a pro cyclist of all time, or a just a simple case of a dodgy GPS? Iâll let you decideâŠ
But while cyclocrossers tend to incorporate running into their training â those bikes arenât going to shoulder themselves â even some of the pelotonâs road-only contingent have displayed some serious running chops during the colder months.
10 kilometer in 32 minuten en 38 seconden! Het leverde Tom Dumoulin een tweede plaats op in zijn Maastricht.https://t.co/8VypQG0fCI
đłđ± #wielrennen #hardlopen #GroeneLoperRun #Maastricht pic.twitter.com/zuUT6vHdRT
â WielerFlits.nl (@WielerFlits) November 14, 2021
This time last year, Adam Yates clocked a sub-three-hour effort at the Barcelona Marathon straight âoff the beachâ, while a week later the now-retired Tom Dumoulin finished second at the Groene Loper Run in his hometown of Maastricht, covering the 10km in a blistering time of 32:38, just 17 seconds behind the winner.
Meanwhile, any running-cycling crossover canât be complete without the inclusion of L39ION of Los Angeles pro Freddy Ovett, the son of Olympic-winning middle distance runner Steve, and friend of marathon icon Eliud Kipchoge (who also, it turns out, likes to go for a spin on his bike).
A post shared by Freddy Ovett (@freddyovett)
Last year, Ovett proved he inherited some of his fatherâs running legs too, clocking an impressive 2:48.55 at the Los Angeles Marathon (sorry, AdamâŠ).
Of course, it would be remiss of us if we neglected to mention the single greatest cyclist running moment of all time.
Cue the Benny Hill themeâŠ
Rein TaaramĂ€e & Madis Mihkels are preparing the new season in Estonia âïž pic.twitter.com/v0sRo5TASq
â IntermarchĂ©-Wanty-Gobert (@IntermarcheWG) November 28, 2022
A post shared by Mehdi Balamissa (@mehdibalamissa)
Avid readers of the live blog will remember Mehdi Balamissa and Gabriel Martin, two French football supporters who decided to show their undying love for Les Bleus (and sustainable transport) by cycling almost 7,000km from Paris to Doha for this monthâs World Cup.
Balamissa, a documentary filmmaker, and TV producer Martin came up with the idea of riding their bikes to Qatar after cycling the still-considerable journey to northern Italy for the 2021 UEFA Nations League Finals.
And, after setting off from the Stade de France on 20 August, theyâve finally made it to world footballâs greatest âspectacleâ (alright, todayâs matches have been decent I suppose).
âIt was a crazy idea, but weâre the kind of people that have big ideas and donât want to have any regrets,â Balamissa told CNN after triumphantly arriving in Doha.
âSo, since we are both self-employed, we decided to block off three months of our time and come to Qatar.â
A post shared by Mehdi Balamissa (@mehdibalamissa)
The pair hope their mammoth trip, which took them through 13 countries, will help promote the benefits of sustainable transport (as you long as you forget all the oil-based sportswashing going on at the World Cup itself of course) and said that they plan to offer cycling workshops to children from disadvantaged backgrounds when they get home.
As well as riding their bikes for the greater good, the ladsâ epic journey also earned them a few, more tangible, benefits: the French Football Federation (FFF) has invited the pair to meet the team and has given them tickets for all three of Franceâs group games, while manager Didier Deschamps also presented each of them with a national jersey signed by the players.
A post shared by Mehdi Balamissa (@mehdibalamissa)
âEverything here is revolving around the World Cup. Weâre very excited to keep discovering the country,â Balamissa said.
âMany French people are super nice with us here and are proposing to take us places: to restaurants to visit different things.â
While Balamissa and Martin are enjoying the Doha life, the trip to get there was far from straightforward. At one point, the two cyclists were forced to travel 15 hours to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to find a bike repair shop⊠before taking another 15 hours just to get back to the spot where one of their bikes had broken.
âWe had many troubles, but we fixed them as we went,â Martin told CNN.
âIn this kind of trip, you have to be really flexible. In fact, the main part of the trip is to be flexible and to just adapt to every situation the best you can. I think we did well, actually.â
Balamissa added: âThere were so many best moments. For instance, when we finished crossing Europe. It was absolutely fabulous. We crossed from the European part of Istanbul to the Asian side across the bridge.â
âUsually, thatâs forbidden [by bike],â Martin said, âbut we negotiated with the local police for hours and hours and they just followed us to protect us on the bridge. People along the way were so generous and kind.â
âIt was very special when we got to Qatar because it meant it was the end of this crazy trip and this lifestyle that we actually enjoyed a lot,â Balamissa said.
âWeâre staying until the final because France is going to win, of course,â Martin joked to CNN. âWe wouldnât have come on our bikes otherwise.â
Itâs been a bit cyclocross crazy on the live blog today, so I thought Iâd mix things up a bit by sharing the results of yesterdayâs⊠err, beach race in Belgium.
A sort of cross between road racing and the sandier aspects of cyclocross, with a bit of mountain biking thrown in, the De Panne Beach Endurance race is one of the most prestigious events in Belgium and the Netherlandâs (where else?) winter beach racing season.
Move over Baywatch, it’s the De Panne Beach Endurance race. Less than 10km to go, livestream at https://t.co/zHrjBGYXaV pic.twitter.com/HwP5ZXRNan
â the Inner Ring (@inrng) November 27, 2022
Attracting over 1,000 participants every year, the De Panne Beach Endurance features 54km â yes, 54km â of windy, beachy brutality, and mixes up the tactical nuances of road racing (unsurprisingly, there are plenty of echelons) with âhead down, ride hardâ off-road sensibilities.
> Beach slapped: Things to do on a Dutch beach in December⊠VecchioJo goes beach racing
It even attracts some of the best pros too: the mercurial Frank Vandenbroucke won the second edition in 1997, future Paris-Roubaix winner Johan Vansummeren took the junior title in 1999, and Canyon-Sramâs Pauliena Rooijakkers (who had a very strong 2022) has won the womenâs race twice.
Even the Lion of Flanders Johan Museeuw has raced it, for goodnessâ sake.
The eccentric nature of it all was underlined by yesterdayâs sprint in the menâs race, which saw Quick-Stepâs Bert Van Lerberghe (on a road bike) hold off Bingoal Pauwels Saucesâ veteran Timothy Dupont (on a mountain bike) for the win.
BEKIJK: Wegrenner Bert Van Lerberghe zegeviert in loodzware De Panne Beach Endurance voor Timothy Dupont #beachrace #DePanneBeachEndurance https://t.co/X1IIlzU2Ls pic.twitter.com/50yz3XHxWB
â Sporza đŽ (@sporza_koers) November 28, 2022
Tim Declercq also proved that âEl Tractorâ can power over the sand on his way to fourth, while Tour de France stage winner Tim Merlier took fifth, and perennial classics contender Sep Vanmarcke ninth.
In the womenâs race, 2010 Tour of Flanders winner Grace Verbeke took her sixth win on the sands of De Panne.
Impressive stuff. Canât say I want to rush to the seaside to try it, mind youâŠ
You can’t have Low Traffic Neighbourhoods if there are no houses! https://t.co/gYxOXSx6Ra
â Töby ĂdwĂŁrds (@IsSaddleThereIs) November 28, 2022
Some extra training for Tom Pidcock and his brother Joe pic.twitter.com/2PVh6ddpTb
â JosĂ© Been (@JoseBeenTV) November 27, 2022
As Mathieu van der Poel prepared for his âwarm downâ run following a triumphant return to cyclocross at the Hulst round of the UCI World Cup, world champion Tom Pidcock attempted to put the disappointment of a last lap crash and bendy back wheel behind him with a relaxing 40 mile spin home.
âIt was planned to ride home with my brother,â Pidcock said before heading off with 20-year-old brother Joe, who raced this year for Groupama-FDJâs development squad and is rumoured to be joining Tomâs alma mater Trinity for 2023.
âToday the âcross was done early, so we had that chance. I think itâs about 60km home.â
Hopefully the back wheel of his winter Dogma proved a touch sturdier than the one he raced on earlier in the dayâŠ
If youâve spent any time on Cycling Twitterâą over the past two weeks, youâre bound to have come across bike racing fans cheerfully displaying their ignorance of the great sportswashing kickaround in Qatar by asking their fellow two-wheeled enthusiasts to explain what was happening on the pitch âin cycling termsâ.
Youâll perhaps be surprised to learn that one of the breakout stars of this most controversial of World Cups, Saudi Arabia manager HervĂ© Renard, has happily obliged.
Frenchman Renard, who had a spell managing Cambridge United back in 2004, oddly enough, masterminded Saudi Arabiaâs sensational comeback win over pre-tournament favourites Argentina (of Lionel Messi fame) with a superb Mike Bassett-inspired halftime team bollocking.
And now it turns out that one of the World Cupâs greatest ever upsets was inspired by the dream of a smash-and-grab breakaway win in one of professional cyclingâs monument classics.
No, really.
Magnifique interview d’HervĂ© Renard, sĂ©lectionneur français de l’Arabie Saoudite đžđŠ qui compare sa victoire face Ă l’Argentine đŠđ· Ă une classique de cyclisme đ€©
Merci @Bat pour l’information.
đ„đ Interview @beinsports_FR pic.twitter.com/DT2xrcgQVi
â VĂ©lofutĂ© (@VeloFute) November 27, 2022
In an interview with beIN Sports, the dapper 54-year-old revealed that he and his staff are big cycling fans, before comparing his sideâs shock win to a Johan Vansummeren or Mat Hayman-style triumph on the road.
âIt was a classic, we were with Van Aert, Van der Poel and PogaÄar too. And then they looked at each other, and we managed to get away and we crossed the line as winners,â Renard laughed.
More of this please.
Perhaps heâs angling to replace Neil Warnock and Roberto Mancini as the manager of road.ccâs Footballers who Cycle XI?
How cool is this? A library in #Utrecht where you can charge your electric device by cycling!! đČ pic.twitter.com/4rZMUDe41D
â Michele Bryans (@Michele_Bryans) November 25, 2022
Not sure who would be responsible for this. @MyNottingham or @NottsCC. A driver has driven into the safety barrier on Woodhouse way and itâs sticking out into the Cycle path. Hard to see in the dark!! pic.twitter.com/MXZmKbNUGb
â CycleNottsÂČ (@CycleNott) November 27, 2022
What do you see when you look at the above photo?
The aftermath of some dangerous driving? A safety hazard for cyclists using the bike path?
Nope, not on Twitter you wonât⊠Over on Elon Musk Island, itâs all the fault of cyclists using flashing lights, apparently.
At least thatâs the view of the anti-cycling brigade, who have taken advantage of yesterdayâs warning about Nottinghamâs new pedestrian barrier of death to indulge in a rare spot of future victim blaming:
Bikes should have lights, if the front one wasn’t flashing you’d see what’s in front of you! Look where your going and take responsibility for your own life!
â supersonic (@eweK97946472) November 28, 2022
Try putting some lights on your bike then.
â Lord Wally of Welly. (@MagnaWatch) November 28, 2022
Try having a light on your bicycle!
â Chris Weldon (@we75376474) November 28, 2022
“Hard to see in the dark” – especially if you’ve not got any lights on your cycle (lots are like this).
â Michael Roots (@MichaelJRoots) November 28, 2022
Must’ve been “hard to see” for the car driver who smashed into it too. Maybe they didn’t have their lights on or more likely not looking where they were going as usual.
As yet no cyclist has hit it.
â CuriousDuck (@Wil_bike) November 28, 2022
What is going on with the Ineos Grenadiersâ cyclocross bikes this month?
First, the British teamâs marquee signing Pauline Ferrand-PrĂ©vot â and her new Pinarello Crossista F â endured a turbulent debut at the Koppenbergcross at the start of the month.
The 13-time multi-discipline world championâs opening lap in Ineos colours was derailed by a jammed chain and a botched bike change, while yet more gearing issues forced the French rider to shoulder her malfunctioning bike and run up the steep final ascent of the Koppenberg.
> âThe road season is so much more important to meâ: Pidcock casts doubt on cyclocross worlds defence after dramatic debut weekend in rainbow jersey
Jammed gears were the order of the day almost three weeks later too, as Tom Pidcockâs return to World Cup racing in the rainbow bands at Overijse last weekend was almost scuppered as soon as it got underway by his bikeâs refusal to co-operate.
However, an impressive and dramatic effort saw the world champion regain, and then blast clear of the front of the pack â before disaster struck again. On the penultimate lap, Pidcock crashed, breaking his shoe in the process, and letting eventual winner Michael Vanthourenhout slip away for a narrow victory.
Pidcock was on his way to the 2ïžâŁnd place but a broken wheel forces him to abandon the race! đ± #CXWorldCup pic.twitter.com/Sz9PPC4sVj
â UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup (@UCIcyclocrossWC) November 27, 2022
Well, the Ineos Grenadiers will be hoping that bad luck only comes in threes, as the 23-year-old Yorkshireman suffered yet another bout of bike-related bad luck in Hulst yesterday.
Pidcock â who stormed to victory at the X20 Trofee Kortrijk on Saturday, securing his first win in the rainbow bands â continued his flying form in an epic head-to-head duel with four-time world champion Mathieu van der Poel during the seventh round of this winterâs cyclocross World Cup.
After a mammoth tussle on the brutal, muddy circuit in Hulst, an unfortunate mid-race slip on one of the courseâs many steep ramps allowed the Dutchman to finally power clear of his British rival for a winning return to the âcross field.
Nevertheless, Pidcock looked set for a strong second place until the Ineos curse struck once again on the last lap. A crash on a tricky descent into a fencepost saw the Ineos riderâs Shimano back wheel buckle and bend like an non-EU-regulated banana.
Man, what is it about the Ineos CX bike that means it doesn’t work in cyclocross races? đ
https://t.co/5OkEbviJno
â Mathew Mitchell (@MatMitchell30) November 27, 2022
This seasonâs latest untimely mechanical mishap forced the world champion to initially press on by foot, with his bike draped over his shoulder and the broken wheel waving forlornly in the cold Dutch air, before he finally, and unceremoniously, exited the race by hopping over the barriers and into the crowd.
âI donât know exactly what happened either,â Pidcock told Het Nieuwsblad after the race. âI think I hit something, maybe that post or maybe something else.
âIâm not quite sure. My wheel broke after that. I walked for a while, but it was still far, and it was of little use.â
Of course, this isnât the first time this season that Shimanoâs wheels have buckled under the pressure. At Paris-Roubaix, two of Jumbo-Vismaâs Shimano Dura-Ace R9100 carbon rear wheels folded under their riders on the harsh, cobbled roads of northern France.
> What’s going on with Shimano’s wheels? Two carbon Dura-Ace wheels fold in half at Paris Roubaix
Shimano dead set on promoting this whole non-circular wheel thing but I’m not sure it’ll catch on pic.twitter.com/W8YKPMmoXB
â Ryan Duff (@RyanDuffCycling) November 27, 2022
Commercial tie-in with Pringles?
â Lynne Aldridge (@littleblueshed) November 27, 2022
Never mind the curse of the rainbow jersey, Pidcock will surely be hoping that the âcurse of the Ineos mechanicalâ can be exorcised before his next meeting with Van Aert and Van der PoelâŠ
From takeaway triathletes to the demise of the Shakedry jacket, hereâs what you may have missed on road.cc over the weekend:
> Donât hang around if you want a Gore-Tex Shakedry jacket â the fabric is being retired. Plus tech news from Campagnolo, MET, Kask + more
> Pro triathlete and Ironman champ Joe Skipper turns Deliveroo cyclist
> âDrink driver who ploughed into cyclist with friend riding on bonnet jailed for 14 months
> âEmily Bridges: Documentary on transgender cyclist to be broadcast on ITV next week
> âTour de France stage winner in court after allegedly threatening to stab his brother-in-law
> Near Miss of the Day 837: Mercedes driver close passes cyclist carrying four-year-old son in child seat
Ryan joined road.cc as a news writer in December 2021. He has written about cycling and some ball-centric sports for various websites, newspapers, magazines and radio. Before returning to writing about cycling full-time, he completed a PhD in History and published a book and numerous academic articles on religion and politics in Victorian Britain and Ireland (though he remained committed to boring his university colleagues and students with endless cycling trivia). He can be found riding his bike very slowly through the Dromara Hills of Co. Down.
Good on Joe Skipper for getting stuck in….
Reading through these colourful anecdotes and trying to think, in 50 years of riding bicycles if I had ever had a truly scarey moment, a proper…
Nice to see a bike manufacturer that can fit mudguards properly from the factory instead of the usual gap big enough to get your arm through….
I’m not even going to bother reading any replies from Martin and his cronies. They are spoiling this site with their incessant attempts to convince…
This would finish off my Robert’s rebuild a treat. Thanks in advance!
Always Carry A Bible?!
You wear it figure of eight over your shoulders, proper old school.
A bit of googling suggests some wires have got crossed somewhere….
Car smashes wall on Bitterne Road East, Southampton https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/homes/property_news_config/23155328.car-smas…
Another point is that cycling and walking don’t trash their infra like motor vehicles do….
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