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Our Wheelbase Castelli MGD team rider Tom Martin spent some time racing cyclocross over the festive period in Belgium. Tom headed over on Boxing Day and competed in three races alongside the world’s top cyclocross riders in the sport’s homeland. Our Cumbrian rider sums up his first experience of racing ‘cross with the world’s best:
‘All summer I wanted to race road abroad but it never happened so I got myself out to Belgium on Boxing Day to get some experience racing at the home of Cyclocross.
The first race was the DVV Trophy Azencross in Loenhout, a C1 category race. It was absolutely freezing all morning but just got above freezing for my race at 12. With it being my first ever race in Belgium it was a relief that I’d successfully signed myself up to race and once signed on I went for some recon laps. A long road stretch to start, into a sharp bend, ideal! I soon came across one of several ‘ditches’ on the course that you either had to hop over or take the slower option of dismounting. I bottled it at first so just carried on riding round, I was happy with everything apart from two ditches but I successfully did one and left the bigger one as unlike most riders I have to pay for my wheels and tubs!
So the race…
I was at the back with some other Brit’s punching above our weight but once we were underway the racing was mega – fast, aggressive and technical! I raced with the aim to not get pulled out for being 80% behind on the leader and to move as far up as I possibly could on the tight twisty course. I was gaining places throughout the race and closed up to a group on the final lap. I was a bit deflated with my result finishing 58th out of the 80 riders on the start sheet but I came for the experience and I was battling with full time sponsored riders throughout. The fans were something else though, I thought racing Otley crit was good but with thousands of Belgian beer-fuelled fans cheering you on it definitely makes you push that little more.
The following day I raced a Brico cross in Bredene but I was in the Elite race not just the U23 today. It was a lot warmer today and the course was running fast with a couple of greasy off cambers, hurdles, sand pit and several bankings to keep you on your toes. If I wanted any chance of getting round with the likes of the world champ Wout Van Aert then I had to ride flat out from the off. The race split into small groups so it was a case of trying to jump from group to group without showing your face into the strong wind, easier said than done! I rode all the technical sections okay apart from nearly going over the bars in the sand pit. I got pulled out with two or three laps to go as Wout was flying at the front but I gave it my all and I was far from last or the first to get pulled out. I was 54th from another large 80 rider field and I was surprised to see the amount of ‘pro’ riders that got pulled out.
A couple of days later on the 1st January I raced in Baal at the Sven Nys GP in the U23 race. On my first recon lap I was shocking but my second I was riding okay and was liking the course due to the technical features and elevation change throughout. Again my aim was to ride hard and move up. After a great start I had moved up pretty well from the back row but as I dropped down a banking unfortunately I was forced off line resulting in a face plant and finding myself at the back of field once again… great. I raced the best I could and loved it as it doesn’t get much better than smashing through muddy ruts in front of thousands of people. I finished up in 46th my best result of the three races.
All in all a great trip, no mechanicals and only one crash!
