Cyclocross racers face uphill task
Arkansas is about to become, for a few days at least, the center of the cyclocross world.
The Walmart UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championships begin Friday in Fayetteville and conclude Jan. 30. It’s just the second time the world championships have been held in the U.S., following the 2013 edition in Louisville, Ky.
Cyclo-cross — or as we prefer, cyclocross — is a form of bicycle racing that takes place on short, offroad courses with natural and man-made obstacles. The story goes that the sport originated in Europe in the early 1900s as a way for road racers to stay fit over the winter.
Watching a skilled cyclocross racer navigate a muddy, treacherous course is a thing of beauty. Riders are not only crazy-fast on their bicycles, but they are adept at dismounting quickly to push or carry their bikes over portions of the circuit before hopping back on and pedaling away.
Cyclocross is also one of the more spectatorfriendly forms of cycling disciplines. Races range from about 40 minutes to about an hour long, and fans can line the course to get a view as racers tick off laps.
More than 300 cyclists and national teams from around the world will compete on the 2-mile course at Fayetteville’s Centennial Park, which includes a steep uphill segment and a long staircase (yes, a staircase because this is cyclocross). The U.S. National Team will have 38 riders there, including Clara Honsinger of Portland, Ore. Honsinger is sixth in the Elite Women’s Union Cycliste Internationale standings and is the top-placed American. She finished third in the World Cup race held on the Fayetteville course in October.
Not racing is Dutchman and four-time world champion Mathieu van der Poel, who is recovering from a back injury. Also not lining up is three-time world champ Wout Van Aert, who is staying home in Belgium to prepare for the road racing season.
The race has also felt the effects of the covid-19 pandemic, as Belgium and the Netherlands are sending smaller teams to Fayetteville, according to cyclingnews.com.
Still, reigning women’s world champion Lucinda Brand is making the trip with a squad of eight Dutch teammates. Among them will be seventime cyclocross world champion and current Dutch national champion Marianne Vos, one of the most successful bicycle racers of all time.
On the men’s side, the absence of Van Aert and defending champion van der Poel will allow riders like Tom Pidcock of Great Britain, Belgian Toon Aerts and Lars van der Haar of the Netherlands to have a go at the title and the chance to wear the world champion’s jersey for the next year.
Ticket information and a schedule of events can be found at cyclocrossfayettevillear2022.com.