Live Coverage of the Nommay Cyclocross World Cup

Hello and welcome to Cyclocross Magazine’s live coverage of the third world cup of the season from Nommay, France.

Today will actually be the second women’s World Cup of the season, and the first time we see all of the top riders in the same race.

The start list includes World Champion Marianne Vos, and Worlds runner up, Hanka Kupfernagel, both of whom skipped the first World Cup in Treviso, Italy.

We’ll also see Katie Compton, who dominated the competition in Treviso and now leads the World Cup overall standings. Others likely to be in the mix include Daphny Van Den Brand, who finished second in Treviso, Pavla Havlikova, who won the Koppenbergcross a couple of weeks ago, and Helen Wyman, who’s been on the podium twice in the last two weeks.

The race gets under way at 1:30 local time, about ten minutes from now.

There are two other American riders in todays field: Sue Butler, who apparently decided not to defend her single speed world championship today, and CX Magazine’s own Christine Vardaros.

The weather this week in western Europe has been miserable, so we expected to see a messy course, but Christine told us that conditions were surprisingly good in Nommay yesterday.

It rained some overnight, but is dry right now. So exactly how the course holds up will be a big factor in determining the outcome today. At the end of practice last night, according to Christine, things were mostly rideable except for a few sections.

Sue Butler told us she’d like a muddy race, but only if the course stays rideable.

We had a brief chance to catch up with Katie Compton, who told us that she’s not feeling quite as good as she was in Treviso. As you probably know, she’s had some leg problems that can be aggravated by travel. But she thinks her form is good, and has been training well, so she’s confident about the race today.

Compton said she expects the main challenge to come from the usual suspects: Hanka if it’s a heavy course and Vos if it’s fast. Van Den Brand was able to stay with her only a little while in Treviso, but apparently is feeling better, so she could be a factor too.

The women are on the line now, Katie in the white leaders jersey. Havlikova, Van Den Brand, Helen Wyman, at the center in the front row.

And they’re off!

Katrin Leumann, the Swiss rider, lead from the start, with Katie just off her wheel as they come into the first set of stairs.

The course today is in better shape than we’ve seen Nommay recently.

Havlikova has a bit of a gap now, but things are basically together behind her.

Now Van Den Brand is moving up to the lead.

And Compton pulls through and makes a big acceleration. Her legs look pretty good right now.

Compton and Van Den Brand have a bit of a gap, then Havlikova, then Ferrier-Bruneau behind her, but the two leaders are gaining right now.

Everybody is struggling on the run up, stumbling and slipping around.

Helen Wyman had a good run, though, and is now in the lead of the peloton in third.

The run up is a disaster, with people falling all over the place!

Now here comes Marianne Vos. She didn’t race the last world cup and had to overcome a start from a bit back in the group. Hanka is getting into it as well.

A dog just ran across the course and almost took out a couple of the leaders.

At the end of one lap, Compton leads Van Den Brand and Vos. We just saw Sue Butler come through leading a group in about 15th place.

All the big names and joined in one group now, Compton, Vos, Van Den Brand, Wyman, Kupfernagel, Ferrier-Bruneau, and Sanne Cant.

The course is reasonably dry, but we’re seeing a few people with trouble sliding around a bit. So it’s not completely solid traction.

The lead group has fractured! It’s Compton, Vos, and Van Den Brand, then about 10 seconds to the chasers.

They’re on the run up and Compton runs while Vos rides, and she gets a bit of a gap in reward for her efforts.

After the run there’s a nasty off-camber section where lots of people are having a ton of trouble. Van Den Brand struggled there and now it’s just Vos and Compton together with a big gap to the chase group.

Vos is powering up a short climb with Compton just on her wheel. The chase is growing behind them.

Through two laps in about 12:25. They’re moving pretty quick, but not flying. The chasers are about 15 seconds back.

Helen Wyman has fallen out of the chase group and is about 10 seconds back from them.

Sanne Van Passsen is leading the chase and looks like she’s dying! (But Van Paassen almost always looks like she’s in terrible pain, even when she’s riding great.)

Compton and Vos are just trading the lead, trading accelerations, but neither can shake the other.

Van Den Brand’s mistake last lap has cost dearly, the chase is just fading farther and farther back. This is really a two-woman race now.

That chase group includes Van Paassen, Van Den Brand, Kupfernagel, Ferrier-Bruneau, and Nash.

Here comes the run again…

Katie controls it, and runs, so the two are forced to stay together.

Now up this nasty off camber climb without any trouble. The chasers are on the run up.

I have to pause for one second to send a quick happy birthday out to my dad, who’s following us in Philadelphia. Happy Birthday, Dad!

Vos and Compton are onto the flat sections that lead into the end of the lap. Neither looks to be struggling, they’re just biding their time.

Katie told us before the race that her main preparation for this race was to get as much rest and recovery as possible. It seems to have paid off.

No bike changes. Just a couple of slick sections, but basically it’s dry and tacky.

So another lap is in the books. Katie is really pushing it and trying to crack Vos at every possibility. She’s surging out of every turn. Looks like she’s sensing a bit of an opportunity.

Van Den Brand launches an attack out of the chase group. They need to go right now if they’re going to have any chance to catch the leaders.

Here we go into the run.

Compton stumbles on the run, but Vos is caught behind her and can’t capitalize.

Katie’s power is paying off on the off-camber, Vos can’t match her there.

Ferrier-Bruneau slips on the run, and holds up the entire chase.

Aloha from scenic Northmpton, MA

Katie’s got a gap!

Howdy, Jake!

Compton took advantage of Vos’ trouble on the off-camber section and is powering away from Vos. She looks completely focused.

Coming into the end of another lap, we’ll get a time check here…

Vos is time trailing up the road, but it isn’t helping. She’s down by 12 seconds.

Compton is flying, now making her way through lapped riders.

There’s three laps to go and Katie looks unstoppable at the moment. Vos is gone!

How are things in Northampton today, Jake?

Who would have thought that at this point in the season, Katie would have not lost a race yet?

Looking great over here, the sun is out, it’s warming up, we’re looking at a high of 60F today!

Katie is cruising past more lapped traffic.

Jeremy Powers decided to take the day off and head to helmet awareness ride in Mystic, CT this morning, so chances are we’ll see a Jamey Driscoll victory here today.

Katie had to hop off the bike on the off-camber, while Vos rode it clean.

Katie was so cool and fast coming off the bike, she didn’t lose more than a second or two.

Thanks, Lyne!

Vos is really hammering now. She doesn’t want Compton to get away, but it’s going to be a big effort to close this huge gap in just two laps.

Compton comes through another lap, looking very relaxed.

Katie’s gap is growing, she’s got almost 25 seconds!

Haven’t seen either of the other Americans recently, but we’ll try to get you an update as soon as we can.

They’re cruising through the flats before we get to the couple of technical runs and climbs in the middle of the lap.

Katie is up the run cleanly, despite being caught behind a lapped rider coming into it.

The chase group of three includes Nash, Van Paassen, and Van Den Brand.

Vos had some trouble on the run. She tried to ride it, but had to grab the course tape at the top to pull herself over the last little bit.

Katie just came around Christine Vardaros, who is lapped. Christine offered some encouragement, but we couldn’t quite tell what she said.

Katie’s coming onto the road. She’ll get the bell in just a couple of seconds.

Compton has more than 30 seconds over Vos. Barring disaster, the race for first is over.

Vos has a good gap over the next three, so we’ll see a sprint for third between Van Paassen, Van Den Brand, and Nash.

They’re pulling lapped riders, but only at the end of the lap. Katie is now well into the thick of the back end of the race and is passing lapped riders left and right.

Katie’s coming to that tricky run again. Last time!

Up the climb no problem. Now the off-camber.

Katie charges up the steep off-camber, and falls!

But she’s up in about 1 second and back in control. She’s on cruise control now.

Katie’s coming into the final homestretch…

That’s another big victory for American cyclocross

Compton is on fire this year!

Here it is…

She punches the air and then throws up her hands. She’s beaming.

Huge victory for the American

Now Vos comes across about 35 seconds back. She looks pretty happy with her ride.

Bit of a bumping on the final turn onto the road in the race for third!

Van Paassen is leading the sprint!

Van Paassen lead the whole way down the road. Van Den Brand looks very unhappy.

Kupfernagel leads Ferrier-Bruneau for sixth.

Now a sprint for 8th…

Caroline Mani takes it over Wyman and Sanne Cant.

Sue Butler’s in with a group of about five, including Havlikova…

Havlikova takes it, Butler is just a hair behind that group.

We’ll get you the full run down here in a second…

We’ll poll the audience in a sec, my money is on that Neils kid.

For a look at who’s here today in the men’s race:
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1. Compton, 2. Vos, 3. Van Paassen, 4. Van Den Brand, 5. Nash…

Katie says the course was really hard, a little bit slippery.

Kaite says her legs feel good now, and is hoping she can hold the lead in the World Cup.

If we’re talking about who’s going to win the men’s race today, I’ve got to go with Niels Albert. He’s been completely unbeatable most of the time this year.

He told us he was sick for Koppenberg a couple weeks ago, but came back with another dominating performance last week in Hoogstraten.

Seems the majority of our readers feel it will be the Belgian National Champion on the top step of the podium. If it weren’t for that crash last weekend, you wonder if he could have taken Neils off the top step of the podium

The men’s race kicks off at 3:00 PM local time. I guess we’ll see in about 30 minutes…

(That’s 9 EST, for you in the US.)

We’ll try to get you some more results from those a bit further back in a couple of minutes.

Here’s the podium. Katie there in her Planet Bike US Champion’s jersey, then Vos in the rainbow striped, and Van Paassen looking really happy there in third.

This is definitely Van Paassen’s best race of the year, and a career highlight. She looks thrilled.

We had a chance to chat with Jonathan Page yesterday on his way to the race after spending a week in Switzerland.

There’s not a ton to go on for this year’s race when you look at what happened last year

Lars Boom (who?) took the win in a sprint over Sven Nys, while Neils Albert was out with his spleen issue

Bart Wellens was third, but he hasn’t been racing because of a nasty virus

Fourth was Richard Groenendaal, who has since retired

Racing has started in Northampton!

Apparently the mountain air did him some good, because he told us he’s feeling much better and is expecting good things from this race.

We’ll bring you some more from our conversation in a couple of minutes.

Thanks! We’re glad to be able to bring this to all of you.

One notable absence from the men’s race is Belgian Sven Vanthourenhout, who has been riding well but is skipping this one to recover from overtraining. He took some flack from Sunweb director Hans De Clercq, who called Vanthourenhout’s struggels “amateurish.”

Otherwise, the start list features all the expected names: Albert, Nys, Stybar, Vantornout, Page, Vervecken, Mourey…

Of course, the last couple of World Cups have been won decisively by Albert.

Of course, in Treviso, Nys was still recovering from his efforts during mountain bike season, and eventually dropped out.

In Plzen, Albert surged away from Nys and Stybar after a few laps.

We’ve seen Albert beaten a couple of times this season, but so far he’s been the strongest when he was healthy.

Of course, last week in Hoogstraten Nys had a couple of problems, including a completely botched bike change, that may have cost him any shot at a win. He’ll definitely want to get some redemption today.

But right now, Nys is 16th in the World Cup Standings, so a defense of his overall title from last year figures to be all but impossible.

So with the men’s race about 15 minutes away, we’re going to pause for just a couple of minutes. Stay tuned, I’ll be back with updates from JP and some more results from the women’s race.

And we’re back! Welcome to Cyclocross Magazine’s coverage of the Men’s World Cup from Nommay, France!

The race will kick off in just about 10 minutes.

We just saw Katie Compton ride to a decisive victory in the women’s race.

For those who were wondering, American Sue Butler finished 17th, while Chrisitine Vardaros came across in 34th.

Yesterday we had a chance to chat with Jonathan Page about how he felt going into this race.

He said he was completely recovered from his illness last week, and had spent the week in Switzerland training hard on the hills.

Page said he was fired up to get back to racing and hoping to put it all together today. He felt he had had some good starts here in Europe, but hadn’t been able to finish as strongly as he wanted. So he’s looking for a complete race today.

He also told us he was looking forward to the terrible weather — rain and snow — that was forecast for today. Looks like he’s going to be disappointed, since it’s actually comparatively nice in Nommay.

Temperatures are around 5 degrees Celsius (about 40 F). It’s cloudy, but the rain hasn’t manifest, at least so far.

The men are getting lined up now, and they’ll get the start in about three minutes.

Nys, Stybar, and Albert are front and center. Page is just behind them in the second row alongside Vervecken.

Here we go…

And they’re off!

They make the left turn onto the stairs and Vantornout is in the front! Mourey goes down.

Page got tangled up on the way up the stairs and is in about 15th.

Martin Bina takes over the lead, Nys is up there too. Albert had a bit of a slow start.

Looks like Bina, then maybe Pauwels, Vantornout, Stybar, Nys, and De Knegt.

There are five riders together, then a bit of a gap to Nys. Page is back in traffic in about 20th.

This is a fast starting race after the first trip of the stairs. It’s one huge group all strung out in single file.

The leaders ride up the steep and slippery run up, but then traffic forces a the folks further back to dismount.

Page ran into a bit of trouble on the off-camber section and had to dab, but he’s ok.

Stybar charges off the front after the pits, there’s some confusion behind him and it’s helping him pull away.

Stybar has about 5 seconds, then Niels Albert leads the charge behind.

Nys is back in about fifth. Page is just off the back of a large chase group with all the big players except for Stybar and Albert who are off the front.

As they come through one lap in about 5:25, Albert has made contact with Stybar.

Not sure what’s happened to Nys, but he’s nowhere near the front.

Italian Champion Enrico Franzoi is leading the chase now.

Everybody is still together in a huge long line. Nys is way back in that group.

So the leaders, Albert and Stybar, are about 6 or 7 seconds ahead, then a group of some twenty riders.

And they take the run again. Albert cut Stybar off and he had to dismount. That gives Albert a gap.

Page is moving up, but he’s still well back in traffic in this monster chase group.

Stybar is working very hard to get back on Albert’s wheel and, as he reconnects, Albert waves him through.

Of course Stybar is blown from his efforts, and leaves Albert to do the work in front on his own.

So, now two laps done and the leaders have about 15 seconds over the massive chase group. The chase is not exactly looking urgent at the moment.

Nys has slowly been picking his way towards the front of the chase and is now about six wheels back.

Better get on the move now, Albert and Stybar will be gone if they wait to long

Agreed. These two are going to be unreachable soon.

CX Magazine’s Bart Hazen just sent some photos from the Women’s race. Here’s Katie at the finish line…

Ok, technical difficulties. I’ll get you that photo in a minute…

The big group is coming through the nasty off-camber, Nys is now in control there. Meanwhile Stybar leads Albert through the pits some 15 or 20 seconds ahead.

If Nys turns it up, he can definitely get up to Albert and Stybar, but the two in front may not allow that.

Crash in the big group in the pits. Not sure who all went down.

So coming through the end of the third lap the two leaders are still away, and the chase is breaking apart a bit. Page is dangling off the back there.

Nys has faded back a bit in the chase, which is not looking very interested in racing. Meanwhile the two leaders are quickly and easily up the run.

Now the chasers are on that tricky little run. Some real problems back there, with a bunch of riders slipping around.

Page is no longer in the main chase, not sure exactly how far back. We’ll try to get you a better update as soon as we can.

End of another lap. The chase is maybe coming back a bit here.

Katie Compton and her main rival on the day, Marianne Vos

Christian Heule is leading the charge in that chase group. Nys is still well back.

Now Albert leads Stybar, and looks across the course to see how much of a gap they have. Heule is leading a group of about 20, maybe pulling them back just a bit.

Katie Compton scores another win!

Page doesn’t appear to be in the main chase group, not sure what happened to him.

Stybar and Albert fly up that tricky hill and head for the off-camber. Stybar is getting a bit of a gap over Albert now.

Sanne Van Paassen leads Katerin Nash

Albert had to put a foot down on the off-camber, and then ran into the barrier. Stybar is trying to capitalize on his now sizable gap!

Stybar is all alone with maybe five seconds over Albert!

Stybar is putting everything he has into making this gap stick, but Albert is hanging in there at about the same distance.

Now they’re on the road, really hammering. Stybar comes through just seconds ahead. Looks like Albert has closed that gap now.

Katie Compton on today’s run up

The chasers are spread out all over the road. Tons of national champions there: Heule, Franzoi, Nys, Mourey…

Well, it looks like Albert had closed it up, but Stybar attacked again and now has a growing gap. The pressure is definitely on Albert.

The chasers have also stepped it up and are all strung out, but they’re not gaining much ground on the leaders.

Here comes Nys!

The chase is breaking apart under the pressure of a hard surge by Nys.

Stybar hesitated at the top of the tricky climb, and Albert had to put a foot down. But Albert made it cleanly through the off-camber about 20 meters back.

Here comes the charge by the chase. Radomir Simunek somehow got turned around backwards coming through the off-camber, but he’s moving again.

He’s shaking his head in either disbelief or disgust with himself.

No doubt a little of both…

Now Albert leads Stybar, and they go back onto the road again.

32 minutes down, 6 laps complete.

Good to see a race that’s not a wire-to-wire victory. Love the drama

Nys is leading a group of about 7 who have maybe 10 seconds over the next bunch. Nys’ group inclodes Heule, Franzoi, De Knegt, Mourey, Pauwels, Matin Zlamalik…

No doubt that the Czechs are having a good showing today.

Now the leaders are maybe easing off just a bit. Nys continues to charge hard behind, pulling that group along with him.

They’ve completely shed the other riders from that massive bunch.

Albert and Stybar are just trading the lead.  Stybar is smartly keeping in front of Albert on these technical climbs.

Again Albert had major problems on the off -camber and slid all the way down the bank. Stayed out of the barriers this time.

Mourey has given it a bit of a go behind. But we can’t see what’s happened there just at the moment.

Stybar definitely looks like the stronger of the two leaders, but he’s going to have to work hard to stay away from the World Champion.

Another lap done. The chase is definitely closing some under the efforts of Nys and Mourey. They’re seeing 4 to go here.

The chase is now about 18 seconds back. Franzoi has popped and is off the back of that main chase group.

Mourey is having a great season so far, took a win in France last weekend, and has always been in the top 10

It’s definitely slick and chewed up, but it’s also just extremely steep from left to right.

You come into it off a steep climb, without a lot of momentum, so it’s very tough to stay moving and upright.

Albert and Stybar are feeling the pressure from behind. They’re definitely stepping it up in the front. But the chase, being led by Pauwels, could close this one.

Albert and Stybar go into the climb. Albert takes the lead, but both go up cleanly.

Now on the off camber Albert has to put a foot down again and Stybar is able to come around.

It looked a little like Albert was trying to hold Stybar up a bit after putting that foot down, but it didn’t work.

Now Albert is back in front and really blasting away. Stybar is just hanging on at the moment.

The chase is down to four: Nys, Heule, Pauwels, and Mourey.

That’s a really strong chase group. This could be close

Albert, having just attacked, now waves Stybar through. Stybar is not coming, and the two are going pretty slowly through a couple of lapped riders.

But the chase group is not messing around and going after it hard.

Franzoi is still dangling off the back of the chase.

It looks like the chase is not gaining ground, despite their best efforts. They’re about 25 or 30 seconds back with 3 to go.

Albert waved Stybar through again, and this time Stybar obliged. The two are trading pulls now and keeping the pace very high.

Tons of Styby fans following us today…

This time on the off-camber Albert is ok, but he’s taking it very carefully.

Albert attacks!

Big attack, out of the saddle, but not gaining any ground at all. Stybar is right there.

Don’t forget he’s got a U23 World Championship under his belt

Actually, he’s got 2.

Right. And he’s been the only one close to Albert in a number of races this season.

But he’ll definitely be happy to get a win in a World Cup.

Two to go and the efforts of Nys at the front of the chase has cut that lead by 20 s!

The chasers are 10 seconds back!

Here we go!

Albert and Stybar are hammering, trying to hold their gap, but Nys has guns blazing here!

They’re coming around a lot of lapped riders too, which could become a factor.

Page has disappeared. Not sure what has happened to him. We’ll get you an update as soon as we can.

Nys is asking Pauwels to pull through, while the two leaders are keeping the pace very high. They don’t want to let this become more than a two man race.

Albert gets caught up a bit behind Stybar on the climb, and Now Stybar has a gap of maybe 5 or 10 meters.

It’s a tough decision up front. Do you burn a match to keep Nys and co. away, or do you save it for once they join up and try to bet them late?

Stybar is really going! His gap is growing!

But can he keep this up?

Albert looks likely to close this, but he looks like that one hurt.

Now the chase is just Nys, Pauwels, and Mourey, which Heule just dangling behind them. Can they do it? Just over one lap to go!

Nys better not be asking Pauwels for too much help, he’s not going to chase his teammate

Albert and Stybar are looking back, and the chase is coming up hard behind about 10 second back still.

Looking back, now that’s a bad sign

Nys is riding technically perfectly, but he’s going to have to ride with everything he’s got to close the gap.

That gap is definitely closing!

Then he’ll have to get ahead, not enough just to get there

Nys is flying!

Nys and Mourey, with Pauwels coming off the back a bit.

The two leaders are feeling the pressure and doing everything they can to keep the gap open. They really don’t want to get caught.

Stybar!

Flying into the technical section but has trouble at the top of the hill.

Nys is so close!

And Albert bobbles on the off-camber. Nys is through too and may catch Albert.

Stybar may have this one!

Albert is fighting so hard, but can Stybar hold him off?

If he hits the road first, it’s got to be his…

Nys isn’t going to do it, I’m afraid.

They’re back together, and they see that Nys is still just back. This is going to be a sprint!

Onto the road…

Niels leads out!

Playing tactics!

Here it is!

Albert by centimeters!

Nys was right there, but not quite close enough. He takes third.

Huge win for Albert to keep his perfect streak intact, but a heartbreaker for Stybar.

Niels Albert made an incredible effort to close that late gap and come around. He’s just looking unbeatable this year.

Stybar gave everything he had there at the end, but it just wasn’t quite enough.

That was definitely the best finish we’ve seen in Europe so far this year.

Time for me to go, thnks for following along!

Maybe a bit premature to make that declaration, but clearly Albert is the man to beat at the moment.

Nys was just a few seconds back. Another few hundred meters and he would have had them.

We’ll try to bring you the top ten here in a second…

Walsleben was a factor early, but he was tangled up in that early crash on the off-camber section and faded later on.

Mourey was right there in the sprint for fourth, just a bit behind Nys.

Still working on that top ten. Couldn’t quite keep up with everything there at the end.

1. Albert
2. Stybar
3. Nys
4. Pauwels
5. Mourey

more in a moment…

So Niels Albert says he had a good deal, and had to give everything in the sprint to win. Thinks he had maybe 10 cm.

Niels thinks he ran tires that were too wide, which affected his handling on those techincal hills.

He also says this is a message for anybody who says he’s not a good sprinter.

So Albert holds on to the overall lead as he heads into the next World Cup race in Koksijde on the 28th.

So here’s the rest of the top ten:

6. Heule
7. Zlamalik
8. Franzoi
9. Simunek
10. De Knegt

Page had a very disappointing day, coming across in 40th.

Not sure what happened to Page. We’ll try to catch up with him a bit later. Check back for the full story on cxmagazine.com a little later today.

So Albert once again finds himself on the top step of the podium. It’s yet another repeat of the Worlds podium in Hoogerheide.

Walsleben ended up 18th.

That’s going to wrap it up for our live coverage. But stay tuned for much more on cxmagazine.com later in the day. We’ll have reports from Northampton, SSCXWC09, and of course a full wrap up from today’s action in Nommay.

Thanks everybody for tuning in!