In The Crosshairs

For #LIKEAVOS Episode 1.2 we visit the fourth round of the UCI Cyclocross World Cup, which took place December 22, 2013, on the slopes of the citadel in Namur, Belgium. The race is punctuated with tough climbs and fast, slippery descents. This is the first time since the opening round in Valkenburg that World Champion Marianne Vos is back. In that race, Vos took a commanding win over US National Champion and current World Cup leader, Katie Compton. Since finishing second to Vos in Valkenburg, Compton went on to win the next two rounds. The long-awaited rematch did not disappoint as these two stars went head-to-head on this demanding Namur course.

We concentrate on the difficult start, the long off-camber section, the ability to stay patient, and a wild battle for fourth place. Compton, Vos, Nikki Harris and Eva Lechner feature.

This episode is brought to you by Skills Drills and Bellyaches: A Cyclocross Primer. Just because the holidays are over, doesn’t mean you can’t buy yourself a present. It’s never too early to start preparing for that 2014-2015 cyclocross campaign or even to pick up some last minute tips heading into your national championship race. The book and more info is available atcyclocrossbook.com.

#LIKEAVOS is also sponsored by CrossVegas, which takes place September 10, 2014, in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is America’s Fabulous Cyclocross Event and an amazing opportunity to see many of the stars of SVENNESS and LIKEAVOS in person on US soil. More info at crossvegas.com.

Footage for this episode via UCI: uci.ch/templates/UCI/UCI5/layout.asp?MenuId=MTI1OTg&LangId=1

Music by:

Younger (Kygo Remix)~Seinabo Sey: soundcloud.com/kygo/seinabo-sey-younger-kygo-remix

Bounce Above~Pleasure Curses: soundcloud.com/pleasurecurses/bounceabove

Completely Broken~Sundials: soundcloud.com/asianmanrecords/sundials-completely-broken-1

Straight Outta Compton (Cazzette remix)~NWA: soundcloud.com/officialhype/nwa-straight-outta-compton

Thanks for watching.

#LIKEAVOS 1.2 from In The Crosshairs on Vimeo.

#SVENNESS 2.11 from the World Cup race that took place in Koksijde, Belgium, is a long one. But there’s a lot to cover. This sandy monument of cyclocross has a lot of history, which we will touch on in the finale. The site has been the home to two World Championships and is always an exciting race to watch.

Racing in deep sand involves constant strategic changes. And, although, these riders have the power to churn through the deep stuff, doing so may not always be the best strategy. Conserving energy and picking your spots to go hard may be the better way to go.

During this race Wietse Bosmans crashed hard on a tricky sandy descent. He was taken off on a stretcher and spent the night in the hospital with a possible concussion. We left that out of the video. He’s back to racing and turned in a nice 8th place performance at Kalmthout.

It’s Koksijde so we are focused on sand: the lines to ride, when to run, where to remount. We also get a good look at Sven Nys’ perseverance and Neils Albert’s patience. Another theme that is beginning to form is that the “holeshot,” has its advantages and is fun to track, it’s not an end all, be all, to race success. If you have the legs and the race smarts, winning from behind is always a possibility.

This episode is presented by Skills Drills and Bellyaches: A Cyclocross Primer, available at cyclocrossbook.com. Also please check out all of the goodies, including cycling-related shirts, gloves and socks, available at crosshairscycling.com/shop.

#SVENNESS 2.11 is also brought to you by CrossVegas, which takes place September, 10, 2014, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mark your calendars now! crossvegas.com

Footage for this episode via SporzaHD: sporza.be/cm/sporza/wielrennen/veldrijden

Music:

Eskimo Boy (URU Project Remix): soundcloud.com/strangetalkmusic/eskimo-boy-uru-project-remix

Stay Coloured~I Know the Chief: soundcloud.com/iknowthechief/stay-coloured

Shame~All the Colours: soundcloud.com/allthecolours/shame

Salt~Bad Suns: soundcloud.com/badsuns/salt

Birth in Reverse~St. Vincent: soundcloud.com/st_vincent/birth-in-reverse

Wu Tang Clan C.R.E.A.M.~Phoniks Remix: soundcloud.com/phoniksbeats/wu-tang-clan-c-r-e-a-m-phoniks

Thanks for watching.

#SVENNESS 2.11 from In The Crosshairs on Vimeo.

Everything doesn’t necessarily need to go, but if you are still in need of some last minute gifts for that cyclist in your life, we can make it easy. Click on the photos to be redirected to the sales page. Here’s what we have:

Skills Drills and Bellyaches: A Cyclocross Primer

Skills, Drills and Bellyaches teaches the techniques and skills that all racers, from beginner to elite, should learn and apply to become a better cyclocross racer. It covers basics, such as what to wear and how to get back on your bike after carrying it over an obstacle, as well as more nuanced starting techniques and how to mentally prepare for your race.

“Skills Drills and Bellyaches has been years in the making. It is an incredible addition to the cyclocross community. The contents of this book are going to help you improve your cyclocross riding without doing any intervals, without any long rides, and without any rigorous training plans. Nailing these concepts and techniques will be one of many steps in a long journey to becoming a cyclo-boss!”

-Jeremy Powers
U.S Cyclocross National Champion

Check out this review from Paved Magazine: http://www.pavedmag.com/featured/book-report/

Available at www.cyclocrossbook.com for $21.99 Also available at Amazon.com.

Rosie The Riveter Bike T-Shirt

Guys. Seriously, this is a no-brainer. Plenty of women’s sizes available. It is a crowd pleaser, always. Order several. The women shirts are Bella brand and run a bit small. s/m/l/xl available. Also available in unisex sizes. $22.

http://www.crosshairscycling.com/product/rosie-t/

Superheroes Shirt

We’ve brought back this design and plopped it on a light blue ringer-T. They look sweet and it’s about time to bring back the ringer. And superheroes with bikes. Shirts are $22. A few Smalls remain in the non-ringer version. Those are $18.

http://www.crosshairscycling.com/product/superheroes/

Crosshairs Wooleator Socks by DeFeet

These classic Crosshairs socks have stood the test of time on cyclocross tracks across the U.S., Europe and Australia. They are wool to keep your toes warm. Black is the new black. $15.

http://www.crosshairscycling.com/product/crosshairs-wooleators-by-defeet/

Crosshairs Cycling Custom Spy Optic Rivets

A handful of these custom Crosshairs Cycling Rivet sunglasses by Spy Optic remain. The lenses are amazing, providing a clear and crisp view of the competition when you look back behind you. Black frames with light blue highlights and the Crosshairs imprint on the inside arm. $75.

http://www.crosshairscycling.com/product/crosshairs-rivet-sunglasses-from-spy-optic/

Crosshairs DuraGloves by DeFeet

Great on their own and as a liner in colder temperatures, these DuraGloves by DeFeet are some of the most comfortable gloves out there. The pink HiViz gloves are only available in XL. The black gloves are available in all sizes. $20.

http://www.crosshairscycling.com/product/crosshairs-duragloves-by-defeet/

Keep on Crossin’ Shirts

Shirt is available in aqua blue and evergreen. Limited sizes and quantities remain. Get on it. $22.

Aqua: http://www.crosshairscycling.com/product/keep-on-crossin-aqua/

Evergreen: http://www.crosshairscycling.com/product/keep-on-crossin/

The Dobbler T-Shirt

One of our best sellers. You give us your heart (and $20) and we will give you a shirt. Mediums and Larges remain. $20.

http://www.crosshairscycling.com/product/sport-of-the-future-t-shirt/

Something for everyone here. But if you want more, like WTFKits water bottles, for instance, check out the whole line up at www.crosshairscycling.com/shop.

Thanks for shopping.

In #SVENNESS 2.9 we travel to Jaarmarktcross Niel in Belgium. This race is part of the Soudal Classics and has been won by Sven Nys four times prior to this year’s event. Would this race mark his fifth victory at Niel? The course was extremely wet and we focus on mud riding, a tricky off-camber section, and isolated displays of strength and power that make all the difference in this race. The race also features a breakout performance by 19-year-old Wout van Aert who is right at home mixing it up with big boys.

As always, #SVENNESS is presented by Skills Drills and Bellyaches: A Cyclocross Primer. The perfect gift for you or that buddy who always says “maybe next season I’ll try ‘cross.” To find out more and to purchase, go to cyclocrossbook.com. Also, check out our shirts, socks, gloves and waterbottles at crosshairscycling.com/shop.

Footage is via Sporza: sporza.be/cm/sporza/wielrennen/veldrijden

Music in this episode is:

Elastic Heart~Sia ft The Weeknd & Diplo: soundcloud.com/diplo/sia-ft-the-weeknd-diplo

Riptide~Vance Joy (FlicFlac Edit): soundcloud.com/flicflac/vance-joy-riptide-flicflac

Heresy Baby~Paul Conrad: soundcloud.com/dangervillage/paul-conrad-heresy-baby-2

Don’t Wait~Mapei:soundcloud.com/mapei/dont-wait

Thanks for watching.

#SVENNESS 2.9 from In The Crosshairs on Vimeo.

In episode 1.1 of #LIKEAVOS we visit the sandy confines of Koksijde in West Flanders, Belgium, for round three of the UCI World Cup of Cyclocross. World Champion and series namesake, Marianne Vos, is once again a no show for the race but World Cup leader Katie Compton and a host of strong riders are on hand to run and ride some sand dunes. This episode focuses on riding and running in the sand, the importance of momentum, the rising star of Sanne Cant, and the continued dominance of Compton.

#LIKEAVOS is presented by Skills Drills and Bellyaches: A Cyclocross Primer, available at cyclocrossbook.com.

Looking to be #LIKEAVOS, or for a great gift idea? Check out our Rosie The Riveter Cyclocross Shirt atcrosshairscycling.com/product/rosie-t/. Shirts are available in women-specific sizing and cut.

Footage for this episode via the UCI. uci.ch/templates/UCI/UCI5/layout.asp?MenuId=MTI1OTg

Music for the episode:

White Tiger~Izzy Bizu: soundcloud.com/starslingeruk/izzy-bizu-white-tiger-star-1

Avocado Baby!~Los Campesinos: soundcloud.com/los-campesinos/avocado-baby

Lost Boys and Girls Club~Dum Dum Girls: soundcloud.com/subpop/dum-dum-girls-lost-boys-and

Julian (Minsieur Adi Remix)~Say Lou Lou: soundcloud.com/sayloulou/julian-monsieur-adi-remix

Thanks for watching.

In SVENNESS episode 2.8 we visit theHamme-Zogge stop of the Superprestige cyclocross series. It is muddy and there is a flyover at every turn. But more significant )or maybe not) Sven Nys is riding disc brakes!! But in the end, this race wasn’t about disc brakes but about perseverance. Niels Albert runs into the barriers and gets turned completely around in the first 30 seconds of the race. He slowly chips away at his deficit and by the end is soon back in contention. For this race we focus on riding in the mud, the run vs. ride decision, the picket fence, and flyovers flyovers flyovers.

Please visit cyclocrossbook.com to learn more about Skills, Drills and Bellyaches: A Cyclocross Primer. It’s all you need to know to create your own SVENNESS on the cyclocross track. And the sale of this book helps us to continue producing these SVENNESS videos. It’s a win-win.

Also check out our shirts, socks, gloves and WTFkits watterbottles at www.crosshairscycling.com/shop/. The SVENNESS shirt is sold out but we are coming out with a second design shortly. So stay tuned for that.

Music in today’s episode is by:

Flume & Chet Faker: https://soundcloud.com/futureclassic/flume-chet-faker-drop-the-3

We The Wild: https://soundcloud.com/wethewild/daisy-may-3

and

Ayer: https://soundcloud.com/officialayer/circle-down

Footage via Vier: http://www.vier.be/tags/cyclocross

Thanks for watching.

In episode 2.7, #SVENNESS visits the Belgian province of Limburg for the Superprestige Zonhoven. Known for its sand and perilous descents, Zonhoven was a study in balance and power. We highlight downhill action, the runups and a close race between Klaas Vantornout, Lars van der Haar, Niels Albert and Sven Nys.

#SVENNESS is brought to you by Skills Drills and Bellyaches: A Cyclocross Primer. Check it out at www.cyclocrossbook.com. Makes the perfect gift.

A few SVENNESS shirts remain available at www.SVENNESS.com.

Footage for #SVENNESS 2.7 via Vier. http://www.vier.be/tags/cyclocross

Music by Magic Man. https://soundcloud.com/magicmansounds

and

Coeur De Pirate https://soundcloud.com/gro-g/coeur-de-pirate-comme-des-enfants-le-matos-andy-carmichael-remix

Thanks for watching.

#SVENNESS 2.7 from In The Crosshairs on Vimeo.

In #SVENNESS 2.6 we visit the Koppenbergcross, which is part of the Bpost Bank Trofee series and takes place in Oudenaarde, Belgium. This cyclocross race took on the character of a road race, and we highlight Fidea Telenet’s team tactics that help put their riders in contention for the win. Also highlighted is a spectacular ride by Ian Field.

One thing not mentioned in the video that is important to point out: There are no forced dismounts on this course and many riders stay on their bikes the whole ride. That doesn’t mean it was easy, though, as these riders dealt with a brutal climb and a windy day.

Please support #SVENNESS episodes by buying a shirt at SVENNESS.com. Also, check out our book, Skills Drills and Bellyaches: A Cyclocross Primer at cyclocrossbook.com.

Footage via Sporza. sporza.be/cm/sporza/wielrennen/veldrijden

Music by TV on the Radio. itunes.apple.com/us/artist/tv-on-the-radio/id6562624

Thanks for watching.

#SVENNESS 2.6 from In The Crosshairs on Vimeo.