The Big Picture | World Cup Troyes

The first of two World Cup rounds in France

This past weekend was the fourth round of the World Cup, held in Troyes, France. Troyes has hosted a number of cross races in recent years, including Coupe de France rounds and a lone French C1 during the pandemic season that I was able to attend in January 2021. The course was changed quite a bit since that race, but it did keep some key features such as the steep off-camber and the bowl in which riders tackle a few super steep short climbs/descents and an unrideable set of steps.

It has been raining virtually every day in Northern France/Belgium for the last month or so and intitially the course looked to be a slog. But the sun came out and some brisk wind with it and by the time the elites raced things were pretty fast. Both elite races provided excitement for the crowd with lead changes and a bit of drama. It would be great to see Troyes take up an every-other-year slot on the World Cup calendar like Flamanville and Besançon have done.

Leonie Bentveld leads the favorites on the off-camber on the first lap. © Ethan Glading

Zoe Backstedt avoids the chaos at the top of the off-camber. © Ethan Glading

Third-placed Lucinda Brand is batting 1000 in podium appearances so far this year. © Ethan Glading

Luxembourg champ Marie Schreiber put in a consistent ride and snagged 6th place. © Ethan Glading

Alvarado took a short mid-race break on the stairs. © Ethan Glading

4th placed Sara Casasola battled with Lucinda Brand for the final podium spot. © Ethan Glading

Xaydée Van Sinaey going up. Lucia Blanco Gonzalez going down. © Ethan Glading

German Champ Judith Krahl. © Ethan Glading

Bará Jerábková, Lauriane Duraffourg and Jinse Peeters. © Ethan Glading

Canadian Sidney McGill in her Euro season debut. © Ethan Glading

Maghalie Rochette © Ethan Glading

Alvarado came back to take an emotional win. © Ethan Glading

Leonie Bentveld went out strong and scored a top 10 result but looked to be paying the price at the finish. © Ethan Glading

Ryan Kamp takes the low-to-high line on the first lap. © Ethan Glading

Timon Rüegg suffered a mechanical that forced him to run much of the first lap. He still managed a 10th place in the end. © Ethan Glading

Kevin Kuhn, Toon Vandenbosch and Corné van Kessel. © Ethan Glading

Joris Nieuwenhuis put in another good ride in Troyes to round out the podium. © Ethan Glading

Lars van der Haar went off the front early in the race but he was eventually reeled in by Iserbyt. © Ethan Glading

Felipe Orts and Jens Dekker against an autumnal backdrop. © Ethan Glading

Mickaël Crispin doing the privateer thing. © Ethan Glading

Gerben Kuypers on one of the many short, steep berms that characterized this course. © Ethan Glading

Eli Iserbyt got a gap on van der Haar and held it until the end. © Ethan Glading

Laurens Sweeck would eventually pass Thibau Nys to take 6th place. © Ethan Glading

Czech champ Michael Boros had a good ride and finished just outside the top ten. © Ethan Glading

Eli Iserbyt takes the win in Troyes. © Ethan Glading

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