Callsโ Mount for World Cupโฃ Clay courtโ Design Review Following Van Anrooij โIncident
Hoogerheide,โ Netherlands – Following aโ dramatic finish at the UCI Cyclocross โWorld Championships in Hoogerheide, questions are being raised aboutโฃ the designโ of the clay โขcourt section of the course, specificallyโข after Dutch rider Ceylin del Carmen โขAlvarado collided wiht Puck Pieterse inโ the final meters, impacting the race outcome. โThe incident,โข which saw โAlvarado initially awarded โขthe victoryโ before a protest resulted in Pieterse being declaredโฃ the winner, has sparked debateโฃ about the safety and fairness of the course layout.
The controversy centers โฃon the tight, muddy clay sectionโ added to the course this year, intendedโฃ to increase the technical difficulty. While lauded by someโข for its challenge, critics argue โthe narrow passage and slick conditionsโข created a risky bottleneck, especially inโค the closing stages of the elite women’s race.โข Dutch national coach, Stef tenโ Dam,โ acknowledged the difficulty of controlling rider behavior in such a scenario, stating, “I have no control over this, I can only give advice.” The incident has prompted calls for aโค review of course design protocols for future World Cup and Championship events, with a focus onโ balancingโฃ challenging terrain with rider safety.
According to cyclingโ federation representative, Marcel Broekhuizen, the Dutch cycling association views the overall World Cup performance โpositively, highlighting Wiebes’ strong โrace andโข prosperous preparation. However, the focusโ is increasingly shifting to the clay court design. Broekhuizen emphasized โฃtheโฃ importance โคof Ten Dam remaining โขas โnational coach, calling him “a poster child for โthe sport” and a vital link between โprofessional and amateur cyclists.
The debate โขextends beyondโค the โimmediate aftermath of the race.Ten Dam himself has expressed uncertainty about continuing inโข his role as clay-court national coach,noting the impact it has on his road selections.โข “So โI haveโข to think about whether it โis useful to also โremain the clay-court national coach,” he โsaid. A decision on the future of the clayโ court design, and perhaps Ten Dam’s role, is expected in โtheโ coming weeks, as organizers assess theโ lessons โlearned from Hoogerheideโ and prepare forโค future events.
