A frites van and beer tent loom out of the fog the day before Sunday's Superprestige race at Gavere - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
This super slippery descent is one of this course's main challenges - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
Axelle Bellaert warms up one of her Zannatas before the early women's race - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
European Champion Helen Wyman surged past compatriot Nikki Harris on the final lap to take second place, and was one of several women racing disc brakes - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
An inventive way of hanging a spare bike - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
An under 23 Telenet Fidea rider's bike was sporting a SRAM Quarq power meter, with Wolf Tooth Components' XX1-type 42 tooth ring - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
The bike relies on the wide/narrow chainring and specific chain for retention as there's no chainguide - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
The back of this camper is a cyclocross mechanic's Aladdin's Cave. Note three track pumps and a Bosch portable inflator - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
After one warm up lap, this Ridley X-Night shows just how sticky the course is, and how much filth is already building up above the rear brake - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
An array of Edco carbon tubulars shod with Dugast rubber - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
To put the scale of Belgian cyclocross in context, these are the camper vans and support vehicles for almost all of three teams - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
It's yellow Ridley X-Night heaven in the Telenet Fidea area - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
Among the assorted Edco wheels and Ridleys, we spotted these wheels, which may just be unbranded Edcos, or maybe something new… - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
Crelan-Euphony's Sven Vanthourenhout runs a Shimano Di2 setup, along with many other riders, leaving the top tube cable stops a little surplus to requirements - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
Vanthourenhout's Colnago Prestige has this stem faceplate-mounted front brake cable hanger rather than a headset-mounted one - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
With a long stem, the angle created by the cable hanger looks unconventional, and by adding another flexible element to the front brake, can't help fork judder - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
Vanthourenhout uses a Prologo Zero II saddle with CPC silicone grip sections - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
A busy bottom bracket area containing Dura-Ace chainset with the pro's favoured 39/46 tooth rings, a chain catcher and Di2 battery - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
Shimano's cantilever brakes are preferred on this machine - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
A mechanic changing the chain rings on one of Sven Nys' bikes - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
When you've won the Superprestige series 12 times, you get the biggest motorhome in the parking area - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
Sunweb-Napoleon Games turned an outdoor basketball court in to a team corrall - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
Lars Van Der Haar has been the only elite male rider to race disc brakes in every race. Shimano are clearly not ready to release these hubs yet, as they're labelled Prototype SP12,and feature large angled flanges for the straight-pull spokes - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
As one of the smaller riders on the circuit, Van Der Haar uses a PRO stem that only just has enough room for the Di2 control unit - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
Unlike the production Giant TCX machine, Van Der Haar's race bikes stick with standard quick-release skewers, rather than a front through-axle - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
A clean, smooth bottom bracket area looks very stiff, and less likely to collect mud - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
Van Der Haar's rear hub is also badged SP12, and both feature 140mm disc rotors - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
Van Der Haar's tyres were printed as Vredestein, although the tread was clearly Dugast Rhino - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
Unquestionably - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
These are another pair of Shimano carbon rims that are unnamed and wider than previous models - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
The Rabobank development team had an impressive setup - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
The fact that frites cost more than beer goes some way to explaining the unique atmosphere of Belgian cyclocross races! - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
In the largest of the beer tents, the party started well before the 3pm elite race - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
World Champion Sven Nys warming up before the start - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
Whether to keep the crowd back, or the riders in, before the start, any wobbly course marker posts were hit with a very big hammer - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
As so often, Van Der Haar got the holeshot and had an impressive lead on the first section of mud - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
Swiss Champion Julien Taramarcaz and US Champion Jonathan Page negotiate the gloop - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
Almost every rider changed bike every lap at the top of the tough climb - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
As soon as the riders had passed, there was a charge to the bike wash area to clean all of those machines before the riders reappeared - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
Belgian Champion Klaas Vantornout led down the descent on lap two, pursued by Van Der Haar - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
Even Sven Nys needed a flailing leg to cope with the treacherous slope - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
Sven Vanthourenhout descending at speed - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
Jonathan Page looking commited on his Fuji - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
British National Champion Ian Field has been riding strongly on his Specialized Crux this season - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
Joeri Adams comes unstuck on the descent, crashing just after the giant inflatable barrier - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
Most definitely Belgian fans - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
Nys leads German Champion Philipp Walsleben through the pits on the final lap - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
There's no doubt who these kids are supporting as Sven Nys begins the final slippery descent - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
A remote controlled camera on a wire across the huge pit area gives superb views of the action - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
Nys despatched Walsleben easily in the final sprint to win - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
The final podium of Nys, Walsleben and Klaas Vanthourenhout - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
The majority of spectators present had come to see Sven Nys - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
Klaas Vanthourenhout's mechanics tried out this neat guard, fashioned from a piece of plastic bike number, which was clamped between mech cage and jockey wheel bearing cover to try and shave mud from the chain and prevent jamming - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
Nys' winning bike after the race was a Colnago Prestige with cantilever brakes - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
Sven's Dura Ace 11-speed chainset with 46 outer ring and what looks like a 36 inner, but one of those arm finishing pieces isn't a good fit - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
Mud from the last half a lap before the finish - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
Sven's preferred perch is a Prologo Nago Evo with Tirox rails - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
The result of using muddy gloves on your bars and levers - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
An aluminum PRO PLT stem and carbon PRO Vibe handlebar - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
Shimano cantilevers complete the totally Shimano specification - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
These bins near the finish were an indicator of the good time had by all - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
This BKCP Powerplus supporter couldn't get enough of the mud - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
Meanwhile, back in the giant beer tent things were getting lively as the well-lubricated crowd settled in for a long night of celebrating - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
It's not all beer and frites, but they help - Robin Wilmott / Future Publishing
One of the biggest tech stories of the current cyclocross season has been the gradual appearance of hydraulic disc brakes within the ranks of the elite men. Lars Van Der Haar won the first two world cup rounds using them, and recently Niels Albert, Sven Nys, and now Philipp Walsleben have all dipped their toes in the water, testing them out at the races.
One of the main arguments for using discs is their advantage in very muddy races, and consistent braking, especially on tough descents. So at the Superprestige Gavere, one of the muddiest courses of the season so far with a long technical descent, we expected to see even more discs on the grid. Instead, apart from Van Der Haar, they were conspicuous by their absence in the men’s race, although the women racers seemed more willing to embrace the technology.
Otherwise, for the riders, it was mud tyres all round, and the main focus was on trying not to jam the bike up with mud and rip the rear derailleur off, something that Gavere has become known for. For the spectators, it was an enormous party, with raucous dancing and singing as darkness fell.
Robin Wilmott is a freelance writer and bike tester. He began road cycling in 1988 and, with mountain bikes in their infancy, mixed experimental off-road adventures with club time trials and road races. Cyclocross soon became a winter staple and has remained Robin's favourite form of competition. Robin has always loved the technical aspect of building and maintaining bikes, and several years working in a bike shop only amplified that. Robin was a technical writer for BikeRadar for nearly a decade, and has tested hundreds of bikes and products for the site. He has also written extensively for Cycling Plus, Velonews and Cyclingnews.
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