Van Aert answers critics of US World Cup races
Cyclo-cross world champion Wout Van Aert has come out in support of the UCI's decision to host two Telenet UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup races in the US, writing in his regular column for Wielerflits.nl that the UCI has more work to do in its effort to globalise the discipline, but the early season trip across the Atlantic is "not a waste of time."
Building on the momentum of the 2013 World Championships in Louisville, Kentucky, Cross Vegas in Nevada was the first US race to reach the World Cup level in 2015, marking the first time the UCI hosted a World Cup race outside of Europe. Jingle Cross in Iowa City, Iowa, followed Cross Vegas to the World Cup in 2016. Cross Vegas dropped from the calendar last year but was replaced by the Trek CX Cup in Watrerloo, Wisconsin. Both Iowa City and Waterloo returned to the World Cup this year, with Waterloo opening the series on September 23 and Iowa City following on September 29.
Former world champion Marianne Vos (WaowDeals Pro Cycling) returned to 'cross triumphantly with a win in Waterloo, while American Kaitie Keough (Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld) topped Vos and Evie Richards in Iowa for her first World Cup victory. On the men's side, Toon Aerts (Telenet Fidea) beat Van Aert in both races and now leads the series. The World Cup returns to Europe for round 3 in Bern on October 21.
In his column, Van Aert addressed multiple criticisms he's heard concerning the US races - and some published the day before on Wielerflits.nl - taking them on directly.
"That Iowa City - compared to Waterloo - barely had spectators around the course is not correct," Van Aert wrote in response to a critical analysis printed Monday on Wielerflits.nl. "Photos can be decieving. In my opinion, the attendance was more than decent, as was the enthusiasm of the fans.
"But do not compare a World Cup in Iowa with a race on the Koppenberg. In the United States, a number of amateur competitions are held before the pros. All those participants then spread across the course to support the pros. They are not in dense crowds at a beer tent like in Belgium, but they are spread over the entire course."
Van Aert also compared the US races to other World Cup races outside of Belgium, such as Pilzen in the Czech Republic or Bogense in Denmark last year.
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