Placed in recent seasons under the FFC brand, Auxerre cyclo-cross switches for the first time, on Sunday 13 November, under the UCI banner. For what consequences for the organization? Some answers, with Valérian Guénin, director of the event organized by Paul-Bert Secular Patronage, with technical support from the Vélo-club d’Auxerre.
UCI badge, what does it change?
“It’s a guarantee of organizational quality, answers Valérian Guénin. For the riders, it’s a race that gives them the opportunity to score points on the international ranking list and be more or less well placed on the starting grids for the various. It’s also the guarantee of a field of foreign riders at the start, especially Belgians in our case, because of their attraction for the discipline and the geographical proximity.”
From Avallon to Villeneuve-sur-Yonne via an international in Auxerre: all about the cyclocross season in Yonne
More economic than human constraints
According to the race director from Auxerre, the hardest part of preparing for the event was giving yourself the means to achieve your ambitions. “The most time-consuming thing was to balance the budget. The specifications are heavier, we are on a weekend of more than €30,000, against €15,000 at a National. We had to fight, but especially the local communities all played the game.”, says Valérian Guénin.
“Regarding the volunteers, about fifty will be mobilized on Sunday for all the positions (judges, marshals, stopwatch, emergency aid, parking spaces, etc.). It was quite simple to mobilize them, the event itself is already unifying. Finally, regarding equipment, the biggest limitation is having to replace the ribbons around the circuit with nets. This requires three days of assembly by a team of about fifteen people.”
Valerian Guenin (director of UCI cyclo-cross in Auxerre)
For a show to last
Once on foot and then over, the race must be made permanent at this level, as Valérian Guénin wants: “We hope for other editions, but it will depend on the public because I know the runners will be present. The cyclo-cross will remain more spectacular and attractive than a road event.”
The program. AUXERRE (Serge-Mésonès high school). 1st international cyclo-cross, this weekend 12th and 13th November.
Saturday 12 November. Leisure event in American style (in duet with relays on each lap), from 14.00 to 15.30. Open to non-licensees, registration possible on site with medical certificate.
Sunday, November 13. Regional youth event (from chicks to cadets), departures from 10.00 to 11.30. Elite event, departure for juniors at 1.15 p.m., women at 14.00 and men at 15.00 (one hour run).
But also. Sunday: Discovery trail (10 km) from 12.30 and hike (10 km), at 12.45 Open to all, no registration fee.
Florent Leybros
florent.leybros@centrefrance.com
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