This weekend, January 21st, sees the UCI Cyclocross World Cup descend on Benidorm. And before you say ‘Eh, what?’ – it’s a cracking course – dry, dusty and fast and one that provides the world’s best racers with some welcome relief from the mud pits of the Belgian and Dutch rounds. In addition, Benidorm, for all of its Brits Abroad – er, charm, is smack in the middle of gorgeous cycling terrain that sees many pro teams decamp for much of the winter to nearby Altea and Calpe, making the most of the quiet Spanish roads and respectful drivers.
The 2024 race is apparently looking forward to welcoming up to 15,000 fans to cheer in the (hopefully) sunshine.
However, should you be a cycling fan who, naturally, wants to go the race on your bicycle, the organisers seem to have gone out of their way to make you feel distinctly unwelcome. While the FAQ on the official website happily tells you about the free car parks to be found around Benidorm. It goes on to tell you about local motorhome camping, and to tell you that dogs are allowed in the venue (with leads). When it comes to advice for cyclists, well… here’s the official site:
Are bikes allowed inside the venue?
For safety reasons, you may not bring your bike. There won’t be a designed area to park or store them. Only accredited people can access by bike.
benidormcx.es
A query to the official email address only parroted the ‘No bikes welcome’ advice. We’ve also asked the UCI for a comment, though nothing yet.
Surely some mistake? Anyone that went to the recent Mountain Bike World Championships at Glentress would have seen (or used) the massive secure bike park there.
Not only that, but the UCI’s own advice to event organisers under its ‘sustainability’ heading, stresses that spectators should be encouraged to use public transport or to cycle – and that the organisers should provide secure bike parking.
So, if you happen to be getting in the winter miles this month and fancy heading over to watch some top-notch ‘cross racing, get along. Last year’s race (below) was a cracker. But we can’t help noticing that there seems to be a lot of open spaces visible within the venue that would be ideal for a bike park…
Incidentally, there’s some great mountain biking just outside Benidorm itself. Look for a feature in an upcoming issue of Singletrack World Magazine!
We’re hoping that this is a one-off for UCI races and that the organisers of the Benidorm World Cup CX will get their heads out of their arses next year. For now, we’ll just have to think back to how pro-cycling the recent Scottish World Champs were…
Anyone else been amazed at a lack of cycling facilities at a cycling event?