The 2022 UCI Cyclocross World Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas, kicked off Friday with a team relay test event. No medals or jerseys were offered, just trophies, flowers, and a chance for the UCI to gauge rider and fan interest in a team relay event at the cyclocross world championships.

"It was a lot of fun!" said American and Saturday's elite women's race hope, Clara Honsinger, after the finish.

"I want to make this a regular thing. But it's hard to think what would happen if it was a really cool, muddy day and we were waiting in that kind of weather, and I have bigger races to do. But considering the conditions today, it was a lot of fun and it felt really good to get a hot lap there"

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The Team Relay, a popular XC mountain bike event since 1999, is open to one team per federation, and teams consist of one rider per UCI race category. Riders competing in this event must also participate in their respective World Championships events.

Each rider will complete one lap of the course before changing to the next rider at the transition zone. The starting order and other team strategies will be left to the discretion of the teams. The team with the fourth rider to cross the finish line first will win.

Due to fewer riders participating in the World Championships than in previous years, the UCI decided late Thursday night to change the race entry rules.

Each participating team was to consist of two women and two men, with several categories: one junior female or one under-23 female, one under-23 female or one elite female, one junior male or one under-23 male, one under-23 male or one elite male. categories were allowed to include.

As a result, seven teams participated: Belgium, Canada-A, Canada-B, Czech Republic, Italy, USA-A, and USA-B.

Italy won the race ahead of Team USA-A and Belgium. For more information on how the race unfolded, click here.

Despite the limited number of competitors, the response of the athletes was encouraging. The relay is a really strategic race.

"It's all about how you play your cards and when you put your fastest athletes in. Are you going for the holeshot or the closer?

Czech rider Katerina Nash echoed Honsinger's words. The 44-year-old rider is no stranger to team relays, having competed as part of relay teams in mountain biking and cross-country skiing.

"I know it will be a success. He has already had great success in mountain biking. With all that's going on this year, it might be a little difficult, but once people experience it and feel like it's not just a warm-up for the other weekends, but a chance to fight for another gold medal, I think it's a good thing," Nash said. [Personally, I love it. It's fun to be part of a team and have a different experience with your teammates. Plus, every country loves other metals. So I think they'll be into it too."