On a course that put the “field” in field riding, Sunday’s World Cup Dendermonde proved to be an epic affair after an already wet course received a deluge on race day. Throw in cold temperatures, and it was a day that challenged everyone to embrace the miserable challenge of the day.
Our Euro correspondent Ethan Glading was among those who braved the elements for Sunday’s race. His reward (and ours … thanks Ethan!) was a pretty dope gallery of pictures from the races. If you like what you see, give Ethan a follow on Instagram @thepenultimatestage .
Also if you missed them, check our Ethan’s Big Pictures from World Cup Namur and Superprestige Zolder (subscribers only, for the latter).
The power washers were in action before the race cleaning pre-race jackets and warm-ups. © Ethan Glading
Kaitie Keough and Clara Honsinger warm up at the Cannondale tent. © Ethan Glading
Eva Lechner tries to stay warm and dry before call-ups. © Ethan Glading
Maddie Munro rides while Laura Verdonschot runs early in the Dendermonde race. © Ethan Glading
Marianne Vos got off to a fast start before fading and finishing 14th. © Ethan Glading
Rebecca Fahringer had the best race of her season, finishing 17th. © Ethan Glading
Alice Maria Arzuffi leads a group of riders after the barriers. © Ethan Glading
While the course was relatively flat, it included several run-ups located on a small hill. © Ethan Glading
Clara Honsinger follows Sanne Cant down one of the descents. © Ethan Glading
Lucinda Brand splashes through standing water ahead of Ceylin Alvarado. © Ethan Glading
Maghalie Rochette navigates the challenging off-camber section. © Ethan Glading
Clara Honsinger caught Ceylin Alvarado and then distanced her to take second. © Ethan Glading
Lucinda Brand summits one of the run-ups en route to her latest win. © Ethan Glading
Clara Honsinger had another strong World Cup, finishing second behind Lucinda Brand. © Ethan Glading
Curtis White gets set to roll up to the start line. He would go on to finish 13th. © Ethan Glading
The few hills on the course were not necessarily tall and steep, but they still turned into run-ups on the muddy afternoon. © Ethan Glading
A rider lines up his descent into more mud below. © Ethan Glading
Mathieu van der Poel started strong and finished second. © Ethan Glading
Riders descend off one of the hills early in the race. © Ethan Glading
Jules Vankempen, in green, shoulders his bike in traffic. © Ethan Glading
Dismounts and then remounts were a regular part of Sunday’s World Cup. © Ethan Glading
Wout van Aert was a man on a mission at Dendermonde on Sunday. © Ethan Glading
Tom Pidcock started strong but ended up taking a DNF. © Ethan Glading
Tormans Twins Corne van Kessel and Quinten Hermans finished 6th and 7th. © Ethan Glading
Diether Sweeck remounts in the pit. His new bike would not remain clean for very long. © Ethan Glading
Wout van Aert took on everything the Dendermonde course had to offer and took home the win. © Ethan Glading
Quinten Hermans started strong and finished 7th. © Ethan Glading
Michael van den Ham had a career day, finishing 17th. © Ethan Glading
Toon Aerts rose above the chase group and finished third. © Ethan Glading
Wout van Aert was focused on getting a big win on Sunday. © Ethan Glading