Vestingcross Hulst is the final UCI race of the season in the Netherlands. Vesting means fortress in dutch, and Hulst is a fortified city. The defining feature of the race is an enormous earthenworks wall (accompanied by a moat) that surrounds the city which the riders ascended/descended twice per lap. Hulst provides a beautiful backdrop for some very dramatic racing.
Spectators lined the top of the wall on one side of the moat where they had a bird’s eye view of all the action on the other side of the moat. And, of course, there was a windmill too.
Annemarie Worst makes her way across the flat section by the moat.
Dutch rider Ceylin Carmen del Alvarado on an off-camber section.
The flag of Flanders flying in Hulst. Hulst is in a region of the Netherlands known as Zeelandic Flanders.
The women make their way around the bottom of and then up the fortifications.
Race winner Denise Betsema and third-place finisher Inge van der Heiden.
Katie Compton takes a downhill corner on one of the fly-over style ramps.
Denise Betsema crosses the fly-over while Eva Lechner and Yara Kastelijn crest the hill below.
Marion Norbert Riberolle at the top of the massive run-up.
Toon Aerts and Tom Meusen early in the eerste ronde.
Michael Boros remounts atop the massive run-up.
Jens Adams, who eventually DNF’d.
The men’s field on the massive run-up.
Eric Thompson takes a hairpin bend on his way to the windmill.
Tom Pidcock at the top of the second ascent of the fortifications.
Kevin Pauwels drops in.
Dylan Postier on the long ramp to the top of the fortifications.
Laurens Sweeck clears this steep, tricky drop-in/climb-up section without dabbing.
Eli Iserbyt used the tall sign at the top of this steep bump to be able to ride it.
Dutch rider Joris Nieuwenhuis on the laaste ronde.
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