That’s some nasty sh*t. Steep ramp followed by long sand section... Wout must be licking his chops.

I'd suggest doing a crit race on the Bell Lap course in that case, I found it one of the most entertaining courses to do like a 12 lap race. Short laps with a short punchy incline every lap and then 2-3 rollers (small bridges in a park) right before the finish line. Often they're called Crit City something if you're looking for them in the Zwift Companion app.






21% incline and the sand section after it, I think it will be crucial for the top guys to try to get over that bridge first on the first lap.

Mistakes are bound to happen in that sand section so if for instance guy 3 or 4 screws it up and misses the line through the sand section (which is very likely when coming in hot, wheel to wheel), that could already create a gap of a few seconds which could decide 90% of the race. If for instance Wout gets in there first and Sweeck is on his wheel, Mathieu in 4th, if Sweeck drops Wout's wheel then he'll have to get off and run. If Wout motors through, that could already take quite the effort to close. Or vice versa Mathieu and Lars van der Haar could do the same, Lars is a fast starter and has always played the team game well in Worlds on the opening laps.

Exactly right. Her start was good--she was with the leaders at that first corner--then she quickly dropped back to 24th or so. I watched twice and couldn't see why.

Crit City sounds like what I need, even if I don’t want!

Agree on how race could ply out this weekend. Looks like it has to be full gas on first lap to be one of first thru sand. Technically MvdP looks like he’s on another level so WvA will need some power sections like this to have a shot.

To a more casual cross observer like myself that course looks like the first half plays to Wout's strengths and the second half to Mathieu's. Will be fun to see how it shakes out.

Seems like the women's race is more open, though I think Alvarado has planned her season perfectly to peak at the right time.

To a super casual cx follower is that course one that will lead to riders carrying their bikes the most? Seemed a lot of that sand pit once they came off the hard compact sand was all bike carry.

Interesting that using the metal barriers to propel or corner tighter isn't illegal. Wasn't sure if there was a rule against that type of "help".

*cx fan, probaly more of a non-fan but I appreciate the discipline and skills necessary to perform* (also big fan to putting itu DL juniors in cx for the bike skills part and the falls and getting up and comfort it builds)

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

The sand just depends. Dry, it could result in a lot of running (and technically the course should be 90%+ ridable), but any moisture will make it easier to ride.

As to using barriers, a few years ago the UCI mandated that corners be protected "as riders may not hold on the pole or on the barrier in the centre of the U-turns." That made it less advantageous, but riders still do it. No rule says they can't.

Agree on all accounts. Course doesn't seem to necessarily suit one rider.

For the US based folk, how are you watching the upcoming racing? Which broadcaster? Thanks.

Several viewing options. GCN Race Pass ($) and Flobikes ($) are both broadcasting. (Flobikes uses the UCI commentary. GCN does their own.)
Tiz-cycling has broadcast the GCN version live for the last few WC races (free) and probably will for Worlds.
And lastly, if you happen to be in Greenland (VPN) UCI broadcast (free) live on Youtube.

Might be good for Honsinger. Steep ramps, deep sand, long runs all suit her. Also the course looks wide, which might make for easier passing, given she seems to like to start slower and work her way up.

*Pretty sure* it will be live streamed on the UCI's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/ucichannel

Flo also has it in their calendar.

I'll be cheering loudly for her.

thank you

What date time are the Elite woman's and men's races?

https://www.wkoostende2021.be/en

Saturday 15.10 CET - Womens Elite
Sunday 15.10 CET - Mens Elite

Glad you posted that. I assumed they were both Sunday.

Under 23s are 1:40 before each day. Men's Saturday, women's Sunday.

It looks like rain every day through Saturday. Sunday likely no rain.

The sand composition isn't going to change though. The only hard compact sand that will be anywhere fully rideable on that course will be by the water (and the initial sand pit that you are carrying so much momentum that you can "plow" through to get to the hard compact sand). Any other sand areas even if wet from rain will still be too soft and rutty that will require you to run waaaaay more often then able to ride through. So basically the whole sand sections after that small beach section will be a lot of running regardless of the weather conditions.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Wout disagrees https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3HUD763cyY

You may have to show me specifically where it disagrees with my assessment. I just saw a whole lot of bike running through the thick sand and/or a whole lot of "pulling" along the bariers.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

I saw a mix of riding and running. Like the other poster said, a lot of it will depend on what the weather does. I ride sandy spots quite often. Somedays you can motor and some days it eats wheels.

You must have missed the part where I said there were parts of the deep sand you could ride through, but carry on. I also saw a whole lot of people running in parts of deep sand where they come off with no momentum. It's interesting where they ran every lap through the deep sand and where they didn't, which is to my point. That's not going to change, because of the weather. Deep sand like that isn't going to be affected by the weather. But I only worked with beach building and sand gradients for 2 years as first career job post college, so that's why I came to that conclusion.

Like I said, everyone will power through the 1st sand section down the big hill drop. And there will be a whole lot of running on the back end of the big sand pit where there is no momentum to be had that will connect back to the hard grass/mud terrain.

(I didn't really think it was that complicated to come to that conclusion that riding through thick sand will likely causing more running than riding, but carry on)

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

But if we think the sand ridabiity is impacted on weather, based on weather.com predictions it looks like it'll be the perfect shitty cx weather....Rain through Sat and clouds on sunday, similiar conditions to what that 2017 race video shows. IE- imo a lot of running on the back end of the sand box section and/or "pulling" along the barries while "riding".

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II