Will the weather gods make life miserable for Boom bikers tomorrow? “Thawing ice could create hellish conditions” | Super prestige

The first freezing temperatures of fall are closely monitored in cyclos across the country.

Especially since the rain has been heavy in recent weeks.

“If tomorrow the temperature becomes 2 degrees Celsius (as expected) between 2 and 3 p.m., the surface will start to melt a little,” says meteorologist Erwin Werfken.

“Due to the rain in recent weeks, some areas in Boom will become very greasy. These are the worst conditions in which riders can race.”

Vervecken refers to the hypothermia that can occur afterwards.

“When it’s really cold and freezing, you’re riding on a frozen surface. That’s not so bad, because as a motocross rider you can protect yourself from the cold by wearing multiple layers.”

“But if it freezes at night and the daytime temperatures are just above freezing, you’re going to have hellish conditions. Then the passengers get wet when it’s already cold. You can’t protect yourself from that and you end up with hypothermia.”

This will likely be the case tomorrow at Boom. “Such conditions are disastrous, especially for the hands,” Verviken says from experience.

“During the race, you’re exerting yourself and don’t notice that your hands are frozen. But after the cross, when your hands thaw, you feel excruciating pain for several minutes.”

Which cyclists now suffer from weak knees? Who excels in such circumstances? We asked cyclo-cross racer Paul Herrigers.

“We know from the past that Eli Izerbit does not like such conditions. Just think of Namor 4 years ago, when the drugged Izerbit was taken away by his caregiver.”

“Michael Vanthornhout (who is of the same type as Iserbyt) will somehow be able to overcome such conditions, otherwise you would not win on the snow of Val di Sole,” says Herrigers.

“Laurens Sweeck also works well in cool clay conditions.”

But the polar bear par excellence will not be in Boom tomorrow. “Vaught van Aert excels in extreme cold and extreme heat,” Herrigers laughs. “He’s a real Tarzan.”