PREVIEW | Cyclocross European Championships Women 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.

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.

No Lucinda Brand, some of the under-23 riders will be fighting for their own title, and the North American riders won't be present. This means that the race will essentially have a reduced field, instead of a season headliner startlist, ironically. The main favourites are, of course, the Dutch. But who can match them? Blanka Kata Vas is a good option, having recently won the Nacht van Woerden, but in both Tabor and Maasmechelen the Hungarian finished 5th. There is also Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, 12th at her season debut at the Koppenbergcross, she looked to have good form and will be a fan of the difficult circuit, however she won't be a contender for the win if her technical problems continue.

Fem van Empel will be present, choosing the Elite field in search of a jersey. She has dominated the field so far this season, and it will be hard to see anyone match her taking into consideration how strongly she rode in the Koppenbergcross - a similar course. Denise Betsema should like this circuit, but does not appear to be able to handle the same pace. Marianne Vos, Annemarie Worst and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado will all be contenders but there will from the start be questions on how well they will do on such a track. Inge van der Heijden will be another possible contender for the podium on a good day.

The race (Saturday the 5th) will start at 15:00 local time (15:00CET) and is estimated to finish at 15:50 local time (15:50CET).

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:

Women Elite:
*** Fem van Empel
** Blanka Kata Vas, Denise Betsema
* Marianne Vos, Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, Annemarie Worst