PEZ Cyclo-Cross Monitor-Facet: Because the 2025/26 cyclocross season will get into full swing, we go to Belgium with Ed Hood for the weekend again in 2022. He was there for the ‘6 Days of Gent’, to see the farewell to ‘t Kuipke Keizer’ Iljo Keisse, however, when in Belgium in November you must go to a cyclocross, and so Ed and his friends took within the Telenet Superprestige Merksplas. PEZ veld kant.
In January we misplaced our pal and colleague Ed Hood, two years after his devastating stroke. We are going to always remember Ed and his information, connections within the biking world, his writing type and love for the game. Ed wrote 1000’s of beautiful articles for PEZ, so we can pay homage the ‘King of the Blackberry’ with re-runs of his nice work.
And an enormous thanks to everybody who contributed to Ed’s ‘Go Fund Me’. It made an enormous distinction to his final two years.
You may learn the PEZ-Crew’s reminiscences of Ed Hood HERE.
The ‘Telenet Superprestige Merksplas Cyclo-cross (C1)’ is a little bit of a mouthful, so in these components it’s greatest often known as the, ‘Vlaamse Aardbeiencross’ – the ‘Flemish Strawberrycross,’ the world being well-known for the cultivation of the candy purple beauties.
And there to greet us was Flanders’ largest strawberry, that boy goes to want a number of gallons of cream to go together with him. It’s not a correct weekend in Belgium should you don’t absorb a ‘cross; we used to go to the Koksijde ‘Duinencross’ within the sand dunes beside the North Sea however that was moved to a different date, then it was the Hasselt ‘cross the place we noticed the good Svn Nys win – however this 12 months we headed north to Antwerp and past to get our repair of mud and sand.
The benefit of crosses is that you just’re free to wander among the many camper vans, mechanics and bikes – heaven for tools geeks. The primary man we got here throughout was Eli Iserbyt, ‘doing the professional factor’ and getting his image taken with a delighted younger fan.
Iserbyt’s Ridley’s prime tube carries the motto of all good ‘crossers.
And while on the street and even the boards the discuss is all of ‘tubeless,’ nearly everybody within the ‘cross world nonetheless run these lovely Dugast tubulars. In 2002 Richard Nieuwhuis took over the A. Dugast model from the French founder and all of the tyres are actually handcrafted in The Netherlands. On the different finish of the dimensions additionally they do very mild, super-fast, beautiful pink colored monitor tubulars.
A ‘cross mechanic’s lot just isn’t a simple one, they’ve to scrub the bikes twice, as soon as after the nice and cozy up after which once more after the end. On a course like this, with clinging mud it’s no enjoyable.
One of many main points of interest at Merksplas was the looks of rainbow jersey, Tom Pidcock – seen right here collared for the inevitable ‘selfie.’
His Pinarello was trying a tad dishevelled after the nice and cozy up however the mechanics would quickly kind that – observe the curved ‘carrying’ indentation within the prime tube, a characteristic Pidcock himself requested from Pinarello.
1 x transmission is gaining floor within the ‘cross world, particularly on a quick parcours akin to this – it additionally attracts a lot much less mud, entrance changers actually collect the muck. Word the neat chain information to forestall the chain bouncing off the chainring on tough surfaces.
That stated, this was one mucky course so bike modifications each lap have been a ‘should.’
One piece of trickery I’ve by no means witnessed earlier than was the mechanics meticulously drying each inch of the bikes – together with the chain – with compressed air after cleansing them.
And no ‘cross is full with out a journey to the frites caravan; Dave’s brother Hugh additionally fashions the strawberry snoods freely distributed across the parcours.
Within the girls’ race Dutch World Champion, Marianne Vos appeared the half however it positively wasn’t her day, ending in an uncharacteristically lowly tenth place.
US Champion, Clara Honsinger completed one place forward of the World Champion.
Winner, Ceylin Alvarado was in a category of her personal, the 24 years-old former World Champion began like a rocket and was by no means to be seen once more – she was transferring visibly sooner by means of the technical sectors than every other rider
Zoe Backstedt – seen right here warming down with Clara Honsinger was pleased with a strong fifth place end.
While even Marianne’s sneakers appeared depressed.
There was the standard ‘staff dash first man pace’ cost for the primary nook with the auto concentrate on my digicam latching on to Tom Pidcock and never so eager on Belgium’s Laurens Sweeck who was already on the head of affairs.
Sweeck is ‘man of the second’ with this his fourth win of the season – and in 13 begins in UCi ‘crosses his lowest end is fourth.
By no means out of the highest placings, and an eventual second to Sweeck was Dutch Champion, Lars Van Der Haar, his 1 x transmission proving no handicap.
After a sluggish begin, Belgian European Champion, Michael Vanthourenhout took an eventual third place. The subsequent day within the Overijse, the tall man from Bruges would prime the rostrum.
‘Man of the season’s begin,’ Belgium’s Eli Iserbyt completed fourth, he’s been struggling just lately with again ache and an MRI scan confirmed he’s struggling with sciatica.
World Champion, Pidcock was in his first ‘cross of the 12 months and discovering his ft, a seventh place end isn’t what he’s accustomed to – however he’d end second to Vanthourenhout subsequent day in Overijse.
One place behind the World Champion was a uncommon chicken, a Spanish “prime ‘cross man,” – 4 instances Nationwide Champion, Felipe Orts who has dominated the game at house in latest instances. And while Spain isn’t a significant ‘cross nation, his Nationwide Champion’s jersey means he’ll be on respectable begin cash.
Reminding us of the glory days of Swiss ‘cross when names like Albert Zweifel and Peter Frisnecht dominated the game was trendy Swiss Champion, Kevin Kuhn in ninth place.
Sand on the bikes had alerted us that there have to be a sand part, we arrived on the ‘artificial’ sand sector, which was in the midst of a discipline in time to see Sweeck blast by means of, no dismount, simply pure energy.
At this level some younger girls who had been having fun with one of many sponsoring corporations merchandise insisted we take their image – glad to be of service, ladies.
Iserbyt wasn’t as sturdy as Sweeck by means of the sand although and needed to dismount.
As did Pidcock – however he was niftily again within the saddle.
Orts nevertheless dealt with the sand nicely.
And that was that, time to tune to Radio Nostalgie Belgique and head south by means of the Kennedy Tunnel below the Scheldt at Antwerp to Gent and the Kuipke. . .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXSgeA_CT-I
Highlights: Telenet Superprestige Merksplas Cyclocross [Elite Men]
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