CX World Cup round for Dublin in December

JMcL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121371721#Comment_121371721

There was park and ride from TUD Blanchardstown last year which worked very well

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121371872#Comment_121371872

Yeah, it was perfect for getting there. I just walked back though afterwards... not too far and I'm too impatient to queue for things.

All that last year was missing really was a decent Oktoberfest Tent style hotdog, chips and burger offering. I could live without the beer tent... just throw a few bottles in a backpack and be grand if I really felt the need.

Hopefully food is a bit better this year, but I would be surprised tbh.

andyd12

Its a pity Van Aert and Pidcock wont compete this year.

It cant be any colder than last year, it was baltic

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121368734#Comment_121368734

With the Vans out it's better to lose Pidcock too. I'm not spending half a day travelling just to see him pi$$ through a course.

Paddigol

Not too bothered with the big guns missing. The races this year have been really good for the most part, thanks to no WVA/ MVP just blowing the rest away with sheer power. Nice little battle going on between the Trek boys and Pauwels Sauzen... Thibau Nys looking really good on the technical courses, Eserbyt v. Van der Haar also spicy.

That said, hopefully Puck is over again for it in the womens race.

andyd12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121371983#Comment_121371983

He wouldnt pi$$ it anyway. Sweeck came second. He came third last year followed closely by others

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121372008#Comment_121372008

Puck Moonen is it?🤤😍😂

Raam

No Lars at this one, think I read that

mewso

Does anyone remember what the bike parking facilities were like last year? Be nice if they had monitored bike stands.

loyatemu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121373269#Comment_121373269

there were bike racks within the campus, I don't know if they were actively monitored but IIRC they were beyond the ticket checks.

gmacww

No clue if they were monitored but last year there were a few bikes locked up outside the rugby center which was well in past the ticket check and in fact right beside the course. Can't imagine anyone that close in would be intent on nicking a bike. Don't think you'd get away with an angle grinder in front of a few thousand cycling fans.

woody1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121371966#Comment_121371966

i was chatting to a fella at westport cx, he had a stand set up selling hats and bits and pieces and he is going to be set up at dublin as well, but he reckoned there was going to be a beer tent this year ... dont know how accurate that is .. maybe bring the bottles anyway

Tenzor07

They have a chance to improve on last year by the addition of Beer tents, more Portaloo's and more food vans too.. That will make up for the lack of "Superstars" not attending this race....

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121374828#Comment_121374828

Just incase they have chips this year I'm bringing my own bottle of curry ketchup.

Tenzor07

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121374878#Comment_121374878

Only Mayonnaise is acceptable on the Frites!

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121374939#Comment_121374939

Firstly I hope you don't mean Hellman's cause that shte we get in Ireland is not mayonnaise.

Secondly curry ketchup is the gold standard.

Tenzor07

I shall order some Andalouse Sauce then...

CramCycle

Curry Ketchup, diced sausages, frites, delightful.

Tenzor07

And a few bottles of Kwaremont beer! :-D

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121376134#Comment_121376134

I'm hoping one of my local Lidl still has them.

Paddigol

Beer tents confirmed! (also confirmed... no sneaking your bottles of Kwaermont in)

this.lad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121392635#Comment_121392635

Security will hardly be searching 👀

DonegalBay

Seems like we ain't going to see Fem Van Empel or Puck Pieterse on Sunday either. According to Dutch site wielerflits, they are racing in Kortrijk on Saturday and skipping Dublin which is very disappointing. Highly unlikely Van Anrooj will be there either.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121392635#Comment_121392635

As long as you are 100% sure there is beer I will not sneak in better beer and support the event and it's sponsors for the sake of the future.

Richard Hillman

Looks like it will be a bit rain this year. I know it was freezing last year but the conditions made if fantastic, half ice and mud.

Remember your wellies or waterproof boots. I seen some people in regular runners last year 😂

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121392978#Comment_121392978

I presume not... just thought I'd mention as I was planning on sneaking a few bottles in if the offering was going to be the same as last year, but like Breezy I'll pay the extra now to support the event in the hope that it builds year-on-year. I presume that's why the Cycling Ireland announcement mentioned both - it'll sink as a concept pretty quickly if everyone brings their own.

I hope they make a decent fist of it this year, because last year's event was pretty well received over in Belgium/ Holland from what I've read. They were impressed with the set up and the attendance. So it would be great to see Dublin/ Ireland become a fixture on the calendar that cycling fans in Ireland can take ownership of... we're starved enough of top level events in this country as it is, so the CX WC round is a decent coup.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121393821#Comment_121393821

Well, I'm just going by the Cycling Ireland announcement... if they shaft us I'll be right behind you with pitchfork in hand!

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121393763#Comment_121393763

Going off Belgian commentary the last couple of seasons, this is a bit of an issue with UCI scheduling and management of the World Cup events... it's not specific to Dublin/ Ireland. There's a bit of discontent between Flanders Classics who organise the World Cup and Superprestige series on the one hand, and the organisers of the X2O Badkammers series on the other, with the riders the ones suffering as the calendar is choc-a-bloc and a badly thought out. So a lot of riders are skipping various rounds of the World Cup because the costs/ travel/ fatigue just isn't worth it. Think Thibau Nys got in UCI's bad books for skipping a round a couple of weeks ago.

Pity about Puck and Fem if that's the case... they tore shreds off each other last year in Dublin - was a super race.

Dodge

Starting lists are there. The biggest names are missing but the men’s has most of the top cyclocross specific top riders

Alvarado and Brand there for the women too

https://www.cyclingireland.ie/downloads/20231126_DUB_Entries.pdf

Paddigol

Any word on how ticket sales are going?

DonegalBay

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121395229#Comment_121395229

Start lists are better than I expected. Lars Van de Haar and Joris Niewenhuis the main absentees on mens side apart from the big 3 who have not raced any cross this season yet anyways.

Likewise, big 3 missing on Womens side, but strength in depth is much better than last year when you had riders in the top 10 who normally wouldn't make top 20. I count at least 16 riders I would view as top 20 regulars. Alvarado v Brand could be a real battle for the ages. Still sad that Puck or Fem not there.

cletus

I'm bringing my teenage son and his friend. Neither of them have been to an event like this before.

Looking for a bit of advice on balancing getting a parking space, and them not being bored before the men's race.

I'll be driving up from Kildare, so any info on what traffic, parking etc was like throughout the day last year would be appreciated.