Belgian U23 champion cyclo-cross rider Emiel Verstringe did not board the flight to the United States on Thursday. He missed the World Cups in Waterloo (9/10) and Fayetteville (16/10). A conscious choice, it turns out.
“We’ve been thinking about this carefully and for a long time,” clarifies Neoprof of Krellen-Fristads, one of the Roodehooft brothers’ teams. “I didn’t go to America for two races. The World Cup is a category in which I will not compete for the win yet. It was very interesting to ride in the World Cup in America last year. For example, you have seen the course of the World Cup in Fayetteville before, and you had your first experience of jet lag. Plus, we had no UCI points last year. All the more reason to add that move at that time. Twelve months ago, there were three World Cups on the calendar in the U.S.: Waterloo, Fayetteville and Iowa. The 20-year-old motocross rider, currently 25th in the world rankings, didn’t secure those UCI points. . “Now I’m not going to lose many places in the UCI rankings,” continues Versrink. “On Sunday I’ll take a cyclo-cross in Germany. (Bad-Salzdetfurth, ed.) I start next week in Oisterwijk in the Netherlands and ride Kermiscross in Ardooie on Thursday 20 October. Three days later, the World Cup will continue in Tabor.
At Berencross in Meulebeke, Verstrynge got off to a great start on Saturday but gave up on the U23 world champion halfway through. “I was sick last Thursday. On Friday it went better, so I went to Muelebek anyway,” says Adegemnar. “After a good start, I suddenly had trouble breathing, but on Tuesday I was able to cycle for another hour.”
