It’s mostly possible because it’s only half a day often, many people also quite like watching crits come past, even if they don’t like cycling. This race particularly was at the same time with a fair (outside of turn 1), its called a kermiskoers wich translates to fair race. This makes the atmosphere really good, a big party, lots of drinks, music and lets watch the bike race that comes past.
I'm always saying this but the difference between aus and euro racing is just worlds apart. You really can't discount the following: - Hard hard the level of riding is conti level Aus is like the Amateure klasse here, elite/pro is just full of current and previous conti and wt pros. We just don't have that level of racing in aus. - The races are raced completely different too. Its is OOOOONNNN from the gun, often the first 20 laps of a 60 lap race are twice as hard as the last 20. Its not unusual for my NP to be over 350 (70kg rider) for the first 20 mins with constant spikes over 1000w out of each corner. After 2 months racing at this level, Ive finished 2/7 races. Just an eg... - The courses are not on wide cornered courses on hotmix. It is HARD to learn how to race on these roads. Cornering full gas over cobbles or bricked roads with manholes, potholes and gutters that go straight across the road diagonally. Up and over then down speed bumps directly into corners, sharp narrow corners that are hardcore off camber directly after a 15% 500m descents... You compare this to ANY of the crits in Aus. - The weather is nothing like Aus. I grew up in WA and STILL struggle adjusting to the different heat. 28 on that day would feel like a 40 degree muggy day in Sydney. - These guys have been racing these races, on these courses, in these conditions since they were juniors so you're down 10 years of experience minimum. Thats just some of the differences...you just gotta go out and get dropped a million times and learn to race the races and the courses. MASSIVE kudos for Steve. For sure he can hold the front group if he could corner. The boys are going to go back to Aus and annihilate the summer!
Totally agree. So many boys come and are completely out of their depth. It took me 5 years to comfortably racing in Belgium and podiuming, been seeing all the aussies, brits and so on come here and get dropped very often. Unless they have crazy engines, no way they can survive or be in the breaks so early. They'd need a minimum of a year. Maybe you should inscribe them in amateur/lower category races as most ppl burn out or quit cycling after coming to BE/NL to race if they fail at finishing most races.
Quite funny that the race is 'sponsored' by "Delta Lloyd", a company that does not exist anymore :D OT: really cool vids; and tough riding in these conditions.
I went from the UK to France and I had to practice right hand corners. Made better once I put my inside knee out towards the apex. The following weeks there were improvements.....
Awesome video, I always thought Australia would be way hotter than the netherlands. Aren't the guys underperforming because of the full schedule? These interval crits sure give your body alot of fatigue. Take care the upcoming days. Its gonna be even hotter. =[
It's winter in Australia, and a few of the guys are from cold places e.g. Myles in Wagga it's bottom of 0 degree Celsius right now. The schedule isn't as full as it looks, no more than 3 races per week, and most of the guys aren't finishing the longer races so they've ended up doing only 10-13 hours per week, so not that fatiguing. For the guys finishing all the races like Ben C, it is a fair amount and he is tired the day after the longer road races, that's for sure.
