This will be the last time that I bang on about Blanka Kata Vas’ silver medal from yesterday, but it is a huge thing from me. As a Hungarian chap, growing up in a country where cycling has never really been a thing, it has always been beyond my wildest dreams that one day I’d see someone from Hungary on the podium of any cross race, let alone the World Championships.
As far as I know, we’ve only had two other medalist at cycling World Championships. First, in 2007, when Laszlo Bordogi lost to Fabian Cancellara at the road ITT Worlds in Stuttgart and then a year later, when Barbara Benko finished second in 2008 among the junior women mountain bikers at Val di Sole. Interesting side note, those pesky mountain bikers have had junior women races at the Worlds since 1996. Just saying.
Anyway, it’s a big thing for us. Even though it probably isn’t, in the grand scheme of things. I just checked Hungarian news websites and it’s a small news piece, somewhere below the fold. But I don’t care. Big day for me, one that I will remember for a long time.
The Worlds was great. It was probably the easiest to shoot. The organisers put up six, massive overpasses, which allowed free movement to everybody. Us, photographers, also had easily accessible designated zones, which made life easier. We were also lucky with the weather. We eased into the weekend with two dry and, at times, sunny days, had a fast Saturday and then the heavens opened and had proper cross weather on Sunday. These days are always hard, but rewarding from the photos’ point of view. It was a well-run event, thought I’m still not convinced that this was the best course that could have been put on in Switzerland. One doesn’t have to look further than next year’s World Cup in Villars, which a ski resort and is a test for the UCI to prove to the IOC that cross would work in the Winter Olympics. I’m really looking forward to that.
Two more weekends left and then this season is somehow over. Where has time gone?
