The UCI World Cyclo-Cross championships in Louisville, Kentucky will be held on a single day amid flood warnings.
“Extraordinary measures” have been taken by organisers to ensure the racing goes ahead tomorrow, as the world’s elite cyclo-cross riders prepare to decide who will wear the prized rainbow stripes of world champion.
Each of the four world titles up for grabs – junior men, under-23 men, elite women, and elite men – will be decided tomorrow (Saturday February 2).
RCUK’s cyclo-cross photographer, Balint Hamvas, emailed a warning of the revised programme once the revised schedule had been confirmed.
“The organisers have done a terrific job in general, [it’s a] great course and everything seems to be working fine – though we are yet to hear the reactions of the Belgians,” he joked.
Hamvas described the riders’ reaction to the changed schedule as “very chilled” and said most had continued to practice the course in advance of tomorrow’s racing.
The course, located in Louisville’s Eva Bandman Park, is close to Beargrass Creek, and meterologists are predicting that rising water levels in the Ohio River will cause it to flood in the early hours of Sunday morning (Feb 4).
A USA Cycling spokesman said: “Extraordinary measures, including the construction of a temporary barrier, are ongoing to ensure that the 2013 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships races will still be held in their entirety.
“The Organizing Committee and the UCI together took the decision to revise the schedule.
“All four races will be held on Saturday February 2, starting with Men Juniors at 9.45 am, Elite Women at 11am, Men Under-23 at 12.30 pm, and Elite Men at 2.30pm.
