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I would say it's more difficult. Where it's rutting up, for instance at the top of the running hill and the short off camber uphill it's getting more powedery, so the looser snow is harder. Other parts it's compacting which although generally makes it more predictable in a straight line on the flat it will also become more slippery. Compacted parts will freeze more easliy and become an ice rink. Think Bieles on the first day when Pidcock, Worst Cant won where it was pretty sketchy on the parts that still had compacted snow/ice on.I guess the more its ridden the snow gets easier to ride.
Unlike mud.
Ma be the should reverse the Womens the Mens order for snow.
Some pics
When Sam is on form and his head is right, he's got the power. I'm not sure how he'll do with all the off bike time in a CX race though.Not sure it's been mentioned, but Sam Gaze will do a few CX races this season; he's down for Rucphen on Saturday. He's one of only 2 riders to beat MvdP in Short Track XC races.
Yeah, it was already a pretty brutal course and I'm not sure what the cobbles actually really add to it. I do hope some landscaping has been done to the camber that follows it, as it's become a bit of a motorway these past couple of seasons.Rucphen is a bit, meh....doesn't look too challenging, but might provide decent racing. However, Namur, well it's probably the biggest test of the season. Though I'm still not sure about the cobbled climb they introduced a few years ago......
I'm looking forward to seeing how Tom Pidcock fairs this weekend with both MvdP and Wout out. Will he be the best of the rest?