Azencross

The Azencross is a professional cyclo-cross race held annually in the town of Loenhout, Belgium. It is a staple of the Belgian cyclo-cross calendar and draws massive crowds of passionate fans. The local terrain features a unique mix of deep sand pits, mud, and grass sections.

The event is scheduled during the end-of-year Christmas racing period, typically falling on December 30th. This is a time when multiple elite cyclo-cross events are scheduled in quick succession across Belgium in what is known as the 'Kerstperiode' (Christmas period). The intense scheduling heavily tests the riders' endurance.

Yes, the Azencross is traditionally part of the season-long Exact Cross series (formerly known as the Bpost Bank Trofee and Soudal Trofee). It also historically carried the designation of being a C1 event under the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) regulations. Points earned here are crucial for riders' UCI rankings.

The Loenhout course is notoriously famous for its long, grueling sand sections that line the perimeter of the track. Riders often have to dismount and run through the deep, loose sand if they lose momentum on their bikes. This unique feature frequently causes dramatic shakeups and mechanical issues among the leading contenders.