2012 UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championships
Day One - Junior Men & Under-23 Men
Neither junior or under-23 British Cyclo-Cross Champions were allowed to start the biggest race of the season after sickness struck the British camp in Koksijde.
Only five of eight selected riders made the start line of the 2012 Cyclo-Cross World Championships after junior champion Hugo Robinson, under-23 champion Steve James and Alex Welburn were all taken sick Friday night.
Joe Moses was the only starter in the Junior men's race, finishing in 39th position, six minutes down on the winner and a solid improvement of eight places on his 2011 performance, when he was lapped.
After the race, Moses spoke of a battle from the back of the grid where he avioded a start straight crash and went on to make positions as the race progressed.
"I made places and kept out of trouble in the opening lap but there was alot of pushing. Toward the end it got really hard, especially running, I had a good performance today though after getting back into it last week. Today it was hard being on my own, I missed the company of my team mates who I was with all week, we were all looking forward to the race and had been training together as a team, hoping to race successfully."
Three under-23 riders made it to the start of the Koksijde dunes ready to race, with British Cycling mountain bike Olympic Academy athlete Kenta Gallagher producing the best result. Gallagher moved through the field to finish in 30th position, but speaking after the race was sure a better result was possible on a course that featured less running.
"It wasn't the best of rides I've done, but I didn't feel so on it today. I don't know if it was in my head or due to the physical challenges during the race, but it wasn't there. Before the race my preparation was good and everything fell in place from there. If anything I hadn't done enough running - and there was alot of that today. It meant I conserved everything I had on the flat sections because the running was so hard, maybe that cost me a little."
Jack Clarkson was pulled at one lap to go in his first year as an under-23 and described the steep learning curve to racing in Koksijde.
"Sand is incredibly hard, it was two steps forward, one step back. Constantly I was fighting to get into the race, to make it through the riders who were falling off. I've taken some positives from today, but I am disappointed to get lapped."
British Result
Junior Men
39 Joe Moses (GBR) @ 06:35
Under-23 Men
30. Kenta Gallagher (GBR) @ 04:20
40. Jack Clarkson (GBR) @ 1 lap
52. Luke Gray (GBR) @ 3 laps
For the latest news during the races, follow @BCreports on Twitter.
RACE FOR THE RAINBOW - under-23 Men's Championship
Dutch rider Lars van der Haar successfully defended his Under-23 world Cyclo-Cross title with a canny ride which saw him in contention throughout a typically fast race. He marked a late move by Weitse Bosmans of Belgium and nipped round him before the final corner, making the sprint to the line a formality. Michael ven der Heijden was third for Holland.
Bosmans and van der Haar were at the heart of the action right from the start and by the third lap they had worked themselves into a small lead of some 6 seconds over Grand of Switzerland and Teunissen of Holland.
Bosmans looked the stronger through much of the mid section of the race, but although he made several forays off the front he couldn’t shake off van der Haar and a chasing group of some 6 or seven riders remained just in contention.
Michael van der Heijden emerged from that group on lap 6 and joined the other two at the front, giving the Dutch a distinct advantage. Bosmans and van der Haar seemed to be doing much of the driving as this trio worked well to keep the chasers at bay.
Arnaud Jouffroy of France was the only rider amongst the chases to keep the leaders in sight and in the closing laps he was arguably the fastest rider on the course.
However, all eyes were on the front as the leaders began the last lap together. There was a brief conversation between the Dutch duo as they crossed the line at the bell, but the first real drama of that last lap was a clash between Bosmans and van der Heijden in the sand, the former shouldering his rival into the tapes as they contested the best line. There was a second clash between the duo seconds later, but neither went down.
This seemed to spur on the Belgian who then attacked with 500 metres to go, riding a short climb which van der Haar was running. He made a gap, but van der Haars was quick to respond and with van der Heijden tiring, it came down to a two man sprint.
Bosmans then made a critical error allowing van der Haar round him just before the final right-hander into the finish and with the line only 100 metres away, the race was won and lost in an instant, van der Haar gassing it to the line to take the win.
Bosmans took silver ahead of van de Heijden, with the fast closing Jouffroy just behind him.
Result
1. Lars van der Haar (NED) 49m 20s
2. Weitse Bosmans (BEL) @ 00:01
3. Michael van de Heijden (NED) @ 00:04
4. Arnaud Jouffroy (FRA) @ 00:05
5. Laurens Sweeck (BEL) @ 00:50
6. Marek Konwa (POL) @ 00:56
7. Mike Teunissen (NED) @ 01:03
8. Arnaud Grand (SUI) @ 01:13
9. David Menut (FRA) @ 01:13
10. Gianni Vermeersch (BEL) @ 01:28
---------
30. Kenta Gallagher (GBR) @ 04:20
40. Jack Clarkson (GBR) @ 1 lap
52. Luke Gray (GBR) @ 3 laps
RACE FOR THE RAINBOW - junior Men's World Championship
Dutch rider Mathieu van Der Poel dismissed the massed ranks of Belgian riders to pull off an impressive win in the Junior Men’s World Cyclo-Cross Championships.
He had to work hard in the first half of the race to stay with a leading group of six which included four Belgians, roared on by a massive crowd. The Belgians launched numerous attacks which thinned out the lead group, but van der Poel, who later admitted he'd been feeling unwell before the race and on the opening laps, began to launch attacks of his own and suddenly one stuck and he quickly build up a lead of around 8 seconds.
The Belgians re-grouped and had a chase group of three riders working together at the bell. But they simply couldn’t pull back the lanky Dutch rider, who has dominated international Junior racing this season, who showed cool skills keeping things together through the sandy sections, which drag back all riders and make the choice between riding and running a marginal one.
Runner up was Wout van Aert of Belgium who emerged from that chasing pack to close up a little on the leader in the last half lap, but he could not make the final bridge. The bronze medal went to France's Quentin Jauregui, who was part of that lead group of six, was gapped by van der Poel's attack, but came back through the tiring chasers on the last lap to take the final podium place in a three man sprint with Hermans and Soete of Belgium.
It was a race of some historic significance as the winner, Mathieu Van Der Poel, is the son of the legendary Adri Van Der Poel, who won the senior title at the same venue back in 1996.
Result
1. Mathieu Van Der Poel (NED) 43m 36s
2. Wout Van Aert (BEL) @ 0:08
3. Quentin Jauregui (FRA) @ 00:21
4. Quentin Hermans (BEL) @ 00:21
5. Daan Soete (BEL) @ 00.21
6. Yorben Van Tilchelt (BEL) @ 00:48
7. Silvio Herklotz (GER) @ 01:00
8. Romain Siegle (FRA) @ 01:25
9. Viktor Koretzky (FRA) @ 01.32
10. Anthony Turgis (FRA) @ 02:11
-----
39 Joe Moses (GBR) @ 06:35
