Stybar will be lining up on the road soon. File photo by Bart Hazen.
So is anything happening in the world of Pro Cyclocross? You better believe it. This week, let’s get a little Euro and see what’s going on for those across the pond. Zdenek Stybar is on his new Merckx road bike and has a BMX park named after him; Did anybody else see Steve Chainel’s ride on the Poggio? Ryan Trebon is testing a new disc equipped ’cross bike, is it hydraulic? We have word of a new US pro ’cross team on the horizon, but no details yet.
Stybar Has His Team Road Bike Set Up and Ready to Go
Generally, seeing a pro rider’s new bike isn’t the most interesting thing out there. However, Zdenek Stybar tweeted about his new road set up with Merckx that he will be aboard during the 2011 road season, and there are definitely a couple things to note. Be warned, Stybar is not a traditional Euro Slammer, and his stem is nowhere near dropped long-and-low like his teammate Tom Boonen. Yes, a higher handlebar height is better for comfort, but we all know that Euro roadies are not interested in comfort. So, Stybar, if you’re going to make it on the Pro Tour you might want to consider looking at a fellow veldrijder ex-pat Lars Boom’s bike and start slamming that stem.
Another interesting tidbit is that Stybar’s Quick Step team is outfitted with Campagnolo 11 speed. Although Stybar will likely stick to SRAM for his mountain biking exploits, we’re excited to see whether he continues to be SRAM’s poster boy for ’cross or if he’ll stick with the Quick Step Campy and market some of the new cyclocross-specific componentry in the works. [Read about the cranks, and the Bora carbon tubular cyclocross wheels and cantilever brakes, and stay tuned for the rest of the gruppo].
In Honor of his Stybar’s Sporting Achievements
In other Stybar news, a BMX park in Essen, Belgium, has been named after Zdenek Stybar in honor of his sporting achievements. You might think, “Wait why are they naming a BMX track after a world famous and two-time Elite world champion ’cross racer?” Many of the top Euro ’crossers got their starts in BMX when they were kids, and Stybar’s no exception. It’s not a far cry: short, intense efforts, bike handling skills and dirt. Congrats on the honor, Styby, and hope to see you in Cali this May.
Steve Chainel, Yeah Baby!
It’s Classics season on the road, the perfect antidote for the recovering ’crossaholic. Rain, wind, miserable conditions and the strongest man on the day always seems to come out on top. This Saturday was Milan-San Remo, the well known 300-kilometer epic in Italy that takes riders through all kinds of terrain. Normally the action is a little slow until the last few climbs on the run into San Remo, and this year proved to be no different. But what was exciting was to see French ’crosser and teammate of Francis Mourey, Steve Chainel, at the front digging on the Poggio. Unfortunately Chainel hit the deck during the descent back down the other side of the Poggio, taking him out of a chance at victory. There is more than one ’crosser out there that can show his mettle on the road too.
Trebon on ’Cross Discs?
Twitter is a great way to stay up on what is going on in the world of ’cross and pro cycling as well. This week we caught drift, thanks to twitter, that Trebon has been testing a disc-equipped, full carbon ’cross rig from Felt. The photo’s we’ve seen don’t give up much, but, the frame is clearly a disc only ’cross bike – no cantilever brake bosses to be found. The only question we still have is when we are going to see the hydraulic discs for ’cross? Or is this one of the after market versions that we’ve seen a few times over the past year that utilizes the cable portion in order to operate the hydraulic disc calipers? Hopefully we’ll have more details soon.
Another US Pro ’Cross Team?
The past few weeks have been big in terms of US ’cross team news with Jeremy Powers making a big leap to Rapha-Focus and Ryan Trebon making a partial team announcement with his new bike sponsor, Felt. Well, the news isn’t stopping, and I have to say the momentum that is building around ’cross in the US this year is awesome. I’ve caught whiff, but not much information yet, that a new ’cross team is on the horizon. The only info is that the team is Pioneer Racing and will be managed by Sufferfest Sports Management. Keep your eyes and ears peeled as more info comes.
