Race Thread

[Barkintheeye]

He's going to get far more support as a Dutch rider than a Danish rider........so it's really a 'no brainer'. I think Andreassen was the last Danish World champ in CX (Juniors in 2015, Tabor). And he has hardly ridden much CX since then......,Degn & Bohe have ridden CX as young riders, but I don't think the Danish federation supports it much after that. (like other countries)

Without knowing too much about Danish cycling I take it road is prioritized. They are a small nation (6 million inhabitants) yet have lots of strong riders especially on the road.

Isn’t it so that only in Belgium and the Netherlands cross riders are properly supported?

 

[Wyndbrook]

Nice bonus watching racing tonight from Woerden.
Good to see both races with a high number of younger riders, especially as the seperate junior men's race had over 60 starters.

 

[theyoungest]

But he also does MTB (about which I know nothing): might he have better chance of selection, and still decent support, by availing in that discipline of the Danish element of his background? I don't know what is a good site for researching his representation history in those races.

Usually the choice of which nation to represent depends more on the chances they have of making the Dutch team at championships. You have the Kopecky siblings, who represent the Czech Republic but are as Dutch as Gouda cheese (albeit with a Czech father). They don't make that choice because the Czech federation offers better support, of course.

Bailey Groenendaal apparently has some Danish blood (his mother, maybe?) and I suppose the reason for riding under the Danish flag is similar. If that is indeed what he's doing and it's not some mistake by these cycling databases.

Pcs and First cycling both say Danish, cyclocross 24 say Dutch, so two to one he must be Danish
Is he related to Richard?

They don't seem to be related, even though they're from the same region in the Netherlands and Groenendaal is not that common of a last name. It's definitely a Dutch name though, not Danish. The meaning is actually the same as Valverde

 

[Davesta]

Nice bonus watching racing tonight from Woerden.
Good to see both races with a high number of younger riders, especially as the seperate junior men's race had over 60 starters.

Where did you find the coverage?
I couldn’t see it on Discovery+

 

[CXXC]

Where did you find the coverage?
I couldn’t see it on Discovery+

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN1XDa6B30Q&t=11444s


Just caught up with livestream at You Tube, coverage is not the best .

 

[Lequack]

So how come MVDP and Wout are not riding? They basically stopped their season after the Tour, with some smaller races just to show up. So you'd think they got plenty of rest.

 

[Wyndbrook]

Where did you find the coverage?
I couldn’t see it on Discovery+

I used a link on Weilerflits.

 

[jono]

So how come MVDP and Wout are not riding? They basically stopped their season after the Tour, with some smaller races just to show up. So you'd think they got plenty of rest.

The earliest either rider has started their 'cross seasons since 2020 is the last weekend in November.

Both riders competed for GC in their one-week tours in August (Deutschland for Wout, Renewi for Mathieu), and MVDP had major goals in September (MTB WC) while not over his illness. Wout traveled to Canada and back for the September races there. As long as they are expected to ride the Tour in summer and have a productive classics campaign, I don't think a full cyclocross season is realistic.

 

[logeardaddy]

Calendar CX 2025/2026

04/10/2025 Meulebeke Exact Cross
18/10/2025 Essen Exact Cross
19/10/2025 Ruddervoorde Superprestige
25/10/2025 Heerderstrand Exact Cross
26/10/2025 Overijse Superprestige
01/11/2025 Oudenaarde X2O Trofee
02/11/2025 Lokeren X2O Trofee
08-09/11/2025 Middelkerke European
11/11/2025 Niel Superprestige
15/11/2025 Merksplas Superprestige
16/11/2025 Hamme X2O Trofee
23/11/2025 Tabor CDM
30/11/2025 Flamanville CDM
07/12/2025 Terralba CDM
13/12/2025 Kortrijk Exact Cross
14/12/2025 Namur CDM
20/12/2025 Antwerpen CDM
21/12/2025 Koksijde CDM
22/12/2025 Hofstade X2O Trofee
23/12/2025 Heusden-Zolder Superprestige
26/12/2025 Gavere CDM
28/12/2025 Dendermonde CDM
29/12/2025 Loenhout X2O Trofee
30/12/2025 Diegem Superprestige
01/01/2026 Baal X2O Trofee
02/01/2026 Mol Exact Cross
03/01/2026 Gullegem Superprestige
04/01/2026 Zonhoven CDM
10-11/01/2026 National Championships
18/01/2026 Benidorm CDM
24/01/2026 Maasmechelen CDM
25/01/2026 Hoogerheide CDM
30/01-01/02/2026 Hulst Worlds
04/02/2026 Maldegem Exact Cross
07/02/2026 Middelkerke Superprestige
08/02/2026 Lille X2O Trofee
14/02/2026 Sint-Niklaas Exact Cross
15/02/2026 Brussel X2O Trofee

Is there a way of pinning this schedule at the top of the cx sub-forum?

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Is there a way of pinning this schedule at the top of the cx sub-forum?

Well, it could be made a thread, which could be stickied* at the top of the sub-forum. Does anyone even go to that sub-directory page?
If people would like to see that done, click like: if you don't like the idea, click the angry face. (If you particularly like or dislike this post for other reasons, you'll have to find another emoticon to express it, but you'll forgo your vote in doing so))


* A joy of the off-season is that I can go a while without @RedheadDane atting me in race threads to add/remove sticky status to the thread in question.

 

[RedheadDane]

* A joy of the off-season is that I can go a while without @RedheadDane atting me in race threads to add/remove sticky status to the thread in question.

You can always sticky this thread...

Well, it could be made a thread, which could be stickied* at the top of the sub-forum. Does anyone even go to that sub-directory page?

What? The CX sub-forum? We're in it right now...

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

What? The CX sub-forum? We're in it right now...

No, the directory page for this sub-forum...

 

[RedheadDane]

No, the directory page for this sub-forum...

Not sure what you mean...

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Well, it could be made a thread, which could be stickied* at the top of the sub-forum. Does anyone even go to that sub-directory page?
If people would like to see that done, click like: if you don't like the idea, click the angry face. (If you particularly like or dislike this post for other reasons, you'll have to find another emoticon to express it, but you'll forgo your vote in doing so))


* A joy of the off-season is that I can go a while without @RedheadDane atting me in race threads to add/remove sticky status to the thread in question.

So far, this year, the first weekends of CX racing have been MUCH more interesting than any road race this year, so yes, please sticky.

 

[AmRacer]

So far, this year, the first weekends of CX racing have been MUCH more interesting than any road race this year, so yes, please sticky.

Wait until the CX 🐐is racing

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Wait until the CX 🐐is racing

That makes things much more boring. We get to see him riding alone for most of the race. Super fun...

 

[Devil's Elbow]

The real Pim Ronhaar may be resurfacing here.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

...but Nieuwenhuis is still better. Good race, massively impressive for Corsus to podium in this field at 19.

 

[CXXC]

Great to see Ronhaar looking so strong again but in the end Nieuwenhuis proved better after entertaining race at Heerdestrand , I'm going to have to check out more about the young Corsus who was third.
In women's race van Empel stuttered a little in eralier laps before powering to the win during the final lap.

 

[pmcg76]

Great to see Ronhaar looking so strong again but in the end Nieuwenhuis proved better after entertaining race at Heerdestrand , I'm going to have to check out more about the young Corsus who was third.
In women's race van Empel stuttered a little in eralier laps before powering to the win during the final lap.

Van Empel does not look fantastic so far, but early days. One new thing I noticed from her today was bunny-hopping the planks. They were not the highest for sure, but I cannot recall her bunny-hopping before. Van Alphen did the same, but outside of Puck, she was one of the few ladies who could bunny-hop. Can we add Fem to the list now?

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Great to see Joris win! Guy looks to me, outside of the mutants, to have the biggest motor in CX.

It's nice to see Van Empel win, even though I'm a Puck fan. It was hard to know how much emotional pain and turmoil she expereineced this past year, so it's good to see her looking happy...I just dread the days where she wins races on the first lap.

 

[theyoungest]

Van Empel does not look fantastic so far, but early days. One new thing I noticed from her today was bunny-hopping the planks. They were not the highest for sure, but I cannot recall her bunny-hopping before. Van Alphen did the same, but outside of Puck, she was one of the few ladies who could bunny-hop. Can we add Fem to the list now?

Van Empel has done it before, if the planks aren't too high and it actually makes a difference. For instance in Antwerp where she won because she could hop the planks and Brand couldn't. Most of the time she's just as fast running them though.

 

[Davesta]

Van Empel does not look fantastic so far, but early days. One new thing I noticed from her today was bunny-hopping the planks. They were not the highest for sure, but I cannot recall her bunny-hopping before. Van Alphen did the same, but outside of Puck, she was one of the few ladies who could bunny-hop. Can we add Fem to the list now?

Fem dabbled in bunny hopping a couple of years ago, for a few races, including the Fayetteville World Cup where she hopped them on the final lap to open a gap for the win IIRC.

But since then has gone back to running them…perhaps she had a scare in practice and decided it wasn’t worth the risk in races, particularly when she could just as easily ride away from the others to win.

It’s good to see her enjoying the sport, and even though she’s not as dominantly strong as previous years, she’s still got that winning instinct in her!

Van Alphen has started the season very strong. But sadly for her has come up against a slightly better Van Empel in the last few races…surely a win must come soon…
I wonder how long it is until the other top women start racing though - Alvarado, Backstedt, Schreiber etc.

 

[CXXC]

I wonder how long it is until the other top women start racing though - Alvarado, Backstedt, Schreiber etc.

I too wondered when we could see Alvarado return , sadly a quick search finds she's currently out with a knee injury , duration unknown .

Overijse today . Favourite type course for myself as there is plenty of climbing .Should be dry and fast unlike mudfest seen in recent past.

 

[theyoungest]

Home Alone wins the women's race in Overijse! It's an unusually open field in the women's races so far. Van Alphen has consistenly been close, but no cigar.