Features
Cyclo-cross

Zeven Cyclo-cross World Cup - Mega tech gallery

By Josh Evans

published 28 November 2017

Customised drivetrains, mud, and non-stop jet washing in Germany

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Wet and muddy were the course conditions at Zeven(Image credit: Josh Evans)

Sanne Cant appeared to have non-production custom chainrings on her Dura-Ace drivetrain(Image credit: Josh Evans)

Sanne Cant's Stevens Super Prestige in custom world champion colours(Image credit: Josh Evans)

Giant CXR 0 tubular wheels were used by a handful of riders(Image credit: Josh Evans)

Each bike was checked by the UCI ahead of each race for any technological fraud(Image credit: Josh Evans)

The bikes and components had to deal with very muddy conditions in Germany(Image credit: Josh Evans)

Some riders are still running Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 series shifting with non-series disc brakes and levers(Image credit: Josh Evans)

Wyman's 'Queen of the Mud' steerer cap(Image credit: Josh Evans)

A closer look at Helen Wyman's cockpit(Image credit: Josh Evans)

Wyman runs a Shimano Dura-Ace R9170 groupset(Image credit: Josh Evans)

Helen Wyman opts for Crankbrothers Eggbeater pedals(Image credit: Josh Evans)

Cant's levers are raised slightly to prevent slipping over the top of the hoods(Image credit: Josh Evans)

A special saddle for the World Champion(Image credit: Josh Evans)

The Beobank-Corendon mechanic ensures each compoent is immaculate ahead of racing(Image credit: Josh Evans)

Wet and muddy wer the course conditions at Zeven(Image credit: Josh Evans)

Queues for the pit wash during the Men's Elite race(Image credit: Josh Evans)

A bike change during the Women's Elite race(Image credit: Josh Evans)

A look at the pits during the Women's Elite race(Image credit: Josh Evans)

Former cyclocross world champion, Tour de France stages, Flanders and Liege-Bastogne-Liege winner, and van der Poel's father Adri cleans his son's bike after warming up(Image credit: Josh Evans)

Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 crank with Ultegra chain rings and Dura-Ace R9150 derailleurs(Image credit: Josh Evans)

The pits have multiple jet washes to clean bikes mid race(Image credit: Josh Evans)

Cant equips her bikes with Cole wheels(Image credit: Josh Evans)

Apart from the finish, both bikes run the exact components and drivetrain(Image credit: Josh Evans)

Van der Poel's custom bikes commemorating his European title and World Cup lead(Image credit: Josh Evans)

Plenty of nutrition available for the USA Cycling riders(Image credit: Josh Evans)

USA U23 riders warm up ahead of their race(Image credit: Josh Evans)

The Shimano Dura-Ace R9150 rear derailleur hugs the rear wheel, reducing the risk of damage in a crash(Image credit: Josh Evans)

Aerts ran Challenge Baby Limus tubular tyres at Zeven(Image credit: Josh Evans)

140mm Shimano RT-99-A-SS center lock disc rotors were popular among some of the big names at Zeven(Image credit: Josh Evans)

Aerts runs Shimano XTR pedals alongside the Dura-Ace R9100 series crankset(Image credit: Josh Evans)

Shimano Dura-Ace R9170 shifters on Toon Aerts' Trek Boone(Image credit: Josh Evans)

The majority of riders used Shimano pedals, but there were a few Time Atac pedals around(Image credit: Josh Evans)

A mechanic prepares a Colnago Prestige for racing(Image credit: Josh Evans)

Colnago Prestiges sit alongside a Stevens Super Prestige(Image credit: Josh Evans)

Some Focus Mares ready to race(Image credit: Josh Evans)

USA Cycling had a heavy junior and U23 presence at the World Cup event while riders are in Europe for winter training camp(Image credit: Josh Evans)

For Shimano riders, 46/39 chainrings combined with an 11-28 cassette was the common gearing choice(Image credit: Josh Evans)

A Belgium U23 rider warms up ahead of his race(Image credit: Josh Evans)

The bikes go through several cleans thoughout the day following warm ups and during the race, with the components taking plenty of abuse(Image credit: Josh Evans)

British U18s rider Ben Tullett's S-Works Crux following his 16th place finish in Zeven(Image credit: Josh Evans)

Plenty of spare wheels were around(Image credit: Josh Evans)

The crankset takes plenty of abuse throughout the season(Image credit: Josh Evans)

Van der Poel runs a Shimano Dura-Ace R9170 electronic groupset with hydraulic disc brakes(Image credit: Josh Evans)

Van der Poel had his bike, and handlebar tape cleaned and polished all morning ahead of the racing(Image credit: Josh Evans)

The Beobank-Corendon team ran A. Dugast Rhino tubular tyres at Zeven(Image credit: Josh Evans)

For the Zeven World Cup, van der Poel opted for Shimano Dura-Ace R9100 C40 wheels and is known to also ride C60 wheels during the season(Image credit: Josh Evans)

Van der Poel uses 'Prototype' Shimano pedals(Image credit: Josh Evans)

Alongside Mathieu van der Poel's stock Stevens Super Prestige bikes, the former world champion has two custom framesets(Image credit: Josh Evans)

One of Toon Aerts' bikes gets jet washed ahead of the Men's Elite race(Image credit: Josh Evans)

Mechanics from the Marlux-Napolean Games clean bikes after some warm up laps(Image credit: Josh Evans)

At the German round of the cyclo-cross World Cup in Zeven, world champion Wout van Aert bettered his rival Mathieu van der Poel on the muddy, wet and technical course.

Cyclo-cross World Cup: Iserbyt wins under-23 race in Zeven

Cyclo-cross World Cup: Cant solos to victory in Zeven

Cyclo-cross World Cup: Van Aert wins in Zeven

Doubts laid to rest as Van Aert wins in Zeven

The World Cup event sees Junior Men, U23 Men, Elite Women and Elite Men battle throughout the day with the course becoming more and more challenging with every race.

This season sees the debut of the Shimano Dura-Ace R9100 series groupset in the top level of 'cross, with Van der Poel, Toon Aerts, Helen Wyman and world champion Sanne Cant among those opting for the flagship electronic groupset with hydraulic disc brakes.

In the muddy conditions most riders opted for bike changes each lap, with bikes being cleaned multiple times throughout the day.

Some hybrid drivetrains were spotted, featuring older Dura-Ace cranksets, combined with Ultegra chainrings and the latest Di2 shifting and non-series brakes.

Current World Cup leader and European champion Mathieu van der Poel had two of his Stevens Super Prestige framesets customised to commemorate the two leads.

Most riders opted for a gear combination of 46/39 chainrings and an 11-28 cassette for the course, with Aerts suggesting most riders will stick with the same gearing for most of the season's races apart from the infamous Koppenbergcross.