Classified is a really big advantage here, because I was able to shift down during the most important part of the race. It really makes a big difference, because if you can stay on the bike and be more efficient through the dunes, that can be a race winning move. 

On Sunday 19th February, Dutch cyclist Jules de Cock won his first national cycling championship riding a Classified Powershift hub equipped bike. Competing on the brutal and unforgiving beaches of North Holland, the 25-year-old Dutchman left his competitors in the sand and rode solo to victory.  

Jules has been testing and racing with the Classified Powershift hub for over a year and winning the NK Beach race was a great way to finish off the season. After winning the Dutch National Beach Racing Championship in such a dominant fashion, we had to sit down with him for a chat.

Classified: Morning Jules, how are the legs feeling?

Jules de Cock: Not too bad actually, but I can still feel my lungs. Beach racing is a special kind of effort, and I went pretty deep at the end yesterday.

Classified: Congratulations on your win. Can you talk us through how you prepared for this race. Was it any different from a normal race?

JdC: My preparation for this race was quite normal, except that because it was quite a short course, maybe 8km per lap, I did the recon on the morning of the race, not the day before like normal.

One other difference is that I was able to meet up with my Beat Cycling teammates for a road training session on the Friday. The team management gave us some motivational speeches about the start of the season, and there was a realty positive feeling in the team. I think that helped me to prepare mentally for the race on Sunday.

Classified: It clearly helped, you won the race and your teammate Thijs Zonneveld came third. Can you talk us though what happened in the race?

JdC: It was a very technical start, so we knew we had to be really sharp. We were able to stay at the front and stay out of trouble. When we turned onto the beach for the first time, Ivar Slik attacked, and I knew I had to follow him. After the pace slowed a little, I managed to ride away from the group and get to the next technical section in the front, which is where you need to be.

I just rode sweet spot, which is my favourite zone to ride in – just below FTP. The wind was unusually blowing from the north, so we had a tailwind. I was caught at the first technical section, but as I was at the front I was able to get through with no issues and a small group of us really went full gas from there.

Classified: So was this halfway through the race or…

JdC: No this was still on lap one.

Classified: Right, so just 48km to go. Full gas?

JdC: That’s beach racing! The pace eventually slowed a bit around lap 3, and we were maybe 10-15 guys at this point. The pace had slowed a lot as people got tired and skipped turns, so I was able to drift off the front again. Ivar managed to join me and I was in a really ideal situation. I love to set a tempo and drive it on the front, just keeping the pace high.

My teammate Thijs was in the second group and could just surf the wheels. It was really a great display from the Beat Cycling team.

I attacked on the final lap, which Ivar was able to cover, but with Thijs on his wheel. It was clear that someone from Beat Cycling was going to win. I attacked again with around 3km to go and this time Ivar couldn’t follow. It was into the wind, so I just put my head down and gave it everything. It really was the perfect race.

Classified: It sounds like you had great legs. But let’s talk equipment set up, and that beach bike equipped with the Classified Powershift hub

JdC: I built and developed the bike build myself, including picking and, in some cases, creating the components. It’s very important in beach racing to have the best components for the job, so I was very selective about the build. For instance, I needed a frame with clearance for 62mm tyres, so a mountain bike frame, but one that had aero capabilities and good handling for riding on the beach. The bike really does have to be perfectly balanced for beach racing

Classified: It sounds like you’re a big believer in innovation, is that what caused you to ride the Classified Powershift hub?

JdC: The ideal situation for the use of Classified is when you want to shift gears under full load. In beach racing you have very high speeds of 50-60km, and then very low speeds of maybe 10kph. When you are coming off the hard sand and riding into the dunes, you are decelerating very quickly, whilst not only changing down gears, but also putting out some of the highest watts of the whole race. It’s a unique situation, but one that the Classified system is perfect for. I could change gear whilst putting out 500 or 600 watts without having to ease off. My competitors did not have this technology and that made a big difference.

Classified is a really big advantage here, because I was able to shift down during the most important part of the race. It really makes a big difference, because if you can stay on the bike and be more efficient through the dunes, that can be a race winning move.

It would be absolutely impossible to have a front derailleur in this situation. You would definitely drop your chain.

to Power·shift [Powershifting] {Verb}:
(also: the new benchmark in shifting gears)

1. To shift gears under full load within 150 milliseconds
2. Maintain valuable momentum during climbs and transitions, or before an attack

Classified’s unique 2 speed gear hub allows riders to jump through 46% percent of the gear range, or the equivalent of 2 or 3 rear derailleur shifts, within 150 milliseconds. As such, ‘Powershifting’ is quickly becoming the go to term for maintaining momentum on the trails.

Tests undertaken with pro riders showed a far greater use of the powershift hub gear as opposed to the rear derailleur, leading to an overwhelming increase of momentum through transitions.

“The feedback of professional riders is very promising and brought us even better insights into the enormous potential the product offers. Extending our range further into off-road space with the mountain bike hub confirms Classified’s vision to be a technology that is compatible across all cycling disciplines. We are extremely excited about the possibilities the new product brings and its ability to enhance the existing MTB drivetrain market." says Mathias Plouvier, CEO and co-founder of Classified Cycling.

CTO Roell van Druten adds “we are very proud to bring Powershift technology to mountain biking. With an ultimate gear range of 530%, the Powershift Boost hub combines a high-grade, one-piece compact steel cassette (11-40t) with a larger chainring, improving the overall durability of the drivetrain.”

Van Druten goes further to explain the benefits of the new system: “Using the Classified hub with an 11-40t cassette and a 34t chainring results in the lowest drivetrain ratio of 0.58. To achieve this ratio with a traditional system the user would have to use a 30t chainring. Using a smaller chainring in a traditional system lowers the efficiency and durability of that system due to the higher chain forces. The more compact Classified cassette also allows the use of a shorter derailleur cage, increasing the robustness of the drivetrain alongside the efficiency.”    

The Ringshifter:

The next generation of shifting, this sleek, fully wireless handlebar control provides unrivalled shifting performance with the lightest flick of your thumb. The Ringshifter can perform 10,000 shifts before needing to be easily recharged with the provided magnetic USB cable.

Featuring a unique magnetic spring back mechanism, the Ringshifter delivers unparalleled durability and a smooth, responsive feel. The functionalities of the Ringshifter can be customized to meet the individual needs of every rider.

Classified: So, is gear range and not having a front derailleur the only benefit of the Classified system? Wouldn’t most riders just use a 1x set up?

JdC: Yes, everyone is running 1x because a front derailleur doesn’t work, but thanks to the Classified system I am able to run a much bigger chainring than my competitors. There is a trade-off for them, because they want to have a big chainring to get up to speed, but a big chainring doesn’t help in the soft sand areas. So, they have to compromise. I am running a 50t front chain ring and they are running maybe 46t. So, I can ride very comfortably at high speed on the open beach, and change down with the system to have easier gearing in the soft sand. It really is the best of both worlds.

Classified: Any other efficiency gains?

JdC: I think there are definitely a lot of efficiency gains to be had with Classified. My competitors are running a 10t sprocket with 46t chainring on the front. Which is a lot less efficient than my 50/11 set up.

Classified: So there are big gains from using the Classified Powershift Hub?

JdC: I don’t think it’s correct to say that the Classified system won me the race, but it is definitely a big competitive advantage. I did win a race last year though where I can honestly say it was because of the Classified system.

Classified: This sounds like something we want to hear about…

JdC: It was a road race in November in Morocco (Grand Prix Al Massira, UCI 1.2, Nov 6 2022). It was a flat race through the desert, very high speeds of around 60 kph. However because of the Classified system I was able to run a 58t chainring and I was able to accelerate to 70kph. The others, using their standard systems, were not able to follow. I won the race solo, because of the Classified system.

Classified: That’s a strong advertisement for the Classified brand. After such a great win you must have big plans for the year?

JdC: This was the last beach race of the year, so it was the perfect way to finish off the season. In terms of 2023 plans I will have a few weeks of training and then join up with the team for the road season. I haven’t got any goals on the road, just to help my team and use my engine to keep them at the front and try to get in breakaways.  My main goals will be towards the end of the year, when the gravel and beach season start again. Trying to defend my jersey!

Thanks again for talking to us Jules, and good luck for the 2023 season. We will be following.

You can follow Jules’ season on social media here, and you can follow updates from Classified here.