Three-hundred-sixty-four days of the year, de kuil of Belgium is a humble nature preserve featuring a giant sand pit on the outskirts of the east Flanders town of Zonhoven.
That one other day every year, the venue transforms into De Kuil—The Pit—one of the iconic venues in European cyclocross.
The lead group takes different lines down the sandy descent. 2019 Superprestige Zonhoven. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine
De Kuil's day in the sun, or at least Belgian December sky, took place on Sunday at the 2019 Superprestige Zonhoven.
The Elite Women scramble up the steep wall of The Pit. 2019 Superprestige Zonhoven. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine
The two Elite races did not disappoint in living up to the prestige of the venue, with Annemarie Worst (777) and Ceylin Alvarado (Corendon - Circus) taking their latest Elite Women's duel into the finishing stretch, where Worst outkicked her junior Dutch rival to take the win.
Annemarie Worst celebrates her narrow sprint win. 2019 Superprestige Zonhoven. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine
In the Elite Men's race, Toon Aerts (Telenet Baloise Lions) and Laurens Sweeck (Pauwels Sauzen - Bingoal) took a duel into the last lap before a mistake by Sweeck entering De Kuil gave Aerts his first win since Superprestige Boom in mid-October.
Laurens Sweeck bridged to Toon Aerts to make it a two-man battle into the last lap. 2019 Superprestige Zonhoven. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine
Zonhoven always makes for great photography, and as he is for most big European races, Bart Hazen was there to capture the racing and the scene. Head into the pit with his gallery below.
Bart Hazen Photo Gallery: 2019 Superprestige Zonhoven
Ceylin Alvarado was aggressive on the descents into De Kuil, putting pressure on Annemarie Worst. 2019 Superprestige Zonhoven. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine
