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.
So, with all of the elevation and tricky descents, why do we suppose Sven wasn’t on his disk bike? Didn’t want the small weight for all of the climbing?
I know thank yous don’t equal money in your pocket, but thanks for making these videos. They are so so so great. Can I ask how much time you put into making each one? The commentary and footage flow and come off looking really clean. That usually means it’s harder than it looks so good work!
At 9:02 Sven locks up his rear wheel for 3-5 secs while going down hill, turns using his body and only releases his rear brake at the apex of the turn. Pretty cool.
Guy’s you gotta think about your soundtrack choice for these vids (which I love), but euro races need ‘euro’ soundtracks!
Just saying.
JS
It was an awesome experience to attend this race and to be part of the electric atmosphere that is Belgian cyclocross. The energy was crazy as the constant changes on the front just kept the crowd into the race the whole way. One of the bonuses of seeing the race live is to see the guys off the back and how deep they are going for a top 20 or top 30 result. Its also nice to see those guys suffering hard on their second last lap as they (too) fight to hang on for the honour of finishing on the lead lap which is something, as an amateur racers, we know all too well.
Except for Denuwelaere – he wasn’t fighting to hang on and finish on the lead lap, he had sat up, was soft pedalling and waiting. At the bottom of the switchback decent my wife asked me “what’s he doing” as we could hear the wave of cheering coming down the switchbacks that was marking the front of the race for us even if we couldn’t follow the Flemish announcer giving the play by play on the speakers (and jumbotrons) that kept everyone, including Denuwelaere, aware of what was happening at the front of the race.
I told her he must be completely cracked and looking for a place to exit the course – but I was wrong. Seconds later we were cheering like mad as Sven let(?) Wout lead out into the finale.
Pro or amateur at some point every cross racer gets lapped or does the lapping and every rider knows you don’t mess with the front of the race. Maybe Van Aert would of won regardless or maybe Sven would of gotten the jump on him out of the last corner – if they hadn’t been teammates or I hadn’t seen Denuwelaere sit up and wait to leadout or block for his teammate then I’d be willing to say the Van Aert deserved it but as it is stands its hard to say that. In my opinion they should of suspended the rider (and the team) for several races for unsportsmanlike behaviour.
When (in my Canadian accent) I asked the Flemish dude next to me who had won and he said it was Wout he could see I was disappointed and then he gave me a big grin and said “yes – but at least it was a Belgian!”
I love these! You are doing an amazing job. Great insights to the race. I do agree with the above comment on music choice though. I thought the first and second season had better music for the most part. Your call though obviously. Thanks!
Agree with above re: soundtrack. Mario de Clerq vid from last year remains one of my favorites.
These are fantastic! Keep up the good work.
Personal preference likes them at a digestable 15 minutes, but the length of them keeps increasing. At some point you might as well re-broadcast the whole race!
Thanks for the kind words. I promise this was the high-water mark for length. SVENNESS 3.5, which posted this morning, is 7 minutes shorter. My goal going forward is between 15 and 17 minutes at the top end.