Wheeler Dylan takes part as World Cup CX comes to Dublin
Sunday December 11 will be a day to remember for anyone who attended the first UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup to be held in Ireland in the Sports Ireland grounds in Abbotstown, Dublin.
A very cold and icy day welcomed eight thousand spectators and a top field of the world’s elite men and women’s racers.
The three kilometre course was to be a challenge for the riders with technical climbs and descents along with fast straight sections. Add to that a thawing ground and mud beginning to soften up and it was set to be an afternoon of fun for all.
Earlier in the morning local Lakeside Wheeler Dylan Franzoni lined up to race the junior support race. With UCI ranking points up for grabs the field was stacked with talent. Top international riders had flown in from the UK to compete.
Dylan’s race kicked off at eleven and the ground was still firm from the frost and racing was fast from the outset. Gridded on the third row Dylan started well and managed to be up in the top half of the field going into the five lap race. He kept charging throughout the 45-minute race. Only tearing his brake lever off in a brush with the barriers could slow him down towards the end of the last lap. He managed a very credible fourteenth place and was happy with his performance.
His season comes to an end in January with the national champs and gradual progression up the ranks over the last few months is testament to his hard work in the background.
In the early afternoon the ladies Elite race took place the ground was now starting to thaw but this didn’t slow anyone down. Among many highlights of the day was the roar from the crowds for the ladies Irish champion Maria Larken as she raced. She later commented how she was blown away by the support she received. It must have been very off putting for her competitors. The lead riders put on a masterclass of skill and speed which was inspiring to watch.
The final race was the men’s and featured most of the world’s best athletes. Only one top rider, a certain Mr Mathieu van der Poel, was missing due to a training camp in Spain. Otherwise, we were set to see a showdown between Wout van Aert and Tom Pidcock (world champion), two of the top riders in CX and also on the road. As the race started it was obvious they and the rest of the field were not going to let anyone down and the next hour saw a race filled with drama.
At times CX can be boring as a rider will solo away early on to victory. Dublin was not like this; the racers battled and the lead constantly changed. The spectators made so much noise that riders commented post-race. They had rarely experienced so much support outside of CX’s home in Belgium and the Netherlands. A very muddy battle ensued and Wout van Aert came out the victor in the end. He managed to nearly lose the race after a towel got caught up in his gears right in front of us. But a quick bike change and chase down got him back in contention.
Another great part of CX is how close you can get to the action and the riders. We had the pleasure of meeting ex world champion Lars van der Haar who set up his camper van and crew next to us in the car park. Watching his mechanics prepare and clean down his bike was amazing to see. Lars posed for photos and talked to anyone who came for an autograph. There are few sports you can get so close to your heroes.
Clubman Ian Lambden also raced the previous day in wet and extremely mucky conditions on a very long course. Testing conditions certainly and after a hectic hours racing he came home in 10th placing. Very consistent racing from Ian this year.
A great day out was had with many Wheelers in attendance. This is an event not to be missed if it comes back next year. (Report by Steven Franzoni)
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