Observations from a U23 short track World Cup race

The racers are fast and the trucks are big

Lake Van Hoevenberg — In a way it’s just like any other bike race. There’s a parking lot full of exhibitors, a paddock with all the team trucks, and of course a taped race course. This much I’m used to. 

What I wasn’t used to is the caliber of bike race. Sam Gaze checks his phone and then stops to chat with Alan Hatherly. A group of riders are circled up speaking in French, Victor Koretzky among them. Retired pros Lea Davison and Jeremy Powers film an ad spot for Whoop. 

I’ve attended a lot of bike races, both big and small. I’m used to reporting from the biggest bike races in the country, like the Leadville 100, and I stood at the finish line last year as Kasia Niewiadoma won Big Sugar Gravel. But until yesterday, I hadn’t attended a UCI MTB World Cup—which is more prestigious than both of those races. 

How do they compare? The outlines are generally the same, but here at the World Cup the energy and vibe feels heightened. Everybody has seen these athletes on TV and social media. After all, they are the top athletes in the sport’s top series.