Mirage: “Van der Boyle did not make a tactical error in the diaspora” | Mountain bike WB

On Monday, the Belgian mountain bike group made the crossing from Alpstadt (Germany) to Novi Mesto (Czech Republic), which is a good journey of 750 km. At Nove Mesto, an art course awaits mountain bikers that may be very wet.

“For now, it’s still as warm and sunny here as it is in Albstadt, but it promises to be wet for the rest of the week. Tree roots and humidity are a golden blend of scenery.”

In the warm pictorial we saw how some riders fell again after a fierce effort. For example, Van der Boel attacked Avancini early on, but they had to follow in their footsteps.

Meirhaeghe: “It was really warm for the first time this year. Then there are always riders suffering more. Because of the long climb, Albstadt is also a path that cannot be underestimated. Combined with the heat, you can quickly forget yourself. And at those steep heights, You instantly lose a lot of time. “

“The perfect example of this was Rebecca McConnell in the women. I completely detonated her engine and fell from 3rd to 21st. Matthew van der Bolle was like that, but he got his rhythm again and that’s not easy. Fatou.”

“I don’t think he made a tactical mistake either. We shouldn’t teach him anything about racing tactics. Don’t wait for the rest in the mountain bike. Young Shorter did that too in his peak years: The throttle is completely open from the start. Tactically speaking, it’s no difference with the past.” “.

One of the achievements that definitely stood out in Albstadt was Tom Pidcock’s gigantic catch-up. The Brit started in the ninth grade and finished in fifth.

“It was amazing, everyone was surprised. Bedcock had to put in a lot of energy to get to the front very quickly. Fortunately for him, the start to Novi Mesto this weekend was fairer. There is a lot more room to move higher.”

What if 2 cyclists in the meantime have become entrenched in the mountain bike world? “Of course. Matthew has been riding the World Cup for a while, and Bedcock was the world under-23 champion. They are not seen as strangers, but they are quite acceptable as mountain bikers. Big players respect each other, and that is always the case in a mountain bike.”

“I expect to see the same names up front this weekend. Not much will change at the top in a week. These toppers can handle all conditions well. They are good at dryness and humidity.”

The one who was not bothered by the heat last Sunday is Geetha Michaels. She is ranked 20th, which is something that, according to the national coach, she can recharge with confidence.

“I am currently satisfied with the Belgian selection. To Geetha I was hoping for a top 20, which is what I did. The best Belgian among the men was Jens Schuurmans, who competed again for the first time in a year and a half. Was disappointed at 34th place. Not me. I thought it was doing well with the best time on lap 14.

“I expect this weekend that Jens will confirm and compete for the top 20. Geetha Michaels is ready to ride the top 15. That’s great getting ready for games.”