The Big Picture | Ravestein Parkcross Hever
A good day out for the Americans at a Belgian B race.
This past weekend I finally did something I had wanted to do for a long time. I attended a local Belgian cyclocross race - a “B” race. The European Cross Academy brought a group of young riders over to race in the U17 categories at regional races in Belgium and the Netherlands and they invited me to the first stop of the trip in Hever.
The race was the Ravestein Parkcross Hever. ECA supported nine riders: Five U17 girls, three U17 second-year boys and one U17 first-year boy. The boys would race only against their category at separate times, but the girls would line up in a field that included the U19s, U23s and elites, with the U17s completing one fewer lap.
I had heard over the years from a few North American pros who raced in Belgium that these races can be a nice way to reset mentally in the middle of a tough Belgian campaign. After repeatedly getting your head kicked in on courses like Namur or Koksijde it can be restorative to race against fast, talented riders and finish with the type of placing you are used to.
This race was a lot like regional races in the U.S. The course was pretty tame and the crowd was almost entirely composed of the riders’ family and friends. I was worried that the short race times would make it difficult to get enough photos but the quick lap times plus lack of crowd made it stress-free.
I have practically given up photographing at the planks for most races. They are rarely decisive anymore. But I found myself at the planks a lot in Hever. They were fully 40cm. And combined with the overconfidence of youth they made for some wild passages.
It was a very successful day for the Americans. In the first-years race, Lucas Young, racing for the AA Drinks squad but supported by ECA claimed third place in his regional championships. Then in the second-year race, Matthew Crabbe took the win with his two teammates also in the top ten. And finally, Aida Linton grabbed a podium in the U17 women's race. It was great to see these riders racing at the front and competing for wins and podiums.
Since I had no idea who to contact for any type of credential, I figured I would just buy a ticket. It turned out that everyone had to pay, including media, team staff like mechanics who are working the pits, and of course the riders. On the upside one of the women at the ticket booth gave me a handful of chits to redeem for food and drink since I was press.
I really enjoyed the laid-back atmosphere. It reminded me of races I shot in New Jersey and Pennsylvania when I was just starting to combine my interests of photography and cycling. I'll be keeping an eye out for more opportunities to shoot these types of events in the future. Thanks to Geoff Proctor and Eurocross Academy for having me along for the day.
Love to see our younger riders finding success in Belgium! Now if they can keep it going as they age into Elites!
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