DENDERMONDE (Belgium) – So much Holland and so much mud. Yesterday in Niel In some places it had accumulated more, but today was different. A constant. And above all, more difficult to unload. It's no coincidence that today the "other" heroes were the mechanics. What a rush to the pit lane wash, as they call it here. The riders changed bikes every lap. And if they could, even after half a lap.
The path of Dendermonde, World Cup, It's a real path again: it seems smooth, but it's hard. Nothing is missing, there is even a stretch of cobblestones. “But it’s a completely normal track here,” press office chief Nico Dick tells us.
Alvarado again
The women's race was honestly not very exciting. Celyn Alvarado he repeated yesterday's success, if possible with greater ease. If anything the women's race was interesting for the return of Lucinda Brand (at the first race of the season) and because it opened our eyes to mud management.
The technical component, the setups, could be decisive. And perhaps for some male colleagues they were, as we'll see.
However, Alvarado immediately took the lead and with no apparent effort created a gap. She was almost more busy checking the data on the watch on her wrist (when changing bikes it was right that the "computer" was there) than to everything else. Behind it was a long-distance chase, with each girl doing her own race and thinking about getting her bike to the finish line.
Behind Alvarado and Brand, the excellent Zoe Backsted who, although U23, is now to be counted among the great interpreters (also) of cyclo-cross.
Ronhaar, double for Holland
The men's race was more closely contested, at least until halfway through the race. Then Pim Ronhaar took off. At the back, they were swapping as much as possible, but there was nothing they could do.
If yesterday on the undulating Niel the low center of gravity of Eli Iserbyt had made a positive difference, today the kilos and watts were needed and in this the Dutchman of Baloise-Trek-Lions He's second to none. Iserbyt has indeed paid the price. But we'll come back to him, also discussing his technical choices.
With this victory, Pim succeeds in the roll of honor of the 2021 double of Van Aert on the compatriot Van der Poel. A rematch, then, for the Netherlands. And the Dutch anthem thus resounds twice in this small town in the heart of Flanders.
Different setups
As mentioned, The mechanics had their hands full. The pressure washers worked tirelessly. Some even had four bikes: one between their legs and three in the pit lane.
Compared to the others, Iserbyt chose a tire that wasn't designed for extreme mud. While almost all the others had a slightly less dense, therefore more extreme, tread pattern, which discharged better and ensured a bit more grip, like the winner's tires: the Dugast MonsoonMaybe this also had an impact.
Another aspect. Peeking among the campers before the start, today there was a great variety in the gear teeth. For men, the range was from 42 to 44 teeth for those using a single chainring, but there were also those who had mounted a 46. While those who used the double had a 46-39, we also saw a 38.
For women: 40-tooth single chainring, but we also noticed a 36 tooth, or a more usual double 46-36.
Power or agility?
Another aspect to evaluate: Today we ran a lot on foot: over a minute of bike slung on each lap, even more for the women. In theory, in these cases, agility should be favored, therefore slightly shorter gear ratios. Yet among the men, the one who won was the one with that 46-tooth single chainring. Another sign that power was key on this ring.
So who was right? It's not easy to say. It's a truly vast topic: the technical choices are clearly linked to both the course and the athletes' characteristics. This variety only piques the curiosity of fans and, perhaps, will make some athletes reconsider this evening.
