My sort of new discovery this year has been the Belgian passion for cyclocross – or perhaps I should say what I have discovered is live cyclocross on the TV and the extensive coverage of the results in the mainstream media, even pushing back the all consuming monster that is football. (Cyclocross tab below to see other posts)

I can’t help but feel sorry for the organisers is this week’s World Championships in Louisville Kentucky. First time in the 43 years of the championship that they have left Europe. US Cycling is in desperate need of a lift after the nightmares of Armstrong and cyclocross is quietly growing as a new branch of the sport so it could be a real celebration of the sport for them.

So how about this for the news:

Louisville, KY – February 1, 2013. Forecast data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) project that high water levels in the Ohio River will cause Beargrass Creek to flood the low lying areas of Eva Bandman Park in Louisville, Ky, in the early hours on Sunday morning and that water level will continue to rise for the next 48 hours.

That is such a shame for the organisers, now they are relying on a special barrier and moving everything to today, Saturday.

Having seen Niels Albert, Sven Nys and the rest compete in mud so deep they couldn’t ride and on ice that put even the best on their backsides I have a sneaking suspicion that they could and would ride in snorkels and flippers if asked. My money would be on Albert, he’s the tallest.

The sort of good news is that Belgian TV will now show all four events on the one day – about four hours of coverage. Bad news for me is that I’m going to have to improvise – today is the day my other sporting passion kicks off – Rugby’s 6 Nations tournament also involves lots of blokes thrashing about in the mud but as I posted last year only at the very end of the series does it begin to overlap with cycling. Having to make such choices this early in the year really is unfair!

UCI’s live Youtube feed should do it, then I can capture both as I did for Milan San Remo last year.

Oh well, it does mean lots of time to get the ironing done.