# Your opinion on the Koksijde sprint?



## ewarnerusa (Oct 11, 2007)

I was cheering for Nys for the race, but I think he stole it. Totally drove Pauwels into the barriers and that was his intent. What do you think?


----------



## 196nautique (Sep 23, 2005)

I have no respect for Pauwels. He and his flicking elbow, wheelsucking, boring riding style can go away. He makes it hard for anyone to cheer for him. He was plenty strong enough to win that race earlier, but choose not to. He got what he deserved.

But yes, Nys took his line pretty bad.

MAYBE, this is what Pauwels needs to start riding more aggressively....
Then I could start cheering for him.


----------



## Idiot Wind (Dec 9, 2009)

I have been flip flopping on that for the past 10 minutes. I would like to see a side angle of it, however my mind does go back to thinking it was a clean sprint.

Could be because I also was cheering for Nys.


----------



## Dwayne Barry (Feb 16, 2003)

I turned it off before the podium awards assuming Nys would be relegated to 2nd. He went clear from the left to right barrier blocking Pauwels in the process, seemed about as clear cut a case of not holding your line in a sprint as there could be.


----------



## adam_mac84 (Sep 22, 2010)

i don't think there'd be much of a question if those guys were going 35mph in a road race... he chopped him... But he keeps the win for being a machine through the sand


----------



## pretender (Sep 18, 2007)

Nys should have been relegated.

Tintin for the win!


----------



## quickfeet18 (Mar 2, 2007)

Clean, he moved over when completed his cornering. It didn't look like Nys looked back at all. Pauwels is boring as all get out.


----------



## Dwayne Barry (Feb 16, 2003)

quickfeet18 said:


> Clean, he moved over when completed his cornering. It didn't look like Nys looked back at all. Pauwels is boring as all get out.


Yeah, he just took practically the whole length of the tarmac to get there 

Whether he looked back or not seems to me to be irrelevant, he clearly pinched Pauwels off as he veered from the left hand side of the road all the way to the right, stopping Pauwels from coming up on his right next to the barriers. In a fair sprint at a minimum he would have left room for Pauwels to come up between him and the barriers.

Whether you like Pauwels or not shouldn't have any influence on whether you think Nys rode a fair sprint or not.


----------



## carlosflanders (Nov 23, 2008)

Was there a strong crosswind? If so, does Pauwels think that Nys is going to let him by on the leeward side? Won't even happen in a cat 4 race. First one round the corner chooses the side. Second gets to advance into the wind.


----------



## pretender (Sep 18, 2007)

Tintin is shy and mushmouth in interviews, but he is NOT a boring racer. He is willing to put himself out there when the time is right.


----------



## climbinthebigring (Mar 13, 2011)

If it was a road race he would have been relegated for sure. I can't believe he wasn't. Aside from all the fan-boy's excuses he did not hold his line. Did he intentionally squeeze Pauwels into the barrier? I don't know but I do know that he did not hold his line.


----------



## gobes (Sep 12, 2006)

Nys should have been relegated.


----------



## tsunayoshi (Dec 3, 2009)

gobes said:


> Nys should have been relegated.


Gonna have to agree...


----------



## NextTime (Oct 13, 2007)

Anyone with a link to the video? Thanks


----------



## Dwayne Barry (Feb 16, 2003)

This should include it.

sporza: Sven Nys vloert Kevin Pauwels in de sprint

Sporza almost always has a video recap of the race and usually one with the whole last lap, etc.


----------



## paterberg (Nov 7, 2010)

Nys is generally pissed off that Pauwels has stolen his thunder this season and he "needed" to win yesterday. So of course he squeezed Pauwels and should have been relegated. What's the bets that Mad Mario DeClerq gets Nys round the back of the bike shed and gives him a good kicking!

Pauwels is a shy lad - it takes all sorts so give him a break. To the guys who think the racing is boring, what nonsense. I've watched every WC, GVA and SP live for the past 5 years and got fed up with Nys riding away with a couple of laps to go. Don't get me wrong, Nys is a supreme athlete but it got tedious and predictable after a while. Already this season there's been more tight finishes than in last 2-3 seasons put together.


----------



## ewarnerusa (Oct 11, 2007)

NextTime said:


> Anyone with a link to the video? Thanks


Nys beats Pauwels at Cyclo-Cross finish line - from Universal Sports - YouTube 




from sporza:
laatste ronde videozone
just the sprint videozone
final laps "verslag" videozone


----------



## shomyoface (Nov 24, 2007)

The UCI said: "Pauwels was not strong enough"
UCI commissioner Pierre Curchot put the microphone Sporza why the jury rejected the complaint of Kevin Pauwels. "Nys wanted Pauwels not embed" said the Swiss. "It is logical that the riders sprinted right, because the wind came from the left. Nys rode all sprint to the line. Pauwels Sat out the wind, but still remained in the Nys wheel hanging. He was not strong enough. " "There's always some discussion about a sprint. maybe Sat Nys, in the limit, but a dash for two you can not compare with a mass sprint."

Nys may have drifted, but not deliberately. On the video you can see he never looks back after he started the Sprint. Pauwels just wheel sucked all day, and the UCI appear to have acknowledged such.


----------



## rockdude (Apr 3, 2008)

Kevin lost the race when with a half a lap to go he had a 5 second lead and sat up and waited for Nys to catch up for a sprint.


----------



## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

Impressive riding through Sand by Nys when everyone else was running. Whatever happened to Stybar?
Nys changed his line a lot, and totally impeded Pauwels sprint. Should probably be relegated, even though I think had Nys kept his line, Pauwels would have still finished 2nd. His sprint was lacking the acceleration needed to win.


----------



## carlosflanders (Nov 23, 2008)

Pretty easy to drive someone into the barriers when he just wants to suck your wheel.

The sprint would have been completely different in the absence of the strong crosswind - the result would have been the same. Anyone in favor of relegating Nys needs to take the wind into account first.

Nys played it perfectly. Shut the door on the inside. Very naive of Pauwels to think that he has a chance of coming through out of the wind. Never going to happen.


----------



## quickfeet18 (Mar 2, 2007)

carlosflanders said:


> The sprint would have been completely different in the absence of the strong crosswind - the result would have been the same. Anyone in favor of relegating Nys needs to take the wind into account first.
> 
> Nys played it perfectly. Shut the door on the inside. Very naive of Pauwels to think that he has a chance of coming through out of the wind. Never going to happen.


So true, no one gets a free ride to the line, and the judges know that. Pauwels may be shy but he races shy too, staying out of the wind until the last moment. Smart? Yes. Boring? Also yes. His racing style does not change my opinion of the sprint, nys was moving with the wind, Pauwels would have done exactly the same thing if he had entered the corner first.


----------



## steve_e_f (Sep 8, 2003)

That was such a gradual drift towards the barriers. Pauwels could have tried to dodge around the other side if he didn't want his fate decided for him.


----------



## Marcos_E (Dec 16, 2007)

After watching it a few times, I'm inclined to side with Nys. He might have been a biiiiit extreme in his 'shutting the door', but he really did take quite some time to get all the way over.


----------



## simonaway427 (Jul 12, 2010)

Nys schooled him again today at Superprestige. Satisfying to watch...


----------



## paterberg (Nov 7, 2010)

Another tight finish today at Gieten. The young hounds are snapping at Nys' heels... The carpet slippers beckon...


----------



## J-K (Nov 5, 2006)

carlosflanders said:


> Was there a strong crosswind? If so, does Pauwels think that Nys is going to let him by on the leeward side? Won't even happen in a cat 4 race. First one round the corner chooses the side. Second gets to advance into the wind.


There was a strong crosswind. I am in the Netherlands and the wind has been pretty strong. We had 25-30 mph all weekend with gusts way above that and I am about 100 miles inland. Koksijde is practically on the beach.

I completely agree: Nys would never give him a free pass on his leeward side. Pauwels chose the right side for shielding himself from the wind, but the wrong side tactically. I think the reason Nys did not get disqualified, is that he chose his path directly after the corner, when Pauwels still was behind him.


----------



## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

J-K said:


> There was a strong crosswind. I am in the Netherlands and the wind has been pretty strong. We had 25-30 mph all weekend with gusts way above that and I am about 100 miles inland. Koksijde is practically on the beach.
> 
> I completely agree: Nys would never give him a free pass on his leeward side. Pauwels chose the right side for shielding himself from the wind, but the wrong side tactically. I think the reason Nys did not get disqualified, is that he chose his path directly after the corner, when Pauwels still was behind him.


I am sorry but the crosswind has no bearing on whether Nys held his line. Like others pointed out, this was the most blatant example of not holding the line - from far left to far right. If this is "holding your line", then what isn't?

The rules don't say "you have to hold your line, unless it's windy, then you can do whatever you want".

Having said all that, Nys was the strongest rider, and I am happy to see him win, even by clearly breaking the rules, I hate for CX races to be stolen from the back in the final meters.


----------



## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

shomyoface said:


> The UCI said: "Pauwels was not strong enough"
> UCI commissioner Pierre Curchot put the microphone Sporza why the jury rejected the complaint of Kevin Pauwels. "Nys wanted Pauwels not embed" said the Swiss. "It is logical that the riders sprinted right, because the wind came from the left. Nys rode all sprint to the line. Pauwels Sat out the wind, but still remained in the Nys wheel hanging. He was not strong enough. " "There's always some discussion about a sprint. maybe Sat Nys, in the limit, but a dash for two you can not compare with a mass sprint."
> 
> Nys may have drifted, but not deliberately. On the video you can see he never looks back after he started the Sprint. Pauwels just wheel sucked all day, and the UCI appear to have acknowledged such.


Once UCI decides who was and who wasn't strong or fast enough and look for wind directions to justify breaking of UCI rules, we are all in trouble. While I sort of agree with judges decision, this sort of slippery slope is really dangerous precedent, this way one can rationalize just about anything.


----------



## carlosflanders (Nov 23, 2008)

55x11 said:


> Once UCI decides who was and who wasn't strong or fast enough and look for wind directions to justify breaking of UCI rules, we are all in trouble. While I sort of agree with judges decision, this sort of slippery slope is really dangerous precedent, this way one can rationalize just about anything.


McQuaid needs to go!


----------



## GearDaddy (Apr 1, 2004)

All of the camera angles were from the front, which distorts the depth of vision making Pauwels appear to be closer to Nys than he actually was. Nys didn't run him into the barriers. He moved right to protect the leeward side, which he is completely within his right to do as long as he's not forcing another rider into the barriers. Pauwels was never side-to-side, rather off the back of Nys' wheel. Yes, the door was shut on the leeward side, but Pauwels could of easily chosen the windward side instead. No relegation.


----------



## VeldrijdenAddict (Apr 29, 2008)

This would have been ruled OK in a two-up road race sprint as well. Holding your line doesn't necessarily mean a straight line, especially in a two-up sprint. It took Nys much of the finishing straight to move across the road. He never made a sudden move to the right. Pauwels was BEHIND Nys the whole way, not next to him. Only when there was barely enough room for Pauwels to get by did Pauwels try and sneak by. Nys only needed to move a few inches to close that door. Happens all of the time in sprints. 

And as far as Pauwels being a boring racer. WTF? He has won big races against the best riders. How is that boring? And as for his interviews, word has it he has autism. So cut the kid some slack.


----------



## pretender (Sep 18, 2007)

VeldrijdenAddict said:


> And as far as Pauwels being a boring racer. WTF? He has won big races against the best riders. How is that boring?


Amen. He's certainly made this season quite exciting.


----------



## clydeone (Oct 25, 2011)

After a bit of research I am inclined to side w/Nys I believe the hold your line rule is for rider safety in a mass sprint. I don't see this rule forbidding some one from making a tactical move in a sprint.


----------



## mudge (May 15, 2010)

That sprint was as clean as a Safeway chittlin...

Like Nys said, he had the option of going 'round the other side. 

For all of you saying Nys' sprint wasn't safe, or fair, or whatever, I'm wondering if you've ever raced crits? That was a textbook move executed by a true master, and Pauwels got schooled.


----------



## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

Dwayne Barry said:


> I turned it off before the podium awards assuming Nys would be relegated to 2nd. He went clear from the left to right barrier blocking Pauwels in the process, seemed about as clear cut a case of not holding your line in a sprint as there could be.


he held his line...it just happened to be from the left to the right. he made one move and stuck to it. nothing at all wrong w/ that sprint.


----------



## 196nautique (Sep 23, 2005)

How is Pauwels boring? If Nys, Stybar, Muessen, Peeters, and Aernouts raced the same way the Sunwebs have raced this year, then we would start having field sprints in pro cx. No one does as much work mid race as Stybar, he constantly goes to the front to take a turn. Nys also does more than his share. In the last few weeks, how often have we seen Pauwels tail gunning the lead group? Stybar and Nys are getting frustrated with his lack of contribution, both have motioned to Pauwels mid race to come to the front and help out. It has worked for Pauwels, he has gotten his wins. I don't root for him. I don't root for Cavendish on the road either.


----------



## mudge (May 15, 2010)

Dwayne Barry said:


> I turned it off before the podium awards assuming Nys would be relegated to 2nd. He went clear from the left to right barrier blocking Pauwels in the process, seemed about as clear cut a case of not holding your line in a sprint as there could be.


holding your line only really applies to abrupt moves, not gradual ones. 

If Pauwels had half a brain, as soon as he saw Nys moving over, he should've backed out just enough to clear his rear wheel and made his move far to the left so he wouldn't give Nys any draft. The sooner he had done that, the more likely he would've had enough room to make it work. He waited to long to even consider it, and he lost. Boo Hoo.


----------



## foto (Feb 7, 2005)

He had already lost.

He should have made his move on the grass, get the fast line through the turn, and hammer out the last 100 meters.


----------



## 32and3cross (Feb 28, 2005)

55x11 said:


> I am sorry but the crosswind has no bearing on whether Nys held his line. Like others pointed out, this was the most blatant example of not holding the line - from far left to far right. If this is "holding your line", then what isn't?
> 
> The rules don't say "you have to hold your line, unless it's windy, then you can do whatever you want".
> 
> Having said all that, Nys was the strongest rider, and I am happy to see him win, even by clearly breaking the rules, I hate for CX races to be stolen from the back in the final meters.


I don't think you have a clear understanding of what "Holding a line" is. Nys exited the corner and choose a trajectory that took him left to right had Pawels gone to sprint on the left and Nys swung back overto shut the door left that would have been changing his line as it was he stayed on the same line he started from and Pawels was behind him when he started, which is what the UCI saw.


----------



## Gilarider (Jan 11, 2011)

Real dirty sprint, done so well he wasn't disqualified. The rule in road races is this:

2.3.036 Sprints
Riders shall be strictly forbidden to deviate from the lane they selected when launching into the sprint and, in so doing, endangering others.

I don't see how you can say your lane is a diagonal all the way across a 100 meter finishing straight.

What I saw was Nys come out of the corner on the barriers, leaving Pauwels nowhere to go but to his right, then look back to see where Pauwels was, saw he was on the wheel and would have to go right, and then sprint across to the right so gradually he suckered Pauwels into thinking he would let him through.

Pauwels was so close on the wheel he had to start his sprint on the right of Nys, he even had to check up coming out of the corner, presumably because he was about to hit Nys who had slowed up when he looked back.

Looking at it in hindsight, Pauwels could have left himself a little more room coming out of the corner so he could take a run at Nys and pick a side, but that is hard to think about when you are getting jumped right before the last corner and the finish straight is only 100 meters or so. Once he came out of the corner, Pauwels probably only could have won if he'd ridden into the side of Nys and taken himself out to try and force a DQ. 

Bottom line, this is not the kind of sprint by Nys that should be defended even if it is "normal" in Belgium.


----------



## euro-trash (May 1, 2004)

Gilarider said:


> 2.3.036 Sprints
> Riders shall be strictly forbidden to deviate from the lane they selected when launching into the sprint and, in so doing, endangering others.


Holding your line means not making sudden movements. Because he immediately headed for shelter (the right side of the road), it was fine. KP was never even with him that also impacts the decision. Regardless, there is an "and" in the rule, and even if we agree to disagree about his holding his line, he did not endanger others.


----------



## mudge (May 15, 2010)

adam_mac84 said:


> i don't think there'd be much of a question if those guys were going 35mph in a road race... he chopped him... But he keeps the win for being a machine through the sand


If you think Nys chopped him, you've never seen a chop. That was perhaps the single slowest move to close the door that I've ever seen. Pauwels was in no danger whatsoever, he was just too late in realizing he'd been beaten. If he'd taken action earlier to move aggressively back to the left side, he might have won.


----------



## mudge (May 15, 2010)

climbinthebigring said:


> If it was a road race he would have been relegated for sure. I can't believe he wasn't. Aside from all the fan-boy's excuses he did not hold his line. Did he intentionally squeeze Pauwels into the barrier? I don't know but I do know that he did not hold his line.


Relegated in a road race??? srsly, the move Nys made was the sort of things even cat 4 'sprinters' do all the time. 

Closing the door is a textbook tactic, Pauwels just got schooled, that's all.


----------



## quickfeet18 (Mar 2, 2007)

All bets are off if there is a corner that close to the finish line. Holding a line doesn't matter as much because it is easy to say the rider was completing a corner and moving back into the preferred line. Nys was moving into this line the entire race. He did exactly what he did on the last lap as he did on the first.


----------



## carlosflanders (Nov 23, 2008)

There was a 25 mph crosswind! That was the exact reason for Nys's line and his door-shutting. How come most posters are ignoring that?


----------



## foto (Feb 7, 2005)

cause we are not speakin zee dutch (or whatever it is).


----------



## 32and3cross (Feb 28, 2005)

Gilarider said:


> Real dirty sprint, done so well he wasn't disqualified. The rule in road races is this:
> 
> 2.3.036 Sprints
> Riders shall be strictly forbidden to deviate from the lane they selected when launching into the sprint and, in so doing, endangering others.
> ...



And yet that is exactly what the Jury decided was right and has decided in the past was right. Nys picked a line and stuck to it it was clear where he was going and the sprint was tactical but clean.


----------



## foto (Feb 7, 2005)

ewarnerusa said:


> Nys beats Pauwels at Cyclo-Cross finish line - from Universal Sports - YouTube
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I like video without commentary, and just the race sounds.


----------



## Gilarider (Jan 11, 2011)

The wind thing is irrelevant, people don't seem to be in agreement on which way it was blowing anyway. 

If it was coming from Nys' right and he was diving for cover on the right barrier he would have done it right after the corner so he could get some benefit rather than get there right on the line. Doing it the way he did it made it clear he was trying to pinch Pauwels rather than hide from the wind. If he wanted to keep Pauwels in the wind like some people say, all he had to do was sprint straight up the left.

If it was coming from the left, Nys is already sheltered and the only reason to move off the barriers is to block Pauwels. It seems more likely the wind was from the right.

The wind did make for an excuse for Nys and the jury to avoid a DQ, which would not have gone over well, I'm sure. 

For those that don't think what Nys did wasn't dangerous, Pauwels' choice was to hit Nys or the barrier, or slam on the brakes and restart his sprint on the other side 50 meters from the finish which was never going to happen. That seems like a dangerous situation.

The reason he couldn't get on terms with Nys was that Nys was continually pulling in front of him and he had already committed to the right of Nys because that was the only line open to him 100 meters from the finish.

It was a good tactic, done on purpose, but it wasn't correct and it ruined the sprint.


----------



## GearDaddy (Apr 1, 2004)

Gilarider said:


> The wind thing is irrelevant, people don't seem to be in agreement on which way it was blowing anyway.
> 
> If it was coming from Nys' right and he was diving for cover on the right barrier he would have done it right after the corner so he could get some benefit rather than get there right on the line. Doing it the way he did it made it clear he was trying to pinch Pauwels rather than hide from the wind. If he wanted to keep Pauwels in the wind like some people say, all he had to do was sprint straight up the left.
> 
> ...


Pauwels was NEVER side-to-side with Nys. If Pauwels wanted to squeeze by Nys close to the barriers, that certainly would have been dangerous, but that's not Nys' fault because Pauwels very much had the choice to go around on the windward side instead.

Ever experienced "gutterball" in a road race, where a lead rider in a pack moves to the far side of the road to make it necessary for following riders to pass on the more difficult windward side? That's exactly the tactic Nys used, and there's nothing wrong with it.

Boy, Nys sure did piss off Pauwel's Ole Grand-mama though.


----------



## mblock78 (Oct 14, 2010)

Debate Rages Over Nys And Pauwels Sprint At Koksijde World Cup | Cyclingnews.com

Nys admits he used a tactic to close the door on Pauwels to force him to come from one side. Tactics are just that. Dirty tactics put other riders in danger and from what I saw Pauwels was never in any danger of being taken down.


----------



## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

I have yet to see anyone post the relevant UCI rules here... anyone?


----------



## Gripped (Nov 27, 2002)

Creakyknees said:


> I have yet to see anyone post the relevant UCI rules here... anyone?


Someone posted the sprint line rule above ...

Personally, I tend to agree with this analysis: “A Sprint that will be Talked About” | Cyclocosm - Pro Cycling Blog


----------



## mudge (May 15, 2010)

Gilarider said:


> Real dirty sprint, done so well he wasn't disqualified. The rule in road races is this:
> 
> 2.3.036 Sprints
> Riders shall be strictly forbidden to deviate from the lane they selected when launching into the sprint *and, in so doing, endangering others.*


when folks try to apply the UCI rule for road sprinting and declare that Nys should've been relegated, they seem to be missing one *crucial* point. 

Heck, I've seen racers swerving all over the road for a few hundred meters, all in an attempt to get following riders off their wheel. Nothing wrong with it at all, as long as you don't endanger the other racers. 

Nys didn't endanger Pauwels.


----------



## davidka (Dec 12, 2001)

55x11 said:


> I am sorry but the crosswind has no bearing on whether Nys held his line. Like others pointed out, this was the most blatant example of not holding the line - from far left to far right. If this is "holding your line", then what isn't?
> 
> The rules don't say "you have to hold your line, unless it's windy, then you can do whatever you want".


Moving from the left to the right over 100m WAS the line and the wind has everything to do with it. Kevin was not blocked from advancing, he had the whole width of the road. Nys was not obligated to leave room if KP wasn't already there. This was sprinting, even cycling, 101. Don't give your opponent the downwind side to pass (aka. guttering).


----------



## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

davidka said:


> Moving from the left to the right over 100m WAS the line and the wind has everything to do with it. Kevin was not blocked from advancing, he had the whole width of the road. Nys was not obligated to leave room if KP wasn't already there. This was sprinting, even cycling, 101. Don't give your opponent the downwind side to pass (aka. guttering).


Pauwels was clearly on Nys' right as they both were going into and exited the turn. Nys knew this too because he started the spring from far left of the barriers.
Going from one side to the other side gives no advantage with the wind in this case, the only reason he went all the way across was to prevent or make it much more difficult for Pauwels from going around him.

If I were in Pauwels position I would be pissed too. Nys didn't just sprint straight, he was cutting from one side of the barriers to another - if this was ok, then we might as well through away the rulebook on sprints - what kind of sprinting would then be illegal under this interpretation of the rules?


----------



## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

euro-trash said:


> Holding your line means not making sudden movements. Because he immediately headed for shelter (the right side of the road), it was fine. KP was never even with him that also impacts the decision. Regardless, there is an "and" in the rule, and even if we agree to disagree about his holding his line, he did not endanger others.


Well, then the race was lost by Pauwels well before they exited the corner, because there is NO way Pauwels could ever pass Nys while Nys was cutting diagonals with Pauwels on his right. Which is fine by me because I think CX should not be lost in final 100m, but basically you are all arguing that Nys simply cleverly blocked Pauwels from passing him, which is precisely what the rule is supposed to prevent.

Cavendish got a lot of criticisms for moving over a foot or two from straight line over the same 100m distance (remember how he and Haussler collided?). Nys went like 20 ft and it's apparently fine. 

So just for the record - Is it fine in road sprints too - cutting from one barrier to the opposite side to prevent anyone behind you passing you, can now be interpreted as "holding your line"?!


----------



## TNeedham (Oct 10, 2008)

Ooh la la la la! Sven is een slimme vos.


----------



## GearDaddy (Apr 1, 2004)

Hmmm. Taking a look at that sprint again I am now coming to the conclusion that Pauwels was a complete fail for sprinting while on the hoods.


----------



## ewarnerusa (Oct 11, 2007)

TNeedham said:


> Ooh la la la la! Sven is een slimme vos.


I had to Google translate this and I agree that Sven is a clever fox. Based on the input of others from this thread and watching the videos, I have changed my mind and think that Sven won legally through craftiness and trickery.


----------



## carlosflanders (Nov 23, 2008)

55x11 said:


> Pauwels was clearly on Nys' right as they both were going into and exited the turn. Nys knew this too because he started the spring from far left of the barriers.
> *Going from one side to the other side gives no advantage with the wind in this case*, the only reason he went all the way across was to prevent or make it much more difficult for Pauwels from going around him.
> 
> If I were in Pauwels position I would be pissed too. Nys didn't just sprint straight, he was cutting from one side of the barriers to another - if this was ok, then we might as well through away the rulebook on sprints - what kind of sprinting would then be illegal under this interpretation of the rules?


*huh??*


----------



## foto (Feb 7, 2005)

ewarnerusa said:


> I had to Google translate this and I agree that Sven is a clever fox. Based on the input of others from this thread and watching the videos, I have changed my mind and think that Sven won legally through craftiness and trickery.


I thought it meant "slimey boy"


----------



## MShaw (Jun 7, 2003)

Depending on how far back KP actually was, it was either a relegatable offense, or smart sprinting. The more I think about it, the smarter it seems. After all, why give someone the draft going for the win? Make em go around you to windward (or off the curb, or barrier, or... whatever you're racing against). IOW make em pick a side where you only have one side to watch. 

KP certainly thought he deserved to sprint out of the wind... 

M


----------



## davidka (Dec 12, 2001)

55x11 said:


> Pauwels was clearly on Nys' right as they both were going into and exited the turn. Nys knew this too because he started the spring from far left of the barriers.
> Going from one side to the other side gives no advantage with the wind in this case, the only reason he went all the way across was to prevent or make it much more difficult for Pauwels from going around him.
> 
> If I were in Pauwels position I would be pissed too. Nys didn't just sprint straight, he was cutting from one side of the barriers to another - if this was ok, then we might as well through away the rulebook on sprints - what kind of sprinting would then be illegal under this interpretation of the rules?


Nys started sprinting from the far left of the barriers because that was how much road it required to make the turn at that speed. KP went outside for the same reason. Nys came off the barrier with KP behind him and defended the downwind side (was a strong crosswind from left to right) by crossing the road to the barriers on the other side. KP never drew along side him to claim the lane by the barriers. In short, he got punked. He'll know better next time. 

Cav gets called out on this because he moves erratically and causes dangerous crashes that sometimes end the seasons of some of the sport's biggest starts (Boonen, Haussler). The rule is applied with discretion which in this case, judged that his line was legal.


----------

