{"id":24077,"title":"Belgian Cyclocross Club Championships","description":"In the Belgian National Cyclocross Championships, jerseys are awarded to the best club rider in both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s elite races. But what constitutes a club rider, and who can win?","content":"

Published in<\/strong>: CYCLOCROSS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>

In the Belgian National Cyclocross Championships, jerseys are awarded to the best club rider in both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s elite races. But what constitutes a club rider, and who can win?<\/p>

\"yc7tj3btonqwbgm90j02rl1edhdq4jwgrtv5pyd45z5tgs8e.jpg\"Jana Dobbelaere is crowned Belgian Club Champion<\/em><\/strong> Image: Jana Dobbelaere<\/em><\/p>

Every year, at the end of the Belgian women\u2019s elite cyclocross championships, three jerseys are presented. Everyone with the slightest interest in Belgian cyclocross will know that once again Sanne Cant reigned supreme and rode away with the elite title.<\/p>

Unlucky challengers<\/h3>

After the first lap, it was a foregone conclusion. Her likely challengers Laura Verdonschot and Marion Norbert Riberolle were already out of the running. Unlucky Verdonschot hadn\u2019t even made it to the startline as a fever counted her out.<\/p>

Sanne beamed for the cameras<\/p><\/blockquote>

Norbert Riberolle fared only a little better. She seemed to spend more time off her bike than on. Sanne\u2019s Crelan-Fristads teammate was troubled by her gears. At the finish, whilst Sanne beamed for the cameras and high-fived a young supporter, Norbert Riberolle was inconsolable and fell to the ground in despair.<\/p>

\"2fubt5fjv8mv6f83z8heih8cuv4fjmmbeb8ede1iil7h6arw.jpg\"Marion Norbert Riberolle was in tears at the finish<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

Given that the former French national is nine years younger than Sanne, her time will surely come. After the new champion received her fourteenth elite national champion\u2019s jersey, two further Belgian tricolour jerseys were awarded.<\/p>

Dames elite club<\/h3>

Julie Brouwers of the De Ceuster - Bonache team was awarded the jersey as the first under-23 rider. She\u2019d finished in sixth place just a few seconds behind Jana Dobbelaere who took the third jersey to be awarded.<\/p>

This is for the first \u2018club rider\u2019 or Dames Elite Club<\/em>. This competition has always been a bit of a mystery to me. We\u2019d only recently published an interview with Jana Dobbelaere<\/a>, so I was keen to understand the eligibility criteria.<\/p>

\"vv7oymhlqptkdwjtap2emjfkcm0fhbb1mb6e3kjhw8t3booq.jpg\"Jana was delighted with her triumph<\/em><\/strong> Image: Jana Dobbelaere<\/em><\/p>

It\u2019s actually a case of who isn\u2019t eligible. Anyone who has profstatuut <\/em>(professional status) can only compete for the elite title, even if they are under-23. Professionals will have a contract registered with Belgian Cycling.<\/p>

Anyone who rides for a UCI-registered team such as Proximus-Alphamotorhomes can also only compete for the elite title, regardless of their age or professional status.<\/p>

Jana Dobbelaere rides as an unsponsored individual<\/p><\/blockquote>

Thus, the club champion is the first non-professional rider who doesn\u2019t ride for a UCI team. Jana Dobbelaere rides as an unsponsored individual. She and Julie Brouwers swapped places several times during the race before she edged away in the final lap.<\/p>

It was certainly more exciting than Sanne\u2019s victory which was an impressive demonstration of her superiority. But I was grateful that the TV producer showed more of the battles further down the field.<\/p>

Those of you who are eagle-eyed may be wondering if De Ceuster rider Julie Brouwers finished second in the club championship, why wasn\u2019t her third-placed teammate Alicia Franck crowned club champion? That\u2019s because, even though she rides for a non-UCI team, Alicia has a professional contract.<\/p>

\"tultb4d7yy1f7cs2rmzyeoa9r31knrzvcogp7dmgsvrcm3jz.jpg\"The Proximus-Alphamotorhomes men\u2019s team is not registered with the UCI<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

I estimate there are only about five Belgian women who ride cyclocross full time that are professionals: Sanne Cant, Marion Norbert Riberolle, Laura Verdonschot, Alicia Franck and possibly Marthe Truyen.<\/p>

Incidentally, the Belgian elite women\u2019s road race championship also includes a club rider title. It was won in 2022 by Fauve Bastiaenssen. Previous winners include Ellen van Loy. There are so many elite male road racers in Belgium that the male club riders, also known as elite zonder contract<\/em> (elites without contract), have their own separate race on a different day.<\/p>

Heren elite club<\/h3>

The elite men\u2019s cyclocross championship has the same rules but the under-23s have their own separate race. I was confused to discover that Gerben Kuypers had won the Heren Elite Club<\/em> title. I knew that he didn\u2019t have a professional contract because it\u2019s been much reported in the Belgian press.<\/p>

How is it possible that a rider who has won six UCI races this year including a round of the Exact Cross series has not been signed as a professional? My confusion is because he rides for the Proximus-Alphamotorhomes team which is registered with the UCI.<\/p>

Except that he isn\u2019t. Only the women\u2019s team is registered. This explains why Jinse Peters wasn\u2019t eligible for the club championship and Gerben Kuypers was.<\/p>

Cyclocross is unsustainable<\/h3>

Of the forty-two entrants for the Belgian men\u2019s elite national championships, twenty-one were eligible for the club championship.<\/p>

This means that in the world\u2019s premier cyclocross nation, where cyclocross gets larger viewing figures than football, it can only muster about five women and twenty male professionals.<\/p>

Wout van Aert can earn 15,000 Euro<\/p><\/blockquote>

When it\u2019s reported that Wout van Aert can earn 15,000 Euro in start money per race and TV rights are sold around the world, it does make you wonder where all the money goes. Most competitors are funded by their families or their non-cycling jobs.<\/p>

\"2dosyg6y6liufrsddel9ixszgojwmjsokx03o5t7itqoqqu9.jpg\"<\/u><\/a>Few are making a decent living. Even those that do, rely upon friends and family to act as mechanics, drivers and helpers. It doesn\u2019t seem like a sustainable economic model. It only works because of Belgium\u2019s unique obsession with cyclocross.<\/p>

\"grrbpemyywmusal5merxugim70nijvc2vqzqxpkx6vlx83lu.jpg\"<\/strong>My thanks to Jana for her help with this article and her proud mum for the pictures.<\/p>

Tim Costello, 20 January 2023.<\/p>

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