World Cyclo-Cross Champs, Koksijde Jan 28-29, 2012

Gianni Vermeersch, Belgium; Men Under 23s

- amazing handling taken for granted

Finally, I made it to the otherwise insignificant seaside town of Koksijde (pronounced Cocks-Ide) in Belgium, to investigate the fabled UCI World Cyclo-Cross Championships before it moves next year to Louisville, Kentucky. I went as a tourist not as a journalist, so I can't comment on the Louisville development except to say that the Americans will need to line up some good Belgian translators. As for Koksijde, it will almost certainly host another round of the UCI series next year so the chance to stand in the freezing sand dunes with a plastic beaker of Jupiler beer is still there.
Do I recommend this pilgrimage? Yes, of course, but for two very different reasons. If you are a cross rider there is lots to be gained from watching the pros, prowling around the pits and mentally comparing what they do with what you do. If you're a tourist, it's a unique slice of Europe comprising some unlikely cultural matching - Holland and Belgium yes; but why is the Czech Republic so prominent in this sport, and how did the Elite Men's race have single Turk riding, called Hakan Yildirim? His story would be of interest.
No point re-hashing race reports which are published on the UCI site - except to say that by watching a race yourself you gain a very different impression from that imparted by the naked results. For me the Mens Under-23s was a highlight because Belgian Wietse Bosmans, an outsider, gave the eventual winner Dutchman Lars van der Haar a huge run for his money and you never knew who was going to be in front on each successive lap. The crowd was braying 'Wiet-se, Wiet-se, Wiet-se,' and up on the dune where we were standing, a spontaneous cheer went up when Haar briefly came off in the deep sand. Had he lost the race in that instance, the exact nature of which remained out of sight for the thick mass of people in front of us? When news came back over the tannoy that he had beaten Wietse in the final sprint, the mood was surly, even angry. The Dutch are not supposed to win in Koksijde.

Three cheers then to Marianne Vos (Holland) for winning her fifth consecutive world title the next day - aged just 24. That's incredible.
Happily for the crowd, the Mens Elite was subsequently taken by Belgian Niels Albert, who led from early on and dominated the race so much that it was far less of a spectacle than the other contests. Also to note: positions one to seven were Belgian, which meant that on the TV coverage no other nation was shown. I watched this race in a bar having left the tickets in the car, miles away from the town on a free shuttle bus. Although this had 'fail' stamped all over it, my uncle and I secretly cherished the warmth on a brutally cold day and got to see the divisive face of Belgian chauvinism, when a small, elderly man thrust several of those ubiquitous yellow Lion of Flanders flags on a couple of female tourists. It's all very cute if you're looking in from the outside, but Belgium hasn't had a proper government for a while and a shaky history to fall back on. So what we actually saw was Flanders agit-prop. So it's Belgium all the way when the Dutch are involved, but meanwhile the Flanders stuff grinds on in open view. Interesting.

Kit notes: tubular rims and file tread tyres are standard fare in the sand, typically the wonderfully feely Dugasts with cotton sidewalls that cost £90 a pop. The rims came from all makes but Zipp 303s remain a standard bearer, alongside Dura-Ace 35s. Tactics notes: Cross-watching is wonderful because it gives you close-ups lots of times. Everyone makes 'unforced errors' because of the nature of the terrain. Kevin Pauwels, seeded number one and wearing red leggings to distinguish himself, pulled himself along a section using the railing. He also stalled in the sand and was forced to dismount. Finally, I noted that riders didn't always hoist their bikes to their shoulder, sometimes wheeling it. This was all provisional stuff made up on the day, proving that often there is no text book. You just have to go with instincts based on experience. These guys were throwing out huge wattages to ride the sand dunes, matched by ethereal handling abilities. Great to watch - recommend video footage on UCI site.