Racing around a fast, dry, circuit in front of an estimated 20,000 spectators, Irish riders last night got a taste of the unique atmosphere of Kerstperiode - the festive season cyclocross period when the sport hits full stride in Europe.
While big name riders like Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) and Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) were at the front of the senior men's and women's races competing for victory at Telenet Superprestige Diegem, six Irish riders were also in action.
Conor Murphy (Caldwell Cycles) and Cameron Henry (Inspired Cycling) rode the junior men's race while Darnell Moore (Caldwell Cycles) and Travis Harkness (Scott Bright Motor Group) lined out in the senior men's race.
Roisin Lally (Loughborough Lightning Cycling Team) and junior rider Aine Doherty - the VC Glendale rider competing in Cycling Ulster colours - were in against the big guns in the senior women's event.
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Murphy, riding just his second international cyclocross race of this trip, put in a fantastic ride to finish 25th, from a 90-rider field, after he and Henry were gridded at the back of the field.
The race was won by Keije Solen, the Dutch champion, with Murphy 25th at 3:27 and Henry placing 66th.
"It was a tight street course so it was hard to move up," Murphy told stickybottle. "It was a very loud crowd, an amazing experience.
"I worked my way up the field through the laps into the top 20 but had a slip on the last lap," he said, adding he was "very happy" with his performamce.
In the elite women's race, won by Pieterse, Doherty placed 61st and Lally finished 73rd. The elite men's race was won by Van der Poel from Pidcock, with Ireland's Moore in 59th and Harkness in 69th.
