Start of Belgian National Championships Cyclo-cross postponed, course has turned into ice rink: "Impossible to cycle"

The Belgian National Cyclo-cross Championships in Heusden-Zolder didn’t start off as planned. The organizers had to delay the weekend’s opening race, originally set to feature the women’s novice category. The new start time for the youngest women’s group is now scheduled for 11 AM, with their race taking place alongside the juniors.

It was a freezing cold night in Heusden-Zolder. As a result, the track is currently covered in such a thick layer of ice that it’s impossible for the earliest category of riders to hold a proper race. Specifically, the section of the circuit where the start and finish area is located has turned into an ice rink. The organizers are currently working to clear the ice. " Efforts are currently being made to clear the start/finish area of ice," said the organizers in a press statement.

Under normal circumstances, it should be possible to clear the asphalt so that the race can continue. "The organization doesn’t want to take any risks," reported Sporza. "The overall slipperiness isn’t too bad," but caution is being prioritized. To ensure safety, time is being taken to spread salt so that the riders can safely race in their quest for the Belgian title.

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"We’ve organized a World Cup here in worse conditions"

The course was already extremely slippery on Friday. A Sporza reporter on site shared that several minor accidents had occurred. "It’s really very slippery. I’ve nearly slipped several times and have already fallen once. Right now, it’s impossible to cycle on." Course builder Koen Monu elaborated on the issue. "The problem is that the tarmac of the race circuit is very porous. So, we can only use biological granules for de-icing. Traditional road salt is a no-go here. If we use it, it seeps too deeply into the surface and causes the asphalt to bulge. The Zolder circuit was completely resurfaced a few years ago, and we want to respect that."

As a result, the organizers were already working from 5 AM to prepare the circuit, with plans to finish by 9 AM. "That shouldn’t be a problem," Monu said at the time. However, things are not going according to plan. "We’ve organized a World Cup here in worse conditions before. At that time, all races across all categories went ahead as scheduled. It’s dangerous now, but everyone working here knows how slippery it is and is being cautious." Earlier this week, images of a snow-covered track were already making the rounds.

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