ICF World Master’s Championships

August 5th, 2012  Moorsel-Aalst , BE

A World Championship bike race is loaded with fierce, abundant, and skilful competitors – attributes that the UCI cannot monopolize. Many northern European cyclists know that the most competitive age group cycling races for a Rainbow Jersey are those promoted by the ICF and held this year in Belgium.

Within a 90-minute drive of Oudenaarde there are at least 150 master races a year promoted by independent Belgium cycling federations with acronyms WAOD, VWV, ECW and OVWF. These organizations are part of an 11-federation group called the International Cycling Federation (ICF).

For the past 30 years, on the first Sunday in August between 80 and 130 guys – in four different age groups – take to the starting line all believing that the ICF Rainbow Jersey is within their grasp – and all perfectly willing to rip each other‘s legs off in the process – which appears to be perfectly legal in Belgium. As Australian Ray Rhodes writes:

gaps everywhere, the riders I could see were the winning break! 10 to 12 riders at that time. First things first I had to start crossing gaps, attacking them one at a time, some were riders that just couldn’t hold the pace and didn’t let the riders behind know, some of them riders at least doing the right thing and pulling out of the line as soon as they realised that they couldn’t hold the wheel. You still have a gap to cross but they are much smaller if you get into it early. One of the guys pulled out of the line quite early which surprised me, he said to me after that we were sitting on 52kph

And this from the 60+ group!

So if you seek the opportunity to test yourself against the best, go to the 2012 ICF World Championships in Moorsel-Aalst, Belgium on August 5th. Join Immersion Cycling’s Post-Tour de France trip and be completely prepared.

Race flyer is here.

Results from 2011 are here.

Expect to race 50 to 100 kilometers depending on the age group.

If by chance you do not go home with the rainbow jersey, you certainly will take home great stories, exceptional chocolate and a belly full of fine beer.