Last year’s 90th edition of Schaal Sels marked a turning point for the Belgian one-day race. Having been established way back in 1922, and having held a UCI 1.1 classification since 2005, the race had stagnated somewhat. But in 2015, race organisers decided to introduce more than 50km of gravel and cobblestone farm roads to the race, reinventing Schaal Sels overnight.
That 2015 edition was a chaotic affair, with gravel roads turning to mud, event vehicles getting bogged and several sections of the race neutralised. It also made for a thoroughly photogenic race, as Kristof Ramon showed.
The cobbles, gravel and dust were all back for last weekend’s 2016 edition, and in even greater abundance – the 91st edition featured more than 30km each of cobbles and gravel roads. The race was won, somewhat fittingly, by cyclocross world champion Wout van Aert, who broke away from a lead group late in the race and soloed to the line.
As Kristof’s stunning images show, it was another challenging day out on the farm roads near Antwerp. In fact, just 46 of the 147 starters managed to finish the race …
-
- Matt Goss and Johnny Hoogerland chat before the start.
-
- The 91th Schaal Sels 2016: a ‘road race’ that consists of 34km of cobbled sectios and 33km of dirt roads.
-
- CX rider Philipp Walsleben (Beobank – Corendon) lead the race early on.
-
- Taking a short-cut.
-
- Fraser Gough (Avanti-IsoWhey Sport) waits for assistance.
-
- Arjen Livyns (Verandas Willems) also required a wheel change.
-
- Kevin Verwaest (Superano Ham – Isorex) drafting his way back to the front.
-
- Cornering on the gravel is always a little tricky on a road bike.
-
- The peloton passes through a private farmyard.
-
- Where’s the course?
-
- Dirty riders on dirt roads.
-
- Stijn Steels (Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise) takes a short-cut.
-
- The peloton racing in the Antwerp harbour.
-
- The peloton cruises through the fields with the Antwerp harbour in the background.
-
- When racing in the field is faster than on the course …
-
- Jelle Goderis (3M) crashed into a ditch and snapped his derailleur off.
-
- Even grass sections were part of the 91th Schaal Sels course.
-
- Some dropped riders try to fight/find their way back to the peloton.
-
- 2016 CX World Champion Wout Van Aert (Crelan-Vastgoedservice) is able to force a solo break and is on his way to winning this spectacular edition of Schaal Sels.
-
- Mihkel Raim (Cycling Academy), the only finisher of his team, returns to find his Cycling Academy teammates all cleaned up and waiting for him.
-
- The post-race stares of Alexander Geuens (Crelan – Vastgoedservice) and Frederique Robert (Crelan – Vastgoedservice).
