High Males of the Mud: All eyes are on cyclo-cross in the intervening time, however the cross scene has seen ‘tremendous stars’ earlier than. Many massive names from the street have been prime males within the mud – Ed Hood takes a glance again by cyclo-cross historical past.
Ed Hood wrote this text simply earlier than the 2022 World cyclo-cross championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
“I’m by no means happier than once I’m writing.”
~ Ed Hood, as spoken to Martin Williamson from the passenger seat, driving alongside a stage route on the Tour de France.
Pricey Readers – Our beloved colleague and buddy Ed Hood suffered a severe stroke in February. We don’t anticipate Ed will make it again into our bunch, so we’ve began a GoFundMe web page to assist Ed together with his future. Learn the total submit right here – and please contemplate donating.
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We’ll be posting a choice of Ed’s work from the previous 16 years, as a result of nice story-telling by no means will get outdated.
The ‘Massive Three’ of cross
Wout, Matthew and Tom within the sand and dust – we adore it, massive street names lining up for ‘cross races, pulling the large crowds in [Covid permitting]. Nevertheless it’s solely within the final seven years for the reason that WVA v MVDP feud started that this has been the case, previous to that there have been lengthy spells the place ‘cross was the province of the specialists with simply the odd intrusion by ‘roadies’.
The primary cyclo-cross World champion – Jean Robic. Helpful on the street too
The primary UCi ‘cross Worlds in 1950 went to Frenchman Jean Robic, Tour de France winner and Monument podium finisher. However even in these early days of the self-discipline, riders have been starting to specialise with the person who was second to Robic within the Worlds, his countryman, Roger Henri Rondeaux making a science of ‘cross and happening to win seven Nationals and three Worlds.
Roger Henri Rondeaux – Made a science of ‘cross
The occasion was very a lot the province of the French riders in these early days with Andre Dufraisse, one other specialist, taking the subsequent 5 Worlds straight in addition to seven Nationals.
Italian class – Renato Longo
The subsequent man to win the title was one of many legends of the game, Renato Longo of Italy who took 5 world titles and a minimum of 12 Nationals. While Longo did trip the street he was very a lot a ‘cross specialist however his massive rival of the day, Rolf Wolfshohl, who triumphed in three Worlds, was a really succesful roadman too, profitable the 1965 Vuelta and with a really broad street palmarès.
Merckx, Simpson and Rolf Wolfshohl
The Longo/Wolfshohl period was ended by the arrival of arguably biggest of all of them, Eric De Vlaeminck who would take seven world titles and will do issues with a bicycle which left his rivals shaking their heads. The title remained in Belgium after De Vlaeminck’s tenure, going to prolific, exhausting as nails specialist, Albert Van Damme who gained six nationwide titles amongst an unimaginable 301 victories. It was Belgium’s title once more in ’75 with the person Van Damme beat in to the silver medal place the yr earlier, Eric’s brother, Roger making it eight for the De Vlaeminck household.
Eric De Vlaeminck – Seven time World champion
The late 70’s was the time of the Swiss specialists, with Albert Zweifel taking 4 titles straight in addition to 9 Nationals; but it surely wasn’t simply Zweifel, his compatriot Peter Frisnecht took three silver and two bronze medals in the identical period. And Zweifel would come again to take a fifth title in 1986.
Thaler, Albert Zweifel and Liboton – Worlds’83
The years from ’80 to ’84 belonged to Belgian legend and 10 occasions Nationwide Champion, Roland Liboton with simply lanky Dutchman, Hennie Stamsnijder stopping the Belgian from profitable 5 titles straight in 1981 – and second to Stamsnijder? Liboton, after all.
Roland Liboton
When he gained his ultimate Worlds Liboton was solely 27 years-old, years later he stated; “There have been monetary issues in my group, ADR. I used to be not paid so I didn’t prepare a lot and I misplaced my focus. The supervisor of the group saved promising me that he would pay. That man took three of one of the best years of my profession from me. I’m very offended about that. Earlier than, I used to be using for an Italian group, Guerciotti, who paid me very properly, however ADR advised me they might pay me thrice what I earned in Italy. That transfer was the most important mistake I made in my life. I may have gained extra world titles.”
Klaus Peter Thaler
In 1985 it was a person who was greater than respectable on the street, Germany’s Klaus Peter Thaler, who we spoke to a few years in the past. Tour de France yellow jersey holder, Vuelta podium finisher he was twice newbie ‘cross Worlds champion and twice skilled, profitable once more in 1987.
Andrie van der Poel – Greater than useful on a street bike
Second that yr was a person who we’ll hear extra of later, Adrie Van Der Poel, father to Mathieu and silver medallist a minimum of 5 occasions earlier than he gained the title in 1996; and there have been additionally two bronze medals. The ’86 title went to Zweifel.
Hennie Stamsnijder and Pascal Richard
With one other man who was no slouch on the street taking the ’88 race, Switzerland’s Pascal Richard, who gained the Tour of Lombardy in 1993, the primary ‘open’ Olympic Highway Race in ’96 and out-foxed Massive Tex to take Liège-Bastogne-Liège the identical yr. There wasn’t actually a dominant determine over the subsequent few years with the titles all falling to specialists, the diminutive Belgian Danny De Bie in ’89, Dutchman Hank Baars in ’90 and Czech Radomir Simunek – the one man to have gained the junior, newbie {and professional} titles – in ‘91.
Danny De Bie and Radomir Simunek – World championships in Getxo, Spain
Van Der Poel was the silver medallist 4 years straight for 4 years from ’88 to ’91. Germany’s Mike Kluge took the ’92 title and actually ought to have taken the ’93 titles however for mechanical nightmares – examine it right here with Frenchman Dominique Arnauld the beneficiary.
Paul Herygers within the ’94 Worlds
The ’94 race went to Belgian specialist, Paul Herygers with a wonderful late race transfer, using a ramp which up till then everybody had run, distancing the person the Belgian followers beloved to hate, Richard Groenenaal of The Netherlands. Swiss rider, Dieter Runkel produced the trip of his life to win in a ‘mud fest’ 1995 championship on dwelling soil at Eschenbach with Groenendaal once more bridesmaid.
Worlds 1996 Montreuil, France – Adrie van der Poel
If ’95 was a ‘mud fest’ then ’96 was something however; on a course frozen exhausting and quick at Montreuil, Van der Poel’s roadman’s dash was method too quick for Italian specialists Pontoni and Bramati after a race run at 29.053 kph common. Pontoni’s revenge got here on yr later in ’97 with one other Belgian ‘cross legend, ever-grumpy Mario De Clerq taking the primary two of three titles in ’98 and ’99.
Worlds 2002 – Zolder
Feisty Groenendaal gained in 2000 with massive, sturdy Belgian specialist Erwin Vervaecken taking the primary of three titles in 2001 earlier than De Clerq took his crown again in ’02, the primary of 4 years straight when all of the medallists have been Belgian. The 2003 and ’04 titles belonged to common and dogged, Bart Wellens.
The one and solely – Sven Nys
The 2005 race went to massively common and prolific, Sven Nys his first two Elite titles to go together with his two U23 successes. Some would say that had he focused on peaking for the Worlds then he would have had extra Elite rainbow jerseys to his identify however the man raced exhausting from the primary flag of the season dropping till the final podium of the yr: 180 wins plus 63 Superprestige and 50 World Cup wins – sufficient stated.
World cross champ – Lars Growth
Vervecken was again to win in 2006 and ’07 with US rider Jonathan Web page producing the trip of his life to take silver, pushing the Belgian all the best way to his third title. Versatile massive Dutchman, Lars Growth who was an Eneco Tour, Tour of Britain, ZLM Tour, Vuelta and Tour de France stage winner in addition to Junior World Time Trial Champion added the Elite to the U23 title in 2008 earlier than under-rated Belgian Niels Albert took the primary of two titles in ’09.
Cyclo-cross World championships in Tabor 2010 – Zdenek Stybar
Ever-smiling and common, ‘honorary Belgian’, Zdenek Stybar of the Czech Republic gained in 2010 and 2011 and would accomplish that once more in 2014 with Albert profitable once more in ’12 and Nys in ’13. ‘Stybie’ has put ‘cross behind him now and is a primary keep of Patrick Lefevere’s ‘Boys in Blue’.
2015 and Mathieu takes his first rainbow jersey
And in 2015 the trendy period started with MVDP taking the primary of 4 – at date of writing – titles from a sure WVA, who would win for the subsequent three years earlier than Mathieu made it 5 Van der Poel household titles over the subsequent three seasons.
Will Van der Poel and Van Aert in 2020
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