Cannondale Slice RS, and Stybar back in todays race in Essen!

Yesterday the bike was a dream, today it was hate and you saw blood and could have see tears but didn’t, instead ginger bread.

First time building bikes with internal everything and a lot of new things is never so easy. Specially as I did wrong, shouldn’t start mounting the crank and you should take out the liners after mounting the wires. And Cannondale should put in a liner in the chainstay for the builder.

But what a bike. Not that good brakes but like it anyway and everyone know that you shouldn’t brake to ride fast. And speaking of fast, compared the seatpost to a htc One X to show you how ”thick” it is:

And the result:

A 9,04kg Cannondale Slice RS Ultegra size 52. Clean front with integrated brake:

And from rear, nicely says AERO on the inside of the chainstays:

To the end, hope you didn’t miss the CX today in Essen. Zdenek Stybar is back and rode really well until the sprint. Sprinted and pushed Jan Denuwelaere into the side so he crashed. Was fast to go back and forgive himself and seemed to be happy that he didn’t broke anything. Stybar was first over the finishline but ended 4th.

1. Jan Denuwelaere (shows how fast you can ride with Campagnolo)

2. Rob Peeters

3. Niels Albert

4. Zdenek Stybar

Superprestige Gavere elite men

What a race, muddy but rideable eating derailleurs, chains and other parts that can die by to much mud. Lars van den Haar took the start, Klaas Vantornout took the lead and got a gap, at most around 15sec down to Van Amerongen. But then Sven Nys who was in the chase group showed some power and closed the gap and crushed the case group. But he couldn’t kill Vantornout so easy so rode together all way to the finish line, almost.

Sven Nys learned how to sprint and took Vantornout a little too easy. Sven Nys won his second race this weekend. Niels Albert who usually takes one win/weekend had a bad day and ended 6th. Don’t know why but I like Nys more then Albert, is it because Albert never have his helmet straight?

The result of the sprint:

 

The eight time Sven Nys won in Gavere, that’s a guy that knows how to win. (Kevin Pauwels won last year).

1. Sven Nys – Landbouwkredit-KDL

2. Klaas Vantornout – Sunweb-Revor

3. Bart Wellens – Telenet-Fidea

4. Kevin Pauwels – Sunweb-Revor

Some highlights and interviews here from both men and womens race: Vier

And for all of you who understand some flemish, read that Nys is not just winning, he wants more equal racing for Men and Women: Cyclo-cross.info

Superprestige Hamme-Zogge

What an awesome race. Even when everyone does like they used to. Lars van den Haar and Klaas Vantornout sits on wheel for a while before attacking and then comes Rob Peeters like usual when van den Haar is racing. Kevin Pauwels some places behind, like a spot before Sven Nys that isn’t the best starter but good and smart one. Far behind is Niels Albert that is the worst starter from first line I think.

Lars van den Haar pushes on with higher cadence and intensity than the others and sits tighter on the wheel. Sven Nys comes up and shows he’s the man. van den Haar sits a little to close on his wheel so have to stop in a corner. A stop that gets Bart Aernouts to stop behind him too and gets it to hard to chase down Nys. Nys shows he’s not just the man but the winner that know hows to race. Attacks and dominate the last 6-7 laps.

Niels Albert comes up to van den Haar, Pauwels and Aernouts after a long hard chase and get the pace up. Now the strange not usual thing. Lars van den Haar can keep up with Albert but Pauwels get’s a chainproblem and have to stop so miss the podium (not so good riding single chainring?). As van den Haar rides junior attacking style Albert can ”easily” attack in the end of last lap to secure the second place behind Nys.

Podium with Niels Albert, Sven Nys and Lars van den Haar:

 

Love that van den Haar get’s some colour on the race with his aggressive riding but the where is the best CXrider? Missing last years winner Zdenek Stybar a lot, specially today when they talked about him before the race.

About the womens race that never is streamed the best women won, too long since last. No live stream but a replay here for us (thought of seeing it after church today but got a bit too late so I have to watch it tomorrow): Vier.be