In The Crosshairs

The Belgians lead the way on lap one of the 2013 World Cyclocross Championship

In the weeks following the 2013 Cyclocross World Championships, which took place in Louisville, Kentucky, we put out a call for mobile phone videos. The idea was to collect a bunch of footage of the race shot by the average fan and to compile the best of it into a crowdsourced video of the day’s events. What we received was amazing and a bit overwhelming. And it has taken a while to cull through and figure out how to best present all of the great looks.

Finally, a mere four months later, we figured something out. Let me start by saying it was difficult to get everybody’s clip in the final cut. There was just way too much good stuff to go through. And let me finish by saying, you guys are awesome. The footage was top notch and this was a blast to put together.

True confession: it was impossible to keep track of who submitted what. If you see your clip in the video, let us know in the comments and we will add you to the credits.

Video shot by:

Jennifer Church
Ray Whitney
Jon Suzuki
Sean Mealey

Thanks for watching and enjoy.

In #SVENNESS No. 6 we take a look at the 2013 Cyclocross World Championship race that took place in Louisville, Kentucky. Sven Nys won his second world championship and did with patience. Marking the leaders for most of the race, Nys used two spots on the course to make his decisive moves. The planks and the descent before the limestone steps. For this episode we focus on two skills. First, the advantage riding the planks had in this race over dismounting and running. And, second, the skill of patience. The ability to know you are faster on a certain section but not to exploit that knowledge until it is tactically most advantageous. There is nobody better than Nys in doing this and he  turns the race at Eva Bandman Park into a clinic.

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

Music by Ride: itunes.apple.com/us/artist/ride/id496692

Thanks for watching.

SVENNESS No. 6 from In The Crosshairs on Vimeo.

Click to Get Lucky (the shirt)

In #SVENNESS No. 4 we take a brief break from strategy and technique. This installment is all about respect. Respect for the sport. From a racer’s perspective and also from the fan’s perspective. We all have bad days. It’s how you handle those days that define you.

Footage is from a muddy race in Loenhout. Slippery conditions and boisterous fans. Not always the best mix.

Music is by The Neighbourhood itunes.apple.com/us/album/im-sorry…-ep/id548656698

Video footage via Sporza sporza.be/cm/sporza/wielrennen/veldrijden

And please take a tick to go check out the Crosshairs Cycling shop. Our sweet looking Worlds Shirts will no longer be available after Jan.4 crosshairscycling.com/shop/

Thanks for watching.

SVENNESS No. 4 from In The Crosshairs on Vimeo.

Click to Get Lucky (the shirt)

Let’s ride some mud!! #SVENNESS No. 3, Modderbad or Mudbath, is in Namur and we take a look at a long off-camber muddy straight. There is the proven line and then there is the Sven line. Which one is going to prove to be the fastest? How about the safest?

This installment has an early look at Jeremy Powers as he shows off his balancing skills during a great start. Also keep an eye on Sven’s drive side dismount on lap 2. So smooth.

Video is from Sporza http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/wielrennen/veldrijden

Music by STRFKR https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/while-im-alive-single/id582582861

As always, please take a tick to go check out the Crosshairs Cycling shop. Our sweet looking Worlds Shirts will no longer be available after Jan.4

Thanks for watching.

SVENNESS No. 3 from In The Crosshairs on Vimeo.

#SVENNESS No. 2, A Tale of Two Lines. In this installment we look at an unassuming 180 degree turn at Superprestige Geiten. Sven has his favorite line and the Sunweb-Revor boys have their favorite. Is one better than the other? Keep an eye on the entry and exit of these guys on each lap to see where they start and where they end up.

This may not be a strategically important part of the course, although it could spell disaster for one of our featured players, but it is a good look at how the pros pick their lines.

Also included is the interminably long sprint. Does Sven wait too long to get in those drops?

Video via Vier: vier.be/tags/cyclocross
Music by Linkoban: itunes.apple.com/us/album/super-into-on-it-ep/id540645200

Worlds T-Shirts!!! Get Lucky in Kentucky: crosshairscycling.com/shop/gettin-lucky-in-kentucky/

Thanks for watching.

SVENNESS No. 2 from In The Crosshairs on Vimeo.

With the Mid-Atlantic cyclocross season at an end and Nationals still a couple weeks away, we have been spending our time obsessing over the Euro-cross scene and Sven Nys in particular. Sven is something special. He is not only the fastest guy out there on most days but is also meticulous about how he attacks a course. On most days he seems to have every turn, hill, mud bog, dialed in and nails his line each lap. At this past Sunday’s World Cup race at Zolder, there was one feature, an uphill section with two-switchbacks, in which Nys’ strategy changed throughout the race. It’s fascinating to watch him figure out the puzzle and nail the feature by the final lap. It’s also fascinating to watch Niels Albert try a new line every lap with no apparent plan. In the end, Nys’ mastery of that feature gives him the gap over Albert that he takes advantage of to solo for the win. For your viewing pleasure, I’ve mashed it all together in a short video that is truly a 2 and a half minute masters class. It’s called #SVENNESS.

And what is #SVENNESS you ask? Although I do not speak or understand Dutch, I love the post-race interviews with the pros. Nys has one of those names that his competitors always seem to turn into one word. Sven Nys, Sven-Nys, SvenNess. And from that came #SVENNESS. I like to think of it as a state of being and something we can all use a little of in our racing and maybe even everyday lives. It’s cool, calculated, and killer: #SVENNESS.

Thanks for watching.

And, oh by the way, Please take a minute and check out the shop over at CrosshairsCycling.com. We currently have a pre-order going for our Worlds shirt that you have to see. www.crosshairscycling.com/shop/gettin-lucky-in-kentucky/

Enjoy.

SVENNESS #1 from In The Crosshairs on Vimeo.

Video via Sporza

Music: Grimes