"Really dangerous" and "not World Cup worthy" - What CX's main riders had to say about Maasmechelen track

Yesterday's World Cup race in Maasmechelen was a success for some, but a disappointing day for others. The new circuit had it's immediate debut in the World Cup, and it had criticism from some of the riders in the field

“There were a lot of stones on the course. Just walk barefoot on the grass first and then over rocks and you'll understand why that's a problem," Eli Iserbyt said in a post-race interview. "That's why I fell and I'm standing here with bloody knees. You barely have any grip in the corners. I won't be coming back here next year if it's still like this. It's not World Cup worthy."

The criticism comes harshly after the Belgian finished third in the race. A crash damaged his chances of fighting for the win, as was the case with Quinten Hermans. Iserbyt bounced back to finish on the podium, although having his lead in the World Cup shortened. Even before the race the reports of many exposed rocks were given regarding the course.

Lars van der Haar, who rode into second place despite a puncture and two bike changes during the completely dry race, has shared the same opinion. “The course was really dangerous," he said. "There were many stones on the ground. This is just not a World Cup course. If it had rained, it would have been just like Bieles," he mentioned, referring to the 2017 World Championships course in Luxembourg that saw riders puncture constantly.

Head of communications Annelore Cleuren has responded to these, speaking to Het Nieuwsblad: "Of course we find this very annoying. You have to know that well six weeks ago there was no question of organizing a competition here. It was obviously not easy to lay out a perfect course in such a short time. However, we did not have the impression that the underground would be criticized to that extent.”

The fact that this was a new addition to the calendar, and a location that is seeing racing for the first time has meaningful impact on the course's conditions. “We will of course evaluate the reactions of the riders internally and see how we can approach this for the next edition. It is a pity that the criticism overshadows this beautiful day of racing," the race organizer concluded.