Thus I foray into uncharted territory with this Preview. For the first time, I have made the effort to consistently watch the women’s cyclocross season. Back in the days of yore when I first started watching cyclocross, I, in the United States, had to rely on the 21st Century bootleggers: the modern day pirates who livestreamed the Belgian feed of the sport the Belgians love so much. To watch live required I wake up early on my Saturdays and Sundays, and quite frankly if I had been burning the midnight oil Friday or Saturday night it was simply too much to wake up so early for the women’s elite races who competed before dawn. In the more recent years of Van Der Poel domination: to watch cyclocross was a bit of a chore if the race was only going to be dominated by one man, especially after such a long road season; thus I watched not consistently the women before nor the replays after. Perhaps the short-burst lockdown season finally, finally did not ware me out fully this year, and I was ready to divide in and watch names I had seen in the headlines for years and on only the biggest of stages before. Thus I say once more, surely this is uncharted territory for me, but into that wilderness I go with one full season’s experience under my belt.
The Road or lack-there-of to become Cyclocross World Champion this year had led us all the way to Ostend, Belgium. Directly on the coast of the North Sea this course lies. Yes, yes, you already know it: on the North Sea coast surely it’ll feature sand. The laps shall be relatively short, but what a doozy of a sand section is in store for these cyclocrossers. From the start-line there are a few opening straightaways, then they climb and descend over a massive bridge and they enter a mighty-encompassing loop of the entire beach. How shall the sand be this day? Surely the sea-soaked sand directly on the shore shall be rideable enough, but how deep and unrelenting shall the rest be? Surely the legs shall burn with the amount of running they face. Surely, such a section is in the literal running for most grueling sandy-trek in all of Belgian Crosses. When they have finished that they cross the bridge once more to return to a relatively standard and common grassy cyclocross track with some minor lumps, many twists, perhaps a flyover or two or even a staircase.
What! O! What shall happen this year? Who is such a course suited to best? The lanes are wide and the sandy beaches even wider. The incline of the bridge is steep on both sides, surely the legs shall burn—but how much? How much shall they run along such a sandy beach? I tell you now, I will not lie, I am not sure which woman is the best runner among them nor especially not which is best over a flat sandy course. Perhaps the sandy Scheldecross is the most comparable course to this. That race was won by Denise Betsama (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) who separated and rode away from Lucinda Brand (Baloise Trek Lions) halfway through the race. Perhaps, perhaps, such a course could suit this Denise Betsama. Since that win, I have watched her attack early in many of the races, growing a large gap early forcing Lucinda Brand and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Alpecin-Fenix) to chase her down for large majorities of the race. Yes, on such a course perhaps a hot first half-lap over the bridge around the beach and up the bridge again can provide Betsama an ideal early escape. But she lines up at this race of course in her Netherlands National Team kit…and so do Brand and Alvarado.
How shall the Dutch play this? O! So dominate have they been, this season they seem to routinely take seven or eight of the top ten spots each race! The top race favorites must be Alvarado and Brand, surely, both have free reign to do as they please…or shall TAKE free reign to do as they please. But what of their teammates? Will Betsama be allowed to attack early…or shall she just do it anyways? What about living legend Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) or Annemarie Worst (777) and the rest of the Dutch talents? Surely all must have some level of autonomy, but what shall be the orders regarding the foreign rivals. Surely, it would be embarrassing if the Dutch with such abundance of riches miss out on the Rainbows due to infighting!
Yes, this Dutch women’s team is a juggernaut if ever there was one, the other nations can only significantly come at them in ones and twos. Sanne Cant (Iko – Crelan) seems Belgium’s Only Hope to win on home soil; Belgium, O! Belgium where has your firepower gone? For alas! it has seemed this season Sanne Cant’s heydays of three straight World Titles are behind her now, surely age is creeping up her, and it shall prove a Herculean task to wind back such a clock. Alas! The same is true for American hero Katie Compton whose twilight clearly closes in, but for the Americans there is a new hope: Clara Honsinger (Cannondale—Cyclocrossworld). In the hardest fought races into this late season Honsinger has rode bravely to finish on or just below the podium against all such big names. Shall she slay the Dutch giants this race? I think the key for Honsinger success is obvious: she must put together or achieve a better start than she has in the past. In her many podiums and high placings, she is doing such things with surging second halves. With such an open and demanding section of beach early on, providing ample passing room, perhaps this is her chance to achieve an ideal start. Clara! May you represent the Stars and Stripes well! But what of those who come from the island only one strong wind gust away, surely I speak of the Brits. Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing) and Anna Kay (Starcasino) what do you have in store for us on this day of days? Surely, such wind and salt blowing from the North Sea shall make you feel almost at home, no? Shall you work as a duel unit to attack and set up escapes from the Dutch powerhouse? And what of the young new rising sensation, Kata Blanka Vas, the champion of Hungary? On this biggest stage, how shall she respond? Could a new star be about to rise?
Were I a betting man, I’d dare to say the Dutch are too mighty, the title shall be retained for another year. The two biggest favorites shall come to the fore once more. Alvarado is the hottest-hand winning both the races on the final weekend before this World Championship. Lucinda Brand seemed almost “off” this past weekend, but perhaps she’ll be pinging on top form by Saturday. It shall be a course for the biggest engines, the ones with the most horsepower; and Brand has proven to be among or the best on that front in such a group. Thus it is to choose: between the hot-hand or the historically largest diesel engine? I am confident Brand shall do well while Alvarado is more of a wild card—how shall she run in the sand? Surely the odds are as good as a coin flip! Thus, here at the end in almost blind or random choice I shall take the hot-hand, the one who has won and worn the Rainbows before—all season actually—Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado shall defend her World Title.
