DIARY OF A LYCRA OBSESSED FLANDRIEN
BiciSport members Mike Lawson & Davide Browne have landed in the land of Duvel, Trappist, Merckx & Boonen. Mike Lawson is based at the usual BiciSport service corse at the Kokerelle B&B at Maarke Kerkem just outside Oudenaarde. Mike will be racing in five local cyclo cross events near Oudenaarde in East Flanders in the lead up to the UCI World Masters Cyclocross Championships at Mol on 29 November. Davide will be honing his velodrome skills with a trip to the Roubaix Velodrome, and the two velodromes in Ghent being the Eddy Merckx Velodrome and the t’Kuipe Velodrome.
Race Program in Flanders
* Nov 9 - Zottegem Cyclocross (Mike Lawson)
* Nov 11 & 16 - Flanders Championship Lichtervelde Cyclocross (Mike Lawson)
*Nov 12-17 - Ghent 6 Day (t’Kuipe Velodrome) with Davide Browne
* Nov 17 - Aalter Cyclocross (Mike Lawson)
* Nov 23 - Watripont Cyclocross (Mike Lawson)
* Nov 29 - UCI World Masters Cyclocross Championships (Mol) (Mike Lawson)
UCI Masters Cyclocross Website - www.wkmasterscyclocross.be
Daily updates will be posted here
Roubaix Velodrome @ 12 Nov - Davide Browne (BiciSport Master) takes the victory salute at the Roubaix Velodrome
Roubaix Velodrome @ 12 Nov - Davide Browne & family on the Roubaix Velodrome banking
Flanders Cyclocross Championship @ Litchervelde @ 11 Nov - the small town of Litchervelde in West Flanders hosted the Flanders Cyclocross Championship. Conditions were challenging with steady rain and mud, mud and more mud
Flanders Cyclocross Championship @ Litcherfield @ 11 Nov - The Junior race had 70 starters in cold & wet conditions.
Flanders Cyclocross Championships @ Litchervelde @ 11 Nov - Mike Lawson leaves the finishing straight behind, turns left and begins lap 2 in the Flanders mud
Flanders Cyclocross Championships @ Litchervelde @ 11 Nov - conditions were difficult in the extreme
t’Kuipe Velodrome @ 9 Nov - Eddy Ver Bust kindly gained access to the t’Kuipe before the mass invasion on Tuesday. The external building facade itself presented like a derelict & shambolic World War 2 concrete bunker, but inside reveals the most amazing velodrome at just 167m per lap (approximately 9 seconds per lap).
The two riders at top left in this picture were Mark Cavendish & Ijo Keisse (both there for a training session)
Zottegem Cyclocross Belgium @ 9 Nov - Mike Lawson (BiciSport Master) on the warm up lap before the race start, just after the short sandpit run
Zottegem Cyclocross Belgium @ 9 Nov - Mike Lawson on the steady uphill section. Weather conditions were nearly balmy for Belgium in November - sunshine & light winds and 9 degrees. Races were held for all categories from Under 9, Juniors, Women & Masters. All fields were fully subscribed.
Zottegem Cyclocross Belgium @ 9 Nov - Mike Lawson on the descent to the bottom of the circuit
Zottegem Cyclocross Belgium @ 9 Nov - Mike Lawson in full flight at Zottegem
The t’Kuipe (means Little Bowl in Flemish) Velodrome is small, creaking, hot & smelly … and that’s just the patrons !!!
The Middenplein at the t’Kuipe Velodrome … its too close to call what the punters take more seriously - the racing or the eating & drinking !. The only way to mark the passage of time is to glance at the floor of the Middenplein. At 9pm - the empty Primus beer cups can be toed aside. By 11pm its crunchy underfoot, but that’s hardly surprising as the easiest way to drink is a 5 beer cascade off a flimsy tray !.
Its all beer, burgers and hotdogs. Belgium is famous for its canals … that’ll be alimentary canals !!.
Racing concludes at 1.30am and then its where is my car and how do I go home ?. Where is home again ?.
Ghent 6 race nights include two points races, a super sprint, a flying lap, separated by a 45 second winners ceremony all surrounded by upbeat pop music. Pace is everything - eating, drinking, racing - its of the essence. After four nights the race gets its “feel” and a sense of who may take the victory (or maybe the punters are too drunk or tired or both to care ?).
The riders complete 110-120k per night and usually spin 52 x 16 gear ratios. Riders can’t race on a heavy gear and spinning is the only way to survive 6 nights on the 48 degree corners.
In the ‘old days’ it was called the Ghent Fix … but races are maybe not so ‘fixed’ or ‘organised’ as they once were in the past. But really, have few beers, kick back & relax, and who cares if its maybe fixed a bit … as long as a Belgian wins and the crowd doesn’t riot. Where is Eddy Merckx ?
The t’Kuipe (means Little Bowl in Flemish) is 50 years old. It groans and it creaks with 48 degree bankings and just 167m per lap. Riders hit the bankings at 70kph during a sprint lap. The velodrome contains 5,000 seats and the spillover crowd fills into the Middelplein in the velodrome centre. Where is my beer ?
The Eddy Merckx Velodrome is the second velodrome based in Ghent and is much more modern than the somewhat rustic Little Bowl which is the t’Kuipe at nearby Citadel Park
UCI World Masters Cyclo Cross Championships @ Mol, Belgium @ 29 November - The Cyclocross Championship circuit includes several sand sections beside the Zilvermeer Water Park on both sides of the lake
