Niels Bastiaens • Sunday December 31, 2023 at 7:30 AM
Interview Organizer Kurt Vernimmen had the Perkpolder in Hulst in mind as the ideal location to host the 2026 Cyclo-cross World Championships. But in extremis the organization will no longer receive a permit to organize at that location. An alternative has now presented itself, but it will be a race against time to get everything in order in time. Bee CyclingFlits Vernimmen tells the story.
“During the corona crisis, we organized at the Perkpolder for the first time. That went very well there. Shortly afterwards we consulted with the people from the UCI, and they also said: a World Cup could perfectly be organized here, because there is a lot of space. Now it is apparently the case that there is a nature reserve right next to the Perkpolder. Nitrogen is a problem in Belgium, but apparently even bigger in the Netherlands. And two to three weeks ago we were told by the province that we would therefore not be given a permit to organize a major event there. So we had to look for an alternative.”
And have you found it now?
“Yes, in collaboration with the municipality. They have purchased a site at the Bolwerken on the city side. All the way across the street from the current World Cup course. There is an area of ten hectares, a park area. We would like to organize the World Cup there now. The first consultation with the UCI has now been completed. Only the Perkpolder was approved as a World Cup course, so we now have to go back to designing and redo all consultations with the UCI.”
Why is the current World Cup course not suitable for a World Cup?
“That’s way too small, isn’t it? Today we have about 22,000 people and it is already packed. At a World Cup we expect 40,000 people and in Hoogerheide there were even almost 50,000. But things are already stuck here. We must focus more on bridges, many more transitions, so that the people can continue to flow smoothly. That is a problem on the current route. We are in the middle of the city, which is not easy and even quite a challenge in terms of accessibility.”
Van der Poel in Hulst – photo: Cor Vos
You will miss the current features of the World Cup course: the mill and the dikes.
“No, because we are going to continue doing the combination. We are going to build a pontoon to get over the Vests, so that we can include that zone. We also don’t want to neglect the nice location we have here. Because let’s be honest: that course is beautiful.”
Could the World Cup be organized there next year?
“No, that comes too soon. We are actually still in full consultation with the municipality. In order to organize there, a number of things still need to be installed. Large VIP tents must be built and access roads must be provided. You have to see that people get there. Now it’s all just pasture and fields, isn’t it? That still needs to be sown. It is all brand new, this situation. There is still a lot to be arranged, and that will take time.”
So that news really came like a bolt from the blue?
“Yes, when I answered the phone and was told that the permit was not given in the area of nitrogen, I thought it was a joke. But that’s just how it is. In the Netherlands, the legislation is a lot stricter than in Flanders, and we really did not count on that.”
Could problems arise with that new pasture you have in mind?
“We now have to work out a new route and then sit down again with the UCI. But the first discussions have now taken place and it is not that we run a risk there. The UCI knows what we can do. I don’t expect any problems, but everything has to go through the official procedure again, right? Fortunately, the municipality of Hulst is thinking along well, the people in the region are also interested and want the World Cup in 2026 to be a success story.”
2023-12-30 19:00:00
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