Ian Ackert, clad in brand-new maple leaf kit, had a terrific start to the UCI CX World Cup in Namur on Sunday. In his first year as an elite (although he is still under-23), he won the national championships in Lévis, Que., on Nov. 16.
He has since headed over to Belgium, which he will use as a home base as he races more of the top ‘cross races as he prepares for the 2025 ‘cross worlds in Liévin, France.
Great start in Namur
“Starting my World Cup season with the elite race in Namur was epic,” Ackert said. “I was fortunate to have racked up a good amount of UCI points in the last year so I was able to start on the third row! After the start, I was able to find small gaps and power through into 7th. Though it wasn’t for long, I definitely saw what the pace was like and know what to do to get there.”
Although he’s raced in the elite category in North America, he says that the ‘cross scene in Europe is a completely different ball game.
Racing in Europe
“It doesn’t matter if you’re fighting for a top spot or dead last, you can guarantee that there will be someone trying to pass you. Everyone is so motivated to push until the very end. It is also a lot trickier to stick to the same line every lap because there might be someone trying to get by or someone in the way. I’d say you have to be very adaptable to changing conditions and lines,” he said.
Ackert was in the top 10 for the first lap and faded to 15th before ultimately finishing a respectable 23rd. But he’s excited to see what comes next.
Lots of season left
“I felt great,” he said. “I’ve just come off a three-week training camp with my team (Trek Future Racing), prepping for the 2025 MTB XCO season. I was a little worried since I hadn’t touched my cyclocross bike since nationals, but the feeling came back pretty fast and I was feeling really good on course. It resembles a mountain bike course quite a bit actually, so I guess the MTB training might have paid off.”
He will be doing the rest of the World Cups and a few C1’s, and the ‘cross worlds. For the most part, he will be staying in Belgium and then going to Spain in January for some more training.
The next UCI CX World Cup is Saturday in Hulst, the Netherlands. You can watch it on the UCI YouTube channel for free.
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