PREVIEW | Cyclocross European Championships Men Elite - Favourites, Track, TV Guide & Poll

The Cyclocross season has picked up steam and it is heading to the European Championships with full speed. One of the most important races of the weekend, the Europeans will take place in the 5th and 6th of November in the tough Belgian circuit of Namur - or Namen.

There won't be too much rain, however in the days leading up to the weekend there has been some precipitation in the area and the course is not a particularly exposed one. Due to the very large amount of riders riding recons with several days in advance, it is likely that there will be some deep ruts, and I would also expect a little bit of mud on course. The track is characterized by it's heavy climbing nature, with the roughest ascent perhaps right at the star of the race.  

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It transitions into a gravel-like surface, and another tough ascent quickly after, and a short descent leading into the grassy section. There will be a rather steep descent - including a bridge - which can be technical if muddy, with a paved ascent following which will be very tough following several laps. Differences can easily be made there, and the large off-camber section right after can see riders make mistakes taking into consideration how they will enter it on their limit.

The final minutes of the lap will see a steep section where the riders will be forced to run, followed by a long straight descent and a very steep pitch before jumping onto the pavement where the finish will be. The start and finish area will be in very different position, there will be a stairs section that will be ridden for the first time after completing the first lap, and so on. It's a slow track, unlike most so far, with a lot of climbing and pavement changes.

A climbing heavy circuit. Lars van der Haar took the European title last year, and honestly he is the man to beat in my opinion. The Koppenbergcross only came as a confirmation of the Dutchman's rising form, and in a circuit where explosivity will be much less crucial, it will be much more difficult for Iserbyt to take the win. Besides, he has been very vocal on how he is focusing on other races, and is no longer dominating the calendar as was the case earlier in the season.

Michael Vanthourenhout has shown good form this Tuesday and is likely to be the biggest contender for van der Haar. Quinten Hermans has in the past too raced very well here, but questions still arise over if he has his top form. Laurens Sweeck took a strong win in Maasmechelen, his first World Cup win and must have very high motivation, it will be interesting to see how he will do there. There will be other cards: Niels Vandeputte, Toon Vandebosch, Jens Adams and Joris Nieuwenhuis will be decent outsiders, however it will be a very big ask to see them in the medals.

The race (Sunday the 6th) will start at 15:00 local time (15:00CET) and is estimated to finish at 16:05 local time (16:05CET).

You can watch the broadcast of the race at the UCI website; GCN+/Eurosport Player internationally. The channels which will broadcast the race will be Sporza and RTBF Tipik (Belgium) and NOS (Netherlands). (More information may come).

PREDICTIONS:

Men Elite:
*** Lars van der Haar
** Michael Vanthourenhout, Eli Iserbyt
* Quinten Hermans, Laurens Sweeck, Niels Vandeputte