The first round of the Telenet UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup takes place in Koksijde, Belgium tomorrow and the course is one of the most recognised on the cyclo-cross circuit.
The parcours on the North Sea coast is made particularly tough due to the sand dunes which the riders have to face, and it makes the race a favourite for fans.
The difficulty of racing on sand is shown in the video below where a couple of professional footballers were asked to try out the course
Dutch player Ruud Vormer and Belgian Timmy Simons play for one of the top Belgian sides – Club Brugge – and the duo decided to step up to the mark and give it a go.
In addition to playing for Club Brugge, Vormer has previously lined out for Feyenoord and AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands. Simons meanwhile is the second most capped player ever for the Belgian national team and has also played for FC Nuremberg and PSV Eindhoven during his career.
The pair were joined by former cyclo-cross rider Paul Herygers who won the World Championships in Koksijde in 1994. Herygers also won Duinencross at Koksijde during his career, in addition to taking a number of podium finishes at the race.
Despite having retired seventeen years ago, Herygers shows he still has the skill for taking on the dunes. Vormer and Simons struggle however, with both falling which shows just how difficult the course is.
Slecht weer? Geen probleem voor Timmy Simons en Ruud Vormer! Ze gingen met ex-veldrijder Paul Herygers de fiets op begin deze week 🚲 pic.twitter.com/9w3f5vamU4
— Club Brugge KV (@ClubBrugge) November 19, 2016
Amazing post very informative I <3