World Cyclocross Championships: What makes the course in Tábor so special? From 'favorite round' to 'love-hate relationship'

Let's face it: the Tábor round is characterized by numerous short, steep climbs, a beam sector, many twists and turns, and a bridge (sometimes three of them), all while being fairly clear.

We begin with an outsider in the elite men, Lars van der Haar. The 32-year-old Terrier from Woudenberg has been in the absolute world top for years. Consequently, the Dutchman from Baloise Trek Lions also knows the ins and outs when it comes to the course in Tábor. "Tábor is a race where I really like to go. It is a circuit with many beautiful, natural obstacles. Moreover, it is a fair course. I like that," he shared after the X2O Trophy in Hamme. His teammate and compatriot, Pim Ronhaar, who can certainly be labeled as a medal candidate, agrees. "It is a course that normally suits me. The loop is a bit similar to Hoogerheide. It is challenging since it is nowhere flat. It will be especially important to make good tactical decisions."

Eli Iserbyt, in turn, spoke of a personal love-hate relationship with Tábor, where he has never actually finished outside the top two. 'I once lost the World Junior Championship there against Simon Andreassen. But I also became European champion there, for example, against Tom Pidcock. I also won the World Cup race there once, sometimes I just came second. It's always ''just in, just out'' for me. All in all, the memories are pretty good anyway. It is an interval course, although even that has changed a bit. In fact, some lanes have been altered, so we'll have to see about that. But normally, it is something that suits me very well," said the West-Fleming.

Puck Pieterse, who saw her World Cup preparation somewhat fall by the wayside due to physical discomfort, also praises Tábor. "That's a very challenging lap. It's fast, technical, and there's some climbing to be done. I like that." Similar sentiments are echoed by Lucinda Brand, a member of Sven Nys' cyclocross team. "The course in Tábor is similar to the one in Hoogerheide: high speed when it's dry, with quite a few uphill sections, and so on."

The weather is also of above-average importance in Tábor, according to conversations with, for example, Tibor del Grosso (favorite in the promises men) and Zoe Bäckstedt (favorite in the promises women). "I can't say too much about the course yet. At the Czech championships, it was pretty fast. It will mainly be a matter of waiting for the weather conditions," said the Dutchman from Alpecin-Deceuninck after his victory in Hoogerheide. "It can go either way there. There's a good chance we'll even have to adjust ourselves to the weather conditions during the race. Watching which spots dry up, checking where there is still ice, keeping an eye on the position of the sun. Factors like that play an extra significant role there. For me, of course, it would be great if it comes down in torrents, haha!" was the hopeful wish of the British rider.