{"id":21260,"title":"Cyclocross racing in Belgium","description":"If you\u2019re an adult male or female with a passion for cyclocross and you\u2019d like to race in the sport\u2019s heartland of Belgium, then this guide is for you.","content":"

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

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Cyclocross Guide 3.0<\/strong><\/p>

If you\u2019re an adult male or female with a passion for cyclocross racing and you\u2019d like to ride in Flanders, then this guide is for you. You\u2019ve not properly experienced the sport until you\u2019ve raced cyclocross Belgian style.<\/p>

\"ImageYou\u2019ve mastered your local cyclocross league, or maybe no longer finish last, and now you want to broaden your racing horizons. There\u2019s only one place to go next and that\u2019s the heartland of cyclocross - Belgium or more precisely Flanders.<\/p>

Who is this guide for?<\/h3>

This guide is intended for adult male and female riders who\u2019d like to try their hand at racing cyclocross in Flanders. Primarily, it\u2019s intended for riders from the UK but with a little adjustment, it works equally for any nationality.<\/p>

\u201cUnder 35 men are all treated as elites\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>

Once you reach the age of 35, men\u2019s races are age-related, much like in the UK. Under 35 men are all treated as elites. It\u2019s a bit tougher for women because there aren\u2019t really any age-related races. You\u2019re either a junior woman or an elite woman and typically both ride together.<\/p>

Why Flanders for cyclocross?<\/h3>

Cyclocross, or veldrijden, is the most popular winter sport in Flanders. The stars of the sport are household names and each has a dedicated fan club.<\/p>

\"ImageFlanders - the home of cyclocross Image: courtesy of Andy Roberts<\/em><\/p>

Passion for cyclocross reached new heights during the Sven Nys and Bart Wellens era. Bart Wellens, famously kung-fu kicked a spectator who\u2019d been dousing him with a beer each lap. Bart clipped back in time to enable him to take the next corner and continue to victory.<\/p>

\u201cHe was disqualified after the event and served a short ban\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>

He was disqualified after the event and served a short ban from racing. Cyclocross is taken very seriously in Flanders where TV figures exceed those for all other winter sports including football.<\/p>

\"Gift<\/u><\/a>I\u2019ve raced several cyclocross events in Flanders including the UCI World Masters\u2019Cyclocross championships, and the Ardooie Kermiscross. Watching and racing cyclocross in Flanders is an extraordinary experience and not to be missed.<\/p>

Andy Roberts - Mr Cyclocross<\/h3>

For advice, I turned to someone who has notched up appearances in over 150 Flemish amateur cyclocross races during a long cycling career.<\/p>

\"AndySilver at the European Championships Image: courtesy of Andy Roberts<\/em><\/p>

Andy Roberts has been racing cyclocross in Flanders regularly since 2015. Each year, apart from during the Covid lockdowns, he bases himself at the Chainstay<\/strong><\/a> in Oudenaarde and stays for two or three months.<\/p>

Andy first dabbled at cyclocross as a junior way back in \u2026 well it would be impolite to say when but flairs and kipper ties were all the rage. It wasn\u2019t until the mid-nineties that he really started to ride cyclocross, combining it with winter mountain bike races.<\/p>

\u201cHe\u2019s won silver at the European championships\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>

As part of the Cotswold Veldrijden, he\u2019s won team medals at the UK National Cyclocross Championships and claimed second place in the over 50s National Championships. He\u2019s won silver at the European Championships and finished fifth four times at the Cyclocross World Masters\u2019 Championships.<\/p>

READ MORE<\/strong>: Read all our cyclocross articles and guides<\/strong><\/a> for free. If it is help with your cyclocross technique, advice about how to watch cycling on TV or interviews with cyclocross stars, we\u2019ve something for you.<\/p>

\"All<\/u><\/a>When he started to race regularly in Belgium, Andy soon made friends with many of the riders. This led to an invitation to ride for the Belgian Cycling Selection. It later morphed into the Dakservice team that Andy still rides for in Belgium.<\/p>

Cycling federations<\/h3>

If you\u2019ve read our Guide to Masters Racing in Belgium<\/strong><\/a>, you\u2019ll know that there are multiple cycling federations that co-exist with the UCI-recognised Belgian Cycling. For those readers from the UK, Belgian Cycling is the equivalent of British Cycling.<\/p>

\"ImageThe glamour of cyclocross Image: courtesy of Andy Roberts<\/em><\/p>

It\u2019s a similar position for cyclocross in Belgium but a more confusing one. To keep this simple, we\u2019re only going to include one independent federation, the Landelijke Renners & Crossers (LRC) and the Flandrian part of Belgian Cycling (Cycling Vlaanderen).<\/p>

We don\u2019t recommend riding Cycling Vlaanderen road races unless you can hold your own in elite races in the UK. But for cyclocross, you\u2019ll be fine riding Cycling Vlaanderen events whatever your age category.<\/p>

With Andy Roberts\u2019s help, we\u2019ll explain the differences between the two main alternatives (LRC and Cycling Vlaanderen) and what you can expect in terms of courses and competition.<\/p>

Experience<\/h3>

First off, let\u2019s talk about the Belgian cyclocross experience. If you want the best coffee, scenery and food in the world head to Italy. If you want the best cyclocross then set your compass for Flanders. But what\u2019s it like?<\/p>

\"ImageLining up alongside the European Champion Image: courtesy of Andy Roberts<\/em><\/p>

The first thing to say is that everyone knows and understands what cyclocross is. Even those that have no interest in the sport. It\u2019s not like the UK and most of the rest of the world where you have to explain it in very simple terms to non-cycling acquaintances.<\/p>

\u201cIt\u2019s like a road bike but with knobbly tyres and you have to get off and run\u201d. \u201cOh, so it\u2019s like an off-road duathlon then?\u201d \u201cNo, no, no!\u201d. Cycling writer Matt Seaton, author of the renowned Escape Artist<\/strong><\/a>, described cyclocross as a niche within a niche.<\/p>

Andy says the courses are much more varied than in the UK. They range from forests with loose sand (especially around Antwerp) to cornfields. There\u2019s less off-camber than in the UK and fewer parkland-based courses.<\/p>

\"ImageWooden posts don\u2019t move Image: courtesy of Andy Roberts<\/em><\/p>

More of the courses require sprinting out of corners but generally with nice long straights to get up to speed on. Even if the ground is rutted. Don\u2019t expect the kind of courses you\u2019ve watched on TV. Not many amateur courses are like that.<\/p>

\u201cWooden posts just don\u2019t move even if you hit them at speed\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>

It\u2019s worth noting that they use proper solid wooden posts hammered into the ground, often joined by rope. There are no bendy tape and plastic fence posts. As I discovered at Assenede, those wooden posts just don\u2019t move even if you hit them at speed.<\/p>

I clipped a post with my inside brake lever hood, as I\u2019ve often done in local races in the UK. The bike flipped around and I landed on my head fracturing my helmet. I was taken over to the medics\u2019 point and given the once over.<\/p>

After deciding I wasn\u2019t concussed they gave me a paracetamol and asked me what I was planning to do next. \u201cHave a beer\u201d, I replied. \u201cGood idea\u201d, they said and then gave me a recommendation for a local brewery.<\/p>

\"ImageWorld Masters\u2019 Champion Guido<\/em> <\/span>Verhaegen.<\/span> Image: courtesy of Andy Roberts<\/em><\/p>

The riders will be experienced with many of them having raced as juniors on exactly the same courses as they tend not to change that often. Competitors also ride in a more robust manner. Every place is fought for with vigour.<\/p>

\u201cFields are smaller, certainly for masters than in the UK\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>

Don\u2019t be deterred by this. Fields are smaller, certainly for masters than in the UK. Expect up to thirty riders, sometimes less. One thing you won\u2019t need for the pits (materiaalpost) is a jet wash. These are always supplied by the organisers.<\/p>

There\u2019ll be commentary, music and a bar. Often you pay one person for your drinks and then go to the bar with your slip of paper to claim your liquid entitlement.<\/p>

Just be warned that it\u2019s quite common to have to pay to gain access to the course which might include where the sign-on is located. This should be taken into account when you sign on so that you don\u2019t pay twice.<\/p>

LRC<\/h3>

The LRC<\/a> is organised by the same people who run the independent road racing federation LWU. It operates in West and East Flanders, although there is a race at Dour (Wallonia) this year.<\/p>

\"ImageYou\u2019ll experience more sand in Belgium. Image: courtesy of Andy Roberts<\/em><\/p>

You don\u2019t need a licence to ride LRC events. Just turn up, fill out a form and pay 15 euros and race. Don\u2019t forget your pins for your number. At the end of the race, you\u2019ll get 5 euros back when you hand in your number.<\/p>

Handily, the forms are available in Dutch, English and French. Expect to provide some evidence of your name and date of birth. Any form of identity card with both should be fine.<\/p>

There are no cash prizes for these events but you might get a tub of energy drink if you make it onto the podium. Andy informs me that if you stay to the end when they present flowers to the winners they usually have a tombola. He\u2019s come away with an eclectic selection of prizes which are dependent upon the sponsors. Bags of potatoes, shelving and even something from the local deli.<\/p>

\u201cOld school cross\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>

Andy describes LRC races as being like an \u201cold school cross\u201d. There aren\u2019t any designated pits so you just leave your spare bike or wheels somewhere handy.<\/p>

Mountain bikes are allowed and the spirit and diversity of standards are similar to a local UK cyclocross league.<\/p>

\"ImageAndy often trains on the Schelde cycle path. Image: courtesy of Andy Roberts<\/em><\/p>

It\u2019s easy to turn up on the day, pay your euro and ride. But what are the downsides? Apparently, the courses tend to be very tight because they\u2019re often used for the kids' races too.<\/p>

Once the races get underway, the gaps between races are short so you need to get out and ride recce laps before the first race. There\u2019s not the same control during practice as you\u2019d expect in a UK race and you need to keep your wits about you as it can be a bit chaotic with errant children.<\/p>

Races start at a leisurely 12:30 for the youngsters with the last race starting at 15:35. This leaves gaps of between 10 and twenty minutes between races.<\/p>

LRC calendar<\/h3>

The LRC promotes one, sometimes two, races per weekend between September and February. The LRC\u2019s website<\/strong><\/a> is minimalist in the extreme but covers all the important facts: dates and locations of races, age categories, standard start times and regulations.<\/p>

Unfortunately, it\u2019s a series of images so you can\u2019t use Google Translate. Here\u2019s what you need to know.<\/p>

Each race is listed with Inschr (short for inschrijving which means registration - it\u2019s the address of where you sign on) and Parcours (the location of the course - don\u2019t worry if it\u2019s not obvious just ask at registration). There\u2019s always someone who speaks excellent English to help you.<\/p>

The LRC age categories are:<\/p>