Currently frozen under a smattering of snow, warmer weather forecast for the weekend threatens to turn the course into a mud fest in time for the Cyclocross World Championships in Bieles, Luxembourg.
However at the moment the cold snap and attendant frozen ground has led to a host of crashes in practice and forced revisions to the course to make progress across some off camber sections easier.
Despite its relatively urban setting the parcours still manages to cram in plenty of short, steep climbs and corresponding descents, along with a host of technical features to break up the flat sections in between.
Currently running very quick, but providing perilously little grip due to frigid temperatures the course is likely to become safer, if harder, work should the going turn claggy.
Cyclocross World Championships: Elite men
Barring an upset, most spectators will be expecting the front of the men's race to be a straight duel between the defending World and Belgian National Champion Wout van Aert and the Dutch Champion and former World Champ, Mathieu Van der Poel.
Given his dominant form this season the odds favour the Dutchman although van Aert won’t want to give up his jersey without a fight.
With European Champion Toon Aerts out through injury, Lars van der Haar seems the only rider capable of providing an upset.
Despite not having been able to get around the two favourites so far this year, he’s unlikely to want to race purely for third place and will be looking to capitalise on any mistakes at the front of the race.
Men's odds
1/2 Mathieu van der Poel
6/4 Wout van Aert
7/1 Lars van der Haar
Cyclocross World Championships: Elite women
With last year's champion Thalita de Jong out with an injury sustained at the Hoogerheide World Cup race, the women’s title appears Marianne Vos’s to lose.
Perhaps the most successful cyclist of the last decade, she comes to Luxembourg on a winning streak having triumphed in the last three World Cup rounds and at her National Championships.
However, despite Vos’s intimidating palmarès the winner of the Telenet World Cup, Sophie de Boer will still be looking cause an unlikely upset.
Women's favourites
1 Marianne Vos
2 Sophie de Boer
3 Sanne Cant,
Juniors, Under-23s and British Prospects
British hopes in Bieles rest on a twelve person squad, headed by National Champions Ian Field and Nikki Brammeier.
Even so, the real interest for British fans is likely to be in the Women’s Under-23 and Men’s Junior races.
Last year Evie Richards took a stunning win to claim the Women’s Under-23 title, in what was her first ever international event. She’ll be looking to retain her World Champion’s jersey despite still being among the younger riders at only 19 years old.
Her main competition is likely to be American Ellen Noble, winner of the Telenet World Cup.
In the Men’s Junior race Tom Pidcock, who’s the current National and European Cyclocross Champion seemed relaxed about being touted as the favourite when he recently spoke to Cyclist.co.uk.
His race is the first of the weekend, taking place at 11am on Saturday (10am GMT).
Cyclocross World Championships: Live TV coverage
The UCI will be showing the races via its website, although geo-restriction may be in place for some countries.
2017 UCI Cyclocross World Championships schedule
(All times GMT+1)
Saturday 28th January
Men Junior: 11am
Women Under-23: 1pm
Women Elite: 3pm
Sunday 29th January
Men Under-23: 11am
Men Elite: 3pm