Cyclocross on Challenge: the golden season of Femke Gort

Photo: Daan van Overveld

In October, you picked up double wins in Denmark and a podium finish at home. Which one was the best?
It is difficult to choose. As I indicated, the podium at my home country was the best because here I could show my ability among the top athletes. Denmark, however, was a bigger goal because I have a Danish friend. My whole family-in-law and my parents came to watch, there were teammates and it was a Halloween cross. The whole experience together with my family and the victories made it an unforgettable trip that I love to look back on.

This season you have been riding Challenge cross tires. Tires are known for grip and rolling resistance. What is your experience with these tires?
I am extremely pleased with the tires. I have used the Grifo, Limus and the Chicane. They do their job on any surface and with any tire pressure. I always felt confident on the tires and this allowed me to be faster and more confident through turns and on descents.

Why and when do you choose a specific tire?
I prefer the Grifo the most. This tire is very versatile and always reliable. I have had different tire pressures in it on a variety of courses and could always rely on grip and no breakdowns. I choose the Grifo when there is more grass than sand or mud underfoot on flat courses. The Limus was needed more than usual this season. I use this one when the surface is muddy and there are elevation gains in the course. This is because grip in descents or slopes is more important than having less rolling resistance. There is a lot to gain with tire choice but also a lot to lose. The chicane are always cool to ride on because it means there is a lot of sand. I find sand tricky but the tires give a lot of advantage because the tires slide through the sand. This makes it a lot less heavy and I can steer better.

Photo: Daan van Overveld

Would you choose the same compounds for next season or are there changes going on in the professional cyclocross peloton?
I would choose the same for the same line up. I am very satisfied with everything and it takes me to the highest level possible. However, I would expand my collection of tires to Baby Limus. This is because cyclocross is getting wetter and wetter. In very muddy corners, grifo can be a little lacking in grip but when you choose rhino's you also have more rolling resistance on other parts of the course while not always necessary. I often saw the Baby Limus passing by the starting line.

You are also very active on social media with videos on Instagram and Tiktok. This also makes you an inspiration for young and beginning riders. What is the golden tip when you start with cyclocross?
Grab tires with more grip. When you want to push your limit, you can reduce your risk by grabbing more grip. Even though the rolling resistance is more, you also dare more and learn more. This will eventually make you much faster when you start expanding your tire collection. Technique is so important, sometimes people don't see that. Keep learning and improving yourself, it sounds like a cliche but your real opponent is yourself. (And make a list of everything you need for a competition or training, I speak from experience that you quickly forget something oops).

Photo: Daan van Overveld