Sven Nys hopes to repeat this weekend at the Super Prestige Gavere. ©Bart Hazen
This weekend brings two more big races in Europe with the GvA Troffee Series’ Hasselt race on Saturday followed by the SuperPrestige Gavere on Sunday, while the North Carolina Grand Prix weekend doubleheader is the only UCI race in North America.
Kevin Pauwels took the win last year at Hasselt. © Bart Hazen
GvA Troffee Series: Hasselt, Saturday
On Saturday, the third stop on the Gazet van Antwerpen Trophy Series will go to Hasselt, Belgium. With the World Cup race in Koksijde, Belgium, next weekend, the top guns will be in attendance to fine-tune their form.
After winning the second race in Ronse, Kevin Pauwels (Sunweb-Revor) hopes to repeat last year’s winning performance against world champion Zdenek Stybar (Quick Step) and former world champions Sven Nys (Landbouwkrediet) and Bart Wellens (Telenet-Fidea). Niels Albert (BKCP Powerplus) is out with a fractured wrist sustained in a car collision on a training ride this week.
Stybar, Nys and Wellens have all won this race in their careers.
SuperPrestige: Gavere, Sunday
Sunday marks the 30th anniversary of the SuperPrestige Cyclocross race in Gavere, Belgium.
In the Elite Men’s field, world champion Zdenek Stybar (Quick Step) will be among the favorites along with former world champions Sven Nys (Landbouwkrediet) and Bart Wellens (Telenet-Fidea). American Jonathan Page (Planet Bike) will be in the mix as well.
On the women’s side, British national champion Helen Wyman (Kona) will be looking for an important win heading into the Koksijde World Cup.
Nys and Sanne van Paassen won the race in 2010.
North Carolina Grand Prix, Saturday and Sunday
North Carolina will be the host of the lone North American UCI cyclocross races this weekend.
Matt Schriver took his first UCI win at the NCGP in 2009. © Jason Orr
Racers will descend upon Hendersonville for the annual North Carolina Grand Prix, the marquee event of the North Carolina Cyclocross Series. Hendersonville marks the birthplace of cyclocross in North Carolina, with races dating back to 1997.
In the Elite Men’s race, look for Adam Myerson (Team Mountain Khakis-SmartStop) and Jerome Townsend (SmartStop-M.O.B.-Ridley) to be some of the riders in contention.
In the Elite Women’s field, expect action from Nikki Thiemann (Team Cystic Fibrosis) and Emily Thurston (Stevens).
In 2010, the race weekend was won by Ashley James and Brian Matter. Diedre Winfield and Davide Frattini won in 2009.
