No mud at today’s Belgian ’cross. Booooo, hissss. Klaas Vantornout treated the crowd to a really spectacular get-off at the start, though, and the race was run at just short of the speed of light, so my morning did not lack for human suffering.
Sven Nys worked his ass off only to get punk’d as Kevin Pauwels jumped him and Zdenek Stybar going onto a flyover and then left both of them behind in the final sand pit.
More of the same on tap for tomorrow’s Superprestige, according to VeloNews‘ Brian Holcombe, who has crossed the water to chat with Stybar and catch a little racing action while he’s at it.
As for me, after logging a few billable hours, I hopped on the mountain bike for an hour of playtime in Palmer Park. Lord, do I suck. Worst. Mountain biker. Ever. Maybe if I swap the old Easton stem for something a little shorter and steeper?
Naw. I’ll still suck. I’ll just be sitting more upright while I stink up the trails.
Mad Blog Media 
Those guys are on something….but then again it was not a running race like last week. Vantornout carping about it not being “classic” is about the same as a pig not approving of the pen. Go out and race you pansy! Or maybe he could come to SacTown where it rained all day, temps never got above 55 and there was a nice gusty wind blowing. It might make him feel more “at home.”
Nys wasn’t letting the country bumpkin do that again! Pawels is quite a character. Stybar does better interviews in Dutch. But, the kid can ride a bike. There will be a lot of very strong Belgians watching the World Cups and World Championships from the sidelines.