De moeder van alle crossen – the mother of all cyclo-cross [races]. The Druivencross is probably the most famous race in the calendar and while it isn’t part of any of the big three series, it’s still an important part of most rider’s calendar. While the sky was gloomy in the morning, the sun later came out and stayed with us for the rest of the day.
Sometimes it’s impossible to capture the atmosphere of a race venue and today I had that feeling. It has clearly been my favourite race venue so far – with Asper-Gavere a close second. It’s been very hilly and probably just as tough as Koppenberg, but I preferred this course with it’s fast descents and twisty climbs – and the fact how often one comes another, forcing sudden pace-changes on the riders. Add thousands of crazy spectators and you might have a vague idea what the day might have been like.
The racing was exciting and unpredictable, even though the favourites have won eventually. Nikki Harris was fighting hard for the top place on the podium and gave Katie Compton a run for her money. The men’s race also saw many crashes (Radomir Simunek, Dieter Vanthourenhout, Kevin Pauwels and Tom Meeusen) and Bart Aernouts did everything he could to chase down Sven Nys, but Nys was again the man of the day and won the race with a comfortable advantage. It was a great day, great racing and I can’t wait for next weekend’s GVA and World Cup races!
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