“Very successful,” concluded the competition commissioner Tom Waldram as he briefly summarised the competition. The regiocross is usually organised by the WTOS association as part of the GP Cycling off-road competition, but could not be held in 2020 because of the well-known reasons. So everyone was delighted that it could go on again.
“There were around a hundred participants,” he elaborated, “more than expected. And quite a lot of spectators to cheer them on. We were waiting tensely during the government’s press conference on Friday, but it was still possible to hold the competition before the new rules took effect in the evening.”
For the logistics department, that was good news. The route had been set out along the Vrederustpad in Delftse Hout. “It is really difficult to keep the public away from a park with a few volunteers, especially so many spectators.”
‘Last summer we gained a lot of new members‘
Last year the event was cancelled for the well-known reasons, could that explain why it was busier than expected?
“I think so. Our best competitors participated in the NK gravel in Epe. We were afraid that it would be the same at the other associations, but the turnout was incredible.”
How was the route?
“Perfect. It had rained in the morning, so it was nice and muddy, with lots of puddles. Difficult but exciting conditions, that’s what makes off-road so much fun. They were supercrosses.”
Did people from WTOS do really well?
“Unfortunately, they were not among the top winners. Katie Helsby was the best, she came in ninth among the women. At the NK gravel in Epe, our riders scored better. Jip van Montfort ended 26th among the 230 participants, in a strong field with several (semi)professionals and elite riders. Among the women, Rozemarijn Ammerlaan performed really well. She was the tenth person over the finish line.”
What does the future look like for WTOS, in these restrictive corona times?
“Quite rosy. Last summer we gained a lot of new members. Many people bought a racing bike and started cycling. That was a silver lining of the pandemic. We now have roughly four hundred members. The weekly training sessions are full.”
Jimmy Tigges / Redacteur Sport
Comments are closed.