Kortrijk (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The Urban Cross in Kortrijk faces declining attendance, prompting the city and organisers to consider changes like a new date or a nighttime format with entertainment to revitalize the event. Alderman Wouter Allijns is involved in ongoing discussions.
The Urban Cross is a bike race that takes place in Kortrijk. It used to bring in around 10,000 fans, but now only about 3,000 people attend. The agreement between the city and the race organizers, Golazo, has come to an end.
According to officials, the city wants to keep the event going, but they know it needs some improvements. Both the city and Golazo are exploring new ideas to attract more spectators.
Will Kortrik’s Urban cross-shift dates or add night racing?
According to officials, one idea being discussed is to change the date of the Urban Cross race. This could help it not compete with other big events that have kept fans away. They mentioned that another suggestion is to hold the race at night, like the Superprestige race in Diegem, which has mixed racing with fun shows. They said that adding music and performances is also being considered. These changes could make the Urban Cross more than just a bike race.
Nothing has been decided about the Urban Cross race at this time. Wouter Allijns, who is in charge of sports, mentioned that discussions with Golazo are still ongoing. All options are still being considered. The city wants to ensure that any changes are possible and affordable and to revive public interest in the event.
He mentioned that the Urban Cross will not go away, but its future form is still uncertain. The main goal is to keep Kortrijk on the cyclocross calendar. They want to adapt to what the audience expects and make sure the race continues to bring life to the city centre.
“We are currently looking into this together with Golaza,”
Says Alderman for Sports Wouter Allijns (TBSK).
“We may have to move to another date or make it an evening cross with performances, like in Diegem. All these options are being looked at, but as I said: nothing is set in stone for the time being.”
