The cyclo-cross World Cup calendar has been expanded considerably for this season, with the emphasis on a more international character. Thus we also encounter new matches, including on Sunday in the French Besançon. The competition there has been around for a while, but will get the world top at the departure for the first time this weekend. In the leader’s jersey looks ahead.
Practical information 2021 Besançon World Cup
In this article:
- Latest winners
- Course, weather and times
- Favorites
- TV information
Latest Besançon World Cup winners
2020/2021: Not run
2019/2020: Not run
2018/2019: Not run
2017/2018: Steve Chainel / Lucie Chainel-Lefevere
Route, weather and times World Cup Besançon 2021
What will the riders have to choose from on Sunday? With a lack of comparison material, we like to rely on texts on the official competition website. ‘It is one of the most demanding circuits and the ideal playground’, it sounds promising. With stairs, hills and short inclines, it promises to be a mouthful for the more explosive types.
Whoever picks up the card, mainly sees a technical round, with a lot of twists and turns. A video from the 2019 National Cyclo-cross Championships in France shows that there is something for everyone: firm slopes, a huge walking staircase, straights through the grass and a tricky slope. In the images it was pouring with rain, it doesn’t seem to turn out that way on Sunday.
Weather
As mentioned, it will most likely remain dry in Besançon. We may just start seeing long trousers and arm warmers, because the mercury barely rises above zero degrees Celsius. The sun will normally shine through it, but it will barely produce any heat. In fact, according to Buienradar, the temperature will even feel like -2 or even -3 degrees Celsius. The wind will hardly play a role, with wind force 2.
times
13.40: Start women
2.30 pm: Finish women
3.05 pm: Start men
4.05 pm: Finish men
Men’s Favorites 2021 Besançon World Cup
With the women all the world’s top riders are at the start, with the men classification leader Lars van der Haar skips the cross strikingly enough. In that respect, it will be an excellent opportunity for Eli Iserbyt to extend his lead in the standings. The Belgian has a huge gap to number two Show Aerts, which will also be present on Sunday. They also immediately seem to be the biggest contenders in Besançon.
Met Michael Vanthourenhout on Laurens Sweeck however, there are still two serious names on the starting list. They both already won this season and Sweeck in particular showed a growth curve in the last crosses. In the Netherlands, one has to fill the void of Van der Haar, with European champion Ryan Kamp and world champion Pim Ronhaar at the departure. They are joined by Corne van Kessel, who with his experience is of course always a dangerous customer.
Women’s Favorites 2021 Besançon World Cup
It is the Netherlands before and the Netherlands after, that will be no different in France. On an explosive course it could be that Lucinda Brand it won’t be as easy as it has been in the past few weeks. The long staircase does speak in its favour, however. The world champion is in great shape anyway, but the increasingly stronger Annemarie Worst is getting better and better.
The ladies who have been performing consistently and well behind it for weeks are Denise Betsema on Puck Pieterse. Betsema no longer has the super form of the beginning of this season, but can lose her egg on this course. That also applies to Pieterse, who is impressing the elite on behalf of Alpecin-Fenix this season, with her only 19 years. She actually performs better than former leader Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, who has canceled for the cross in Besançon. Yara Kastelijn is also not there due to a crash on Saturday.
We still have two Dutch ladies left who can certainly ride for the podium, if everything goes well. Fem van Empel on Shirin van Anrooij may not immediately think of the win, but they will almost exclusively drive themselves into the top ten this year.
TV Besancon 2021 World Cup
The World Cup races are well presented by the UCI on various TV channels, so cycling fans can choose where to watch on Sunday. Eurosport will be there from 13.35 pm Eurosport 1 and the Eurosport Player. Including final interviews and tributes, the broadcast lasts until 4.30 pm. in Belgium have sporza on Telenet broadcasting rights. In the guide they only start at 2.45 pm, but we assume that the women’s competition will also be broadcast live.
Bram van der Ploeg (Twitter: @BvdPloegg | e-mail: [email protected])
