We’ve been lucky enough to get out to Belgium three times this ‘cross season, which has meant we’ve been able to help plenty of riders, whether it’s with full trip planning, a bit of pit support, or just a few shouts and photos! In our final trip of the Winter we headed to Middelkerke and Lille (BE), to help Luke Gibson and his Dad at two of the fastest courses we’ve ever seen!...
This season we’ve been to Kortrijk, Gistel, Hulst, Zonhoven, Mol, and now Middelkerke, and Lille. It’s been absolutely brilliant to see our best riders shine in the mud and sand of a Flemish Winter. I’ve been friends with Steve Gibson since he started in ‘cross and watching his son, Luke, grow up and eventually go faster than his Dad has been incredible. His sister is now biting at their heals too, and with Mum Emma being at all of the races too, it’s a real family thing - exactly as ‘cross should be.
This weekend I joined Luke and Steve as an honorary Gibson, and we headed for the sand of Flanders to test Luke’s legs against the best in the world - Luke takes up the story, “I was lucky to be able to finish my CX Season at two of Belgium most famous cross races, the Superprestige at Middelkerke and the X2O Trofee Lille.”
Luke - “My race at the Superprestige was the first time I’d raced with the Elite Men. The start was so fast, but I managed to hold my own and get into the top 20. I was happy with my skills, riding the technical sections and hoping the boards, but did struggle to hold the wheels on the longer straights. I slipped back toward the end of the race but I was really pleased to finish 30th and the best of the 1st year u23s.”
Glen - I’ve been to Middelkerke before and this year it was incredibly dry and fast. The pace in all the races was intense and any small errors had major consequences, as we saw in the Women’s race. I was really impressed by how professional and calm Luke was. It’s a lot to take in and a big step up to the Elite race, having only raced the U23s before - the difference isn’t night and day of coarse, but when the course is running so fast everything was magnified and turned up to 11! Luke had a great race, and with minimal work to do to the bikes we jumped in the van and did our race debrief on the way to Lille, in northern Belgium.
Luke - “The X2O Trofee at Lille has the most sand I’ve ever raced on. It was really good to try different tyres in practice and I decided to race on a file tread. I was on the second row and made a good start and felt confident riding the rutted sandy corners. The longer dry sandy straights were much harder and I definitely need more practice to keep the speed/momentum and to be able to follow the fast lines. I finished 29th in the U23 race and I was really happy to have got the experience racing in the sand. It was hard but great fun.”
Glen - We’ve done a few years of these trips now and it’s really interesting to hear the riders views and see their reactions and how they learn the courses and the racing - Luke is really positive and is always looking for ways to improve, and I think that’s the way of a good ‘cross rider. You’re always learning and improving, and the riders that are open to that really improve quickly - it’s mega to see and to be a tiny part of. I was really impressed to see the way he took on the sand, having had nothing quite like it in the UK. He wasn't the fastest, but he was by no means the slowest, and against riders who have probably raced for 10 years already on these kinds of courses, that’s pretty impressive for a sand virgin!
Luke - “I’m really grateful for the help from Ride For Charlie who made the trip possible, and to Glen from THE ÆIGHT BIKE CØMPANY who helped with my bikes, and pitting with my Dad.” You can find all the info about Ride For Charlie by clicking on this text. Also check out Luke via his IG account!
Photos by Glen Whittington
2025.RIDERS - GLENWHITTINGTON
#aeightracer – Bike Rider / Framebuilder / Mechanic - Glen started racing in 1998, initially specialising in XCO and Solo 24-Hour Mountain Bike. He became a mechanic in 2002, working in shops and also for professional race teams. During this time he spent more time racing ‘Cross and Road, and then also TT. In 2013 he built his first bespoke frame and then spent several years at Roberts learning the art. Since then he’s designed, tested and now sells his own frames/bikes to the public as part of his ÆIGHT brand - you can find his business Instagram account here.
GOT WHAT IT TAKES TO RACE WITH US?
We’re always looking for riders to be part of our ÆIGHT CØLLECTIVE. The #aeightbikeco is about doing things a little differently - Rather than a jersey being the common theme, we kit our riders out with bespoke steel bikes and handbuilt wheels made in our Sussex workshops, the ÆIGHT WHEELWØRKS and the ÆIGHT MANUFACTØRY. We then support each other at events and races regionally, nationally and internationally - whether that’s for mountain bike, ‘cross, gravel, crit, road or TT - it’s what we call, the #aeightbikeco
The best part is that we’re not asking you to leave your team or club - that includes racing in your club/team kit. We’ve got certain brands that we work with, mostly so we can standardise shared equipment, but your own sponsors and clubs are almost always welcome. We have some strict qualifying criteria but don’t be put off by this – if you’re interested in being part of the #aeightbikeco then please get in touch by emailing your racing CV to eightbikeco@gmail.com
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