The first World Cup on the Italian island of Sardinia has to do without a large number of top riders. With World Cup leader Thibau Nys, Lars van der Haar, and Cameron Mason absent, even the entire podium from the World Cup in Flamanville is missing among the men, and many top women are also sitting this one out. Coincidence, or is there more going on with the riders?
It's a recurring annual issue for World Cup organizers at this point in the cyclocross season: after a busy first part of the season, riders see early December as the perfect moment for a break. But this year, Sardinia seems to be taking more of the hit than other rounds. Besides Nys, Van der Haar, and Mason, Toon Aerts, Ryan Kamp, Jente Michels, and Emiel Verstrynge are also not showing up. All riders who are in the top 10 of the World Cup standings after two rounds.
Among the women, Lucinda Brand is returning to competition, but notable absences include rider-in-form Amandine Fouquenet, Inge van der Heijden, Marion Norbert-Riberolle, and Hélène Clauzel. Also striking: in total, only five women starting do not come from Belgium, the Netherlands, or the host country; for the men, that number is seven. This is the lowest ever number in a World Cup.
"Not a conscious choice"
Still, Eric Braes, regular team director for Nys and Van der Haar at Baloise Glowi Lions, emphasizes that it is not a deliberate decision to skip the Sardinia cyclocross. His two leaders decided on their own to go on a training camp in Spain. "It’s not like we looked at the calendar and said: we definitely won’t go. We don’t want to specifically exclude Sardinia. Besides, we are still bringing five of our nine riders to Italy. We also did not organize a team training camp ourselves; we only do that for the World Championships. In fact, we've left each rider free to decide how they want to spend this period."
Last year the cyclocross in Sardinia didn’t even take place - photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
The fact remains: according to Braes, everyone sooner or later needs a week off from cyclocross. “It’s not that every rider is absolutely exhausted, but if you want to get through the rest of the season and the Christmas period, this is the perfect moment to get back into those long endurance rides. Every rider can benefit from that, even if only to ride in better weather. The body responds better to that, and it promotes recovery. You really cannot underestimate how important that is for cyclocrossers.”
So why is Sardinia the one to suffer among some riders on his team—but also in many other teams? "You have to make choices somewhere, and in my opinion, those are mainly personal. Some riders say: I don’t feel like the trip to Sardinia, so I’d rather spend this week on a training camp. Others prefer to skip a tough race like Namur and actually come to race now. It’s a matter of weighing where to skip, and that way we make the best choice for each rider. Lucinda Brand chose to skip Flamanville so she can race everything now. And Pim Ronhaar is on a training camp in Sardinia, so he can still cyclocross.”
Flanders Classics shows understanding
At Flanders Classics, the umbrella organization of the World Cup, there is some understanding for the riders. "You know that riders do this at this time of year. It’s not new that they have to make choices. Of course, more top riders are always welcome, and we also want to support the local organizers. But it’s a tough season, and those choices are part of it. As organizers, you have to learn to deal with that; there’s not much more you can do," says cyclocross rider Chris Mannaerts.
Mannaerts therefore does not want to lament. “In the women’s field, the starting list is still pretty decent. Regarding the men’s elite riders, last year we saw that races with fewer top names can also lead to a more exciting race dynamic. I still remember that last season before Diegem we said it was a shame that Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert didn’t start, but it became one of the most fun cyclocross races of the Christmas period. The riders who start put on the show regardless.”
UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup - Terralba Sardinia
