Fans got a preview of the riders on the worlds course

Editor’s note: Check back in for the women’s preview as well as international and domestic favorites

BRUSSELS, Belgium (VN) – The world championships of cyclocross, which kick off on Saturday, will return to Belgium for the first time since 2007. And with reports of some 40,000 tickets to the two-day event in the coastal town of Koksijde already sold, the country seems to be living up to its reputation for rabid cyclocross fandom.

In Flanders, Belgium’s Dutch-speaking northern region, cyclocross’s populist appeal means that ‘cross fans probably have more in common with NASCAR fans than their skinsuit-clad, cowbell-ringing cousins on the sidelines at American cyclocross races. Millions tune in to TV coverage, and tens of thousands turn out to cheer on their favorites in person, braving miserable weather and shoe-sucking mud for just a brief glimpse of stars like Sven Nys and Bart Wellens.

And like American NASCAR fans, Belgian ‘cross fans are zealously devoted to their favorite renners (racers). Fans frequently arrive at races fully bedecked in gear emblazoned with the logos of their favorite racer’s supporters club, and argue — not always politely — about just which Belgian racer is the greatest.

Lines of partisanship are often drawn geographically, with those from northern towns dividing support between Kevin Pauwels, Bart Aernouts, Tom Meeusen, and Czech Zdenek Stybar, who lives in Essen, Belgium, and has earned adopted Belgian status in the eyes of many cyclocross fans. Fans a few kilometers south might support Bart Wellens, who lives not far from Antwerp, while those in West Flanders line up behind local Klaas Vantornout. And Sven Nys and Niels Albert, whose homes in neighboring villages, Baal and Tremelo, are barely separated by a kilometer, have divided households in the central Belgian province of Flemish Brabant against their own.

So it is little surprise that the buildup to the first world championships in Belgium in half a decade has been relentless. Huge numbers have been tuning into De Flandriens van het veld, a documentary series chronicling Flemish exploits in cyclocross since Eric De Vlaeminck’s first of seven world titles in 1966 that airs on Flanders’ regional TV network Canvas. Meanwhile, disputes between riders vying for one of seven highly coveted slots on the Belgium’s Worlds team have been increasingly loud and increasingly public.

Drama reached a fever pitch when superstar Sven Nys called out worlds team coach Rudy De Bie for not naming his teammate Sven Vanthourenhout to one of the slots, saying De Bie had compromised Belgium’s chances at a title by passing up a loyal domestique in favor of riders with better results but no real chance for victory.

Cyclocross world championships preview: Women

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FILED UNDER: Cyclocross / News TAGS: Cyclocross World Championships