Leisurely. This word sums up best today for me. After a chillingly early start, we arrived at Lille (the Belgian one) at 11am, just in time for the U23 race – but there was no hurry. It was all casual.

I had a similar feeling last year: after the Worlds, the edge is somehow lost. The races still matter and the riders ride hard but something is missing. Not that there is anything wrong with it, it’s just different from the normal rhythm of the races. I really like the course at the Lilse Bergen, it is adjacent to a lake and it goes through the woods. While it’s not spectacular as cross country venue can be in the Alps, it was a nice change from the usual mudfest between two bored cows.

The end of the season draws closer and closer – with only three more races to go, the finish is really close now. And that means that the new book will be ready soon. But more on that a bit later�