After a year of rather serious cyclocross racing, European riders get to have a little fun at the season-end Soudal Classics Masters in Waregem. In addition to short Elite races, there is also the famed bunny hopping contest and this year, a “Hold Your Horses” race.
Hold Your Horses
What, exactly, is a Hold Your Horses race? Instead of starting with one foot clipped in and one on the ground, imagine having to trackstand for an indeterminate period of time in the grid before accelerating out for the holeshot and you get the idea.
Riders pulled up to the start line and had to stand on their bikes for between one and two minutes before the short one-lap, one kilometer race began. Put your foot down or lean on another racer and you are eliminated from the race.
‘Hold your horses’ zorgt meteen voor spektakel. @mathieuvdpoel en co maken van balans op de fiets een ware kunst. #soudalclassics pic.twitter.com/RB3SuMcdy2
— Soudal Classics (@SoudalClassics) February 21, 2018
Perhaps not surprisingly, Sanne Cant (IKO-Beobank) and Mathieu van der Poel (Corendon-Circus) held their horses and then unleashed their horsepower to win their respective races.
Mister High Jump Goes For Gold
The always popular Bunny Hop Contest was also back in 2018. Last year, Jan Denuwelaere set the event record with a successful hop of 80cm (7.9 hands or 1.75 cubits, if you need a translation). His air prowess unseated “Mister High Jump” Tom Meeusen (Corendon-Circus), who set the previous record of 75cm in 2016. Denuwelaere did not race ’cross this year, and Meeusen was back to defend his title against Van der Poel and other contenders to his throne.
The jumping started at 35cm and went up from there. Mister High Jump aced his 50cm test:
Mister High Jump @TomMeeusen gaat vlot over 50 cm. Boekt hij vandaag een nieuwe zege? #SoudalClassics pic.twitter.com/H3kXWmO2ys
— Soudal Classics (@SoudalClassics) February 21, 2018
While Mister 30 went bust at 55cm
Vroege exit voor @mathieuvdpoel. Hij faalt drie keer op 55 cm. #SoudalClassics pic.twitter.com/RWqGFNRTux
— Soudal Classics (@SoudalClassics) February 21, 2018
The final came down to Rob Peeters (Pauwels Sauzen Vastgoedservice) and Meeusen. Meeusen cleared 60cm, while Peeters could not, making Meeusen the winner. Meeusen got a few more shots at 65cm, but was unable to clear the 28-inch high rod. There would be no new record in 2018.
.@TomMeeusen wint de Ion High Jump competitie. Hij faalt 3 keer op 65 cm, maar was de enige die foutloos bleef tot 60 cm. pic.twitter.com/ymMnLicCId
— Soudal Classics (@SoudalClassics) February 21, 2018
The Race
The Soudal Classics Masters also features a short race through an urban course. It does not appear that this year’s course had the snow as it did last year, but there were tight pavement turns and a balance beam riders had to find the right line on.
Hier heb je evenwicht voor nodig! #SoudalClassics pic.twitter.com/OCGYbpAnHi
— Soudal Classics (@SoudalClassics) February 21, 2018
Sanne Cant and Mathieu van der Poel doubled up on their Hold Your Horses wins with victories in the abbreviated Elite races. Top ten results for both races are below.
Elite Women's Results: 2018 Soudal Classics Masters
| Rank | Name | Country | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sanne Cant | BEL | 21:45 |
| 2 | Maud Kaptheijns | NED | s.t. |
| 3 | Ellen Van Loy | BEL | s.t. |
| 4 | Laura Verdonschot | BEL | s.t. |
| 5 | Jolien Verschueren | BEL | 21:55 |
| 6 | Kim Van De Steene | BEL | s.t. |
| 7 | Manon Bakker | NED | s.t. |
| 8 | Alicia Franck | BEL | 22:05 |
| 9 | Lindy Van Anrooij | NED | s.t. |
| 10 | Joyce Vanderbeken | BEL | 22:22 |
Elite Men's Results: 2018 Soudal Classics Masters
| Rank | Name | Country | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mathieu van der Poel | NED | 31:40 |
| 2 | Michael Vanthourenhout | BEL | 31:43 |
| 3 | Toon Aerts | BEL | s.t |
| 4 | Corne van Kessel | NED | s.t |
| 5 | Tim Merlier | BEL | s.t |
| 6 | Tom Meeusen | BEL | s.t |
| 7 | Jim Aernouts | BEL | s.t |
| 8 | Michael Boros | CZE | s.t |
| 9 | David van der Poel | BED | s.t |
| 10 | Dieter Vanthourenhout | BEL | s.t |
