Jonathan Pages

[Richard Longwoo]

.... better luck next year -- you did great!!!!

15:57 CET - Lap 10 We're on the last lap now, and Mario De Clercq, Bart Wellens and Sven
Vanthourenhout are looking at bringing home a Belgian clean sweep. Wellens attacks really hard on
the first climb, but can't shake the dogged De Clercq. Vanthourenhout has to chase again.

16:59 CET - Lap 10 Who will it be? De Clercq or Wellens? It's looking like a two up sprint as the
leading pair keep the pressure on. But Vanthourenhout is not giving up.

17:00 CET - Lap 10 The three are back together now with less than half a lap to go. It's very
tactical, as Wellens hammers towards the second barriers. Still all together. One more descent
and one more climb to come.

18:02 CET - Lap 10 They hit the final climb, with De Clercq in the lead followed by Wellens and
Vanthourenhout. No attacks.

The sprint is for the last corner, and Wellens gets it first with De Clercq on his wheel.
Vanthourenhout unclips and gets third, but it's Wellens who wins!

 

[Kyle Legate]

Richard Longwood wrote:
> .... better luck next year -- you did great!!!!
>
32nd place is not great.

 

[Wade Summers]

"Kyle Legate" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Richard Longwood wrote:
> > .... better luck next year -- you did great!!!!
> >
> 32nd place is not great.
>
>

But this is good news:

According to Het Nieuwsblad. De Clercq has also asked the Mr. Bookmaker-Palmans-Collstrop team
management to sign American Jonathan Page for next season, so that De Clercq can have a specific
training partner. "If Mario asks that, then we'll do it," said team manager Charles Palmans

 

[Jerry]

"Kyle Legate" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Richard Longwood wrote:
> > .... better luck next year -- you did great!!!!
> >
> 32nd place is not great.

32nd place SUCKS ASS. Period. And he above everyone else knows it. He is basically a pro cross rider
and he blew it, and thats not really acceptable to anyone.

He is trying to pick up the pieces and figure out his worlds curse. Maybe he and Sven Nijs can do
lunch and chat...

But thanks for your support, of course!

J

 

[Wayne]

What happened this time? Sounds like finally he was right there in the hunt at a big race and the
next thing you read is he finished 16th?

Has the door been firmly shut on the transfer to Palmans?

Thanks

 

[Kristin Garau]

"Wayne" wrote in message:
> What happened this time? Sounds like finally he was right there in the hunt at a big race and the
> next thing you read is he finished 16th?
>
> Has the door been firmly shut on the transfer to Palmans?

from cyclo-cross.info recently: Hilaire Van der Schueren is clearly not interested in Jonathan Page,
the American Champion. Mario De Clercq asked the board to give a contract to his training mate. Van
der Schueren replied "Page? Who the hell is that? I'm not even considering of signing this
American."

Kind of harsh. It'd be nice to see Declerq and Page riding together, even if Page was
playing waterboy.

-Kristin

 

[Wayne]

"Kristin Garau" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> "Wayne" wrote in message:
> > What happened this time? Sounds like finally he was right there in the hunt at a big race and
> > the next thing you read is he finished 16th?
> >
> > Has the door been firmly shut on the transfer to Palmans?
>
> from cyclo-cross.info recently: Hilaire Van der Schueren is clearly not interested in Jonathan
> Page, the American Champion. Mario De Clercq asked the board to give a contract to his training
> mate. Van der Schueren replied "Page? Who the hell is that? I'm not even considering of signing
> this American."
>
>
> Kind of harsh. It'd be nice to see Declerq and Page riding together, even if Page was playing
> waterboy.
>
> -Kristin

Thus the question as this doesn't jive with what Mr. Palmans said on the matter.

Wayne

 

[Jerry]

> > "Wayne" wrote in message:
> > > What happened this time? Sounds like finally he was right there in the hunt at a big race and
> > > the next thing you read is he finished 16th?

He was right in there all day, and just did not have the legs to stay with the group on the last lap
when all the final attacks happened. he only lost like 30 seconds. He was pretty disappointed at
first. But, he had some blood tests done after worlds and he is still pretty much just cooked from
too much for too long.

Also, Fontana was being coached from the pits to stay in front of JP and slow him down. Fontana is
nowhere in the WC overall, but Franzoi was right behind JP and they are neck and neck in UCI, WC,
etc. Cori speaks eyetalian so she heard the whole thing all race. Eventually, Fontana went down, not
on purpose, but it caused he and JP to get gapped off in the last lap. Still, had he had better
legs, he would have been in the front of the group not the back, so...

> > > Has the door been firmly shut on the transfer to Palmans?

Door is shut. They are D1 and after his interview it was determined that there are too many
fees/costs to bring in a foreign rider. I guess there are actual "fees" for having non Belgians on a
Belgian team, plus min salary for D1, plus medical insurance since he is not Belgian. Cost too much.

> > from cyclo-cross.info recently: Hilaire Van der Schueren is clearly not interested in Jonathan
> > Page, the American Champion. Mario De Clercq asked the board to give a contract to his training
> > mate. Van der Schueren replied "Page? Who the hell is that? I'm not even considering of signing
> > this American."
> >

Our best info on this is that it is a misquote or out of context somehow. It does not jive with the
face to face reality. But whatever. End result is the same.

Two more races, hopefully two more good results. He was 9th the day before the WC too.

reports and some REALLY REALLY GOOD photos (group action close ups) on www.thejonathanpage.com from
Pijnacker. The photos are worth a look. Some of the best on the site, IMHO.

> > Kind of harsh. It'd be nice to see Declerq and Page riding together, even if Page was playing
> > waterboy.
> >
> > -Kristin
>
> Thus the question as this doesn't jive with what Mr. Palmans said on the matter.
>
> Wayne

 

[Chris]

So then where does Jon stand on a contract? Anything coming his way?

 

[Wayne]

Hey Jerry,

Does Jonathan have any insight on what the deal is with Pospisil and the Czech federation? Could it
really just be his personality and interaction with the other riders?

Wayne

 

[Wade Summers]

"Wayne" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hey Jerry,
>
> Does Jonathan have any insight on what the deal is with Pospisil and the Czech federation? Could
> it really just be his personality and interaction with the other riders?
>
> Wayne

Yeah, that was a weird story. To actually have riders pick up and move their stuff away from him, in
one reported case kilometers away!?

And what's the deal with Lefebvre? He's arguably France's best cyclocrosser but he's never selected
to be on the World Cup team and wasn't selected for Worlds.

Wade

 

[Jerry]

> >
> > Does Jonathan have any insight on what the deal is with Pospisil and the Czech federation? Could
> > it really just be his personality and interaction with the other riders?
> >
> > Wayne
>
> Yeah, that was a weird story. To actually have riders pick up and move their stuff away from him,
> in one reported case kilometers away!?
>
> And what's the deal with Lefebvre? He's arguably France's best cyclocrosser but he's never
> selected to be on the World Cup team and wasn't selected for Worlds.
>
> Wade

Contract situation is still "fluid".

JP did not mention the Pospisili thing. Feel free to e-mail him and ask. He loves to get e-mail.
They are pretty bored now that they are not trainging much. [email protected]

Maxim L'orange Tete Lefebvre is a weird dude. I ask JP about him all the time. Turns out he has the
color of his ugly little helmet patented or trademarked or some such. Not sure why he chooses to
wear what appears to be a 1980's Bell helmet, maybe he had them custom made back then and does not
want to buy anymore.

The dude also where women's PANTY HOSE in races, instead of lycra tights! You can see it in photos.
Cori said he just got smart and switched from beige to black so its not soooo freaky.

The reason he is never on the French teams is that he has multiple positive drug tests, and is
banned from racing in France. That explains why he is never at nationals either.

All in all, a weird dude.

Apparently his girlfriend is quite nice, but also very weird. Quelle surprise.

What else would you expect from the French, though.

J

ps - if any of this info turns out to be false, tough ****. I am not looking to get flamed. Its
gossip. Forget I even said it.

 

[Wade Summers]

"jerry" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> JP did not mention the Pospisili thing. Feel free to e-mail him and ask. He loves to get e-mail.
> They are pretty bored now that they are not trainging much. [email protected]
>
> Maxim L'orange Tete Lefebvre is a weird dude. I ask JP about him all the time. Turns out he has
> the color of his ugly little helmet patented or trademarked or some such. Not sure why he chooses
> to wear what appears to be a 1980's Bell helmet, maybe he had them custom made back then and does
> not want to buy anymore.
>
> The dude also where women's PANTY HOSE in races, instead of lycra tights! You can see it in
> photos. Cori said he just got smart and switched from beige to black so its not soooo freaky.
>
> The reason he is never on the French teams is that he has multiple positive drug tests, and is
> banned from racing in France. That explains why he is never at nationals either.
>
> All in all, a weird dude.
>
> Apparently his girlfriend is quite nice, but also very weird. Quelle surprise.
>
> What else would you expect from the French, though.
>
> J
>
> ps - if any of this info turns out to be false, tough ****. I am not looking to get flamed. Its
> gossip. Forget I even said it.

I thought that Lefebrve's tights looked a bit thin. You could see his skin through them. I said to
myself "this guy is wearing pantyhose!" And that helmet! The first time I saw it , I was like why
the f- is this guy doing wearing an orange helmet from 1986? I posted something on our NE cross
group about it. I'd keep him off the national team just for that helmet.

I'm wondering if the Pospisil thing is a man/boy love circumstance. It was a junior rider that they
kept 3 kilometers away. Sounds excessive if the guy is just an a-hole or taking drugs.

Wade