Antwerp Port Epic cyclists race on unpaved road
Nov 03, 2022, 10:00 AM
Since 2015, unpaved roads were included in the route of the then "Schaal Sels" cycling race, which meant that the race was followed both at home and abroad. This increasing international media attention led to the race continuing to be known as the "Antwerp Port Epic". A large part of the race is ridden in the Antwerp Polder, where a large number of rural dirt roads and tricky cobbled sections can still be found.
The name refers to two places that are important to the race: on the one hand, the city of Antwerp, which has served as the start and finish location since 2018; on the other hand, the Port of Antwerp, which is also an important part of the circuit. The word Epic in turn refers to both the past and the present of the race.
Cycling journalist Jacques-Charles Sels was, just before he died, exploring an epic three-day stage race between Milan and Antwerp in the context of the 1920 Summer Olympics (which were held in Antwerp). He wanted a race with character. Since 2018, Antwerp Port Epic has gone through life as a UCI 1.1 race that is always run at the end of May.
This place on the calendar, together with the unpaved sections, will ensure a spectacular race in which the world cyclocross stars will battle against the top cyclists on the road. The ambition of the organisation is to eventually grow into a UCI ProSeries race.
In the Polder van Zandvliet, the riders will ride on a stretch of unpaved road at "Ruige Heide", next to the A12 motorway.
Recorded by Tony Van Dorst.
The name refers to two places that are important to the race: on the one hand, the city of Antwerp, which has served as the start and finish location since 2018; on the other hand, the Port of Antwerp, which is also an important part of the circuit. The word Epic in turn refers to both the past and the present of the race.
Cycling journalist Jacques-Charles Sels was, just before he died, exploring an epic three-day stage race between Milan and Antwerp in the context of the 1920 Summer Olympics (which were held in Antwerp). He wanted a race with character. Since 2018, Antwerp Port Epic has gone through life as a UCI 1.1 race that is always run at the end of May.
This place on the calendar, together with the unpaved sections, will ensure a spectacular race in which the world cyclocross stars will battle against the top cyclists on the road. The ambition of the organisation is to eventually grow into a UCI ProSeries race.
In the Polder van Zandvliet, the riders will ride on a stretch of unpaved road at "Ruige Heide", next to the A12 motorway.
Recorded by Tony Van Dorst.