There were also premieres, respectable results, strong efforts and impressive serial victories: The previous weekend all over Europe national cyclocross championships took place. 20 male and female riders won medals, among them six Gold, aboard their STEVENS Super Prestiges.

At the Belgian Championships the big question was if Sanne Cant, IKO-Beobank, would win her 9th national title in a row. She answered this question right at the end of the first lap of the challenging course by advancing to the front and never giving up the lead until the finish. ”I tried to get to the get the lead as early as possible, ride my own speed and not to make any mistakes.” This was easier said than done since the Koksijde course was very technical.

The Men’s Elite race was less predictable: For the most part of the race until the finale Laurens Sweeck of team ERA-Circus fought a duel with World and defending champion Wout van Aert. In lap six in a sand section Sweek gained a few seconds of advantage aboard his Super Prestige over van Aert. But van Aert closed the gap and took-over the lead. ”Of course I am happy about Silver, the course was really to my liking and you don’t often have such a chance.” Sweek’s team mate Wietse Bosman who experienced an ”awful start”, in a strong effort eventually became 9th.

Meanwhile in Switzerland Cant’s team mate Loris Rouiller did just as well. The Junior rider won his fifth consecutive Swiss Championship, his second in the Juniors’ category. ”It didn’t go so well in the third lap, but otherwise I rode really well. I felt strong with good legs”, Rouiller said after the race. The result and good shape meant lots of confidence for upcoming races.

These two Golds were not the only medals for IKO-Enertherm. In Belgium Niels Vandeputte won Bronze in the Juniors’ competition and Mathis Avondts came in second in the youth category.

In the Netherlands, Annemarie Worst (ERA-Circus) celebrated her premier in the Elite class. The U23 World Champion of 2017 rode to a third place in Surhuisterveen, on a course that did not suit her well. ”When the positions are set, It’s hard to make up a few places.” So the succession of riders that came into being in the very first lap with eventual champion Lucinda Brand und Maud Kaptheijns stayed the same until the finale. Still, Annemarie was quite pleased.

In Luxemburg, Sören Nissen also had a premiere. While the Danish-born marathon mountain bike rider already had raced and had been cyclocross champion in his native Denmark – he hadn’t done so in Luxemburg. This year is the first Nissen started for his adopted country.

The race course in Kayl was ”super-technical” with lots of curves, small climbs and ”an unbelievable inferno of mud”. Nissen, who started from the middle of the field, had to change bikes every single lap and step by step advanced to the front of the race. It wasn’t until the final lap he could break away from his closest competitor Felix Schreiber.

Schreiber though, also riding a STEVENS Super Prestige by finishing second becomes national champion in the U23 category. Also on STEVENS top-of-the-line cross bike Arthur Kluckers wins the Juniors and in the ”Débutants” - or U17 – places one and three are won by Philippe Reuters and Arno Wallenborn, respectively, also on STEVENS Super Prestige.

At the German Championships in Bensheim STEVENS Racing Team was successful with six medals in total: Tom Lindner (U19) and Jasper Levi Pahlke (U17) win Gold, Jessica Walsleben (Women’s Elite and U23), David Westhoff-Wittwer (U19) Silver, Paul Lindenau (U23), and Tim Wollenberg (U19) Bronze. In addition, Emma Eydt of STEVENS MTB Racing Team wins Silver in the U23 and Benjamin Krüger of STEVENS Schubert Racing Team rides to U15 Gold.

Now there will be two upcoming World Cup races in Nommay (France) and Hoogerheide (NL) before the climax of the season, when the World Championships will take place in Valkenburg, Netherlands on February 3 and 4.