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The World Cup is done and dusted, the bikes cleaned up and kits laundered after last weekend's Koksijde World Championships; but the GVA Trofee still has two rounds to go and the penultimate race, the famous Krawatencross, takes place on Saturday the 4th of February near the Belgian city of Lille and not far from Turnhout and Antwerp - with excellent road links to the several towns and cities in the area, a good attendance is guaranteed.
Krawatencross is one of the most popular among spectators as the majority of the 2.8km route can be seen clearly, with several points along the length offering a good view of two or more sections. The unusual parcours consists of a little bit of everything, with sections on sand, grass, tarmac, woodland and loose pebbles along a roughly G-shaped track around a lake just to the north-west of the E34 motorway (51°17'3.17"N 4°50'39.50"E). Riders need to be able to perform well on the several very different types of terrain to be in with any real chance of a podium place; and just for good measure it looks as though they're going to have to contend with snow as well this year. In other words, it's a race that favours the very best of the all-rounders.
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| Elite Men at Krawatencross 2011 (image credit: Ronnes CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) |
The race begins with a 230m sprint down a forest road that intially dips, then rises a couple of metres before a slight dip and rise towards the end (51°17'3.44"N 4°50'27.18"E), then turns right onto grass and heads back the way it came. A few metres beyond the start line, the riders turn left and onto sand; immediately entering a tight S-bend which, on sand, will require first-rate bike handling skills. Once through it, they remain on sand as they follow the banks of the lake for 200m on their way into the first woodland section.
A wide loop curves to the left through the trees, then emerges for 50m stretch across more sand before heading once more into the woods and following a curved track leading to a bridge. Having crossed it, the race arrives at a road and passes straight over. A sharp left into a second tight loop on sand - another tough test of handling skills. Afterwards, a 220m sand section leads past the pits and via a right/left combination and into a grass section of similar length. This is followed by 280m in woodland and up the steepest climb of the race - immediately after turning right, the riders begin an 8m ascent in around 55m; with a maximum gradient of 9.4%. The rest of the section takes the riders to the pebbles (51°17'0.06"N 4°50'45.98"E) - a difficult surface which, at 270m, will be one of the most challenging parts of the parcours.
A right turn leads back onto the sand and through a tight Z-bend around the pits, then back over the same road as earlier and across a second bridge. A long woodland section, technical in part with some tight loops, then leads for 549m back to the start line and back along the first track. The finish line will be located just before the first right turn onto grass.
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| Altimetry (click for enlargement) |
Results (more to come)
Elite Women
1 Marianne Vos Rabobank Ladies Team
2 Daphny Van Den Brand WV Schijndel
3 Sanne Cant Boxx VeldritAcademie
4 Sanne Van Paassen Brainwash
5 Nikki Harris
6 Arenda Grimberg
7 Helen Wyman
8 Pavla Havlikova
9 Sabrina Stultiens Brainwash
10 Sophie De Boer WV Schijndel
11 Joyce Vanderbeken
12 Reza Hormes Ravenstijn
13 Nicolle De Bie Leyten
14 Nancy Bober
15 Nikoline Hansen
16 Gabriella Day
17 Lana Verberne
18 Karen Verhestraeten Sengers Ladies Cycling Team
19 Amy Dombroski Crank Brothers
20 Iris Ockeloen
21 Christine Vardaros Baboco - Revor Cycling Team
22 Anja Geldhof
23 Katrien Thijs
24 Kim Van De Steene
25 Nathalie Nijns Lotto Belisol Ladies
26 Caren Commissaris
27 Shana Maes
28 Janice Geyskens
29 Caitlyn La Haye
Elite Men
1 Tom Meeusen Telenet Fidea Cycling Team
2 Zdenek Stybar Omega Pharma Quickstep
3 Kevin Pauwels Sunweb Revor Cycling Team
4 Sven Nys Landbouwkrediet
5 Niels Albert BKCP-Powerplus
6 Radomir Simunek BKCP-Powerplus
7 Marcel Meisen BKCP-Powerplus
8 Sven Vanthourenhout Landbouwkrediet
9 Vincent Baestaens Landbouwkrediet
10 Francis Mourey Francaise des Jeux
11 Klaas Vantornout Sunweb Revor Cycling Team
12 Dieter Vanthourenhout BKCP-Powerplus
13 Jim Aernouts Sunweb Revor Cycling Team
14 Thijs Al AA Drink / Pro Leontien.nl
15 January Denuwelaere Style & Concept Cycling Team
16 Twan Van Den Brand Orange Babies Cycling Team
17 Thijs Van Amerongen AA Drink / Pro Leontien.nl
18 Joeri Adams Telenet Fidea Cycling Team
19 Gerben De Knegt Rabo - Giant Offroad Team.
20 Kevin Cant Van Goethem - Prorace - cycling team
21 Bart Aernouts Rabo - Giant Offroad Team.
22 Rob Peeters Telenet Fidea Cycling Team
23 Tom Van Den Bosch AA Drink / Pro Leontien.nl
24 Patrick Gaudy The Barracuda Company
25 Patrick Van Leeuwen Orange Babies Cycling Team
26 Stijn Huys Orange Babies Cycling Team
27 Ryan Trebon
28 Steven De Decker Van Goethem - Prorace - cycling team
29 Bart Verschueren Landbouwkrediet-KDL
30 Bart Hofman Department of East Flanders WBV - VZW
31 Mariusz Gil Baboco - Revor Cycling Team
32 Denolf Gianni Baboco - Revor Cycling Team
33 Jens Gys Bianchi New Hope Regulators ASBL
34 Jonathan Page Planet Bike
35 Kenneth Van Compernolle Style & Concept Cycling Team
36 Ben Berden OPS ALE - Stoemper
37 Kristof Cop Cycling Team Kessel
38 Dave The Cleyn Scott USA Cycling Team
39 Eddy Van IJzendoorn Orange Babies Cycling Team
40 Tim Van Nuffel DCM-GB Cycling Team Vorselaar Vzw
41 Craig Richey
42 Sten Raeymakers Cyclocross Team Freddy Sports Dilbeek
43 Marco Bianco L'Arcobaleno Carraro Team
44 Lewis Rattray
45 Lorenz Couckuyt WC Mill sprinters Meulebeke
Under-23
1 Wietse Bosmans BKCP-Powerplus
2 Lars Van Der Haar Rabobank-Giant Offroad Team
3 Micki Van Empel Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team
4 Gianni Vermeersch BKCP-Powerplus
5 Arnaud Jouffroy Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team
6 Michael Vanthourenhout BKCP-Powerplus
7 Tijmen Eising Sunweb - Revor
8 Sven Beelen Sunweb - Revor
9 Laurens Sweeck
10 David Van Der Poel BKCP-Powerplus
11 Jens Adams BKCP-Powerplus
12 Vinnie Braet Sunweb - Revor
13 Gert-jan Bosman Rabobank-Giant Offroad Team
14 Daniel Peeters Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team
15 Karel Hnik Sunweb - Revor
16 Ingmar Uytdewilligen
17 Kenneth Hansen
18 Toon Aerts
19 Arnaud Grand Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team
20 Floris De Tier Baboco - Revor Cycling Team
21 Mathieu Willemyns
22 Jens Vandekinderen Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team
23 Niels Koyen
24 Raf Risbourg
25 Maxim Panis
26 Joeri Hofman
27 Niels Ooms
28 Stijn Gielen
29 Ritchie Denolf Baboco - Revor Cycling Team
30 Luke Gray
31 Sibe Smets
32 Bart Barkhuis
33 Pieter Dewitte
34 Jeffrey Mellemans
35 Joni Geeraerts
36 Mathias Van Der Sanden
37 Rutger La Haye
38 Jellen Schiettecatte
39 Ilja Peijffers
40 Germer Cardon
41 Joachim Janssens
Juniors
1 Yorbin Van Tichelt
2 Mathieu Van Der Poel Boxx VeldritAcademie
3 Wout Van Aert Young Telenet-fidea
4 Daan Soete Young Telenet-fidea
5 Quinten Hermans Young Telenet-fidea
6 Matthias Van De Velde Boxx VeldritAcademie
7 Nicolas Cleppe Young Telenet-fidea
8 Daan Hoeyberghs Boxx VeldritAcademie
9 Martijn Budding Boxx VeldritAcademie
10 Pjotr Van Beek
11 Bryan Van Rooyen
12 Tim Ariesen
13 Seppe Gorrens
14 Jelto Veroft
15 Stig Callay
16 Timothy Vanderaerden
17 Koen Van De Ven
18 Robbie Van Bakel WV Schijndel
19 Jens Couckuyt
20 Mats Lammertink AWV De Zwaluwen
21 Arne Poelvoorde
22 Jens Dierckx
23 Joran Mertens
24 Jonas Degroote
25 Kevin Ysenbaardt
26 Dieter Jacobs
27 Stef Claeys
28 Gianni Quintelier Team Catabikes- Deratec- Willems.Co
29 Kenneth Van Dessel
30 Bryan Vispoel
31 Jeffrey Jansegers
32 Bjorn Van Der Heijden
33 Brent Van Den Bosch
34 Arno Verberckmoes
35 Jasper Aernouts
36 Sören De Clercq
37 Jory Degheldere
38 Yelle Leaerts
39 Lars Van Giels
40 Félix Pouilly
41 Gilles De Jaeger
42 Bjorn De Pot
Novices
1 Gianni Van Donink
2 Yannick Peeters
3 Thijs Aerts
4 Jens Teirlinck
5 Stijn Caluwe
6 Vincent Peeters
7 Thomas Joseph
8 Elias Van Hecke
9 Maik Van Der Heijden
10 Jorn Verbraken
11 Dario Kloeck
12 Thomas Van De Velde Vl Technics Abutriek
13 Robbe Commisaris
14 Lennert Van Hasselt
15 Robbert Brughmans
16 Sybren Jacobs
17 Tim Janssen
18 Wesley Floren
19 Cedric Beullens
20 Dieter Jans
21 Dylan Bouwmans
22 Jef Van Belle
23 Andries Baert
24 Timon Ruegg
25 Senne De Meyer
26 Briek Hermans
27 Timo Verberckmoes
28 Nick Van De Kerckhove
29 Kevin Van Bennekom
30 Thomas Verheyen
31 Yara Kastelijn
32 Laurens Boden
33 Jonas Verstraete
34 Dieter Braet
35 Olaf Remmerswaal
36 Dorian De Maeght
37 Wout Alleman
38 Niel Custers
39 Mathias Vertessen
40 Sven Driesen
41 Samuel Debeer
42 Jasper Knaeps
43 Bjarne Bertels
44 Yenthe Boons
45 Stijn Siemons
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