A small but select field of starters will compete in the final of the UCI Artistic Cycling World Cup Merelbeke, Belgium, on 25 November. The ten best soloists amongst the women and men, as well as the top teams in pairs and Act4 will be ready to compete. All of last year's winners – Single Women, Single Men, Pairs Women, Pairs Open and ACT 4 Open - will be there
Single Men: Kohl in pole position
The clear favourite for the overall UCI World Cup victory this year is seven-time UCI World Champion Lukas Kohl (RMSV Kirchehrenbach). Unbeaten since 2016, the German has dominated the UCI Artistic Cycling World Cup since its introduction in 2018. Victory this year - he has won all three rounds in commanding style so far – would mean his sixth UCI World Cup trophy.
His pursuers, especially the current runner-up in the overall ranking, the Spaniard Emillio Arellano, and 2023 UCI World Championships silver medallist Philipp-Thies Rapp (RSV Tailfingen/GER) theoretically still have a chance of overtaking Kohl with a victory in the final, where points awarded will be doubled.
But Kohl would have to experience a black day and finish seventh or lower, which is highly unlikely.
Single Women: four-way fight
In the women's single competition, there will be a four-way battle for the podium places. In 2022, Ramona Dandl (RKB Bruckmühl/GER) won the UCI World Cup series undefeated, but the reigning UCI World Champion will not pull off the same feat again, going into the final with one win and two second places. In the last tournament, she had to admit defeat to Alessa Hotz (Kunstrad Baar/SUI), who finished fourth at the UCI World Championships. But Dandl can defend her narrow lead if she is in good form on the day.
Pursuer Hotz once again saved her chances of a podium finish with her coup in the third round, in Kisvárda, Hungary, at the end of October. She enters the event lying third in the ranking. In second place before the final is last year's UCI World Champion, Jana Pfann (Bruckmühl/GER): winner of the first round, she will clearly have a say in the fight for victory. And there’s the silver medallist from the 2023 UCI World Championships Lara Füller (RKV Poppenweiler/GER) who still has a good chance to move forward in the final standings with a successful freestyle.
Pair Women: can Vordermeier and Marquardt do it?
The two-time and reigning UCI World Champions Helen Vordermeier and Selina Marquardt (Oberjesingen/Stuttgart) are currently only in third place, having missed the last round. Nevertheless, they won the first two rounds, and want to end their last competition appearance with the day's victory – and overall victory. With their starting value, they are clear favourites.
The leaders Annice Niedermayer and Jessie Hasmüller (Denkendorf/Magstadt, GER) will duel with two Swiss pairs for the other podium places: the 2023 UCI World Championships bronze medallists Sina Bäggli and Julia Hämmerli (Stäfa/SUI) as well as the fifth-place finishers at the UCI World Championships Larissa Tanner and Simona Lucca (Stäfa/Dürnten, SUI). Anna-Sophia von Schneyder/ Anika Papok (RV Lottstetten/GER) also still have a chance of one of the top ranks.
ACT4 Open: champions in waiting
The women from RV Mainz-Ebersheim (GER) are clearly on course for victory in the ACT4 Open competition. The UCI World Championships silver medallists Milena Schwarz, Tijem Karatas, Annika Rosenbach and Stella Rosenbach have won all three rounds.
Behind them lie two teams from Switzerland. The UCI World Champions Flavia Schürmann, Carole Ledergerber, Stefanie Moos and Vanessa Hotz (Kunstrad Baar) are currently in third place overall - 85 points behind the leaders - after third and fourth places in the last two rounds. Meanwhile, Stefanie Haas, Valerie Unternährer, Selina Niedermann and Sarah Manser (Uzwil) showed a steadily increasing form curve over the course of the season and are in second, just 10 points ahead of their fellow Swiss.
The defending UCI Artistic Cycling World Cup overall champions Jasmin Hauke, Nicole Weichenhain, Hanna Kasper and Judith Kania (RSV Steinhöring/GER) no longer have a chance of winning the overall title, having skipped the third round in Hungary. But with a win on the day, they would be able to end their season on a conciliatory note.
Pair Open: local heroes guaranteed a medal
Only three of the six teams that have already competed this season are set to perform in Merelbeke. Notable absentees are the 2022 UCI World Cup runners-up, Patrick Tisch and Nina Stapf (RV Magstadt/GER), who recently announced their retirement.
This will lead to a duel between the reigning UCI World Champions Max Hanselmann and Serafin Schefold (RV Öhringen/GER) and the UCI World Cup title defenders Nico Rödiger and Lea Styber (RV Langenselbold/GER). Since Hanselmann/Schefold did not compete in the third round, the chances of another overall victory for the leaders Rödiger/Styper are excellent.
Meanwhile, the beneficiary of the Tisch/Stapf withdrawal are the Belgian duo Jelle Delporte and Lien Pattyn (Wondelgem). The local heroes will be rewarded with bronze at least at their home event.