For various different reasons, I haven’t been to the Middelkerke race for a few years now. I hate to say it, but I haven’t missed much. It’s not an amazing race at the best of times, but it felt today that this venue is missing the crowds the most. Without people, its lack of exciting features felt more pronounced than normally.
That being said, I’ve managed to find a few nice mud pits, so the day was saved and I was having plenty of fun.
I’m very excited about tomorrow, though. The Krawatencross in Lille is not only a venue I really like, but if one can believe the forecasts, there will be a fair amount of snow as well! I don’t want to jinx it, but this would be the first properly snowy race since Overijse in 2017. All my fingers are crossed 🙂
Oh, and one more thing. Probably I’m the only one who wasn’t aware of the fact, that the overall prize money is the same for both the men and the women! We’ve come a very long way, it was the Superprestige series that ten-twelve years ago held the women’s race before the juniors, early in the morning… Times have changed.
1 comment
Don‘t know what to say about the mens race. Lars van der Haar literally taking a break on the barriers.Jürgen Mettepenningen, Gianni Merschmann and Sven Nys being in the position to „arrange“ the results which appears to be the worst all Pauwels-Sauzen podium for the three. Laurens Sweeck unable to finish the race the way he was able to and being held up, Eli Iserbyt running out of gas after a high-effort start and Michael Vantourenhout (again) somewhere inbetween. An exhausted Toon Aerts was the luckiest one today, as he won the superprestige overall in the end. For the last three laps the most „thrilling“ part of the race was to imagine how the race will end. Will Laurens Sweeck and Michael Vantourenhout stop right before the finish line and let Eli Iserbyt pass, to show everyone that they are not amused about team tactics and cross the finish line walking and pushing their bikes?
If this mens race was held with audience it would have been a constant beer cup throwing and podium ceremony disturbing one.
The beginning of the season doesn‘t see such arrangements, which makes the classification races a bit annoying when they turn out like Middelkerke 2021.
Comments are closed.