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UCI World Cup cancelled in Antwerp…but Belgian Superprestige still on

Some are criticizing the race organizers

November 30, 2021
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Some cycling fans are  confused following the announcement that Sunday’s Superprestige Cyclocross race is going ahead, despite the nearby Antwerp round of World Cup having been cancelled. On Monday, the organizers of the  Superprestige race in Boom, Belgium, a mere 20km away from Antwerp said the race is going ahead, but without a VIP tent. It’s unclear if spectators will be allowed. In neighbouring Holland, there have already been more than a dozen cases with the Omicron variant and the upcoming Dutch edition of the WC will be run without spectators.

“The VIP tent was no longer profitable,” organizer Koen Monu said. “Due to the new COVID-19 restrictions, only six people are allowed per table and they must be at a respectable distance from each other. Therefore we can accommodate far fewer people in the tent provided and we were no longer able to afford the costs.”

Wout van Aert and Tom Pidcock are expected to race Saturday, with Ineos Grenadiers confirming Pidcock’s ‘cross schedule on Twitter on Monday. The Superprestige in Boom this Saturday will be both van Aert’s and Pidcock’s first race of the ‘cross season.

With a surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations increasing, Belgium announced new restrictions on Friday, which resulted in the Antwerp World Cup organizers Golazo to cancel Sunday’s race. With the increasing worry about the Omicron variant, the situation is fluid and there is speculation that other races may also be postponed or cancelled.