Weekend Preview: Flandriencross Hamme and World Cup Overijse are Final Tests Before Worlds
More on the final double billing of cyclocross racing before the 2021 Cyclocross World Championships
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One time while hanging out during a late-summer Madison-area cyclocross practice, I managed to start what I found to be an interesting debate between two of the best cyclocross and mountain bike racers in the state of Wisconsin. The topic was whether riding mountain bikes is good or bad for cyclocross skills. (This kind of has a point, ok? Saturday’s race takes place at a mountain bike venue and Sunday has several technical climbs and descents)
One of them was arguing that mountain biking is not very relevant to cyclocross because the fat tires, front suspension, and tight, technical terrain do not prepare you for navigating courses on 33mm skinny tires. The other was arguing that of course, riding technical terrain is good preparation for the technical aspects of cyclocross.
I probably found this conversation more interesting than the average racer because, as I wrote back in the Cyclocross Magaizne days, I think nothing has done more for my confidence on the bike than mountain biking, even if it has mostly been the relatively benign Upper Midwestern United States version of “mountain biking.” While the turns in cyclocross are flowier and not as sharp, the confidence that comes with navigating rock gardens, descents, berms, and other features is tough to replicate in your average American cyclocross training session.
I don’t think there was a resolution to that cyclocross practice discussion. Both the dudes I was talking to excel at ‘cross, mountain biking, and road, so I don’t think they represent the pulse of the average Cat 3/4 hero, but what I am sure about is if you like technical terrain, then the courses and Hamme on Saturday and Overijse on Sunday are definitely to your liking. And if we are being honest, as I wrote when talking about Namur, it’s hard to avoid getting excited about races at courses that you yourself would be excited to race on.
Saturday - Flandriencross Hamme - X20 Badkamers Trofee
Elite Women: 7:45 am EST
Elite Men: 9:00 am EST
Broadcast: GCN Race Pass (US / Canada / UK)
Recent Results
Elite Women
2019: Annemarie Worst Sanne Cant Ceylin Alvarado
2018: Annemarie Worst
2017: Sanne Cant
2016: Sanne Cant
2015: Helen Wyman
2014: Sanne Cant
2013 Nikki Brammeier
Elite Men
2019: Mathieu van der Poel Laurens Sweeck Tim Merlier
2018: Mathieu van der Poel
2017: Mathieu van der Poel
2016: Mathieu van der Poel
2015: Wout van Aert
2014: Wout van Aert
2013: Niels Albert
Race Preview
Typically held in late November, Flandriencross Hamme moved to January this year and situated itself on the last weekend of racing before Worlds. The race was first held in 2002, and it was renamed in 2014. We are not big into conspiracy theories here at the Bulletin, but our friends over at the Slow Ride Podcast are Q-Factor Anonymous curious, so I figured I’d throw this one at them:
In 2014, the race was renamed for Greg Van Avermaet, a frequent winner of the Flandrien of the Year Award. The 2020 winner of the Flandrien of the Year Award was Wout van Aert, who is staking his claim on the GvA moniker by naming his kid Georges. What does it mean?
Honestly? It probably means Mathieu van der Poel is going to win on Saturday.
Although not a classic in the vein of a Koksijde or Zonhoven, the course at Hamme is still a minor classic on the Belgian circuit. The race takes place at a mountain bike facility along the Durme River in Hamme. The course features a relatively narrow track with a marginally memorable off-camber before finishing with what looks like one of the most fun sections in cyclocross in the woods down by the river. It is that section that led to one of the more exciting finishes between Wout and Mathieu back in 2014.
Since the race is part of the Potty/Ducky Cross series, the start lists are relatively well stocked with riders racing both sides of the double weekend. Eli Iserbyt, who is leading the X20 Trofee classification, announced he is racing on Saturday but skipping Sunday as he seeks to continue rehabbing his elbow injury suffered at Zolder.
Sunday - World Cup Overijse
Elite Women: 7:40 am EST
Elite Men: 9:00 am EST
Broadcast: FloBikes (US / Canada), GCN Race Pass (UK)
Recent Results
Elite Women
2019: Annemarie Worst Lucinda Brand Alice Maria Arzuffi
2018: Lucinda Brand
2017: Pauline Ferrand Prevot
2016: Sophie DeBoer
2015: Jolien Verschueren
2014: Sanne Cant
2013: Katie Compton
Elite Men
2019: Mathieu van der Poel Tom Pidcock Quinten Hermans
2018: Toon Aerts
2017: Mathieu van der Poel
2016: Mathieu van der Poel
2015: Mathieu van der Poel
2014: Tom Meeusen
2013: Sven Nys
Race Preview
“The Mother of All Crosses” steps up from a stand-alone race to part of the Flanders Classics World Cup this season. First held in 1960, the hilly, technical course is a classic that has typically been run in mid-December in recent years.
As with nearly all Belgian cyclocross races, Overijse did not feature a Women’s race until 2000. Katie Compton has won three times and Daphny van der Brand did the same, but as the results show, the race has featured a number of different winners in recent years.
Lest you find Mathieu van der Poel’s 4 wins at Druivencross impressive, you should probably be more impressed by Sven’s 6 wins. But that’s not really that impressive—Eric de Vlaeminck won there 9 times. Of course, 9 times is mere child’s play when compared to Roland Liboton’s 15 victories in Overijse. Fortunately, that’s it, no one has won it more than 15 times.
Overijse replaces Hoogerheide as the typical ultimate World Cup before the World Championships. One could argue winning the race even one time this year would be a big deal to get to head to World with our friend Mo Mentum, but a CX Stats post I did last year at the old blog showed that doing well at the final World Cup does not really guarantee Worlds success. It probably doesn’t make sense to tank the race, but at the same time, probably don’t feel too worried if your favorite rider has an off day.
The battles for the World Cup classifications range from *yawn* to *chin-scratching emoji*. Lucinda Brand has the Women’s title on lock, so if she wanted, she could pay homage to the race name (druiven = grapes) and sit around sipping some wine to celebrate her championship, but she’s a professional, not a jokey, unserious American cyclocross racer. (The city flag even has grapes on it!)
On the Men’s side, Wout van Aert enters with a 15-point lead on Mathieu van der Poel. The point distribution this year in 40-30-25, so if Wout finishes first or second, he is guaranteed to take the World Cup overall. If Van der Poel wins and Van Aert finishes third and the two tie, the World Cup overall is decided by a tug-of-war match for the jersey ala Katerina Nash and Maghalie Rochette.
I don’t make the rules folks, that’s just how it works.
More seriously, the course:
Bulletin Board Material of the Week
From: Lucinda Brand
To: Clara Honsinger, Sanne Cant
Riders I Want to Write About
Ellen Van Loy
It’s been said that Father Time stands undefeated, and in recent years we have seen that truism play out in Elite Women’s cyclocross as mainstays such as Helen Wyman have hung up their cycling shoes and Katie Compton announced that next year will be her final year as a professional. Friend of the Bulletin Katerina Nash is still going strong, and who knows when she will eventually retire to ski and play with her cute dogs. (They’re such good doggehs)
Ellen Van Loy is another rider who has defied the hands of time and continued to race cyclocross at the sport’s highest level. We have not heard Van Loy’s name as much this year as Denise Betsema and others have stolen her fast-start thunder, and she has struggled to race at the level she has maintained over the years. However, as recently as two years ago, she was winning races, and last year, she was still consistently finishing in the Top 10.
As long as I can remember, Van Loy has been a mainstay with The Baloise - Trek program, but a story in Sproza this week indicated she will be moving on after the season. Van Loy, however, did say she plans on racing next season and then taking things year-by-year, citing her love of racing as a reason to keep doing it. As a day job, Van Loy works as a childhood educator, so if she can keep making it work, racing professional cyclocross sure beats winning Masters office-park crits or whatever Masters racers do in Belgium.
At the same time, that Van Loy has hung on with the Baloise - Trek program for so long is a bit indicative of the talent drain in Women’s cyclocross in Belgium. The team has been a mainstay in Flanders, and one would hope that it would be able to nurture and develop young talent and perhaps have Van Loy serve in a mentor role, but in recent years, she has still been the program’s top Belgian rider. Sven tweeted about the program’s development program that includes opportunities for young women, so hopefully Women’s Belgian cycling will experience a renaissance like the Netherlands’ in due time.
Gimmick Watch
Sanne Watch
Sanne opted to skip Mol—she does already know a thing or two about racing in the sand—but she did channel her inner Sparkle Watts and offer a solid daily affirmation over on Instagram.
Is LaUrEnS sWeEcK eLiTe? and Is Lars van der Haar BACK?
In a throwback to five years ago, folks in the U.S. who wanted to follow Saturday’s race in Mol had to do so via livetweeting. Reports from the race suggest Sweeck gave Wout van Aert his toughest challenge before fading and ultimately holding off fellow Gimmick Watchistan denizen Lars van der Haar for second place. Sweeck does race well in the sand, so his result in Mol suggests he could be a sleeper pick for the wide-angle podium in Oostende or perhaps even a bronze-medal shocker. (I’m pretty much giving Mathieu first and Wout second at this point)
Best Bernie Meme of the Week
Gonna have to keep it in-house and give the award to Bill. (Follow us on Instagram, btw, plz, thnx)
Other Fun Stuff
In news that will surprise exactly no one, Wout re-signed with Jumbo-Visma through 2024, and in true coach’s son form, he continues to do all the dirty work. Wout is basically the Shane Battier of cycling, but with better hair.
Friend of the Bulletin Rebecca Fahringer was featured in the CYCLING BIG MEDIA this week.
Head over to Cycling Tips to learn more about the newest Dutch sensation, Fem van Empel.
Dear Curtis White, stay in your own lane dude and leave the blogging to us slows. But seriously, nice writing.