"At first, I didn't even answer then because I thought it was a joke" - organizer of the new World Cup race in Troyes admits

A brand new World Cup race is on the menu this Sunday. The cyclo-cross world has settled in Troyes, where they have only been organizing cyclo-cross for a few years now. In no time they have gone from a regional cross to a race in the World Cup. WielerFlits sums up its history.

For the very first edition we have to go back to the year 2017 when the local organization Clément Sport Organization decided to organize a cross. "I used to organize a road race called le dernier survivant. In 2017 I decided to get into cyclo-cross because it is a sport with a lot of potential. First of all, it's fun to watch and spectacular. Secondly, there are a number of former cyclocross riders in our organization, so it was an obvious choice," organizer Clément Philippon tells WielerFlits.

"After our first year as a regional cross, we immediately took a step to the C2 level. We stayed there for a while - partly due to the corona period - but in the fifth and sixth years we joined the Coupe de France. This is really highly regarded in France."

After two successful editions in the Coupe de France, the organizers were preparing for a new edition in 2023, until an email suddenly arrived from Flanders Classics. "Chris Mannaerts contacted us more than a year ago. I was very surprised and didn't even answer then because I thought it was a joke. But then they asked me again and that's when I realized it was something serious."