Danilith Nokere Koerse for juniors is now in its sixth edition and has quickly become a fixture on the junior calendar. As an international UCI race, not only Belgian but also increasingly more foreign teams are attracted to the race, which starts in Deinze and finishes on Nokereberg. This year, the riders will cover 129 kilometers, and with no less than 15 kilometers of cobblestones, it will be a selective race.

Race director Rony De Sloovere: ‘We received no fewer than 56 applications from teams for our junior race. In fact, we could have organized 2 races. However, only 25 teams of 6 riders are allowed to start.’

We selected the top 15 from last year’s Belgian Cup; the top Belgian junior teams can then compete against a selective international group. The other teams come from the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Lithuania, Slovenia, Norway, Italy, and Poland. Among them are two national teams; from Poland and Slovenia. There are also junior teams that are part of the structure of well-known professional teams such as AG2R Citroën or the Norwegian Uno-x.

The next edition of Danilith Nokere Koerse for juniors will be held on Saturday, March 11. The riders start at 2:00 PM in Deinze and are expected to finish in Nokere around 5:00 PM.

Chairman Robrecht Bothuyne: ‘New this year is the CAPS Mountain Prize. After previously introducing a mountain prize for men and women, juniors now also have the chance to win it.’ Attacking riders can score points during the 3 passages over Nokereberg and win the CAPS mountain prize. For juniors, this is worth fuel cards valued at 500 euros.

On the same day, Danilith Nokere Koerse also organizes a kids edition, together with the Flemish Cycling School and the sports department of Kruisem, giving children aged 8 to 12 their first ‘race experience’; including a skills course and a guided ride along part of Danilith Nokere Koerse, finishing on Nokereberg!