Essay: On the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
The calendar year is setting, the northern hemisphere’s days are as short as can be, and in some places snow is flying. It can mean only one thing: cyclocross season is in full swing. For those lucky enough to know this, excitement is only building in both men’s and women’s events. It’s been quite some time since fields have been this stacked. If only we could get more excitement in the cross world on this side of the Atlantic to build the sport more. But first, what is cyclocross?
Initially a cross training regimen, cyclocross was born from off-season training for road cyclists. Once the road rig was beefed up to traverse farm fields and unpaved paths, it became a competition slightly resembling steeplechase and/ or cross country. Eventually the discipline was reeled in, courses were shrunk to a track with laps. Races are run on bikes that are noticeably underbiked. Natural obstacles like fallen trees were now planks. Rivers were removed. Trenches were updated to rollers. The women' s elite race is timed as closely to fifty minutes as possible; the men's elite race aims for sixty minutes.
It is a universal truth that each cyclocross course must contain one notable element. Flamanville races around an ancient castle. Koksijde and Zonhoven plow through the famous sandpits. Hulst (this year’s world championship location) features a beautiful backdrop of a windmill juxtaposing the technical and steep mud descent. Each location brings a unique attribute to the cyclocross calendar helping different riders rise to the top.
This year features three sanctioning bodies providing cross events. The Telenet Superprestige plays host to notable events such as the nighttime urban cross in Diegam, Belgium. This fast course is tight and technical with a massive crowd involvement. Alongside the Superprestige is the X2O Badkamers Trofee, which features the exhausting Koppenbergcross that sends riders up the cobbled Koppenberg climb at least four times each event. Finally, the UCI cross calendar draws the big names into the mix with eleven races from now until the end of January. Such a heavy-loaded calendar means riders will miss events, giving us looks at different participants regularly.
On the women’s side, world champion Fem Van Empel of the Netherlands has been in the mix. So too has Lucinda Brand who currently has a streak of 51 consecutive podiums. Aniek Van Alphen won last week’s Flamanville course with the added stress of looking for a team in the coming races. She defeated Amandine Fouquenet, the French cross champion, and Ceylin Del Carmen Alvarado, the former world champion. Not far behind her was Inge Van Der Heijden, the European champion, and Marion Norbert Riberolle, the Belgian champion. Such talent in the women’s field makes for required viewing each week.
Then on the men’s side is Thibau Nys, Belgian champion and son of famous cross racer Sven Nys. The list that follows is as immense as the women’s: Lar Van Der Haar (famous for popping his shoulder back into place mid-race at least twice), Cameron Mason (British champion), Niels Vandeputte, Laurens Sweeck, Joris Nieuwenhuis (former Dutch champion and Euro champion), and Michael Vanthourenhout. These names have put on heavy contests in the early stages of the cross races, but soon they will be joined by the ever popular Wout van Aert and the ever dominant (and current world champion), Mathieu Van Der Poel. Unfortunately, the only name missing from this year’s lineup is Tom Pidcock. The former cross world champion is opting for a different training routine, otherwise ‘the big three’ would have faced off once again.
When combining world famous courses and world famous athletes, the result is a nearly one-hours smash fest that leaves little room for error. In some cases, the winner goes to the one who makes the fewest mistakes. Cross also features instances of racers putting in an all-out lap for victory and attempting to hang on. Already this year, Joris Nieuwnehuis has struggled with crashes and mechanicals while being at the front of the race. Fem Van Empel pulled the plug on a race in the first lap. That adds to the excitement - usually there are no guaranteed winners.
It’s been suggested that, to build ‘cross on this side of the Atlantic, it would be wise to recruit cross country runners and teach them bike handling skills. After all, the event is capped at one hour. There are courses where running may outdistance the riding.
With the early sunsets, it’s enjoyable to end the night with a European feed of a cyclocross race. It’s a bonus when it’s men’s and women’s in the same coverage. The choice of viewing includes a warm setting while watching riders freeze through many courses. Our heart rate rarely climbs above 50 while watching elite racers max out their BPMs for sixty minutes. We pine after the multiple bikes each rider gains access to each time they come into the pits for an updated machine. After all of that, mud from head to toe and a bike being held together with sand and grass clippings, what better way to experience the most wonderful time of year?
