2023.12.30 VESTINGSCROSS HULST (NED) 

I got up @ 4.45 to pick up my friend Gustav at the Breda trainstation and get to Hulst for this year's last cyclo-cross. We were there at appromimately 8.45. There wasn't much happening yet but we always like to get a good parking spot and try and find out where all the team busses and rider campers are located before the riders arrive. The team staff is mostly around and they will be able to give you the latest rider cards which you can then get signed by the riders.

Slowly but surely the riders came in and we were able to catch a lot of them and have our cards signed. At cyclo cross most riders are easy to approach except for the few real superstars who are being shielded by their teams. 

We had nice talks with some riders and spent some time with them.

The races itself were hard to watch because of the massive attendance. The race was visited by 22.000 people which was really too much. It was impossible to move from one area to the next because there was simple no space.

The ladies and men elite races were completely different. The women's race was a big fight between four dutch ladies (Puck Pieterse, Fem van Empel, Ceylin Alvarado & Lucinda Brand). In the end Puck Pieterse came out on top but it was a close call. 

The men's race was (again) completely dominated by world champion Mathieu van der Poel who now has won all 5 races he entered this year. No fight here. He took off close after the start and was able to fly solo to the finish.

All in all a good day as far as collecting goes. Next stop as far as cyclocross goes will be Hoogerheide at he end of january 2024.

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