VIDEO: First-person look into Cyclocross' Pontevedra European Championships track - "You certainly won't see any mud"
Cyclocross
Although we have got the iconic Koppenbergcross this Friday afternoon, perhaps the highlight of the week in the cyclocross world is yet to come. This Saturday and Sunday will see the European Championships in the Spanish city of Pontevedra and we have a perfectly detailed view of the course from the camera of one of the riders who will take part in it.
“We don't really know what to expect in terms of audience. The cross takes place in a popular park, but those are not exactly the people who come to watch a cross. In any case, we hope that many people will come to watch. Admission (attendance, ed.) is also free, by the way," race organizer Alvaro Garcia told Wielerflits. It is an unlikely destination for such a big event, but over the past years the city in Galicia has hosted a popular cross, and is taking a big step now.
With temperatures in the low 20's and lack of rain over the past few days, we will certainly have a fast cross race such as the Benidorm event that will take place in the other edge of the country in a few months. This could prove to be very exciting, if the same type of racing takes place as well.
“Every now and then the water rises quite high and then the area around the river is somewhat flooded. The surface of the EC course is somewhat swampy. You certainly won't see any mud in Pontevedra, but the surface is not really bone dry like in Benidorm, for example. But it will be a fast cross," Garcia assures. "Certainly in the first part of the course there are mainly long straight sections. There is also a sandpit there, but in principle it is not too difficult to ride".
This Thursday, the race has shared a video of the full lap, which very much shows the circuit without too many technical features, lack of big climbs... A very fast course, with a particularly long sand pit which should also be interesting. "The last bridge in particular can make a difference. There is also a climbing side at the end of the lap, which can also have an impact on the result. But I expect that the last minutes of the lap can be particularly exciting. That is where you can make the difference."
You can check the video of the course below:
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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