On the heels of the world championships in Valkenburg, the cyclocross season resumes this Wednesday in Maldegem, Belgium, for the fifth round of the Brico Cross Series.

Watch live on FloBikes starting at 6:40 AM CST.

Full Gas Racing After Last Week’s Hike ‘N Bike

Also known as Parkcross, the riders will be pleased to find that the circuit through Sint-Annapark could not be more different than the grueling laps of Valkenburg.

Parkcross is one of the fastest courses on the calendar. Riders will be seen hurling themselves across a mix of open grass fields and relatively nontechnical forest trails. Long sandpits throughout the course pose the biggest challenge for riders. 

A good start will be crucial, as the first sandpit awaits the riders inside the first couple hundred meters of the course. Only the first few riders to enter will have a clean line through the pit.

No Mud, No Problem

While riders will welcome the relatively tame course following the heavy Valkenburg circuit, pit crews will be equally pleased to see dry conditions leading up to Wednesday’s race. 

With no serious threat of mud, Parkcross promises cyclocross racing at full tilt. With worlds wrapped up, many riders find themselves on on the best form of their season, and Parkcross will provide the perfect venue for them to put their power down.

Mathieu van der Poel took advantage of similar conditions last year to put on an air show for fans.

Whipz voor kids #watchmewhip #Maldegem @mathieuvdpoel pic.twitter.com/RMuYiHxea0

— Cycleboredom (@Cycleboredom) February 1, 2017

This Ain’t A Post-Tour Crit

With the exception of recently crowned world champion Wout van Aert, the start list features all the world’s top-ranked cyclocross racers. 

Mathieu van der Poel, the defending Parkcross champion, will face challenges from Michael Vanthourenhout, Lars Van der Haar, and Laurens Sweeck just to name a few. 

Sanne Cant headlines the women’s start list, and will face off against the likes of Katie Compton, Katie Keough, and Pauline Ferrand Prevot.

Even though the world championships are over, the remaining races this season are by no means merely a procession. With UCI points, new contracts, and post-worlds redemption all up for grabs, the cyclocross season still has a couple more weeks of high-quality racing on tap.

By Michael Sheehan