Snow, ice and particularly wintry weather conditions are threatening to disrupt cyclo-cross National Championships in northern Europe this weekend, with schedule changes and additional course checks expected, particularly in the heartlands of Belgium and the Netherlands.
Cyclo-cross is a sport designed to be raced in cold, bleak winters, so riders are no strangers to battling unpleasant conditions, but with snowfall bad enough to disrupt flights in and out of Amsterdam's Schipol airport for several days now, the weather could be bad enough to affect this weekend's Nationals.
In Belgium, the weather has already forced changes to Saturday's racing schedule, with the junior and under-17 races moved later to give the conditions a chance to ease on Saturday morning. The women's elite race is expected to go ahead at 3pm local time on Saturday afternoon.
Organisers Golazo said that the event was not in danger of not going ahead, but the conditions in Beringen on Saturday and Sunday look mightily cold, with highs of only -2 degrees Celsius on Saturday, whilst Sunday's lows are forecast for -7.
In the Netherlands, where snow has been causing travel chaos and cancellation of football matches this weekend, there is snow and ice on the course in Huijbergen.
However, the organisers have told Wielerflits that the only way the racing could be in danger is if the Dutch meteorological institute (KNMI) issues a red weather warning. At the moment, the warning in Huijbergen is only yellow.
Race reconnaissance went ahead without problem on Friday afternoon, Wielerflits report, and at present, there is no change to the schedule.
The elite racing is planned for Sunday, where the forecast temperatures are between 0 and -8 degrees Celsius.
In Great Britain, where snow has also fallen this week, there is a yellow warning for snow and ice in South Shields where the National Championships are being held, but so far the conditions in north east England look more forgiving, with temperatures above zero on Sunday.
Racing through snow is nothing new for the cyclo-cross field, with the Val di Sole World Cup round raced almost exclusively on snow, and the recent Exact Cross Mol defined by a snow storm, but excessive ice or high winds – or danger warnings from weather offices – could still disrupt the hardy winter sport.
