Erwin Vervecken will cap his illustrious career at the end of this cross season, in February of 2010. He will have an official good-bye race on February 27, three days after the indoor cross race in Hasselt ends the 2009/2010 cross season. Vervecken was cyclocross World Champion three times in his career and had several more podium finishes.
Vervecken’s good-bye race will be in Herentals in Belgium, he announced on his website. There will be a 20km and 40km mass cyclocross/mountain bike race as the main event, run on a 10km long loop. Kids will get the opportunity to ride in a 10km non-competitive event.
Besides Vervecken, several cyclocross racers have already indicated they will be attending the event, including Sven Nys, Niels Albert, Bart Wellens and Zdenek Stybar.
Vervecken won one race this season, the Sun Prairie cross in late September in the USA. He achieved his biggest successes in the past. Especially the World Championships were a good race for him. He won in 2001, 2006 and 2007. He also finished second in 1998, 1999, 2005, and third in 1994, 2003. He was Belgian National Champion in 1996.
Vervecken did his first race in 1980, in Noorderwijk, at the age of eight. His career started going the right way in 1989, when he became the U17 Belgian National cyclocross Champion.
Vervecken will have more time for his family when retired, spending it with his three children, including twins, and his wife Liesbeth.