Belgian Crack
No , not that crack. And no, not that crack either. I'm talking about the pit that can be found in the middle of most main roads in Belgium. All UCI races and most kermis' contain at least a few main roads made with large concrete slabs. These slabs are about a car width wide and are about twice as long. For some reason or another these slabs are not put right next to each other, which leaves large, intimidating cracks every few meters and one right down the center of the road: The Belgian Crack.
Races in Belgium are run on a full rolling enclosure, so the riders have the full road (and yes the sidewalk, grass, and gravel are fair game too). There is no yellow line in the middle, so they couldn't even have a 'yellow line rule.' If they did it would have to be called the 'Belgian Crack Rule.' So during races it is sometimes a challenge to get past the Belgian Crack. Obviously the cracks that are perpendicular to your wheel are less of a challenge, but they do give a nice jolt to the bars and hands, especially if there is a slight rise from one to the next. The crack down the center of the road is the scariest. I've seen this crack as large as 3 cm, no joke. And if you do the math... 23mm tire... 30mm crack... Yes, I've seen guys crash because of Belgian Crack.
Getting over the crack is always fun. There are usually two scenarios: getting over the crack while riding in a pack or getting over while going single file. Single file is always the easiest because all you have to do is follow the leader. One guy will swing right over it and everyone else follows, going from one side of the road to the other in one clean swoop. Trying to cross the crack in a large pack is a different story. You can try and bunny hop it and look like an idiot or you can try to ride over it very quickly and lift your front tire a little for some extra insurance. Whatever you choose, watch where you're going because knocking into a Belgian spells trouble.
Belgian Crack is just another great element of racing in Belgium! Thanks for reading. Until next time, VR
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