Well at least we've got one JP in the top 20

[Bill C]

Let's hope for a little better luck tomorrow for Jonathan.
Tough day for the Jrs for sure. Congrats to Jeremy Powers.
Bill C

 

[[email protected]]

Bill C wrote:
> Let's hope for a little better luck tomorrow for Jonathan.
> Tough day for the Jrs for sure. Congrats to Jeremy Powers.
> Bill C

Looks like the kind of course where Page could get a top 10 with some
luck, lots of technical sections relative to power sections. Doesn't
seem like the ideal course for Nijs' superior power, lots of spots
where bad luck could cost him his world title.

 

[jerry in vermont]

[email protected] wrote:
> Bill C wrote:
> > Let's hope for a little better luck tomorrow for Jonathan.
> > Tough day for the Jrs for sure. Congrats to Jeremy Powers.
> > Bill C
>
> Looks like the kind of course where Page could get a top 10 with some
> luck, lots of technical sections relative to power sections. Doesn't
> seem like the ideal course for Nijs' superior power, lots of spots
> where bad luck could cost him his world title.

Jonathan got stuck behind some traffic in the first lap, not the hole
shot he wanted. He was about 20th first time Cori saw him.

He then worked his way up to THE LEAD OF THE RACE and was in a lead
group that kinda grew into 8 guys.

He was LEADING that group, as he was taking nice lines and other guys
were falling a bit. Said it was definitely best to be in front. Laps
3-4 Cori said he was leading/in the lead group.

He flatted a long way from the pit on Lap 5, it seems. Lost some good
time there, as the downhill was LONG and 30 MPH and he was running
stuff at times.

Got passed by Ryan and Co (including a tall, grumpy Dutch guy who is
pretty fast) and then got a fresh bike.

Caught and passed the Ryan group right before the end of the race, got
14th. Ryan got 15th!!! Dutch guy, 16th. Pretty damn good for the
USA.

Jonthan said, "I am not saying I could have WON the race, but I was a
lock for top 10, and I had a real shot for podium"

So he is pretty happy overall, since he feels like he rode his race and
seems to have gotten ALOT of press/air time for leading the race for a
while.

J

 

[Ewoud Dronkert]

On 30 Jan 2005 08:28:33 -0800, jerry in vermont wrote:
> Jonthan said, "[...] I had a real shot for podium"

That seems unrealistic.


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[jerry in vermont]

Just telling you what he said. He feels he had the shot.

I for one was expecting top 15 to be a good day. I do think he is 100%
correct saying he was a lock for top 10 without the flat, but I wasnt
there either.

J

dont suppose you taped the coverage of the race??

 

[Ewoud Dronkert]

On 30 Jan 2005 09:13:38 -0800, jerry in vermont wrote:
> dont suppose you taped the coverage of the race??

I might have. There might also happen something in some newsgroup, but
not until tomorrow.


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[Bill C]

jerry in vermont wrote:
> Just telling you what he said. He feels he had the shot.
>
> I for one was expecting top 15 to be a good day. I do think he is
100%
> correct saying he was a lock for top 10 without the flat, but I wasnt
> there either.
>
> J
>
> dont suppose you taped the coverage of the race??

Hey Jerry
>From Adam's report on the NE Cross list he's convinced JP would've
been 7th without the flat. That's pretty damn impressive from both he
and Ryan especially when you look at how close they were on time. I'm
not sure he could've won it but without the flat it sure would've been
interesting.
I'm pretty depressed about the Jr results but other than that it
wasn't too damn bad. I thought Ann might go podium, but I'm waiting for
next year when both Tim and Lyne podium. Next year I woouldn't be
surprised to see Page there either.
It's really too bad that there just isn't much opportunity to
completely focus on Cross here in the states. We just don't have the
depth and support system yet. I do think we've got a bunch of people
who really care and know what it's going to take leading the way toward
better races and racing. I don't think we'll ever be a real powerhouse,
but I think we are going to be solidly respectable every year and a
real threat to win eventually.
Great effort by JP
Bill C

 

[Ewoud Dronkert]

On 30 Jan 2005 12:51:45 -0800, Bill C wrote:
> especially when you look at how close they were on time.

Nijs commented afterwards that being stronger didn't help him very much
because on this surface the excess power couldn't be put to good use. In
other words, it was very difficult to get away. Unprecedented lead group
of 20 with 4 laps to go.


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[[email protected]]

Ewoud Dronkert wrote:
> On 30 Jan 2005 12:51:45 -0800, Bill C wrote:
> > especially when you look at how close they were on time.
>
> Nijs commented afterwards that being stronger didn't help him very
much
> because on this surface the excess power couldn't be put to good use.
In
> other words, it was very difficult to get away. Unprecedented lead
group
> of 20 with 4 laps to go.
>
>

Top 10 within 45 seconds of Nijs. If there was ever a day for Page to
get a top-10 at Worlds this was it. He simply doesn't appear to have
the power to hang with the top guys on a more typical cross course.
Sounds like conditions at least made for an interesting race rather
than a parade by Nijs.

 

[Howard Kveck]

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] wrote:

> Ewoud Dronkert wrote:
> > On 30 Jan 2005 12:51:45 -0800, Bill C wrote:
> > > especially when you look at how close they were on time.
> >
> > Nijs commented afterwards that being stronger didn't help him very
> much
> > because on this surface the excess power couldn't be put to good use.
> In
> > other words, it was very difficult to get away. Unprecedented lead
> group
> > of 20 with 4 laps to go.
> >
> >
>
> Top 10 within 45 seconds of Nijs. If there was ever a day for Page to
> get a top-10 at Worlds this was it. He simply doesn't appear to have
> the power to hang with the top guys on a more typical cross course.
> Sounds like conditions at least made for an interesting race rather
> than a parade by Nijs.

So, as for the pre-race prognostications, I had said I'd be surprised if
there was less than six Belgians in the top ten, and there were only five.
Wellens performance was a bit of a surprise. This hasn't been the best
season for him. I also said Posposil might do well, and he wasn't even
entered. Oh well...

--
tanx,
Howard

Butter is love.

remove YOUR SHOES to reply, ok?

 

[jerry in vermont]

thats the great thing about cross, its skill as well as power. Nijs
shows that he has the best of both with his consistency.

Watching Nijs POWER away on his last lap attack, its clear JP does not
have that kind of motor. But Wellens is _not_ a power rider and he
dominated for a year or two with great skills and obviously sick
fitness. I recall one muddy world cup where Wellens just floated over
all the mud, like it wasnt even there, and won by a big margin.

I for one hope that cross never goes the way of World Cup MTB racing,
turning the courses into road races with 1.8 tires and semi-rigid
suspension forks.

Vervecken impressed me the most this weekend as I didnt think of him as
a finesse rider, but huge power, yet he kept Nijs in check. Similarly,
Ryan is not a slippery course rider, by his own admission, but a power
rider, yet did great. So there had to be some element of the course
that favored riders with power.
Anway, time to enjoy the last couple races of the year.

j

 

[[email protected]]

> Wellens performance was a bit of a surprise. This hasn't been the
best
> season for him.

Not really, Wellens has a history of not doing well in the cold,
although sounds like a mechanical he attributed to Vanthourenhout
flicking him cost him his concentration on the last couple of laps.

 

[Kenny]

jerry in vermont wrote:

> Watching Nijs POWER away on his last lap attack, its clear JP does
not
> have that kind of motor. But Wellens is _not_ a power rider and he
> dominated for a year or two with great skills and obviously sick
> fitness. I recall one muddy world cup where Wellens just floated
over
> all the mud, like it wasnt even there, and won by a big margin.
>
> j

Au contraire, Wellens is much more a power rider than Nys. He's always
pushing a bigger gear than Nys. Last year Wellens was able to continue
to push it during 1h, breaking up the whole pack. But this year he can
only do this the first half of a race and than has to recover from the
effort.

Kenny

 

[Kurgan Gringioni]

jerry in vermont wrote:
> thats the great thing about cross, its skill as well as power. Nijs
> shows that he has the best of both with his consistency.
>
> Watching Nijs POWER away on his last lap attack, its clear JP does
not
> have that kind of motor. But Wellens is _not_ a power rider and he
> dominated for a year or two with great skills and obviously sick
> fitness. I recall one muddy world cup where Wellens just floated
over
> all the mud, like it wasnt even there, and won by a big margin.
Speed through mud is mostly determined by power.

 

[[email protected]]

I don't think any of those guys that regularly ride at the front of the
big cross races are short on power.