World Champion looks untouchable a week before the World Championships beating Vanthourenhout and Van der Haar
in yet another show of dominance just a week before the Cyclocross World Championships.
It was seven wins from seven races for Van der Poel this winter
with a seventh world title in France the next goal
Van der Poel led virtually from start to finish
driving into the first corner and soon distancing his rivals
He opted not to bunny hop the barriers but late in the race he took flight on the ramp and flicked his back wheel
Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Cibel Clementines) was impressive in the thick mud to finish 1:42 down on Van der Poel
He was crowned the World Cup winner after two victories in the 11-race series.
Lars Van der Haar (Baloise Glowi Lions) was third at 1:57 on Sunday
Van der Poel won his first World Cup race in Hoogerheide 10 years ago when he was just 20
He turned 30 a few days ago and seemed close to his very best
so ready to win a seventh cyclocross World title.
It looks really good at the moment but it's a new race next Sunday," he said with caution
"The World Championships is always something special and I'll fight as hard as I can to get it
"I feel better now than in the first races
I hope to ride my best race of the season next week."
Van der Poel seemed to race with ease but he pushed himself and his limits.
"It was an incredibly difficult course," he claimed. "It's such a difficult race that you have to ride at your own pace from start to finish
"I prefer these conditions than when it's super fast
I felt I'd recovered well and so I'm happy."
Van der Poel revealed he cracked a rib during the holidays and can still feel some pain but it will not slow him down.
"I still feel it but it'll not slow me down next week
Everything is on schedule and I'm looking forward to it," he concluded
Van der Poel showed his intentions by leading the uphill surge from the start
He led into the right turn onto the grass and then down the descent into the mud
Not even the World Champion could ride through the black stuff but was still fastest as he ran with his bike
As soon as he hit the flat ridable sectors
Van der Poel was stronger and faster and began to distance everyone else
Thibaut Nys (Baloise Glowi Lions) was back racing after recent illness but had a poor start and slipped down the field
setting off alarm bells in Belgium about his form and chances of a medal at next week's World Championships.
Van der Poel was away and had a gap of 19 seconds
The race for victory was already decided.
Vanthourenhout soon emerged as the best of the rest as he raced to overall success in the UCI World Cup standings
He was technically excellent in the mud and so distanced Van der Haar and a chasing pack that raced against each other in mud.
his lap times getting faster and faster in a show of force
His lead was up to 1:34 as the bell rang for the final lap.
He even had time to jump off the ramp and take air in the final two laps
to the delight of the fans watching him dominate
He had time to high five the crowd at the finish and show his muscles as he crossed the line.
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Stephen FarrandSocial Links NavigationHead of NewsStephen is one of the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team
having reported on professional cycling since 1994
He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022
before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters
Fem van Empel finished fourth in the final World Cup race of the season
who had an off day yesterday in Maasmechelen
seemed to be on track for a podium finish for much of the race in Hoogerheide but ultimately had to concede third place to Puck Pieterse
Lucinda Brand took the victory in Hoogerheide
In the final test before the World Championships in Liévin
Van Empel didn’t have the best opening lap
The world champion started fast but briefly dropped back
the Dutch rider fought her way back to the front and
Van Empel appeared poised to claim second place
but a slip in a slick corner meant she had to settle for fourth
“The feeling was much better than yesterday”
“I came back strong and rode well until the crash
it would’ve been nicer if it had been a great weekend
but I’m feeling good and very confident heading into next week’s World Championships
The coming days will mainly be about recovery to ensure I’m fresh at the start in France on Saturday.”
after her crash yesterday during the World Cup in Maasmechelen
Vos experienced calf pain and had to abandon the race in the first lap
her recovery will be closely monitored ahead of next Saturday’s World Championships
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World champion simply unstoppable in GP Adrie van der Poel race
while Lucinda Brand follows series win with clear victory in women's event
Fully inspired in a race named after his father Adrie, Mathieu van der Poel took his most dominant victory of this season Sunday
The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider had been rumored to be holding back in recent races but floored it on lap one of seven at the UCI World Cup in Hoogerheide
The effort saw him riding his rivals clean off his wheel and gain time all the way to the finish
His victory was an emphatic one: he beat Michael Vanthourenhout by 1.42
with Lars van der Haar the only other rider less than two minutes behind
I prefer these conditions,” Van der Poel stated
The women’s race was also somewhat one sided: Lucinda Brand was in fine form, beating Saturday’s World Cup race winner Blanka Vas by 28 seconds
The Baloise Glowi Lions rider had already sealed her overall World Cup title Saturday and was riding without pressure in Hoogerheide
“It is a great way to finish the World Cup,” the Dutchwoman smiled
winning the men’s series with his second place Sunday
“It is the first GC win of my career,” the Pauwels Sauzen–Cibel Clementines rider said
All eyes were on world champion Van der Poel at the start of the World Cup race
who was showing no signs of tiredness after his win Saturday in Maasmechelen
He started near the front and lurked just behind Vanthourenhout in the opening minutes
with Toon Aerts (Deschacht-Hens-FSP) desperately trying to hold his wheel but failing
Vanthourenhout was feeling good and rode clear of the rest but was already 28 seconds adrift starting lap three
A large group of chasers was at 50 seconds there
Van der Poel was making light work out of the course
flowing sections and the other areas rendered difficult with thick
The net result was that he was 59 seconds ahead of Vanthourenhout by the end of lap four of seven
The rest of the field were utterly out of the running for victory by then
The chase group was a full 1:45 behind and resigned to fighting amongst themselves for the other podium placings
Van der Haar was feeling increasingly god and pushed clear of this bunch
closing to within 21 seconds of Vanthourenhout by the start of the final lap
He kept the pressure on but ran out of time
Vanthourenhout had to make do with second place
“It is very beautiful to win on GC like this,” he said of the final World Cup standings
“It is one of the highest possible GCs you can win
he knew beforehand that Van der Poel was the man to watch
He was ready and waiting for the attack but simply couldn’t do anything about it
“I went to follow him but it was not possible today,” he admitted
“I was riding the whole race in second position
But I am very happy with the race and the shape is getting better.”
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The women’s race saw a coronation for Brand
who has led the World Cup ever since she won round two in Dublin in early December
but she soon sliced her way through the field
She was two seconds behind Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) at the end of lap one
with Zoe Bäckstedt (Canyon-SRAM Zondacrypto) plus Saturday’s winner Vas four seconds further back
She then found herself alone at the front when the Dutch champion’s wheel became stuck in a rut and chucked her to the ground
“But then when Puck and me were together I felt already good
we can continue together and let’s see how it ends up
Then she made a mistake and I knew I had to take my chance to keep pushing
Pieterse clattered earthwards again early on lap four while running through mud
while world champion Fem Van Empel (Visma-Lease a Bike) hit a rut and crashed
And while Brand lost her balance going through thick mud and ended up leaning against the barriers for a couple of seconds
she still reached the finish line half a minute ahead of Vas
The latter had won Saturday and with a first and second to her credit
“The running part was really hard and I had a very bad start
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Van der Poel won every one of the seven races he competed in this winter
Five of those were World Cup events but with a dozen rounds in all
Instead it was a highly consistent Vanthourenhout who prevailed
40 more than Aerts and 76 in front of Joran Wyseure (Crelan-Corendon)
I was really good today,” Vanthourenhout said
who went into Sunday’s race with an unsurmountable lead
reaching the podium in all 27 of the races she has contested
“Everything works well and I am not getting sick
well ahead of Van Empel’s 276 and the 253 of Vas
Next up is next weekend’s world championships in Liévin
Defending champ Van der Poel is clear favorite for the men’s race
while Van Empel has been somewhat subdued this weekend and could face a tight battle in her quest for a fourth successive crown
What’s it like to be an American cyclist living in France
Watch to get professional road cyclist Joe Dombrowski’s view
Baloise Glowi Lions rider beats Blanka Vas a week before the World Championships
Blanka Vas (SD Worx-Protime) came through to finish 28 seconds down on Brand
Brand ended the World Cup series with a total of 350 points
Brand has ridden 27 cyclocross races so far this winter and always finished in the top three
"It's a great way to finish the World Cup," Brand said
"I felt OK on the first lap but it was not amazing.
I felt good and thought we'd continue together and we'd see how the race ended
Then she made a mistake and I knew I had to take my chance and keep pushing."
Asked if she was feeling good for next weekend's World Championships in France
France's Hélène Clauzel (Van Rysel Racing Team) had the best start and led up the rising road and onto the grass and first descent
while Brand had her typical slower start but soon joined them in a show of intention.
Clauzel and everyone else were soon distanced by Brand
Van Empel and Pieterse in a show of ability and form
Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) was the first to take a tumble and soon climbed off to avoid worsening any injuries. Vos also crashed on Saturday in Maasmechelen
Brand took advantage of Pieterse's sudden and surprising first fall on the first lap and rode away and opened a 20-second gap.
Van Empel tried to close the gap but she also fell on the fourth lap
tried to ride across it and was thrown to the ground
It was the second crash in two days and the world champion seemed shocked despite riding on
She moved up to second place but was 27 seconds down on Brand with a fifth and final lap to race
Brand powered on and increased her lead to show she is also a favourite for next week's World Championships.
It’s the last round of the UCI Cyclocross World Cup on Sunday
The final round takes place in Hoogerheide
Although Wout van Aert won’t be there
there are plenty of other stars to watch: including Mathieu van der Poel and Thibau Nys
A greasy quagmire made and penultimate round of the 2024-2025 UCI World Cup in muddy Maasmechelen
Belgium and chaotic hour of crashes in the elite women’s race
Hungary’s Blanka Vas impressed with her first victory of the year
Third-place Lucinda Brand had the series title wrapped up
In the men’s race, van der Poel, facing his first CX race in 34 days due to a rib injury, won the trudge-through-the-sludge penultimate round of the 2024-2025 UCI World Cup in Maasmechelen, Belgium
Mishaps battered van Aert in his final mud meeting with van der Poel
the Visma rider 24 days away from his road season debut
Michael Vanthourenhout wrapped up the title with a race to go
It’s been an incredible UCI Cyclocross World Cup season thus far
and the Dutch finale should prove to be a good indicator of who is in form for the world championships
The 2025 UCI Cyclocross world championships take place Jan
Canada will be sending a full squad–including multiple favourites
Rafaelle Carrier is one of the big favorites for the junior women’s race
after a season of domination in the UCI Cyclocross World Cups
will surely be looking for another rainbow jersey to add to her collection in the under-23 women’s race
Ian Ackert is another rider to watch for in the under-23 men’s race
You can watch the free livestream below in Canada
Get the digital edition of Canadian Cycling Magazine
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Visma-Lease a Bike teammate Marianne Vos pulls out of Hoogerheide race with calf pain ahead of Liévin
The Visma-Lease a Bike rider called Sunday's effort an ‘off day’
The 22-year-old was in the podium fight at Hoogerheide before sliding out on a slippery corner and riding 53 seconds after Lucinda Brand (Baloise Glowi Lions) took victory
leaving Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) and Blanka Vas (SD Worx-Protime) to take the other spots on the podium
“The feeling was much better than yesterday
I came back strong and rode well until the crash," Van Empel said
it would’ve been nicer if it had been a great weekend
but I’m feeling good and very confident heading into next week’s World Championships."
Van Empel took runner-up honours in the World Cup series with 276 points
well behind Brand but holding a 23-point advantage over Vas after the 11th and final race
There really wasn't a lot of celebration for Visma-Lease a Bike, as the doubleheader of racing proved to be more subdued with the crashes. Van Empel's teammate Marianne Vos
which was her best finish of just four World Cup starts
Vos pulled out at Hoogerheide when she experienced calf pain from a fall in the first lap
her recovery will be closely monitored" for a start next weekend
Vos was hoping to pick up key ranking points to improve her gridding position for next weekend at Liévin but had another crash in the mud on Sunday
The Dutch rider will now have to battle through the field at the elite women's race next Saturday if she is going to be in medal contention
"It is what it is," Vos told Wielerflits
"At Maasmechelen I didn't move up right away
you just hope for a good start there [in Liévin]
it wouldn't change much about my ambitions
“Although of course you have to be realistic: if you can't go straight to the top ten from the first lap
Vos also had a message for her young teammate Van Empel
who is hoping to defend her world title in the elite race at age 22
she already has quite a bit of experience," Vos said
She just has to ride her own race next week."
the Hungarian rider emerging from the weekend as an outside favourite for a historic first women’s world cyclocross title for her country
“There are a lot of girls in good shape at the moment
so I expect an exciting battle," Van Empel said about the next weekend in Liévin
“The coming days will mainly be about recovery to ensure I’m fresh at the start in France on Saturday.”
Ben raced as an amateur cyclist in the UK from a young age into the senior ranks on the road
and has spent over 10 years as a news and sports journalist
Ben has been covering cyclocross for media outlets
since 2021 and has been on the ground reporting at World Championships in Zolder
Away from cycling as a freelance sports journalist
Ben regularly reports on a range of sports including football
he is happiest whilst reporting on-site at cyclocross races in Belgium and the Netherlands
A Team Winston-Salem rider competes in a cyclocross race wearing the new 2025 kit
Kendall Ryan (L39ion of Los Angeles) wins 2024 Salt Lake Criterium p/b LHM-CC ahead of Skylar Schneider (Miami Blazers)
Lauren Stephens (Cynisca Cycling) wins stage 1 for pro women at 2024 Tour of the Gila
Tour of the Gila opens with ITT on April 23 - North American Roundup
Former US elite men's cyclocross national champion Curtis White announced he would retire at the end of the month
after a 12-year career that spanned cyclocross and road competitions
This is something that I’ve been thinking about for some time
allows me to retire from racing on my terms and no one else’s," White told Cyclingnews
The 29-year-old from upstate New York was best known for his accomplishments in cyclocross
including a national title in 2022 and a Pan-American win in 2018
He represented the US at cyclocross Worlds 11 times across junior
with a career-best 11th as a junior in Louisville and 12th place as an elite in Fayetteville
"There seemed to be an alignment of feeling like I’ve given what I could
and it being time to focus on family," he said of his decision to make the announcement this week.
"I feel blessed and fortunate to have spent so many years competing at a high level and making cyclocross my profession
To all of the people who have supported me through my career
White's focus on cyclocross began as a U23 rider in 2013 when he signed with Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com
After nine years there until the team folded
he has raced the last three seasons with the Steve Tilford Foundation Racing Team
winning the USCX series twice and the elite national title
White will make three more starts and finish his racing career at the end of this month with the Cyclocross World Cup in Hoogerheide
I hope to remain involved in the sport as an advocate
Cyclocross and cycling will always be part of me
but the full scope of my involvement going forward is not yet clear."
will focus on mountain bike and gravel events
The team includes 13 riders on the men's roster and will field a women's squad
who raced the last two seasons with Miami Nights.
"Team Winston-Salem is fielding a formidable roster of professional cyclists for our first season
Team Winston-Salem isn’t here to just play nice—we’re here to train hard
leave our marks where we compete and bring trophies back home," Jon Hamblen
"Our team includes many of the nation’s most talented riders
and we have our eyes set on quickly emerging as a preeminent Domestic Elite Team."
returns to his home state after a year with UAE Team Emirates Gen Z
where he had a podium on the time trial stage at Tour of Sharjah in the UAE and a top 10 at Gran Premio Della Liberazione
He also won a bronze medal at U23 time trial national championships
he will team with a mix of veterans and aspiring riders 24 or younger
a dual citizen of the USA and the Netherlands who specializes in cyclocross
who races with a Canadian licence and won a Sprint title on the track as a junior
Flow Automotive is the title sponsor of the new cycling team
Rhyne & Swaim Investment Group are gold sponsors
Other key sponsors are National Cycling Center
Hamblen remains connected with Velocious Sports
which will serve as a development feeder programme for Team Winston-Salem
This past season Hecht raced for Velocious Sports
When the American Criterium Classic rolls into the Salt Lake City area on Saturday
riders and teams will head south of the Utah capital to Sandy for the newly-rebranded LHM l CC Utah Crits
A new course near the city hall at Sandy Promenade will showcase the second round of the series
Pro racers will compete for a $20,000 prize purse
split evenly between men's and women's categories
A second day of racing on Sunday follows with laps around America First Field
the stadium which hosts Real Salt Lake and Utah Royals soccer teams
which sponsored the Tour of Utah stage race
moved from presenting sponsorship to title sponsorship this year
In 2024 Sandy hosted the ACC stop in early July on the America First Field course
with Kendall Ryan (L39ion of Los Angeles) and Ulises Castillo (iSpeed-Felt) taking the elite victories
This year's ACC begins June 6 at the three-day Saint Francis Tulsa Tough
a UCI stage race for men and women in south-west New Mexico
announced it will move the individual time trial stage to the opening day
The five-day stage race will include one circuit race and three road stages
some of the amateur divisions will begin competition on April 24 with the Silver City to Mogollon Road Race
while other divisions will start with the Inner Loop Road Race on April 25
“Taking feedback from veteran racers to heart
we are returning to a format that allows amateurs to experience more of what they enjoy most about Tour of the Gila: road racing,” race director Jack Brennan said
“The reordered stages could also affect race dynamics
In previous years the Mogollon Road Race was used as the opening stage and the ITT was contested on the third day
The race against the clock will now align the general classification for 2025
Last year Lauren Stephens (Cynisca) earned her first overall victory in the Tour of the Gila for elite women while Tyler Stites (Project Echelon Racing) won the elite men's overall title
a sports marketing and public relations agency
which managed projects for Tour de Georgia
a Georgia non-profit to promote safe cycling
She is proud to have worked in professional baseball for six years - from selling advertising to pulling the tarp for several minor league teams
She has climbed l'Alpe d'Huez three times (not fast)
Her favorite road and gravel rides are around horse farms in north Georgia (USA) and around lavender fields in Provence (France)
Winners of the rainbow jersey from 1950 to 2024
French riders Jean Robic, Roger Rondeaux and André Dufraisse were the first riders to take the title at the UCI Cyclocross World Championships in the first decade after the event was created in 1950
Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) is the only active male rider with six world titles
The Dutchman took his first elite title in 2015 but was bested the next three years by Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma)
Van der Poel took over from 2019-2021 before both riders skipped the 2022 Worlds in Fayetteville
Van der Poel added to his tally in 2023 and 2024
Belgian Sanne Cant also has three titles but will not compete at Worlds this year
having not been competitive against the powerful Dutch women
Hanka Kupfernagel (Germany) was the first women's world champion and won four between 2000 and 2008
This season, Fem van Empel (Jumbo-Visma), Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Shirin van Anrooij (Trek-Segafredo) have taken over as the top women from Lucinda Brand, who was injured early in the season, and Vos, who hasn't quite had the level of last year.
Other races have been added over the years, with junior men getting a title in 1979, under-23 men in 1996, under-23 women in 2016 and junior women in 2020.
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Cyclingnews is the world's leader in English-language coverage of professional cycling
Started in 1995 by University of Newcastle professor Bill Mitchell
the site was one of the first to provide breaking news and results over the internet in English
The site was purchased by Knapp Communications in 1999
and owner Gerard Knapp built it into the definitive voice of pro cycling
major publishing house Future PLC has owned the site and expanded it to include top features
The site continues to be the most comprehensive and authoritative English voice in professional cycling
Mathieu van der Poel triumphed in his fifth straight World Cup round at Sunday’s series finale in Hoogerheide
Dutch rider Lucinda Brand doffed her third elite women’s World Cup crown
and Belgian Michael Vanthourenhout wrapped up his first World Cup title
Isabella Holmgren impressed in 10th place a day after coming 12th
She only raced four elite rounds and finished 23rd overall
and Marie Schreiber and Vas each claimed one
Brand also won the World Cup in 2020-2021 and 2021-2022
She leads the X2O Badkamers Trofee by almost 10 minutes and the Superprestige by one point
To no one’s surprise van der Poel romped to victory
He’s the runaway favourite to claim his seventh World Championship next weekend
It is Hoogerheide runner-up Vanthourenhout’s first major series title
having finished second overall in the World Cup twice and third twice
The Pauwels-Sauzen rider beat Toon Aerts by 40 points via victories in the Dublin and Namur rounds
Wout van Aert and Niels Vandeputte all took one round
Brace yourself for a clash of the titans at the 2023 UCI Cyclocross World Championships on Feb
We are going to see Mathieu van der Poel against Wout Van Aert and Puck Pieterse and Fem van Empel going head-to-head after a season-long slugfest every weekend
have already pulled the plug on their cyclocross calendars and worn their rainbow jerseys one last time
Pidcock is now fully in road mode aiming at the classics and the Tour de France
rain and near freezing temperatures making an already technical into that’s going to be demanding
Let's talk about the two Dutch 20 year olds Van Empel and Pieterse
They both have dominated the cross races and really left the others far behind
Van Empel took the top step in 12 of 19 races
but she will be going for the Under 23 win at Worlds
Both have had a hot rivalry both on course and in post-race interviews that should just keep going in the fight for the rainbow jersey and bodes well for the next few years of racing
and even Pidcock in this rainbow jersey struggled to match the two
Expect to hear locals roar loudly for their favorite van der Poel on a home course but plenty of Belgian fans making their way there over the border for van Aert as they both try to add another world title to their palmarès
we are going to be treated to a thrilling day at the Worlds that should also spill over to the cobbled classics this spring
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let me try to turn your attention to the big weekend of racing ahead where you are sure to find some diamonds in the dirt for your fantasy season ahead
The timing of races was kind of perfect for us last year as they were all in the evening
This year it will be the usual European afternoon racing so we'll be watching a good bit of it on catch up
Timings below are local to NL so you can work out where are from that
Had it's first run last year and it was a bit of a strange one
Kind of interesting as there can be different strategies depending on how you order the riders
The Dutch would win hands down if they wanted but it wasn't taken that seriously last year
It was Italy vs USA on the last lap so some excitement there with Davide Toneatti taking it for the Italians
Zoe Backstedt won this one hands down last year but graduates to the U23
Lauren Molengraaf from NL is probably the pick of the field this year
She's won most of the world cup events at this level and the European championships
Not far behind though are the Holmgren twins (Ava and Isabella) from Canada
A lot of their programme this years was in North America but since arriving in Europe they've been right up there
Ava winning the last round of the World Cup in Besancon last week with Isabella 2 seconds behind
Van Sinaey from Belgium is another one to watch
Expect a more competitive race than last year
Last year this one was bursting with talent with Joran Wyseure taking it as a bit of a dark horse in a slightly strange race
Dangling just about within sight off the front of a group of more fancied riders for almost the whole race
Back then I said it might be a year too early for Thibau Nys
He's made huge progress this season mixing it with the elites and a lot of the big names from last year have moved up
He dominated the male junior category last year before an early crash at the Worlds spoiled his race
Yordi Corsus has been a class act this year but Seppe Van den Boer is a close second
Those two are probably the ones to watch but there are others not far behind
Most notably Leo Bisiaux who won the European Championships
Came up short in a 3 way battle against Van Empel and Pieterse last year
But has been brilliant along with those two at elite level this year
Zoe Backstedt goes in this one as well after winning the juniors last year
She's had a strong season for an 18 year old riding to some top 10s at elite level and winning the elite British Nationals by a long way
And check out Cammy Mason in his first elite Worlds
He's had a great 1st season at elite level with a bunch of top 10s; a 4th behind the big 3 at Azencross and a win at the British Nationals
Organizers report some 50,000 tickets were sold across weekend as Dutch stars Van der Poel
Some 50,000 course-side spectators relished a spectacular weekend of cyclocross in Hoogerheide
Organizers report the first cyclocross world championships on Dutch soil since 2018 saw around 10,000 tickets sold for the all-Dutch Fem van Empel vs Puck Pieterse showdown Saturday
A further 40,000 came through the gate for the for-the-ages heavyweight bout between Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert on Sunday
“It was a super nice world championships, and there was no hostility,” UCI top brass Peter van den Abeele told Sporza
referring to the swathe of Belgian fans that hopped over the border to the small Dutch dwelling of Hoogerheide this weekend
“This was a world championships like before the COVID period,” Van den Abeele said Sunday
“Unfortunately there is only one winner
Also read: Van der Poel relishes titan victory over Van Aert: ‘When we look back, we’ll appreciate these duels’
The historic Hoogerheide course co-designed by Adrie van der Poel was tweaked for the weekend’s races
Barriers were shifted to maximize sector stoke
and the course saw some rerouting to bring added visibility for crowds
The bet paid off in a men’s race that will live long in the memory as cyclocross giants Van Aert and Van der Poel took the title to a sprint
“I think the crowds would have been different today if it was just me
or just him,” Van der Poel said after he won his fifth rainbow jersey Sunday
“We both bring each other and the sport to a higher level
I’ve never seen anything like this in cyclocross.”
More from Super Sunday here ⬇️ #Hoogerheide2023
— UCI Cyclocross (@UCI_CX) February 5, 2023
A handful of Superprestige and X20 Trofee races remain on the ‘cross calendar for the winter
but the UCI’s prestigious World Cup series is done
With the World Cup and world championships over
The 2023-24 World Cup calendar is due to be confirmed later this month
with Benidorm and Dublin both likely to return after successful debuts on either side of the new year
Sources close to VeloNews also suggested that London could break into the World Cup calendar next winter
There might not be so much good news for the USA next winter
The success of last January’s world championships in Fayetteville didn’t carry through to the Arkansas venue’s World Cup last Autumn
Specialist European ‘crossers on small budgets backed away from the disruptive and pricey trip to the USA
and then-world champion Tom Pidcock were still rebounding from their road seasons
“Fayetteville was disappointed with the small startlist,” Van den Abeele said
“I think we may only have one race in the U.S
It would make the trip shorter for the riders and the cost goes down.”
dropped from three to two races this cyclocross calendar when Iowa was dropped out of the schedule
Despite hints at a further reduction to just one race for 2023-24
the UCI isn’t giving up on putting a North American accent on its Eurocentric program
Van den Abeele hinted the World Cup could come to New York sometime soon as the governing body commits to taking cyclocross to big city venues to help expand the sport’s reach
Nieuwenhuis second ahead of Baloise Trek Lions teammates Ronhaar and Nys
Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) put on a final lap exhibition on home turf Sunday and won the Hoogerheide World Cup.
The battle for what remained of the podium saw a trio of Baloise Trek Lions in pursuit of the World Champion and Dutch champion Joris Nieuwenhuis closest for second place
Pim Ronhaar outsprinted teammate Thibau Nys for third
World Cup leader Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) secured fifth
The nine riders behind Van der Poel crossed the line under one minute behind
but I had to do it in a slightly different way,” Van der Poel said about winning in Hoogerheide
the last effort giving him the elite men’s rainbow jersey for a fifth time.
I’m not that fresh as I was the rest of the season
Last year [before Worlds] was a bit different
I only had one race on the weekend before.This year I had yesterday and today
I just need to rest and hopefully next week I will have my best legs of the season.”
European champion Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) was one of the big names that succumbed to the slippery surface in Hoogerheide as well as back-to-back races
saying “it’s difficult to recover from yesterday”
where he was runner-up to Van der Poel at X2O Trofee in Hamme
a strong finish was important to him to retain the World Cup lead and motivate him for next weekend’s World Championships
maybe the best of my career so far,” Iserbyt said at the finish
headed to two rest days before checking out the World's course in Tabor
what remained on the moist track made corners tricky to navigate
But before scampering away from the tarmac at the start
a tangle of wheels saw two teammates from Crelan-Corendon going down
with Witse Meeussen getting back up for a solo effort at the back
Lars van der Haar (Baloise Trek Lions) saw daylight and hit the front of the field first
then Iserbyt took over at the mid-point of the opening lap which saw all riders strung out on the course
The World Champion rode in seventh position but moved behind Kevin Kuhn (Charles Liégeois Roastery CX) and into third place before the barriers.
Jens Adams slipped out of the parade and away from the main group
Ryan Kamp went down and in the process took out Vanthourenhout
The two remounted and went into chase mode
Iserbyt and Van der Poel drove the pace ahead
with Ronhaar and Niewenhuis in a tight quartet at the front
then Niels Vandeputte (Alpecin-Decueninck) and Kuhn leading a train of riders remaining intact and out of trouble
Vanthourenthout rode in 28th position on the third lap after his challenges
Ronhaar looked back as he led a small group across the line for a fourth circuit and saw Van Der Poel on his back wheel
Van der Haar putting in a solo effort to catch the leaders
and lots of traffic still engaged within 5 to 15 seconds
Ronhaar attacked on the straightaway and Van der Poel grabbed his back wheel
The young Baloise Trek Lions rider slipped in a corner
with Nys matching pedal strokes and taking off with the Dutchman.
The duo sailed away for a few more corners
Iserbyt and Ronhaar weren’t ready for a shakeup just yet
Vanthourenhout had worked his way back to 11th place
but he began stretching his back on the bike and began to show evidence of fatigue
Joran Wyseure (Crelan-Corendon) bridged to the front group to make it seven on the penultimate lap
But he would not see the front of the race as Van der Poel soon shot away
the crowd increasing the volume of cheers as the World Champion surged.
On the final lap it looked to be a Van der Poel - Nys showdown
Then Nys went down in a corner after the flyover and it shut the door on any chance of catching Van der Poel
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(Image credit: Hoogerheide 2023)The "Stairway to Heaven" in Hoogerheide(Image credit: Getty Images)The section through the woods(Image credit: Luc ClaessenGetty Images)The off-camber descent(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)The Hoogerheide course is a classic
having hosted UCI Cyclocross World Cup rounds almost every year since 2003 except when the World Championships were held there in 2009 and 2014
The race has been known in the past as the GP Adrie van der Poel, a familiar name in Hoogerheide, the family's home town. The father of four-time World Champion Mathieu van der Poel and former cyclocross world champion himself
Van der Poel senior and Marc Dierickx designed the Hoogerheide circuit with great care
The Hoogerheide course features two runs of stairs - the usual flyover as well as the "Stairway to Heaven" - a massive run of steps riders that riders enter from a flowing u-turn on pavement
a wicked off-camber and a steep drop to a long
One thing that is absent is the abundance of 180-degree turns that Mathieu van der Poel blames for stressing his bad back
One set of barriers is placed in front of the accessible viewing area and well out of the muddy sections
and come shortly before the Stairway to Heaven
organisers have revised the course to leave out the lower meadow due to heavy rains this winter and modified some of the muddier areas so that the running sections are interspersed with faster ground
“We are now making an extra loop in front of the forest
because it has rained a lot lately," Adrie van der Poel said
"I don't want the riders to have to run too much behind each other
Four times 50 meters rather than one time 200 meters."
is structured so that spectators can move around the route without having to cross the course thanks to three flyovers that fans can pass under and one bridge
More measures have been put in place to keep spectators two metres from the course to avoid "crazy scenes"
challenging thing about this course is that you can make a difference everywhere
Although we are terribly dependent on the weather
it is a lot of walking in the mud in the lower meadow
I think that is a very nice and spectacular added value."
she coordinates coverage for North American events and global news
As former elite-level road racer who dabbled in cyclo-cross and track
Laura has a passion for all three disciplines
When not working she likes to go camping and explore lesser traveled roads
UCI governance and performing data analysis
World Champion pushed to the limit by Blanka Vas and Lucinda Brand in three-way battle to the line on final lap
Fem van Empel (Visma-Lease a Bike) showed just why she has the World Champion's jersey on her back at the Hoogerheide World Cup
brushing her shoulder in celebration after outsprinting Blanka Vas (SD Worx) to the line in one of the races of the season
The Dutch star traded the lead with Lucinda Brand (Baloise Trek Lions)
Vas and Marie Schreiber (SD Worx) throughout the six laps of racing in the Netherlands
but came back to the front at the crucial moment
overtaking Brand and Vas running up the stairs to take front position ahead of the sprint.
On her return to the site where she won her rainbow jersey last year
Van Empel followed this up with the power and immediately gapped Van and Brand after the pair gave everything and took big risks to try and dethrone the World Champion ahead of her title defence in Tabor next week
“I am very happy to win here for the second time,” said Van Empel post-race to WielerFlits
“These victories are super important. It's nice to win two more times a week before the World Cup
but I mainly hope to stay healthy. Everything should fall into place on Saturday
“I'm not going to do too much this week. I will travel to Tábor early and it will be important to explore the course well and keep calm."
Van Empel said the sprint against Vas was unknown given the Hungarian's speed on the road and proven ability having taken a Giro d'Italia Donne sprint stage just last season and the U23 road world title
“It was a big effort,” said Van Empel on retaking the lead up the 'stairway to heaven' section. “I had to skip a flight of stairs and actually didn't think I would get over Vas
“But Blanka is a World Champion on the road. I've never sprinted against her before
After wrapping up the competition last week in Benidorm
overall World Cup winner Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Alpecin-Deceuninck) rolled over the line in 15th
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during which time he also wrote for Eurosport
Prior to joining the team he reported on races such as Paris-Roubaix and the Giro d’Italia Donne for Eurosport and has interviewed some of the sport’s top riders in Chloé Dygert
he spends the majority of his time watching other sports – rugby
Next weekend the cyclo-cross world championships will be held in the Dutch town of Hoogerheide
Fem van Empel and Wout van Aert will compete for the Netherlands and Belgium
The two Jumbo-Visma riders hope to end an excellent cyclo-cross season in style
Hoogerheide has been a fixture on the cyclo-cross calendar for years
The organisers have made a few changes to the course for this edition of the world championships
The riders are expected to reach a high average speed on the more than three kilometres long course
there will be three loops around the forest
there will likely be an alternation between cycling and running lanes
there is another bicycle bridge and the traditional sloping edge
This is followed by slightly sloping asphalt
Van Aert is happy that the World Championships are taking place in the Dutch province of Noord-Brabant
"It's always nice to return to a place where you have achieved great results"
referring in part to his 2014 U23 world title
so riding a world championship there is cool
The weather will determine what the course will look like next weekend
But I have seen Hoogerheide in many different guises
it can be advantageous if it is muddy with some running lanes
I especially hope that a lot of people will come to watch next weekend
The 28-year-old Belgian is motivated to add a fourth world title to his list of honours
having won the rainbow jersey in the elite category in 2016
"I am ambitious and would love to wear the rainbow jersey again
I had some hard training sessions before that
My training has been adjusted for the world championship
so I will be as fresh as possible in Hoogerheide
I hope to get that extra percent by resting well and preparing for Sunday
It's positive that I've been in good shape for a few weeks
I think I have a good chance and am ready to compete."
it will be her first world championship in the elites category
winning a cyclo-cross world championship is nothing new for the young talent
In 2021 she won the title in the U23 category
With 13 season wins and the overall World Cup title to her name
Van Empel is confident heading into the championships on home soil
so I am relaxed about the world championship
I want to cross the finish line without regrets
I will do everything I can to take home the beautiful rainbow jersey
I am not preparing for this race any differently than usual
I will have a normal training week and hope to be ready for the title race."
Van Empel's world championship weekend begins on Friday at 12:30 with the team relay
the elite women's race will start at 15:00
Van Aert will take to the start a day later at the same time
Reigning cyclocross world champion Marianne Vos will not defend her title in Hoogerheide next week due to physical problems
The cyclocross season has not brought Vos what she had hoped for
Vos was not at her best due to complaints brought on by a constriction of her pelvic artery
she has decided not to participate in the cyclocross World Championships in Hoogerheide."It's very unfortunate that things have turned out this way"
"I would have really liked it to be different
but the treatment and recovery are a priority to hopefully start the road season without any complaints
I'm hoping the rainbow jersey will remain with the team and be worn by Fem van Empel the next season."
Belgian needs just seven points to secure the victory a week ahead of Van der Poel battle at World Championships
The focus of the cyclocross world is increasingly turning towards the UCI World Championships on February 3-4
with several major races either side of Tabor
there's still a lot to fight for besides the rainbow jersey
The World Cup draws to a conclusion in Hoogerheide on Sunday with men's series leader Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) needing only seven points to regain the overall victory he took in 2021-22
Two years ago, the Belgian scored seven wins en route to a dominant 128-point series win over Michael Vanthourenhout. This time around he lies on 317 points, 34 up on second-placed Joris Nieuwenhuis
the Baloise Trek Lions rider would have to win the race to secure 40 points with Iserbyt finishing in 21st (5 points) or worse
The scenario is unlikely but Iserbyt isn't celebrating just yet
"A good feeling is dangerous," he told WielerFlits
UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships 2024
Another complication for Nieuwenhuis will be the presence of Mathieu van der Poel on the start line this Sunday
The defending world champion has won 10 of his 11 races this winter
Nieuwenhuis finished runner-up to Van der Poel at World Cup rounds in Hulst and Zonhoven though it will take some doing to overhaul him – in addition to hoping Iserbyt finishes so low
it is good that Mathieu is participating in Hoogerheide," Iserbyt said
so I hope to do a good 'cross next week and thus achieve my second World Cup classification victory."
Iserbyt heads to Hoogerheide off the back of a fourth place in Benidorm
five seconds ahead of Van der Poel while Nieuwenhuis took 13th place
While Van der Poel's race – in addition to those of winner Wout van Aert and other 'big three' star Tom Pidcock – was disrupted by a crash
Iserbyt didn't have it all his own way either
I think I would have always been at the front if I hadn't had a puncture
"I think I had lost 10 or 15 places due to that
The only thing that bothered me was that Joris was in the group in front of me and Pim Ronhaar was just a little further away
but then I had another problem with my shifter
It is a pity that I lost my footing in the last 100 meters
I am doing a good thing for the rankings."
While the elite men's rankings are still up in the air, the elite women's victory has already been decided with Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Alpecin-Deceuninck) heading into Hoogerheide with 337 points and a 47-point lead over Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck)
Lucinda Brand (Baloise Trek Lions) looks set to secure third place a further 31 points down on 259
The trio – two former world champions plus a former U23 world champion in Pieterse – will all be gearing up for the Tabor Worlds as part of a dominant Dutch squad which has locked out the podium at three of the last four World Championships
Fem van Empel (Visma-Lease A Bike)
and Inge van der Heijden (Crelan-Corendon) will be among the other Dutchwomen to watch in just over a weeks' time
Iserbyt is set to team up with trade teammate Michael Vanthourenhout and Thibau Nys (Baloise Trek Lions) as Belgian looks to take the fight to Van der Poel
Cyclingnews will have full coverage of the Hoogerheide World Cup
Saturday's X20 Flandriencross race in Hamme and then the World Championships in Czechia.
Dani has reported from the world's top races
She has interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars
and her favourite races are the Giro d'Italia
Dutchwoman surges clear of Brand and Pieterse on final lap
Already winner of the Dutch national title earlier this month, Vos made a blistering last lap attack to win just six days before the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Fayetteville
Hoogerheide is hosting next year’s World Championships and competitors took on a course similar to that in America next weekend.
Reigning world champion Lucinda Brand (Baloise Trek Lions) had attempted to power away from her rivals on the penultimate lap but Vos and leader Puck Pieterse (Alpecin - Fenix) responded.
As Brand suffered from her previous lap attack Vos made her move to take a clear victory.
who had already won the World Cup series overall
sprinted past under-23 rider Pieterse to take second
Vos has combined cyclo-cross racing with her road training this season and she goes into the World Championships having won five out of nine ‘cross starts this winter
very happy to win and I’m very satisfied with the feeling during the race,” said Vos
“We also know it doesn’t say a lot about next week
of course it’s nice to go with a good shape to America but next week is a new race for everybody.”
Vos launched her winning attack on a short bank section on soft ground
powering away and leaving Pieterse and Brand behind
“During the race I felt I had some good traction and I knew when I wanted to escape on the final lap there was a chance to go there,” added Vos
“When I had a gap I went full to the finish.”
Asked if Vos was her biggest opponent for next weekend’s world title
she showed again today what great shape she has and she is ready for next week.”
Brand had already won the World Cup series heading into the finale in Hoogerheide
who had beaten her to the Dutch national title on her last outing
The traditional Hoogerheide round of the cyclo-cross World Cup again challenged riders with a mixture of steep banks
Covid-19 restrictions meant that fans were prevented from attending the Hoogerheide round
which was cancelled last season because of the pandemic
A road start saw riders head straight uphill with Vos joined at the front by Inge Van der Heijden (777) going into the first wooded section
Brand found herself back in eighth during the opening turns after becoming swamped during the fast road start
A large leading group of 11 riders gathered on the opening lap as competitors snaked up and down between the fields with Blanka Kata Vas (Team SD Worx) dictating the pace
Italian champion Silvia Persico (FAS Airport Services) finished fifth in the previous week’s World Cup at Flamanville and was also closely monitoring the front
After being narrowly beaten into second at Flamanville under-23 series leader Puck Pieterse (Alpecin - Fenix) was next to force the pace but was closely monitored by Brand
Vos and Van Empel (Pauwels Sauzen - Bingoal)
Reigning world champion Brand was showing her power on the grassy climbs and the leading quartet started to pull away from the chasers
Coming through the finish Pieterse launched another attack using the slipstream of her rivals but the leaders were quick to respond
Rivals for next weekend’s World Championships Brand and Vos started trading blows with Pieterse also battling with her older compatriots
Vas was also in the battle for the podium place and pulled back the leading trio along with Van Empel
to make five leaders with three laps remaining
the World and European Champion Brand looked under pressure
while Vos looked comfortable in second position
Brand came from the back to the front of the leading group and attacked through the wooded section
Brand had won in last two races held at Hoogerheide and powered up the climbs
with only Vos able to respond as Pieterse and Van Empel were distanced
Pieterse bunny hopped the hurdles to close the slender deficit to the leaders
Pieterse led the leading trio while Van Empel sat seven seconds behind
Brand was suffering from her efforts on the previous lap and she was distanced as Pieterse forced the pace on the wooded section
Just as Brand bridged back across to the leaders Vos landed a blistering attack with neither of her rivals able to respond
Brand pulled back up to Pieterse and beat the 20-year-old in the uphill sprint to take second
'They are really in a very crucial place and are high' notes former World Champion Sven Nys
surpassed last year with nine medals total (junior
The elder Van der Poel is still in the game himself
the designer for the course in Hoogerheide
He designed the last two Worlds courses that were held in the Netherlands - Hoogerheide in 2014 and Valkenberg in 2018
since he did not win on any of those other courses.
"I build a course with the resources I have and I don't look at riders
material stations [mechanics' pits] and parking lots
without thinking that a corner is in favor of Mathieu or anyone else," Adrie van der Poel said to Sporza
with a forecast of rain adding to the variables of the terrain
Many of the national teams practised on the track today under cloudy conditions and agreed with that assessment
fast sections were quite bumpy and could become treacherously slippery with more rain
While the large stair structure looms as the eye candy of the course
the barriers could be the most decisive element
Van der Poel said he originally did not plan to include the small planks in the design
"I'm not in favor of barriers anyway and I didn't want them in the course until the chairman came up with an amount from the sponsor
Then I had to change course," he told Sporza
and said he moved them near the finish.
"Barriers have no function if you put them where you have to walk through the mud
It is still difficult to get to the finish afterwards
You will not win with a lead of two seconds."
The barriers also caught the attention of Sven Nys
a four-time cyclocross world title holder with a total of nine elite medals
He told Het Nieuwsblad the exact specifications for height and course position "can really make the difference" if executed properly
"They are really in a very crucial place and are high
high and uphill: so if you can take them with a little more guts
you are 10 meters ahead and then head for the finish via the stairs and a finish that is also slightly uphill
which you hardly ever see in the cross," he told Het Nieuwsblad
He explained that these man-made barriers were at the maximum height limit
not the 35-centemetre height that is prevalent in other races like Superprestige or other series
who back in 2000 took the bronze medal at ‘cross Worlds in the Netherlands just ahead of the elder Van der Poel
The uphill position comes into play for the rider who can carry the momentum in the pedals
Fatigue can play a part near the end of a race when the legs are heavy
but in any case the feature will provide entertainment for the spectators expected to pack the venue
"Mathieu has the talent to jump over such barriers
And that can really make the difference in the speed of execution," Nys said
"Mathieu can maybe two km/h faster over the barriers than Wout
I therefore only expect the difference in the last rounds
the first time as a 20-year-old in Hoogerheide in 2014
Mathieu van der Poel finished with a bronze in the 2014
Watch for Michael Vanthourenhout (Belgium)
the Dutch team takes the spoils in Hoogerheide
The Netherlands won the Team Relay world title on the opening day of the UCI cyclocross world championships in Hoogerheide, with Fem van Empel producing a powerful penultimate lap to secure their lead and so ensure a home nation win
Mathieu van der Poel was absent from the six-rider team but they started fast thanks to under-23 rider Tibor Del Grosso
Elite rider Ryan Kamp rode the last lap and was able to celebrate the Netherlands’ victory
Great Britain’s strength across the age categories proved to be decisive with Thomas Mein holding off a late charge from Belgium’s Laurens Sweeck to take the silver medal
Sweeck’s fast final lap guaranteed bronze for Belgium
The Team Relay event is contested by six riders: one elite male
and two male and two female riders from the under 23 or junior ranks
Each nation can determine their own starting order
The Team Relay was raced for the first time in Fayetteville last year but as a test event rather than a World Championships
This year medals and rainbow jerseys were up for grabs
Tibor Del Grosso was the first rider off for the Netherlands and the under-23 rider soon opened a gap, with Italy, the USA, France and Belgium chasing him. Zoe Backstedt lead off the Great Britain team and kept their deficit to 30 seconds after the first lap
with junior rider Daniel English completing his lap just ten seconds down on the Netherlands
as the different abilities of the riders changed the race out on the fast course
Leonie Bentveld took over for the Netherlands on lap 4 but Sweden were suddenly only five seconds behind
as men’s junior Alfie Amey helped Great Britain back into contention for a medal
Fem van Empel rode the fifth lap for the Netherlands but Great Britain were timed just a few seconds behind at that point
Anna Kay and Xaydee Van Sinaey lead the chase of Van Empel before elite men rode the final lap
Kemp started the sixth and final lap for the Netherlands with a lead of almost 30 seconds on Great Britain's Thomas Mein and Sweeck after van Empel’s flying lap and that allowed him to manage his ride
Sweeck gradually closed the gap on Mein but could not catch him before the line
giving Great Britain the silver medal behind the Netherlands
Belgium had to be content with a bronze medal
Team winning celebration. 🥳Congratulations team @KNWU 🇳🇱, 2023 UCI Cyclo-cross Team Relay Champion! 🌈#Hoogerheide2023 pic.twitter.com/HLj5PkyiarFebruary 3, 2023
Belgian beats Del Grosso and Meeusen into second and third in Hoogerheide
soloing to victory in Hoogerheide on Saturday
The Belgian hit the front of the race along with Tibor Del Grosso (Netherlands) on the opening lap of seven before heading off alone a lap later
Nys built up a lead lap after lap through the mud
eventually taking 25 seconds over a chase group heading into the final circuit
a top favourite for the win and the son of two-time senior world champion Sven Nys
had time to celebrate as he raced towards the line for the final time
I had the right wheel and saw that David [Haverdings] and Tibor were starting on small-burred tyres
"I knew that I needed to get into the woods section
first because I had more grip and immediately I took four to five metres
I started pushing from the first minute of the race
always keeping in mind to have something left
I kept the pressure on and then it was really hard to ride the whole race alone
it was really good but in the fast rolling sections
I had the feeling that the rolling resistance was so bad
But I had the power to pull it off and ride the perfect race
I worked so hard for this and it was my biggest goal of the season
It's a race where you can't make any mistakes
I only could've dreamed what it could be."
a three-man sprint for the remaining medals unfolded
was battling against Belgian pair Witse Meeusen and Joran Wyseure
and would get the better of them both to claim silver
Meeusen rounded out the podium with bronze a further second back
The trio had been part of the unsuccessful chase behind Nys along with Emiel Verstrynge
it looked as though Nys's solo venture might fail
with Meeussen attacking from the chase to get within five seconds of the leader
Nys had extended his lead back out over 10 seconds
while the chase lost a man as Verstrynge dropped back
who was away and unhindered as he rode on to the finish
though in a bid to secure silver rather than realistically catch Nys
Del Grosso led the chase with Wyseure on his wheel
and the trio were back together for one final fight at the finish
his sprint the quickest in the dash for silver
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The final round of the UCI cyclocross World Cup takes place in Hoogerheide
The Grand Prix Adrie van der Poel was won in 2017 by Lars Van der Haar in the elite men’s category and Marianne Vos in the elite women’s race
There will be 13 Canadians who start the races on Sunday headlined by elite national champions Michael van den Ham and Christel Ferrier-Bruneau
U-23 women’s Canadian champion Ruby West will line-up as will Maghalie Rochette
Siobhan Kelly and Magdeleine Vallieres Mill in the women’s race
Mark McConnell will start the elite men’s race and Nicholas Diniz will start the u23 men’s race
Four junior men will race with Tyler Clark
Cycling Canada have sent a full roster to Europe preparing for the World Championships next weekend
While the overall winners of the 2017-2018 World Cup are sealed up for Mathieu van der Poel and Sanne Cant
the race is the last chance for riders to hone their form before the world championships which take place Feb
The Hoogerheide course is a fast affair with a forested area and a long staircase
There is an off camber section and some trenches ensuring it’s a challenging ride
The weather on Sunday is supposed to be warm with overcast
Canadian beats twin sister Ava to victory in Hoogerheide
Isabella Holmgren in the rainbow strips as new world champion(Image credit: Matthias Ekman)Holmgren celebrates her world title(Image credit: David StockmanGetty Images)Isabella Holmgren led home a one-two finish for Canada in the junior women's race at the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships
finishing 20 seconds up on her twin sister Ava in Hoogerheide
France's Celia Gery took bronze after outsprinting Italian Federica Venturelli to the line after 42 minutes of racing
Dutchwoman Lauren Molengraaf finished in seventh after strongly challenging the Canadian duo during the race before suffering an unfortunate puncture midway through the race
"I don't think I've totally processed it yet," Holmgren said after the race
"I'm really excited and Ava being second makes it better
"I'm happy we're going to be able to hear the national anthem again and I hope it sets a good start for the rest of the categories this weekend."
Iserbyt rounds out the podium with bronze in Hoogerheide
The Dutchman and his Belgian adversary were inseparable for the entire race, the culmination of the 2023 Cyclocross World Championships
before Van der Poel came from behind on the final stretch of tarmac to blast past Van Aert and secure the gold medal in front of the packed home fans
It was the latest chapter in the ongoing battle between the duo
who have stood at the top of the cyclocross world for the best part of a decade and have battled one another for even longer
"It's really difficult to describe," Van der Poel said after the finish
"I think this is how everybody would say in advance how the race should be – a sprint with me against Wout
I think this was for sure in my top three of my nicest victories of all time
I'm going to remember this for a long time."
It was 12 seconds behind the duo that Eli Iserbyt (Belgium) grabbed the bronze medal
beating Lars van der Haar (Netherlands) in a dash for the finish line
The Dutchman had – on the first lap of the race – played a key role for Van der Poel
leading the way early on before launching Van der Poel as Van Aert followed
the pair attacking off into the distance and the remainder of the race
"I felt super relaxed," Van der Poel said of the final lap of the 10 on which he and Van Aert had done battle
"I think that was maybe the key to win today
I think everybody expected me to make a move at the barriers
but I already knew I wanted to go to the sprint
It's super strange and difficult to put into words
I had a few preparations with my back again
I reset with my team at training camp and worked towards this goal which I already marked in the beginning of the season
Van der Poel also reflected on his rivalry with Van Aert
one which has seen them capture eight rainbow jerseys and five silver and bronze medals at the Cyclocross Worlds
"I think everybody knows the story; we pushed each other already for 10 years already
the crowds – if it was just me and him it would've been different
We pushed each other to a higher level but also the sport – I've never seen anything like this in cyclocross
But it's not the end – we still have the road season and for sure I'll see him again."
the Netherlands took control from the very start of the race
placing Lars van der Haar on the front with Mathieu van der Poel in his wheel and Joris Nieuwenhuis sweeping behind
Belgium's favourite and main rival to Van der Poel
battling with Nieuwenhuis for the wheel and moving up early on the opening lap
letting Van der Poel power past on the uphill rise
moving into second wheel and hanging in there with his career-long rival as the pair blasted off to leave the rest of the riders far behind
the chase group clocking in at 16 seconds down after the first lap
The pair continued onto lap two evenly matched with Van der Poel at the front
perhaps gaining a slight advantage only when bunny-hopping the planks towards the back end of the circuit
the large chasing group – already looking certain to fight for bronze – were only losing time
though Belgians Gerben Kuypers and Michael Vanthourenhout had jumped off the front
Lap three saw Van Aert forced to the front until the hill
where Van der Poel put in an effort to try and test the Belgian
though once again got a small gap over the planks
Van Aert was back on the front on the following lap
though it would be a quieter one with the lead duo avoiding any major efforts
Kuypers and Vanthourenhout followed at 28 seconds
while a six-man chase group lay a further 14 seconds back with Van der Haar
and Cameron Mason (Great Britain) among their ranks
the lead pair put in the second quickest on lap five with a 6:37
though still there would be no separation barring Van Aert ceding some ground on those tricky planks
things were fracturing as Van der Haar and Iserbyt pushed on
while Vanthourenhout – now 30 seconds down – attacked Kuypers up the hill
The youngster fell back to the chasers – Van der Haar
Iserbyt and Sweeck – with Mason
Vandeputte and Venturini having been distanced at the midway point
though Van der Poel did put in another acceleration over the bridge and again at the planks
though without putting the Belgian in major trouble
Van der Haar and Iserbyt had caught and passed Vanthourenhout as the battle for bronze was turned on its head
Lap eight was the slowest yet – seven minutes for the leaders – as the chasers closed to within half a minute and kept on pushing
neither man was willing to put in a big effort just yet
with Van der Poel sticking close behind Van Aert for much of the circuit
The pair had been inseparable throughout the race and were still together heading onto the final lap of 10
while Iserbyt and Van der Haar were set to fight for bronze at 18 seconds down and 24 up on Kuypers and Vanthourenhout
Van Aert led the way through the early wooded section of the closing lap before Van der Poel shifted to the front a third of the way through ahead of the several mid-lap uphill runs and bridges
with Van Aert back to the front but neither man dealing a killer blow
The pair were side by side over the planks before things slowed down – neither man wanting to lead out the final sprint
it was Van Aert who was on the front up the late steps
coming from behind on the start of the finishing straight
The opening burst was enough to push past Van Aert and seize the initiative
He would have to settle for second place – his fourth silver medal at elite level – as Van der Poel celebrated in front of packed Dutch crowds
having already claimed the rainbows in the Czech Republic
20-year-old completes stellar season with elite world title on debut as Pieterse and Brand round out podium
It was an all-Dutch podium with Puck Pieterse
finishing second and 2021 World Champion Lucinda Brand in third
Italian Silvia Persico outsprinted 2020 elite women’s World Champion Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado of Netherlands to take fourth place
The classic battle between under-23 youngsters Van Empel and Pieterse developed after a wobbly start by Pieterse
but when the Dutch national champion fell unexpectedly in a corner with three laps to go and Van Empel then hit the after-burners to ride solo to the win.
It’s a rewrite of a great season,” Van Empel said after the race
"It’s difficult to find the right words
it's hard to see how much energy I've put into this
I've been working for this for a long time
The rainbow jersey capped her 14th victory of what has been a stunning season for the 20-year-old
the most victories for an elite woman this year
and the silver medal on Saturday was her 19th podium of the year continuing her streak of a podium finish in every start this season.
The rain ceased prior to the women’s race allowing the course to dry slightly under still cloudy skies and milder temperatures
Four rows of competitors bolted from the start grid
Van Empel led Italian Persico through the first turns in the low-lying areas that were still caked in mud
Pieterse appeared to have trouble clipping in
so did not have a clean start and rode in fifth position
Van Empel ran over the barriers with a small gap to the chasers led by Pieterse
Once across the stairs and on the finishing straight
Pieterse had joined Van Empel for the race lead
the duo of Persico and Brand trailing eight seconds back
The quartet came together on the muddy turns in the woods on the second lap
Persico and Brand yo-yoing from time to time
Brand the first to struggle to stay intact
2020 World Champion Alvarado leading the charge with the leaders in sight
Brand made a strong charge on the third lap to overtake Persico in pursuit of the leading duo
the former world champion could not close down a gap of five seconds once another turn on the circuit began
Persico and Alvarado joined forces in the chase just under 20 seconds back
trailing another 24 seconds later by Denise Betsema
Kata Vas of Hungary and Marion Norbert Riberolle of Belgium completed the top 10
Pieterse slipped and hit the dirt in the wooded section on the front side of the course
which allowed Van Empel to pass and gain a window of five seconds
Brand used the mistake to also close her gap and moved in front of Pieterse
but only for a short time before the younger rider struck out on her own in pursuit of the lost lead
With three laps remaining Van Empel had ignited her pace and left Pieterse in chase mode to close down 18 seconds
Brand trailed 29 seconds behind the lone leader
then Persico and Alvarado together 44 seconds back
The times did not move in favour of the chasers
as Van Empel added to her lead on the penultimate lap
"A huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders
I tried to be as consistent as possible," she said after the accepting the rainbow jersey