News
Cyclo-cross

Gallery: Cyclo-cross riders preview muddy Plzen course

By Cycling News

published 27 October 2012

Mud and snow for Plzen cyclo-cross World Cup

Comments

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Image 1 of 28

(Image credit: Photopress.be)

Niels Albert gets a good preview of the course in Plzen(Image credit: Photopress.be)

Some riders ended up getting even muddier than planned(Image credit: Photopress.be)

Jim Aernouts (Sunweb-Revor) earned a place on the Belgian team for Plzen(Image credit: Photopress.be)

Petr Dlask (Cze) Madeta - Fitness / Specialized(Image credit: Photopress.be)

Sanne Cant (BKCP-Powerplus) runs the stairs(Image credit: Photopress.be)

Martin Bina (Cze) CEZ Cyklo Team Tábor(Image credit: Photopress.be)

Helen Wyman (Kona) in the Plzen snow(Image credit: Photopress.be)

Niels Albert braved the snow to preview the course(Image credit: Photopress.be)

Pavla Havlikova (Cze) Young Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team(Image credit: Photopress.be)

Helen Wyman seems to enjoy the conditions(Image credit: Photopress.be)

It's beginning to look a lot like…(Image credit: Photopress.be)

Winter came early to Plzen ahead of the World Cup(Image credit: Photopress.be)

Niels Albert tests out the big staircase in Plzen(Image credit: Photopress.be)

The course turned into a slip-n-slide(Image credit: Photopress.be)

Ellen Van Loy (Bel) Melbotech Prorace CT(Image credit: Photopress.be)

Dieter Vanthourenhout ascends the giant staircase in Plzen(Image credit: Photopress.be)

Karel Hnik (Sunweb Revor)(Image credit: Photopress.be)

Helen Wyman seems to enjoy the conditions(Image credit: Photopress.be)

Snow fell on the Plzen course ahead of the World Cup(Image credit: Photopress.be)

Niels Albert covered head to toe in mud in Plzen(Image credit: Photopress.be)

Dieter Vanthourenhout ascends the giant staircase in Plzen(Image credit: Photopress.be)

Jim Aernouts (Sunweb-Revor) earned a place on the Belgian team for Plzen(Image credit: Photopress.be)

Robert Gavenda (Svk) Dukla Trencín Trek(Image credit: Photopress.be)

Kevin Pauwels (Sunweb-Revor) takes it slow on the steps in practice(Image credit: Photopress.be)

Marcel Meisen (Ger) BKCP - Powerplus(Image credit: Photopress.be)

Kevin Pauwels (Sunweb-Revor)(Image credit: Photopress.be)

Sophie de Boer (Ned) Young Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team(Image credit: Photopress.be)

The second round of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup takes place tomorrow in Plzen, Czech Republic and as snow falls on an already muddy course, the technical skills of the riders and their mechanics will be put to the test.

The riders took to the course on Saturday to preview the route, which was made a bit more compact this year to help spectators view the race, but still includes the massive 23-step staircase as the main obstacle.

In start contrast to last year's warm, sunny weather in which Sven Nys and Katie Compton prevailed, Sunday will favor the mudders.

World Cup leader Kevin Pauwels (Sunweb-Revor) has shown his skill in wet conditions, as has his teammate Klaas Vantornout, who won a messy race in Ardooie last week before heading to the Czech Republic for the opening World Cup in Tabor.

World Champion Niels Albert will hope to distance his rivals early, rather than fall victim to the team tactics which hurt his chances in Tabor, while Belgian champion Nys will look for a mechanically flawless race, putting the broken chain of last week behind him.

Compton will also hope to separate herself from her tenacious rivals, including Sanne Van Paassen, who out-sprinted the American champion last week to claim the World Cup lead.

British champion Helen Wyman honed her mud skills in Providence, Rhode Island earlier this season, and gave the course a good testing today.