The 2013/14 European Cyclocross season in photos

It was a sunny Saturday morning in late September and I was on my way to the first race of the 2013/2014 cyclocross season. I wasn’t sure if I still enjoyed covering cyclocross as I had in previous years and I also wasn’t sure how I would balance work, life and ‘cross in the months ahead.

Little did I know that a profound change was about the come. I left my day job and decided to take a leap of faith, trying to make a living as a freelance photographer. After the first few races I was happy to realise that I enjoy shooting ‘cross just as much as I did in my first season and not having a day job made the ‘commute’ from the UK to Belgium as easy as pie.

It was a great season, probably the most balanced that I’ve seen so far. While it was still Sven Nys who won the most races on the men’s calendar, younger riders like Lars van der Haar and Tom Meeusen, and some veterans, like Francis Mourey, all managed to win major races. And don’t forget the captivating battle between Nys and Zdenek Stybar for the rainbow jersey in Hoogerheide.

Now, I’ve got a library of 60,000 photographs I need to go through and distill into the best 200 for the 2013/2014 edition of my cyclocross photobook, which, just like last year, will contain some insightful and thought-provoking essays by contributors such as Stefan Wyman, Simon Burney, Dan Seaton or Brook Watts.

You can pre-order a copy of the book here if you like. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the images I’ve selected below!

: The day of the race in Ronse was horrible on so many levels. Amy Dombroski was killed in a road accident just a week before the race and the horrible accident shocked the entire cyclocross community. After such devastating events, it was poignant to watch Nikki Harris forming the letter A with her hands and looking up as she crossed the finish line to win the race. I also remember that we experienced the worst weather of the season that day. It was driving rain all day long — thick, fat rain drops accompanied by gale force wind and there was no let up. By the end of the day, my fingers lost all sensation and I could barely operate the camera. (Image data: Canon EOS 1D MkII; Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L @ 135mm; ISO 640; Aperture: f/2.8; Shutter speed: 1/1000)

: The debate about disc brakes had been raging since they were made legal by the UCI in 2011. The first World Cup race in Valkenburg on a wonderful course brought two firsts: the first elite World Cup win by Lars van der Haar and the first World Cup win on a disc-brake equipped bike. Little did we know that van der Haar would be strong, clever and lucky enough to win the World Cup overall in his second season among the elite men. And the disc brakes? Both Sven Nys and Niels Albert have been seen on bikes with disc brakes during the season, but among the Euro pros, only van der Haar was using them consistently. (Image data: Canon EOS 1D MkII; Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L @ 200mm; ISO 50; Aperture: f/2.8; Shutter speed: 1/800)

: One of the great duels of the season was fought between Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel. This was van der Poel’s first season amongst the U23s and only Wout van Aert was able to beat him consistently. These two riders will cause a lot of headache for the elite men in a few years time. (Image data: Canon EOS 1D MkII; Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L @ 24mm; ISO 400; Aperture: f/2.8; Shutter speed: 1/2000)

: The reason for including this shot of Helen Wyman on the famous Koppenberg climb is that she and her husband, Stefan Wyman, had instrumental roles in turning the women’s Koppenbergcross race in 2014 into the first race with equal prize money in Europe, with the help of Twenty20 Cycling. We can only hope that more races will follow this initiative in the coming season. (Image data: Canon EOS 1D MkII; Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L @ 24mm; ISO 160; Aperture: f/2.8; Shutter speed: 1/1000)

: Hamme-Zogge is always a muddy race, one of those typical, farmland races where there is nothing but knee-deep mud, tractors and cows. These races are usually difficult to shoot as there isn’t much light. Luckily, by the time the elite men started, the sun came out, making it a whole lot easier to catch as the riders whip up the mud. The icing on the cake? The white banner on the left of the riders reflected so much light back on the faces of Sven Nys and Philipp Walsleben that I didn’t need to use the flashes to light the scene. I couldn’t have planned a better setup. (Image data: Canon EOS 1D MkII; Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L @ 110mm; ISO 640; Aperture: f/2.8; Shutter speed: 1/2000)

: Most cross lovers outside Belgium know about Koksijde and Koppenberg and a few other classics races. Somehow, Asper-Gavere is not on the radar, even though it’s one of the best races of the calendar, with huge crowds, a terrifyingly difficult course and great atmosphere. It is also quite a photogenic race venue. An important part of that attractiveness is a long line of trees at the finish straight. In previous years, the finish line shots had beautiful backgrounds provided by the stunning trees, dressed up in autumnal colours. I was shocked when I arrived at the race last November and saw that the trees were gone. I’m not sure why it happened but I was sad to see something so beautiful disappear. (Image data: Canon EOS 1D MkII; Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L @ 70mm; ISO 640; Aperture: f/2.8; Shutter speed: 1/800)

: This was the funniest moment of the season. After a hard and fast Koksijde World Cup race, Jonathan Page was cleaning up near the finish line, when a reporter approached and ask him if she could ask a few questions. Page didn’t know who she was — she wasn’t any of the ‘usual suspects’, the Belgian journos, who swarm the finishers after the race — but he said yes to her. What followed was the funniest post-race interview I have ever heard. She asked if he rides his bike often, whether he prepared for this race specifically, whether he was surprised by the presence of sand and a few more, similarly insightful questions. Page, the consummate pro, was replying patiently, barely being able to hold back his laughter. (Image data: Canon EOS 1D MkII; Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L @ 24mm; ISO 200; Aperture: f/2.8; Shutter speed: 1/1250)

: This is the 11-year-old Thibout Nys, Sven Nys’ son and as you can see, he knows a bike trick or two already. I was on my way back to the press room when I bumped into Nys Jr. and his mate goofing around on bikes. If he ends up being half as talented and determined as his father, his contemporaries will have difficult time beating him. (Image data: Canon EOS 1D MkII; Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 @ 28mm; ISO 250; Aperture: f/1.8; Shutter speed: 1/800)

: It happens sometimes that I have an idea which I think is great, but I can’t make it work straightaway and I stay at the same spot for a few laps, stubbornly giving it more tries. Unfortunately, this means that I have less time to find other spots and if I can’t make it work, it means a lot of wasted time. It took me three laps to nail it in this case (I got there just seconds too late in the first lap, the batteries in the flash died in the second) and while I’m happy with this shot, three laps is too much in an eight-lap race. Make it work in the first lap or leave. (Image data: Canon EOS 1D MkII; Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 @ 28mm; ISO 50; Aperture: f/1.8; Shutter speed: 1/500)

: The photo that almost made me famous on Belgian TV. This was a very fast corner of the Druivencross race in Overijse and I was kneeling down in the apex of the corner. Having been doing this for over ten years now, I knew that I was at a safe distance from the riders but there was a TV camera on the other side of the course and Michael Wuyts complained that ‘dit fotograaf’ was too close to the riders and it was an accident waiting to happen. After looking back at the footage, it indeed looked dangerous but as always, distance on the TV screen can be deceiving. Nonetheless, I was a bit wary of repercussions as just the day before TV producers reached out to the press officer to warn me not to block advertising banners on the course (which I did, unintentionally). Luckily, there was no follow-up in this case, so I’m still only on my first strike. (Image data: Canon EOS 1D MkII; Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 17mm; ISO 640; Aperture: f/11; Shutter speed: 1/60)

: There is one thing that I miss when shooting cross and that is great scenery. Most mountain bike World Cups are held in the most beautiful parts of the world, while the pre-Christmas Bpost Bank Trofee in Essen had a backdrop of an abandoned warehouse. (Image data: Canon EOS 1D MkII; Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L @ 27mm; ISO 320; Aperture: f/2.8; Shutter speed: 1/1000)

: Francis Mourey came tantalisingly close to a win a number of times in the last two seasons but until the World Cup race in Namur, his palmares included only one World Cup win back in 2006. On the fast and dangerous course of Namur, however, he proved to be invincible and won the race with a substantial margin. (Image data: Canon EOS 1D MkII; Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L @ 38mm; ISO 800; Aperture: f/2.8; Shutter speed: 1/1250)

: Crash photos always need a lot of luck. This shot was pure luck — I didn’t even remember taking it. I was pulling the camera to my eyes when it happened and I accidentally pushed the shutter button. It was Quinten Hermans, a young, U23 rider, who later confirmed on Twitter that he was ok and wasn’t hurt badly in the crash. (Image data: Canon EOS 1Ds MkIII; Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L @ 24mm; ISO 400; Aperture: f/2.8; Shutter speed: 1/500)

: Frites and beer - these two things attract the fans to cross races like a magnet. Beer especially. The race at Loenhout somehow always feels a bit rowdy. This was the race last year where drunk spectators hurled pints of beer at Sven Nys and this was the race this year that made me uncomfortable among spectators, for the first time in my career. Their demeanour wasn’t directly threatening, but I felt a bit uncomfortable as I was facing six, rather drunk Belgians who were shouting questions about my gear in the middle of a muddy field. Not sure why, but these things only happen in Loenhout. (Image data: Canon EOS 1D MkII; Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L @ 27mm; ISO 500; Aperture: f/2.8; Shutter speed: 1/125)

: Timing is everything. I was wandering around in the cordoned off area behind the podium when I ‘saw’ this shot. I was waiting for this to happen but something always went wrong: too many people, someone blocking my view, nobody walking past outside, etc. Finally, after about 15 minutes the stars have finally aligned and the imagined situation finally happened. (Image data: Canon EOS 1Ds MkIII; Canon EF 28mm f/1.8; ISO 1000; Aperture: f/2.8; Shutter speed: 1/25)

: Similarly to the first day of 2012, the cross community was buzzing with excitement on New Years Day. Back then it was Zdenek Stybar’s famous pink Specialized, this time around, it was Sven Nys’ first race on a Trek. The maiden race went well for him and upon crossing the finish line, he kissed his new bike, the same gesture he exercised just a few days before, when he said goodbye to Colnago at Diegem. (Image data: Canon EOS 1D MkII; Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L @ 190mm; ISO 800; Aperture: f/2.8; Shutter speed: 1/800)

: The World Cup in Rome was probably the worst race of the season. Hard to say where to start: the lack of spectators was disheartening, the bad weather didn’t help, the course was uninspiring and the lack of proper press facilities was just the icing on the cake. (Image data: Canon EOS 1D MkII; Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L @ 200mm; ISO 500; Aperture: f/2.8; Shutter speed: 1/1250)

: It seemed all year that this could be the season when Katie Compton could de-throne Marianne Vos at the Worlds. Compton beat Vos four times fair and square and it all looked like the race for the World Champion title was wide open. But it all evaporated in the first lap of the Nommay World Cup race, when Compton had to quit the race because of an allergy-induced asthma attack. While she put on a brave face and tried to rest as much as possible, her body let her down a week later in the most important race of the year. (Image data: Canon EOS 1Ds MkIII; Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L; ISO 100; Aperture: f/2.8; Shutter speed: 1/250)

: Muddy races are easy: you just point the camera at somewhere very muddy and you are guaranteed to come away with some dramatic mud splashing. This was taken at the Hoogstraaten mudfest. The race took place at a new venue as VIPs and other important nobilities had been complaining that the car parking was set up on a field and therefore it was unacceptably muddy. So the organisers decided to set up shop somewhere, where more convenient arrangements were possible. As for the riders, they still had to battle the mighty mud. (Image data: Canon EOS 1D MkII; Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L @ 28mm; ISO 400; Aperture: f/2.8; Shutter speed: 1/800)

: The atmosphere of the races changes after the Worlds. This change is subtle; it is not something you can clearly put your finger on. Maybe things are a bit less busy, less enthusiastic, less crazy, almost chilled. Like these two, while Wout van Aert and Michael Vanthourenhout race in driving rain. (Image data: Canon EOS 1Ds MkIII; Canon EF 28mm f/1.8; ISO 200; Aperture: f/1.8; Shutter speed: 1/1250)

Here’s the caption for the feature image:

“

There was and is a lot of debate whether it is good for the sport that the winner of the World Champion is not an active cyclocross rider and we won’t see the rainbow jersey in action until probably December. I’m torn between the two arguments but what I know is that the sport definitely benefitted from the extraordinary battle Zdenek Stybar and Sven Nys put on in Hoogerheide. (Image data: Canon EOS 1Ds MkIII; Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 L; ISO 400; Aperture: f/4; Shutter speed: 1/400)

Minimus

Thanks for the shots Balint and the time put in to tell us about the stories behind them. Very interesting indeed. Hope the 14/15 season treats you well also. Now what do you get up to?
- cyclephotos
  
  Minimus, thank you for your kind words. It’s all fun and games now and I’m reacquaint myself with the notion of weekends at home :)
Sven Nijs

Great photos Balint!
The Potato Man

That 9th photo, the one that took 3 laps to get, is a great photo. The subject really stands out of his surroundings. Definitely paid off in my opinion.

I also love the one of Nys Jr.
- James
  
  Agreed and thanks for the exposure info on all your shots. Curious to know the lighting setup for this one (being both a cyclist and amateur photog) - 1 speedlight or a 2nd one on remote?
  - cyclephotos
    
    James, there was one flash at the rider’s 2 o’clock and another at the rider’s 7 o’clock. I never use on-camera flash. I can’t tell you the exact power settings as they are off-camera and thus it’s not recorded in by the camera.
- cyclephotos
  
  Thanks! It’s always a difficult decision to stay or to go.
http://subcontinentalcyclist.wordpress.com/ Ankush Agarwal

Thanks for the brilliant images.
Caz

I’d love to see Fame and Spear from Australia taking some photos over there. His work is pretty fantastic. Frames and shoots like he was born at CX.
http://fameandspear.tumblr.com/
mattb

where does a cross racer train for the off road aspect of the sport? are there permanent cross courses in Belgium? they all look temporary from the photos.
Single track? or just in random paddocks and golf courses before they get chased away? ;)
Not an important questions, just curious
Also, I hope Stybar has more luck at Paris Roubaix this year - his ride last year was just awesome
- cyclephotos
  
  Hi Mattb,
  Most riders have their own little mock up courses where they can train for certain conditions, obstacles, etc. They are gods in Belgium, so they aren’t likely to be chased away, even if they ventured on a golf course :)

The 2013/14 European Cyclocross season in photos

by Balint Hamvas - March 26, 2014