Irish elite cyclocross champion David Conroy was left
counting the cost of an early crash at the UCI Cyclocross World Cup yesterday.
While he sustained no serious injury, Conroy suffered
cuts and bruises and saw his race ended very early.
He was taken out on a descent by another rider and though
the spill shouldn’t interrupt his racing places in the next couple of weeks, he
was frustrated at seeing his race ended so early.
The event in Namur was run off in very cold and wet
conditions with the technical and undulating course turning into a mud bath.
And though the conditions for Conroy’s U23 contest were
not quite as harsh as the pro race later in the day, when the temperature dropped,
the racing still wasn’t for the feint hearted.
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Conroy was looking forward to his race as he was coming
out of a two-week training camp in Spain and was eager to test his form.
However, while he was denied that opportunity yesterday,
he will have plenty of chances in the next fortnight.
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The Irish rider now has no fewer than seven races in 12 days starting with the next World Cup in Zolder, Belgium,
on St Stephen’s Day.
After that block of racing Conroy will
be back in Ireland and will look to defend his title at the National Cyclocross
Championships in Sligo in three weeks.
The U23 World Cup event yesterday was won by Kevin Kuhn
of Switzerland, who claimed victory after 47 minutes of racing by six seconds
from Holland’s Ryan Kamp.
Jakob Dorigoni of Italy rounded out the podium, finishing
on the same time was Kamp and just one second ahead of Belgian Timo Kielich in
what was a tight finish for 2nd to 4th places.
World champion Mathieu van der Poel (Corendon-Circus) won
the pro race from Belgian champion Toon Aerts (Telenet Baloise Lions).
Corné van Kessel (Telenet Baloise Lions) was 3rd after Tom Pidcock (Trinity Racing) suffered a late crash that cost him a place on the podium.
Even the top pro riders looked shattered
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