Beekse Bergen is a amusement/safari park just outside of Tilburg in the North Brabant province of the Netherlands. This stop on the World Cup calendar is a new event, and with the loss of Rucphen it is one of only two in the Netherlands for 2022-23. As with Maasmechelen, the weather was unseasonably bright and mild, bringing out a large crowd to cheer on the Dutch riders. In the men’s race they were disappointed to see Lars van der Haar narrowly beaten but in the women’s race they had plenty to cheer for with another all-Dutch podium including a surprise winner in Shirin van Anrroij.
Although the course presented some challenges for photography it was pretty photogenic on the whole and the light in northern Europe at this time of year is just spectacular. I was a little disappointed that no pictures with giraffes or rhinos in the background were possible but keeping the CX crowd far away from the animals is certainly prudent. From an organizer’s standpoint Beekse Bergen has to be seen as a win. There was plenty of parking that wasn’t in muddy fields and it demonstrated that it could easily handle a large crowd. And the venue provides a nice mix of terrain, even if there is no real elevation change. Personally, I’d be happy to see the World Cup return to this venue.
Great images - I loved the contrast between the effortlessly cool and smooth style of Fem and Puck V the bobbing fighting aggression of Shirrin…I’m still calling this the changing of the guard. Yes Brand is coming back from injury lay off and Voss is sort of part time but I think their time has gone - and maybe that of the generation before.. props to Ceylin for hanging in there but her crash was as a result of trying to hang with Fem and Puck PS A pic of Fem and Puck hopping the barriers would have been icing on the cake.
Great images - I loved the contrast between the effortlessly cool and smooth style of Fem and Puck V the bobbing fighting aggression of Shirrin…I’m still calling this the changing of the guard. Yes Brand is coming back from injury lay off and Voss is sort of part time but I think their time has gone - and maybe that of the generation before.. props to Ceylin for hanging in there but her crash was as a result of trying to hang with Fem and Puck PS A pic of Fem and Puck hopping the barriers would have been icing on the cake.