Overijse always delivers. For reasons not entirely known to me, it is not a particularly well known race, it’s not on even ‘cross afficinados’ watch list. Yet this race constantly amazes me with great racing, great crowds and wonderful track.

It is also one of the oldest races, with a lot of tradition. The course mostly remains unchanged, but every year they shake up things a little bit. Nothing major but enough to make it interesting and to make finding new angles a bit easier.

I don’t know about actual numbers, but because at the middle of the course the people are crammed into a small area, even if just a few thousand people are standing there, they can create an amazing atmosphere. The fact that the course snaked through the same area three or four times also helped to keep the folks engaged and in good mood.

Today’s race fit into the pattern of this season’s other races and we’ve seen exciting racing throughout the hour. First it was Micki van Empel who animated the race, then Kevin Pauwels tried his best to turn his luck around. Van Empel faded quickly but Pauwels might be onto something as he managed to grab a podium place and at no point did he lose contact with the front of the race. Maybe we’re going to see a resurgence that Niels Albert showed in the last few weeks?

There is going to be a bit of a lull in the next two weeks, I’m staying in London next weekend, will celebrate have a pre-Christmas with my girlfriend and then I will be back for the first race of the crazy and exciting Christmas week: GP Rouwmoer in Essen.

The 2012/2013 cyclocross book is still available and if you live in the UK, if you order it now, you will still get it before Christmas!