In the Mud Mode series, we delve into the world of cyclocross. The sport where you're at full throttle for an hour, cycling alternates with climbing stairs with the bike on your shoulder, and your feet get sucked into the muddy ground. From muddy corners, steep descents, and the battle for the holeshot; it's all there.
Sand, dunes and debut vibes
For Larissa Hartog, riding for Team Orange Babies and an Airoman.cc rider, last weekend was a special moment. She made her elite women's debut at the European Cyclocross Championships in Middelkerke. A true sand cyclocross course was set up in that Belgian coastal town. The roughly three-kilometer course wound through dunes, grassy areas, and sandy sections, and included quite a few technical corners. According to Larissa, it was a fantastic race: "Lots of sand interspersed with some straight sections where you had to put on some power." She also appreciated the fact that it was a completely natural course, without any man-made hills or barriers.
Calm before the storm
Because the race didn't start until later in the afternoon, Larissa had a quiet morning. "We were close to the course, so we didn't have any travel time. And because we didn't start until three o'clock, there was even more time to kill." To fill the hours, she went out with Lucinda (Brand) and Manon (Bakker) in the morning for a coffee in Middelkerke ("The coffee at the hotel was absolutely undrinkable!").
At the end of the morning, she hopped on her cyclo-cross bike once more to thoroughly explore the course. There weren't many surprises, except for one: the beach section, which she'd been allowed to cycle the day before, now had to be walked. "I thought that was a bit of a shame," said Larissa. After the reconnaissance, it was time to wait again, until the starting gun finally sounded at three o'clock.
Rising line in the sand
Larissa's race progress can best be described as an upward trend. "At the start, the two women in front of me caught each other's wheel, so I ended up completely on the wrong side and was the last one in the field." The combination of pushing and the many meters of running through the sand quickly caused her legs to fill up. "It was really a matter of recovering in the sections where we could cycle." From halfway through the race, she regained her rhythm and began a strong catch-up race. "It was really good that the second part went better."
After just under an hour of racing, Larissa finished twelfth. A strong result and a clear improvement after a few difficult weeks. Despite the fact that walking with the bike is still a weak point, Larissa is positive about the progress she's made. "And it was really cool to compete in an elite European Championship!"
Want to keep up with Larissa (and other Airom.cc riders)? Follow us on Instagram. @airomaniacyclingclub or read more soon on Airoman.cc !
Banner image created by Christ Verbogt