A little Dutch 101. Jaar means year, markt means market and cross means cross. That wasn't too hard, was it? The Jaarmarkcross in Niel coincides with the Jaarmarkt or yearly market - a fest going back to the middle ages, when traders from all around the area would gather in one particular town or village for a few weeks, mostly to trade goods. Nowadays the focus is less on commerce and more on booze, which is where the 'cross part comes in. The Jaarmarktcross in Niel has been around since 1963, and they've had the world champion at the start for every edition. The course isn't too spectacular, but the U23 kids do get to race alongside the big boys for this one, which I always like. Gives one a chance to play spot-the-talent.
No Mathieu van der Poel today.