Your Moment of SVENNESS 1.2
For the second installment of YMOS we take a look at the steep off-camber section at the Soudal Classic race that took place November 11, 2014, in Niel, Belgium. The newly designed course features a man-made sand dune and a lot less pavement. It also features several great off-camber sections that forced riders to think hard about line choice. Episode 1.2 focuses on one of these off-camber sections and the short climb that follows it. This one is about gravity and momentum and how choosing the right line can help take advantage of both of those forces.
Your moment of SVENNESS is presented by Skills Drills and Bellyaches: A Cyclocross Primer available at cyclocrossbook.comand by everything available at SVENNESS.com.
Footage for this episode is via Sporza.
Thanks for watching.
Your Moment Of SVENNESS 1.2 from In The Crosshairs on Vimeo.
SVENNESS 3.6
For episode 3.6 we head to Ruddervoorde for the third round of the Superprestige series. The race takes place in a usually quiet neighborhood. It’s a tight course with lots of turns and short climbs. There is nowhere to really escape and more than a handful of riders are in contention as the race winds down. A far cry from the two or three racers we normally see off the front at the end of the race. Riding vs. running is one key (and one that is the topic of discussion in the first episode of Your Moment of SVENNESS available here: cxhairs.com/2014/11/18/your-moment-of-svenness-1-1/) The sand, while not treacherous like Zonhoven also plays a role. But more than anything it’s a battle to the end with many different leaders and a great performance by the winner.
SVENNESS is presented by Skills Drills and Bellyaches: A Cyclocross Primer. Check it out at cyclocrossbook.com. Also please give some love to our sponsor the Cadence Collection. Click through the banner at the top of this page and get 25 percent off with the discount code.
Footage is via Vier: vier.be/veldrijden
All music in this episode is available for purchase at Bandcamp.com.
Playlist:
Had Ten Dollaz~Cherry Glazerr: suicidesqueeze.bandcamp.com/track/had-ten-dollaz
Move Away~Shambles: shamblesmusic.bandcamp.com/album/move-away
Too Shabby~Rozwell Kid: brokenworldmedia.bandcamp.com/album/too-shabby
Royal Blue~The American Scene: purenoise.bandcamp.com/track/royal-blue
Cosmic Misery~Martha: marthadiy.bandcamp.com/album/courting-strong
Thanks for watching.
SVENNESS 3.6 from In The Crosshairs on Vimeo.
Your Moment Of SVENNESS 1.1
While we put together the next full-on SVENNESS episode, here is a bit of a return to the SVENNESS roots. For “Your Moment of SVENNESS” the idea is to take one feature on a course, or one specific skill, and concentrate on just that. No race recap, just an analysis of one feature.This is similar to the first six episodes of SVENNESS from two years ago. Except this time with a voice over.
Your Moment of SVENNESS (YMOS) 1.1 is taken from the Super Prestige Ruddervoorde race. It looks at one of the two sets of steps on the course and the multiple off-camber turns directly after. The discussion includes a look at different carrying techniques and then a breakdown of the run vs. ride decision.
Footage is by Vier.
As always, if you like what you see, please visit crosshairscycling.com/shop and pick up a shirt or book. New socks and more SVENNESS shirts should be in stock soon.
Thanks for watching.
SVENNESS 3.5
For Episode 3.5 of SVENNESS we travel to the Belgian province of Limburg for the Superprestige Zonhoven. The race is a fan favorite known for its two harrowing descents down the side of a sand dune. This year the sand certainly plays a role but it isn’t the dunes. Rather a short off-camber and flat long sandy straight are the features that make the race. Sven Nys is out for redemption after being mired in a finish line controversy the day before at Koppenberg Cross. Tom Meeusen, Lars van der Haar, Kevin Pauwels, Mathieu van der Poel and Klaas Vantornout all are riding strong and this race is up for grabs from the hole shot.
As always, SVENNESS is brought to you by Skills Drills and Bellyaches: A Cyclocross Primer. For more information and to purchase a copy visit cyclocrossbook.com.
Footage for this episode is via Vier: www.vier.be/veldrijden
All music is available at Bandcamp.com. If you like a tune, go buy it.
Breaker~Chaos Chaos: https://chaoschaos.bandcamp.com/album/committed-to-the-crime
Not Bad~Good Shade: https://goodshade.bandcamp.com/album/good-shade
Hot 97 Summer Jam~Chumped: https://chumped.bandcamp.com/track/hot-97-summer-jam
16 Questions~The No Marks: https://brassneckrecords.bandcamp.com/track/16-questions-2
Alchemy~Banner Pilot: https://bannerpilot.bandcamp.com/track/alchemy
Saffron~Cool TV: https://thenameofthisbandiscool.bandcamp.com/track/saffron
Thanks for watching.
SVENNESS 3.4
For SVENNESS episode 3.4 we travel to the Koppenberg Cross in Oudenaarde, Belgium. The B-Post Trophy race uses the same cobbled climb, the Koppenberg, that features in the Tour of Flanders, but here it is more of a respite than a launching pad. The Koppenberg Cross is all about climbing and descending and those who excel at those skills will have the advantage. We concentrate on cornering on descents, riding mud, race strategy and a controversial finish.
SVENNESS 3.4 is brought to you by Skills, Drills and Bellyaches: A Cyclocross Primer. Check it out at cyclocrossbook.com.
Video is via Sporza: http://sporza.be/cm/sporza/wielrennen/veldrijden
Music for this episode is all available for purchase directly from the artist through BandCamp.
Playlist:
I Am The Sea~The Bloody Oranges: thebloodyoranges.com/track/i-am-the-sea
Dead Wrong~Somos: somos.bandcamp.com/track/dead-wrong
Rats~Kill Chaos: fieldrecords.bandcamp.com/track/rats
Radio Silence~Cosmonaut: cosmonautnyc.bandcamp.com/album/radio-silence-7
I Want To Waste Away With You~Sports Bar: wearesportsbar.bandcamp.com/album/i-want-to-waste-away-with-you
Bending Ober Backwards~High-Tails: hightailsband.bandcamp.com/track/bending-over-backwards
Money~Mystery Skulls: mysteryskulls.bandcamp.com/track/money
Big Hearts~The Swellers: nosleepsampler.com/track/big-hearts
Thanks for watching.
9 comments » | 2014 Races, Commentary, Skills and Technique, SVENNESS, Video
SVENNESS 3.3
For episode 3.3 we take a trip to Valkenburg, Netherlands, for the first round of the UCI World Cup. The Valkenburg course is a tough one. Lots of elevation changes, difficult off-camber sections, a tough descent and a killer run-up. We spend a lot of time on the off-camber inspecting lines and technique. We also take a look at the tricky descent and a great race for the podium. The winner is decided pretty early in this one, so the drama comes from the race for second place. Finally, we spend some time tracking Jeremy Powers who started in the pack but methodically worked his way up to a great finishing spot.
As always, you can support what we do by purchasing Skills Drills & Bellyaches: A Cyclocross Primer. It makes a great gift and is available at cyclocrossbook.com.
You can also check out our shirts, socks and other swag at crosshairscycling.com/shop.
Video for this episode via Sporza: sporza.be/cm/sporza/wielrennen/veldrijden
Music for this episode is available at bandcamp.com. If you like a song, buy the song. And maybe send a tweet to the artist letting them know where you heard it.
Playlist:
The Catherdral~Meridian: youthconspiracy.bandcamp.com/album/the-cathedral
Gotta Wait~Childcare: childcareband.bandcamp.com/track/gotta-wait
Just One Of Those Things~Textbook: textbook.bandcamp.com/album/all-messed-up
Chapters~River Jumpers: riverjumpers.bandcamp.com/album/chapters
Anyway~Moose Blood: nosleepsampler.com/track/anyway
Hiding from You~Sonic Avenues: takenbysurpriserecords.bandcamp.com/track/hiding-from-you
Thanks for watching.
SVENNESS 3.3 from In The Crosshairs on Vimeo.
LIKEAVOS 2.1
The first World Cup Cyclocross race also meant the first time this year the pro women were broadcast, and that means we can finally premiere the first episode of LIKEAVOS, season two. Before we get to the race I want to once again address the name of this series. I will not conceal the fact that as much as I love watching Marianne Vos race, if she’s going head to head with Katie Compton, I’m cheering for Katie. Every time. And when you look at their careers side-by-side, it’s really hard to successfully argue who is a better cyclocross racer. Marianne has the World Championships and Katie has 100 UCI victories. So why is the series named after Vos, a cyclist not dedicated full-time to cyclocross, rather than Katie Compton? Both possess that special something that made SVENNESS such a no-brainer. Why go with Marianne over Katie? I have a really hard time coming up with a reason why. But I think, ultimately, it comes down to this: LIKEAVOS … a play on Like A Boss … is just a killer name. So in the end, that’s going to win. If you’ve got something better let me know, but also know that I’ve heard about every possibility. For instance, the series is not going to be called Straight Outta Compton.
Since that is now clear as mud we can move over to the business at hand, the World Cup at Valkenburg in the Netherlands. The course is a brutal one. As you’ll see it rides more like a mountainbike race than a cyclocross race, with many elevation changes and off-camber sections. For this episode we concentrate on a tricky off-camber section, the run-up and descending skills. We also watch Katie Compton deal with adversity and Helen Wyman show great form.
The episode is presented, as always, by Skills Drills and Bellyaches: A Cyclocross Primer, which you can learn more about and purchase at cyclocrossbook.com.
Footage for this episode is via Sporza: sporza.be/cm/sporza/wielrennen/veldrijden
Music in the episode:
Rabbit Hole~Riot Horse: http://www.riothorse.net/
10,000 Emerald Pools~BØRNS: https://soundcloud.com/bornsmusic/b-rns-10-000-emerald-pools
Not Like You~Bleech: https://bleech.bandcamp.com/track/not-like-you-2
Ready to Go~The Fabergettes: https://thefabergettes.bandcamp.com/track/ready-to-go
Bright Eyes~Ashei: https://ashei.bandcamp.com/album/music-is-boring
Thanks for watching.
SVENNESS 3.2
For SVENNESS 3.2 we go to Ronse, Belgium, for the first race in the Bpost Bank Trophy series. After young Mathieu van der Poel’s early season successes, Sven Nys called this race the “Battle of the Generations.” MvdP drew first blood getting a great start and showing some rad moves but in the end it was the old man showing why the harder the track the stronger he becomes. Ronse is a brutal cyclocross course and Sven uses the opportunity to put on a clinic. We take a close look at riding steep off-camber sections and the importance of running.
As always, this episode is presented by Skills Drills and Bellyaches: A Cyclocross Primer. Please check it out atcyclocrossbook.com.
Footage for SVENNESS 3.2 is via Vier: vier.be/veldrijden
All of the bands featured on this episode are on BandCamp please do what I do and purchase the music if you like what you hear:
Rita Mae Young~The Record Company: therecordcompany.bandcamp.com/track/rita-mae-young
Ramona~Velociraptor: remotecontrol.bandcamp.com/track/ramona
Come Inside~Metro Delays: metrodelays.bandcamp.com/album/doomed-opinions
Goodbyes~RVIVR: rvivr.bandcamp.com/track/goodbyes
Filthy Luck~Beach Slang: beachslang.bandcamp.com/album/who-would-ever-want-anything-so-broken
Gang is Back~Mother’s Children: motherschildren.bandcamp.com/track/gang-is-back
Also check out They Don’t Do That In Europe on The Cyclocross Network. It’s like SVENNESS for your ears: cyclocrossnetwork.com/20-cyclocross-today-tddtie/
Thanks for watching.
SVENNESS 3.2 from In The Crosshairs on Vimeo.
SVENNESS 3.1
SVENNESS 3.1 starts us off at the 2014 Superprestige Gieten, where a trio of Dutch youngsters look to dethrone the old Belgian guard. Lars van der Haar, David van der Poel and his little brother Mathieu van der Poel are all over the front of this race. The brothers van der Poel are also all over the back of the race as they spend time in the pack with Sven Nys who uncharacteristically flubbed the start and is 30 seconds off the pace. We look at riding and turning in the sand, barrier work and race strategy.
Please help support SVENNESS by checking out Skills Drills and Bellyaches: A Cyclocross Primer available atcyclocrossbook.com.
Shirts available at SVENNESS.com
Footage is via Vier: vier.be/veldrijden
Music for this episode:
Birdsong~Cattle & Cane cattleandcane.bandcamp.com/track/birdsong
Like A Hot Knife~The Modern Era themodernera.bandcamp.com/track/like-a-hot-knife
Mood Bomb~Superfood soundcloud.com/superfood/mood-bomb
DBTS~LVL UP soundcloud.com/double-double-whammy/lvl-up-dbts
No Shows~Gerard Way soundcloud.com/gerardway/no-shows
Summer~The Union Pacific theunionpacific.bandcamp.com/track/summer-2
Thanks for watching.
EDIT: Also, just posted is a weekly segment I’m doing with Scott and David from the Cyclocross Network. If you listen to the podcast audio and watch the SVENNESS video, they sync perfectly. Start the podcast when the lion roars.
Lars van der Haar at CrossVegas
Lars van der Haar ready and waiting at the start of CrossVegas.
We had the opportunity to catch up with the 2014 CrossVegas runner-up, World Cup winner and Dutch National Cyclocross Champion, Lars van der Haar, post-race in Vegas. In this three minute interview we cover his season goals, racing on the road, training for cross, and the last lap of the men’s pro race at Cross Vegas in which LvdH and Sven Nys battle it out for the win.
Of course, we weren’t going to pass up the opportunity to ask about the start. That holeshot was for you guys, America.
Thanks for watching.