Thread by @jens_dekker

Last year’s edition of the #Robotlandcyclocross in #Essen was one of the reasons I started this series of course reviews, because there was so much wrong with it. Is it any better this year? #CXcoursereviews 1/10

Well, it takes place on a few fields and a little bit of forest around an old train station-turned-theme park. It’s nearly completely flat, just 1 small bank and a few man made hills. There isn’t much more to it, apart from the sandpit added for this year. 2/10

The sand was easy to ride, though, because of the rain. Which rules were broken? Well, which rules weren’t, you might ask. Firstly the asphalt was only 130 metres long, after that was a chicane onto the grass, but even if we count that as a straight, 3/10

It narrowed after about 100 metres, so it violates the rule. After the chicane came a low bridge over a wall, which was so steep riders had to get off, and hardly got up the bridge walking. This goes against the ‘first obstacle can’t be abrupt’ part of the rule. 4/10

The finish was in a different spot, and ran straight for at most 60 metres, which is obviously too short. It’s good they moved the start, even if this year’s solution wasn’t that much better. I have my doubts about the pits, but no other rules broken. 5/10

Opinions: Depending on your definition of ‘good’, this was either slightly better, or slightly worse than last year’s edition. The main differences were changing the start-finish area to be less dangerous, which is a definite positive, and… 6/10

Turning the very annoying short turns onto the bank into a bunch of 30 metre straights with u-turns, and the bank at one end of every straight. This is just bad course design, and it’s obvious enough why it’s bad that I’m not going to explain every detail. 7/10

In the end, it was wet enough that riders had to run the whole section, which, again, is not great. If I could set this course builder 1 rule it would be ‘never approach that bank in the same way twice,’ and the course would be 30% better. 8/10

Even with the perfect course, though, this location wouldn’t produce a great course. It’s just boring, there’s no elevation change, no good start-finish area, and there are lots of rocks in the soil, and they have caused punctures in the past. 9/10

I don’t want to see another cyclocross race here, but I guess that if the organisers keep going, and pay enough, there’ll be a race. (but please change venues)
Rating: 3/10
UCI rules broken 2 (5.1.020 , 5.1.021)
10/10