2020 Racing, The Big Picture

September 18, 2020

The Big Picture | Antwerp Port Epic

Ethan Glading

In recent years the Antwerp Port Epic has been almost a pre-season cyclo-cross event. Going back to the time when the dirt and pavé sections were in Schaal-Sels, the race has even been promoted as such with a number of prominent cyclo-cross stars lining up. This year many top-flight ‘cross riders toed the line in Antwerp and one of them, Gianni Vermeersch of Alpecin-Fenix came away victorious.

The team area beneath the Antwerp Port House
The team bus area, closed to spectators this year due to COVID-19, beneath the unique Antwerp Port House.
Trek-Segafredo mechanics getting the team car ready.
Trek-Segafredo mechanics getting the team car ready. American rider Quinn Simmons wore the leader’s dossard for the team in this race.
Johan Museeuw at the start of the Antwerp Port Epic
1986 Belgian Military cyclocross champion, Johan Museeuw, snapping a few pics at the start.
The Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise team at the Antwerp Port Epic
The Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise team riding across one of the port’s many draw bridges on their way to the teams presentation.
Nick Zukowski and Matteo Dal-Cin at the Antwerp Port Epic
Nick Zukowski and Matteo Dal-Cin of the Rally team getting ready to head to the start. Dal-Cin’s best UCI cross result is 22nd at the 2010 Green Mountain CX.
Tobias Kongstad leads the early breakaway at the Antwerp Port Epic
Riwal-Securitas rider Tobias Köngstad leads the early breakaway across a dirt sector. Köngstad was on the podium of the 2014-2015 Danish national cyclocross championships.
Robin Carpeneter in the breakaway at the Antwerp Port Epic
Team Rally rider Robin Carpenter and Sunweb Development rider Niklas Märkl in the early breakaway. Robin’s top UCI cyclocross result is 19th place at CXLA in 2016, just two months before Märkl won the German national CX championship in the juniors category.
A Trek rider leads the breakaway at the Antwerp Port Epic
An unidentified Trek rider with an unknown cyclocross palmares leads the breakaway at the Antwerp Port Epic
Dropped riders in the cars at the Antwerp Port Epic
Dropped riders picking their way through the dusty caravan. The further back you were in this race the worse the conditions.
Jan-Willem van Schip at the Antwerp Port Epic
Track rider Jan-Willem van Schip using the narrowest bars in the bunch. With flared drops. Van Schip’s CX palmares are unknown but he has won Slag am Nord, a UCI road / gravel race in the Netherlands.
Eli Iserbyt at the Antwerp Port Epic
2019-2020 DVV Trophy winner Eli Iserbyt. The Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal team was one of a few in the race loaded with top level CX talent.
Marcel Meisen
Current German road and cyclocross champion, Marcel Meisen. Meisen’s Alpecin-Fenix team was another team loaded with CXers.
The peloton at the Antwerp Port Epic
The peloton moves across the north Antwerp landscape.
The pack riding across the cobbles at the Antwerp Port Epic
A Lotto-Soudal rider leads a group including Michael Vanthourenout across a section of pavé. In 2019 Vanthourenout was on the podium at the Waterloo World Cup.
Two Jumbo-Visma riders on the pave at the Antwerp Port Epic
Two Jumbo-Visma Development Team riders on the pavé. With the compressed season teams have been allowed to use development riders in their main squads and vice-versa.
The front group heading into the final lap at the Antwerp Port Epic
A group at the front of the race led by Bingoal rider Sean De Bie. De Bie ended his CX career ealy but he was twice Belgian national champ in the Debutants category.
Gianni Vermeersch wins the Antwerp Port Epic
Gianni Vermeersch wins ahead of Stan Dewulf and Baptiste Planckaert. Since Iowa City has been a CX World Cup Vermeersch has twice won the Sunday C1 race.
Gianni Vermeersch at the Antwerp Port Epic
A happy Gianni Vermeersch after the finish.
Laurens Sweeck at the Antwerp Port Epic
Current Belgian national cyclocross champion Laurens Sweeck after the finish.
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Ethan Glading

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