Mathieu Van der Poel has the historical past books in his sights as he bids to equal the long-standing file of Eric De Vlaeminck at this weekend’s Cyclo-cross World Championships in Liévin, northern France.
The legendary Belgian star gained seven elite males’s CX world titles between 1966 and 1973, six of these in succession. Nevertheless, Van der Poel stands poised on six world titles and is the heavy favorite to match the historic file 10 years after claiming his first elite rainbow jersey on the age of 20.
If the Alpecin-Deceuninck star can take victory then he would then have the prospect to interrupt the file subsequent 12 months on dwelling turf within the Netherlands as Worlds heads to Hulst.
His largest problem comes from childhood rival Wout van Aert after his surprise late entry was announced on Sunday, who could have a military of Belgian followers making the quick journey over the border into France to help him.
In the meantime, the elite ladies’s race might be one for the ages, with defending champion Fem van Empel bidding for her third consecutive elite world title at simply 22. Nevertheless, after a dominant 2024, this previous season has seen the hole from Van Empel to her opponents shut considerably.
She’ll probably face an enormous battle along with her Dutch teammates, most notably Lucinda Model, who completed her pre-World Championships marketing campaign with victory in Hoogerheide final weekend, effectively forward of Van Empel in fourth and can be a former world champion from 2021.
Model will probably enter as the primary favorite after Marianne Vos also sadly pulled out due to injury.
Primarily based on a hillside within the French city of Liévin, close to Lens, the two.5km Val Souchez circuit is usually French and has a mixture of longer sections – the place absolute energy shall be important, technical corners and chicanes, with bridges and extra steps being added for the Worlds.
When the French Nationwide Championships had been held on the identical venue three years in the past there was comfortable and muddy floor as Joshua Dubau soloed to victory. It has been raining for lots of the run into the headline occasions on Saturday and Sunday so the mud might be closely affected, nevertheless, the forecast for now could be meant to be dry on race day.
Elite Males’s Favourites
It’s arduous to look past the Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands), who would be the agency favorite to win his seventh world title in Liévin and equal De Vlaeminck’s unimaginable tally of seven elite world titles.
The 30-year-old has gained all seven of his cyclocross races this season and has solely been crushed as soon as in his final 24 outings within the ‘cross area attributable to a crash on the Benidorm World Cup final 12 months.
Nevertheless, Van der Poel suffered a damaged rib on his solution to successful the Actual Cross in Loenhout and was pressured to overlook occasions in each Koksijde and Dendermonde – with each programs requiring giant quantities of working.
The Dutchman returned in fashion final weekend successful at each Maasmechelen and Hoogerheide, trying effectively again to his almighty greatest forward of Worlds.
Nevertheless, if the Liévin course turns into much less rideable as a heavy weekend of racing goes on and the Dutch star struggles together with his working, then his damaged rib might trigger bother and open up the competition.
Van der Poel hasn’t misplaced an elite World Championships race since 2018, nevertheless, so has historical past on his aspect and ought to be assured of the file coming his method
Regardless of Wout van Aert being a late entry to Worlds, the Visma-Lease a Bike rider isn’t a contender to be underestimated and has gained three elite cyclocross world titles in his profession, albeit not since 2018.
The 30-year-old is a shock contender at Liévin and was attributable to conclude his cyclocross season final weekend after ending runner-up behind Van der Poel at Maasmechelen. Nevertheless, he’ll don the sunshine blue of Belgium to supply up a problem to the heavy favorite.
Van Aert shall be inspired by his efficiency final weekend after briefly difficult his Dutch rival earlier than crashing and ending 1:14 behind.
It should take an enormous efficiency by Van Aert to win gold in Liévin, however he has lengthy been offering masterclass rides on the street and cyclocross area. He is additionally the one rider to win a world title with Van der Poel on the startline – at under-23 stage in 2014 and 3 times consecutively between 2016-2018.
He shall be hoping for the heaviest floor attainable in Liévin to check the rib ache of rival Van der Poel to the utmost and forestall him from making extra historical past.
At simply 22, younger star Thibau Nys shall be competing in his second elite world championship after successful the rainbow jersey at each junior and under-23 ranges.
Already adored by his Belgian followers, Nys was born into cyclocross, together with his father Sven Nys having gained two elite world titles and 9 nationwide titles.
Nys junior stepped as much as new heights within the 2024-2025 ‘cross season and gained his first European and Belgium nationwide crowns and shall be bidding for a clear sweep of the jerseys in Liévin.
Whereas his father was a cyclocross stalwart, Thibau additionally has street racing aspirations, and his devastating flip of tempo noticed him win levels on the Tour of Hungary, Tour of Poland, Tour of Suisse, Tour of Norway and the Tour of Romandie final season, with debuts on the Ardennes and presumably the Tour de France set to come back later within the 12 months.
Nys confirmed that flip of pace to go away a drained Van Aert in his wake to win the Benidorm World Cup in nice vogue and would have been hoping to do the identical once more in Liévin.
Nevertheless, his goal of a prime end in France has been dented after being pressured to overlook the World Cup in Maasmechelen final weekend attributable to sickness after which failing to complete at Hoogerheide the next day. Nys will certainly be on the beginning line however whether or not he is absolutely recovered or not is a special story.
With 4 world championship medals to his identify the skilled Baloise Glowi Lions rider Lars van der Haar at all times manages to rise to the event and time his kind excellent.
The 33-year-old has gained two European and 4 Dutch nationwide titles, however the elite world crown has eluded him regardless of 4 visits to the elite podium since 2013 and a runner-up end as just lately as 2022.
Van Der Haar struck his first World Cup podium of the season on a quick Benidorm course and repeated the end result at Hoogerheide final weekend, as he seems set to have peaked completely for Liévin.
He is tasted World Championship glory earlier than on two events on the under-23 stage however has been in a difficult period vying for wins behind the pair of Van der Poel and Van Aert. He’ll want one thing actually particular if he’s to win, however anticipate Van der Haar’s greatest.
After ending third in final 12 months’s Cyclocross World Championships Michael Vanthourenhout is trying set for an additional robust end in 2025.
Belgian nationwide coach Angelo De Clercq additionally informed Het Laatste Nieuws that the shortage of technical options would go well with the power of Vanthourenhout on a course “tailored” to his strengths.
“The circuit just isn’t tremendous technical and the bends are lengthy, it is going to be one thing for riders with lots of substance, a check of power,” stated De Clercq. “Once I noticed the course, I instantly considered Michael Vanthourenhout.”
The 32-year-old was the closest finisher to Van Der Poel final weekend at Hoogerheide as he chased alone and completed 1:42 behind, persevering with to point out constant kind.
If the Belgium staff can work collectively, they might cease Van der Poel with staff techniques, and Vanthourenhout is one in every of a number of Belgians who may sneak away for victory.
Commerce teammate Eli Iserbyt is also a weapon within the Belgium assault in quick circumstances, whereas Toon Aerts shall be seeking to solidify his first season again following a doping ban with a world championship medal.
Elite Ladies’s Favourites
The reigning world champion Fem van Empel had completed off the rostrum simply as soon as this season earlier than having a nightmare final weekend with two of her worst outcomes.
Van Empel’s key power since becoming a member of the elite ranks has been her psychological calmness and decision-making below stress, which has gained her a number of races within the final laps.
Nevertheless, the 23-year-old regarded below stress final Saturday and Sunday, when a number of crashes and errors resulted in a sixth-place end in Maasmechelen, which she adopted up with fourth in Hoogeheide after being unable to comply with Lucinda Model and crashing out of the rostrum battle.
The 22-year-old shall be hoping for a 3rd successive title earlier than embarking on a street marketing campaign with Visma-Lease a Bike, which has drawn a few of her focus away from her ‘cross profession.
There’s a query mark over the nonetheless very star however she stays ‘very confident’ she’ll have the form heading into Liévin and a fierce Dutch battle for rainbows.
At 35 years previous, Lucinda Model stays probably the most constant rider within the ladies’s cyclocross area and has showcased her power and energy time and time once more all through this previous season.
A robust street season noticed the Lidl-Trek rider play key roles within the Spring Classics, Vuelta a Burgos Feminas, LOTTO Thuringen Girls Tour, Giro d’Italia Ladies and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, which she credit for her present gorgeous kind.
Model had two months off earlier than a top-10 on the Gravel World Championships and a 27-race and counting ‘cross season. Regardless of being by far the busiest ‘cross rider she has but to complete off the rostrum and clinched eight wins.
Model will come into the ladies’s race as many individuals’s favorite after using away from her opponents at Hoogerheide on Sunday to win by 28 seconds, with Van Empel method off and plenty of others falling to her unstoppable diesel engine.
The Dutch rider typically comes good later within the race along with her big endurance base at all times getting highlighted within the latter laps. The longer these vying for victory fail to drop Model, the extra probably a second title will search for her.
After being topped World and European Mountain Bike World Champion, even larger issues had been anticipated from the 22-year-old Puck Pieterse this ‘cross season.
Throughout a shortened marketing campaign the Fenix-Deceuninck has podiumed in 5 World Cup occasions and gained the Dutch Nationwide Championship however has not regarded fairly as robust as she did within the 2022-23 or 2023-24 CX seasons.
The multi-disciplined rider, who gained a stage of final 12 months’s Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift and confirmed her true potential as a street race, may rise to the event and take victory in Liévin after podiuming the final two years.
In spite of everything, Pieterse solely believes her kind is getting higher after seeing off the cost of Van Empel to take third at Hoogerheide final weekend. With the street season and Classics approaching, maybe Pieterse’s greatest will come out on the largest race of the season.
Dutch riders dominated the World Championships elite ladies’s race in 2024, locking out the highest 4 positions, and this 12 months’s race seems set to be an analogous story.
Nevertheless, one rider who may disrupt that’s Blanka Vas from Hungary, who on her day, can compete with the highest riders and is just getting stronger as she matures right into a prime ‘cross rider.
The 23-year-old has additionally hit kind on the proper second and took the second World Cup victory of her profession at Maasmechelen on Saturday earlier than ending runner-up at Hoogerheide the next day.
The five-time Hungarian Nationwide champion would make historical past for her nation if she is to take victory or end on the rostrum in Liévin, two feats no Hungarian has ever managed within the elite ladies’s or males’s race.
Vas has had earlier success in peaking for the World Championships and took silver and bronze within the under-23 age class, so she is aware of find out how to taper appropriately for Worlds. With Van Empel not at her greatest and with a win over Model final Saturday, Vas ought to be assured.
