Wednesday started with an Alpha Bicycle/Groove Subaru CX field trip to Antwerp to visit team sponsor Lazer helmets. After a stop for possibly the best falafel ever, it was off to Lazer HQ.
After a tour of the facility and a look at the bounty of vintage helmets and world champion jerseys housed within, we made the snap decision to make a small detour on the way out of town to visit the Belgian Cyclocross National Championship venue.
With good reason, Floaty Cross ™️ has grabbed the headlines for België CX Nats. The out-and-back feature takes a gangplank down the beach onto a four-turn pontoon-supported track that floats on the Scheldt, sends riders over a mini-flyover before exiting on an abutting gangplank. It is a spectacle that will include a VIP party boat sidled up to the track. If it adds nothing to the race, strategically, it’s guaranteed to be an all-out party zone.
As much as Floaty Cross is the main attraction, there is a lot more to the track, including a significant amount of sand, some slimy off-camber muddy bits and a monster two-story flyover.
Geographically, the track is a long panorama that uses the berm of the beach as the main feature.
Away from the beach sectors is another section of muddy off-cambers, the mega-flyover, and the start/finish.
Not sure if we’ll be back for Saturday’s or Sunday’s fields but it was great to get a sneak peek at the track before the racing begins and the crowds take over the venue. No predictions on who will win, but I’ve got my hunches. Who you got?
