Exploring the Belgian National Cyclocross Championship in Our Backyard with National Coach Angelo De Clercq
This Sunday, the Belgian National Cyclocross Championship will take place in our proverbial backyard at the circuit in Zolder. Recent days of rain and snow have transformed the legendary location into a perfect cyclocross course. We went on a reconnaissance with national coach Angelo De Clercq. “I love coming here because the entire site is worthy of a championship,” says the former rider from Waasmunster.
Zolder has a rich cyclocross history. In 2002, Mario De Clercq – Angelo's father – became world champion here amidst a sea of supporters. Fourteen years later, the World Championships returned to the Circuit, where the old generation, led by Sven Nys, fiercely battled the young generation of Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel. It was the young Belgian who emerged victorious and claimed his first rainbow jersey.
And now, the Belgian National Championship will take place at the same location. An additional hill has been added in the final stage of the course. In the past, riders used to race this course in reverse, but course designer Erwin Vervecken succeeded in creating an obstacle with this steep climb that could decide the race. “It’s a matter of whether you can just make it to the top or not,” De Clercq observes. “You definitely need to be at the front, as only the first and perhaps second and third riders will make it up. The first few meters can be quite tough, so everyone will likely have to get off their bikes.”
With Angelo, we’re already in the final stretch of the lap. However, the long starting straight is certainly worth mentioning. “Zolder is quite unique in this regard, just like Loenhout. It’s a long asphalt section with plenty of space. This allows riders starting from the second and third rows to have a chance at taking the lead. In the past, road cyclists liked coming here for that reason.” It’s therefore not out of the question that Daan Soete from Ridley Racing Team will take the lead, just like in Baal, and be the first to enter the field.
Zolder has a rich cyclocross history. In 2002, Mario De Clercq – Angelo's father – became world champion here amidst a sea of supporters. Fourteen years later, the World Championships returned to the Circuit, where the old generation, led by Sven Nys, fiercely battled the young generation of Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel. It was the young Belgian who emerged victorious and claimed his first rainbow jersey.
And now, the Belgian National Championship will take place at the same location. An additional hill has been added in the final stage of the course. In the past, riders used to race this course in reverse, but course designer Erwin Vervecken succeeded in creating an obstacle with this steep climb that could decide the race. “It’s a matter of whether you can just make it to the top or not,” De Clercq observes. “You definitely need to be at the front, as only the first and perhaps second and third riders will make it up. The first few meters can be quite tough, so everyone will likely have to get off their bikes.”
With Angelo, we’re already in the final stretch of the lap. However, the long starting straight is certainly worth mentioning. “Zolder is quite unique in this regard, just like Loenhout. It’s a long asphalt section with plenty of space. This allows riders starting from the second and third rows to have a chance at taking the lead. In the past, road cyclists liked coming here for that reason.” It’s therefore not out of the question that Daan Soete from Ridley Racing Team will take the lead, just like in Baal, and be the first to enter the field.
Open Start, Exciting Finish
The course immediately takes the riders past the technical zone and heads towards the Sacramentsberg. As usual, no spectators are allowed here, and the riders will pass through a few seconds of tranquility before being greeted again by the cheers of thousands of fans. The toughest part lies after the second technical zone, with the steep slope, the dangerous descent with stairs, and the technical section through the woods.
“I haven’t seen conditions this greasy here in years,” De Clercq remarks. “It was like that during the 2016 World Championships. It also rained then, and the riders were covered in mud. Of course, the soil here is mainly Limburg sand, so you won’t get true mud. Still, it’s completely different from last year. Back then, riders used gravel bikes with cyclocross tires, but that won’t be possible now. We also won’t see a big chainring with 50 teeth like we did last year. Due to the steep hill, the riders will opt for 46 teeth. As for tire profiles, we’ll see the classic Grifo tires, 32 millimeters wide.”
There have been some suggestions that the Belgian Championship could be a tight battle with a group of 5 to 6 riders sprinting for victory. “That seems unlikely to me. We haven’t seen such scenarios often here in Zolder. It’s usually a sprint between 2 riders. In the first few laps, we might still see a closed group, but in the final, it will definitely split apart. Any small mistake will be fatal. However, whoever manages to enter the last straight behind the first rider will have a good chance. But you really have to be in their slipstream.”
De Clercq has a long way to go to Zolder, but he’s happy to make the journey for this race. “It’s going to be fantastic! There’s always a big crowd in Zolder, and because it’s such a long course, there’s plenty of space. You can also sit in the stands, and it’s like having a widescreen TV in front of you. I’m expecting a wonderful race with a potentially thrilling finish. Everyone, come on out!”
“I haven’t seen conditions this greasy here in years,” De Clercq remarks. “It was like that during the 2016 World Championships. It also rained then, and the riders were covered in mud. Of course, the soil here is mainly Limburg sand, so you won’t get true mud. Still, it’s completely different from last year. Back then, riders used gravel bikes with cyclocross tires, but that won’t be possible now. We also won’t see a big chainring with 50 teeth like we did last year. Due to the steep hill, the riders will opt for 46 teeth. As for tire profiles, we’ll see the classic Grifo tires, 32 millimeters wide.”
There have been some suggestions that the Belgian Championship could be a tight battle with a group of 5 to 6 riders sprinting for victory. “That seems unlikely to me. We haven’t seen such scenarios often here in Zolder. It’s usually a sprint between 2 riders. In the first few laps, we might still see a closed group, but in the final, it will definitely split apart. Any small mistake will be fatal. However, whoever manages to enter the last straight behind the first rider will have a good chance. But you really have to be in their slipstream.”
De Clercq has a long way to go to Zolder, but he’s happy to make the journey for this race. “It’s going to be fantastic! There’s always a big crowd in Zolder, and because it’s such a long course, there’s plenty of space. You can also sit in the stands, and it’s like having a widescreen TV in front of you. I’m expecting a wonderful race with a potentially thrilling finish. Everyone, come on out!”
X-Night RS
A crown jewel for championsThe X-Night RS is the fifth generation of our cyclocross bike on which dozens of titles have already been won. We developed this X-Night RS tailored to the cyclocross rider, with a special cyclocross geometry and numerous aerodynamic improvements. The Ridley Racing Team will use this crown jewel from autumn 2024.
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