Team Charles Liègeois Roastery CX, the only professional cyclocross structure in Wallonia since 2020, reinforces its commitment to the promotion and development of cyclocross in the region. Together with its title partner from the Liège province, the team supports the organisation of the Challenge Henri Bensberg and rewards the best Woman and best Junior from Brussels or Wallonia in the final classification with an invitation for a training camp with the team.
The Henri Bensberg Challenge is the benchmark regularity criterion in Wallonia, organized for nearly twenty years with the support, among others, of the province of Liège. Composed of twelve events, the challenge is becoming increasingly successful with more than 2 800 participants last winter in the categories U8 to Masters C. The kick-off of the sixteenth edition took place on Saturday October 12th in Libramont, not far from the branch of Charles Liègeois Roastery.
The best junior from Wallonia or Brussels in the final classification will have the opportunity to learn alongside the professionals and from the advice of double world champion Bart Wellens during a training camp with Charles Liégeois Roastery CX. In this way, the cyclocross branch of the structure of Jean-François Bourlart wishes to encourage young Walloon riders to practice the discipline. The initiative emerges in parallel to the existing projects of the Ardent Group Cycling Academy, which supports various Walloon youth clubs on the road with material and financial means.
"Since 2006, with the Challenge Bensberg we have been working tirelessly to develop cyclocross in Wallonia. Especially for kids, by offering free participation for all categories under 15 and by organizing separate rankings for girls. The increasing number of participants, as we have seen again recently during the first race in Libramont, confirms the success of our approach. Thanks to the projects of Charles Liégeois Roastery CX, we can take our ambitions even further. Together, we are working towards a future in which cyclocross in Wallonia will become even more popular and where young talents will have the opportunity to develop. We are also happy to have the Charles Liègeois Roastery on board. Thanks to this new partner, we can make our races even more attractive for both participants and spectators. Together, we want to shape the future of cyclocross in Wallonia."
“Developing young cyclists, particularly in Wallonia and Brussels, has been a priority for Intermarché-Wanty for many years already. For several seasons now, the Ardent Group Cycling Academy has provided financial and material support to the development clubs which are affiliated to the cycling federation of Wallonia-Brussels. Our cyclocross team exists since 2020, but the talent pool in the south of the country remains relatively limited. We keep a close eye on the Bensberg challenge, so it's only natural that we support young Walloon talent and offer them the opportunity to discover the highest level within our structure. I hope that thanks to this partnership with Charles Liégeois Roastery, we will be able to welcome many Walloon riders in the coming seasons, and professionalise this discipline in the south of the country.”
Calendar Challenge Henri Bensberg:
12/10 Libramont
20/10 Orp-le-Grand
27/10 Malmedy
1/11 La Reid
3/11 Soiron
9/11 Banneux
17/11 Soumagne
1/12 Hélécine
8/12 Flemalle
14/12 Hannut
22/12 Waremme
29/12 Verviers
