How to watch the 2020 Namur cyclocross World Cup
The wet forecast could mean a muddy repeat of last year
Photo by:
Anton Vos/Cor Vos
The second UCI cyclocross World Cup will take place in Namur this weekend. On December 20, 137 cyclists from 15 nations will line up on the Belgian course. FloBikes will be streaming the event.
In early December, citing pandemic restrictions, the UCI cancelled the Junior and U23 races at the Namur and Dendermonde World Cup rounds in Belgium. Elite races were not changed.
Last year’s race was incredibly muddy and it looks like there’s a possibility that the rain will be back to wreck havoc this year again. In 2019 Mathieu van der Poel took the win, burying himself to shake Toon Aerts on the final lap. In the women’s race, Dutch rider Lucinda Brand took the win and Canadian Maghalie Rochette finished 10th.
Though she is registered to race, Rochette probably won’t be competing at Namur as she badly injured her ankle at a race last weekend. She was happ to report no bones were broken, but the ankle was still quite swollen.
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Though Rochette is likely out, there will be other Canadians competing at Namur. Ruby West and Sidney Mcgill, both U23 cyclists, will race in the women’s elite event. West, who finished 9th in February at the Dübendorf worlds, has had a promising season so far, finishing 13th in the second round of the X20 Badkamers Trofee.
In the men’s elite, Michael van den Ham will be racing his first World Cup of the season. He will be up against big names such as Mathieu van der Poel and Tom Pidcock.
On Sunday, Dec. 20, Flobikes will start broadcasting the Namur World Cup races at 7:20 a.m. EST.
