This blog was created by our ambassador Jens van den Dool.
Fighting the elements in the muddy cyclocross races of the Jan van Arckel Winter Competition
Every winter, my cycling club Jan van Arckel organises the famous Winter Competition. This is a series of cyclo-cross races in the Alblasserwaard region that are open to participants of all ages and abilities, both mountain bikers and cyclo-crossers. From November to February, a race is organised approximately every 2 to 3 weeks, with the 2022-2023 Winter Competition consisting of a total of 9 races. The courses of the competitions are always challenging and are characterised by many bends, a few technical passages and the necessary muddy stretches (during the winter months, the bad weather can unfortunately also sometimes make the course a little too muddy...). As a licence holder, I ride in the A-Class, which means that the cross-country competitions last about 45 minutes for me.
Back on the bike for the winter competition
I have been a member of Jan van Arckel since I was young and every winter I enjoy participating in one or more Winter Competition races. Unfortunately, during the previous two ‘corona winters’, almost no races could take place, but fortunately, we have been able to get back to our old selves in recent months! Unlike in previous years, I was able to participate in almost the entire Winter Competition this winter and thus compete for a place in the final ranking.
Cycling to the competition for extra training hours
As a racing cyclist and marathon mountain biker, I mainly compete in the months of March through October. After the last competition in October, there is always a rest period of two to three weeks, after which I gradually build up again for the next season starting in March. With the absence of road races and MTB marathons in the months of November to February, the Winter Competition races are an ideal and fun way for me to maintain some racing incentives during these months as well. Each Winter Competition race takes place in the region, which means that I can always ride my bike there at my own pace and get in a nice warm-up and some extra training hours.
Recovery and a leisurely ride
The challenging courses and strong regional competition mean that I have to give a maximum effort for around 45 minutes in every race. In addition, you have to accelerate countless times from the many turns: ideal for improving explosiveness! Due to the relatively short duration of the race (45 minutes), a carbohydrate-rich meal about 3 hours before the race and an Amacx Turbo Gel or Drink Gel shortly before the start provide enough energy to sustain the effort. I always make sure that I eat my last meal well before the competition and stick to one gel shortly before the start, so that I don't suffer from stomach and intestinal problems during the high intensity of the competition. During the competition itself, I always have a bottle of Amacx Energy Drink with me, but sometimes the competitions are so intense and twisty that I hardly have time to drink. For a good recovery, I always drink an Amacx Recovery Drink after a race, and then take it easy on my bike for 30-60 minutes on the way home.
Final winter competition race approaching
At the time of writing, there is still one winter competition race to go and I am in third place in the rankings, with only a few points separating me from numbers four and five. So on 18 February I will have to give it my all during the final competition in Ottoland!
