Last year, the organizers of the World Cup in Sardinia faced the worst possible scenario. Due to a severe storm, the safety of riders and spectators could no longer be guaranteed, leading to a last-minute cancellation of the race. On Sunday, the World Cup returns to the Italian island on a new course. WielerFlits looks ahead.
It was quite a disaster in Cabras, almost a year ago. The night before the race, a makeshift bar and dining room run by the organizers alongside the course went up in flames due to a lightning strike. To make matters worse, the press room also burned down. Gusts of wind exceeding 100 kilometers per hour caused even more damage. Despite the organizers’ efforts to get the course race-ready in a hurry, cancellation was sadly the only option.
“For a local organizer, this is devastating,” explains Chris Mannaerts of the overarching organizer Flanders Classics. “I imagine they suffered a significant financial loss. You can insure yourself, but not for everything. They did not let this bitter pill hold them back and were eager to quickly get back on the calendar. That World Cup in Sardinia absolutely had to happen, so we gave them another chance.”
Not in Cabras anymore, but about forty kilometers further south in Marceddi, Terralba. “A tiny fishing village that feels African-Italian due to the small, cozy houses and narrow streets. Along the course, there are a few small boats that evoke a typical Italian beach vibe. We didn’t stage anything; everything is just as we found it,” says Mannaerts.
This new location was not chosen primarily to avoid a replay of last year’s scenario. “Nature is always unpredictable, but on this course you're less exposed to wind than in Cabras. I think they would have switched anyway. The downside of the previous course was that it had zero facilities on that lonely beach. Here, you have ten times as many: several restaurants, a block of flats for the press and the race office, and so on. So it was mainly a logistical choice by the local organizer.”
By the beach, Mannaerts and his team mapped out a course, where, according to the cyclocross expert from Flanders Classics, one thing immediately stands out. “The total elevation gain will be less than one meter. It’s really flat as a billiard table. But that doesn’t make it any less tough. Due to the rainfall, the ground is much heavier than expected. In summer we thought we'd have to reduce speed on the laps a few times because it would otherwise be too dangerous. That’s absolutely not the case.”
The showpiece of the circuit is four short sandy sections. “Don’t think of a beach like Ostend. These are rather sandy paths among greenery, similar to what you see in places like Oostmalle, but with much less sand. Otherwise, the surface is predominantly green. It’s a beautiful circuit with wide sections. We deliberately avoided making it a tight technical course and instead designed a race with good flow.”
Additionally, the lap includes a plank passage, which according to Mannaerts is in an area that happens to be very tough. “Riders will have to dismount there. Afterwards, it goes quickly towards the last sandy section and just before the finish, there’s a small flight of stairs at the chapel, where they have to dismount again before turning into the finish straight. All these little things will wear on them.”
The first World Cup on the Italian island of Sardinia will go ahead without many top riders. With World Cup leader Thibau Nys, Lars van der Haar, and Cameron Mason absent, even the entire men’s World Cup podium from Flamanville is missing. Among the women, many top contenders are also sitting this one out. Coincidence, or is there more behind the riders’ decisions?
It’s an annual issue for World Cup organizers at this stage of the cyclocross season: after a busy first part of the season, riders often see early December as a prime moment for rest. But this year, Sardinia seems to be bearing the brunt more than other rounds. Along with Nys, Van der Haar, and Mason, riders like Toon Aerts, Ryan Kamp, Jente Michels, and Emiel Verstrynge will also not show up. All are in the top 10 of the World Cup after two rounds.
Still, Eric Braes, the steady team director of Nys and Van der Haar at Baloise Glowi Lions, stresses this is not a deliberate decision against racing in Sardinia. His two leaders chose to train in Spain on their own initiative.
“You have to make choices, and in my opinion, it's mostly personal. Some riders say: I don’t want to travel to Sardinia, so I’d rather do a training camp that week. Others prefer to skip tough races like Namur and are racing here instead. It’s a matter of weighing up what to skip, and we make the best choice for each rider. Take Pim Ronhaar, for example. He joined David Haverdings on a training camp to Sardinia so he can still race.”
A golden opportunity for Sweeck and Nieuwenhuis – photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
Despite his back issues, we still count Ronhaar among the favorites. Essentially, the 23-year-old Dutchman definitely has the capacity to perform well in this field, and according to his team director, progress through strengthening exercises means there is finally light at the end of the tunnel.
But the main favorite is probably Joris Nieuwenhuis, who in the absence of especially Thibau Nys can strike a golden blow in the World Cup. Just below him we place Laurens Sweeck, who has been making steady progress after a tough start to the season. In the sand, he is at least the equal of Nieuwenhuis, though he has been waiting a long time for his first big win of the season. It has also been a while since Michael Vanthourenhout won.
Due to the weaker starting field, we might also see an outsider at the front. Niels Vandeputte has flirted with top 5 finishes in recent weeks. Not far behind, names like Mees Hendrikx, Joran Wyseure, Witse Meeussen, and Toon Vandebosch come into consideration.
Women
Among the women, Lucinda Brand does return to competition, but other in-form riders such as Amandine Fouquenet, Inge van der Heijden, Marion Norbert-Riberolle, and Hélène Clauzel will skip this race. Also notable: only five women starters come from countries other than Belgium, the Netherlands, or the host country, while among the men there are seven. This is the lowest number ever in a World Cup.
Of course, Brand is also the top favorite after her winning streak in the early weeks of the cyclocross season. “She deliberately chose to skip Flamanville, so that she can race everything here,” team director Eric Braes told us this week. A refreshed Brand can thus start building, from Sunday onwards, with renewed strength towards her goal of winning the World Cup.
Competition is likely to come from Sara Casasola, who followed the same approach as Brand. For the Italian, this World Cup may well be the most important race of the entire season, since there are few major races held in her home country. She has already proven on a very good day she can exceed expectations. Casasola made it extremely tough for Brand in Tábor and even won the Druivencross in Overijse.
But there is a whole group of in-form Dutch women who will show up. Think of Aniek van Alphen, who finally claimed that big win in Flamanville. The same goes for Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, who only had her first winter race in that French event but immediately contended for the podium. She is only expected to keep growing over the coming weeks towards a level where she will compete for wins.
The same likely applies to Shirin van Anrooij. Both now also benefit from being allowed to start in the first two rows, which makes them more competitive. The difference between cross one and two was therefore already very noticeable for Van Anrooij. Others who may contend for a good placing include Leonie Bentveld, Denise Betsema, and Marie Schreiber.
No, we don’t expect a storm with strong gusts like last season. Earlier in the week, there was quite a lot of rain, making the course heavy. But from Saturday onwards, it should stay mostly dry in Sardinia, according to Meteovista. Winds will blow a maximum of 3 Beaufort. The maximum temperature of 18 degrees Celsius is also very pleasant.
Casasola already got the better of Brand – photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup - Terralba Sardinia
