X2O Trofee Lille WE – Preview
By @EchelonsHub
The Course
It is the 7th round of the X2O Trofee and this weekend we are in Lille, Belgium, for what is set to be a gruesome race.
The Krawatencross is not the hilliest of courses, it does actually features quite long flat sections but those will be difficult with the rainy conditions that the riders are set to be facing tomorrow. The best way to describe this course is that it’s a combination of very technical sections stringed together by fast and straightforward sections.
The race takes place around a small lake and it’s shores make for a sandy terrain which is a crucial part of the track. The riders will encounter several sections which are packed with switchbacks up and down banks. Additionally there will be a couple of artificial bridges, a set of barriers right after a tight turn and artificial stairs aswell.
Recon of the track, From 02:05 to 13:40: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZkwHHr
The Startlist
| Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado | Allison Arensman | Fauve Badstiaenssen | Mannon Bakker |
| Maité Barthels | Sara Beeckmans | Camille Benoit | Denise Betsema |
| Lucinda Brand | Rosanne Breugelmans | Julie Brouwers | Sanne Cant |
| Cato Cassiers | Elleke Claessen | Corey Coogan | Meg de Bruyne |
| Emily de Cuyper | Audrey de Keersmaeker | Nele de Vos | Didi de Vries |
| Lara Defour | Camille Devigne | Kiona Dhondt | Jana Dobbelaere |
| Alicia Franck | Rebecca Gariboldi | Femke Gort | Laura Greenhalgh |
| Maud Kaptheijns | Yara Kastelijn | Anna Kay | Isabelle Klein |
| Shana Maes | Suzanne Meistrook | Isa Nomden | Marion Norbert Riberolle |
| Maria Parajon | Amy Perryman | Tine Rombouts | Lies’l Schevenels |
| Lisette Schoon | Marie Schreiber | Loes Soels | Marthe Truyen |
| Aniek van Alphen | Melanie Van Camfort | Esther van der Burg | Inge van der Heijden |
| Floor van Elsacker | Ellen van Loy | Famke van Waterschoot | Lise van Wunsel |
| Tereza Vanickova | Christine Verdonck | Laura Verdonschot | Karen Verhestraeten |
| Suzanne Verhoieven | Tinne Vermeiren | Marlies Vos | Annemarie Worst |
| Tessa Zaenepoel | |||
| . | |||
Names are in alphabetical order. Startlist shown here is the one indicated the day before the
The Favourites
This deep into the cup we still have a battle on our hands as only 21 seconds separate Lucinda Brand and Denise Betsema. The women’s race will be different as this is still very much the goal of both these riders for tomorrow, not necessarily to win the race but to take time on each other (and, I must say likely, battle for the win between themselves at the same time). Luncinda Brand won’t be anymore in the rainbow stripes but she remains the woman to beat, whilst Betsema took a week off from the world championships due to sickness, however this resting period may do her very good for what’s left of the season.
The win should be in there, but there are more contenders, although the U23 women are not in this one to the relief of the remaining Elite group. Annemarie Worst took an important win today and will face another track marked by the sand tomorrow, but her and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado will like the course as it is incredibly technical.
The Dutch are expected to swarm the Top10 once again as is expected and between the riders that are likely to fill it up we find Yara Kastelijn and Inge van der Heijden who kept their powder dry today to hit tomorrow, whilst Manon Bakker and Aniek van Alphen will race back-to-back, whilst it must be said they have likely enjoyed being on the podium today.
Prediction Time
1st– Lucinda Brand
2nd– Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado
3rd– Denise Betsema
4th– Annemarie Worst
5th– Yara Kastelijn
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Tomorrow’s race has prizes of at least €100 and an entry fee of only €2.5. Make good use of your knowledge!
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