UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup: exciting action in store for the holidays

There will be no break for the stars of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup. After two rounds held away from the traditional venues, in Val di Sole (Italy) and Dublin (Ireland), they will be heading into decisive rounds with two important Belgian events ahead of the final rounds in Spain and France.

As we enter the holiday season, fans and athletes are looking forward to join another type of celebration: some exciting Cyclo-cross action as the 2022-2023 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup offers them two rounds held at iconic venues: in Gavere on 26 December and in Zonhoven on 8 January.

Temperatures might be cold but these grand events are sure to heat up the atmosphere. The competition is set to intensify ahead of the series’ final races in Benidorm, Spain on 22 January and Besançon, France on 29 January. Ten rounds have already been completed and the final rounds promise to be thrilling, with the star athletes lining up to seize the final prizes.

Men Elite: tight in the front

In the Men Elite category, Belgian Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels-Sauzen Bingoal) has dominated the start of the season, winning the first three rounds of the 2022-2023 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup. His fellow countryman Laurens Sweeck (Crelan-Fristads) then claimed two victories and Michael Vanthourenhout (BEL - Pauwels-Sauzen Bingoal) added his name to the list of winners in Overijse (Belgium) before Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) won in Hulst (the Netherlands) and Antwerp (Belgium). Recent action has seen more riders display their talents in the mud and the snow.

Following van der Poel’s two victories, his iconic rival Wout van Aert (BEL - Jumbo-Visma) had a quick comeback. The Belgian star returned to Cyclo-cross competition in Antwerp where he came second behind Van der Poel despite a crash. The week after, no one could hold him off as he powered to victory in Dublin in the first ever UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup event held in Ireland.

The action then moved to Italy, in the spectacular settings of Val di Sole, where Michael Vanthourenhout took his second victory of the season, four weeks after the first one and just a week after his 29th birthday. In Val di Sole, Swiss Kevin Kuhn also made the podium for the first time in the UCI World Cup. Vanthourenhout makes his presence felt in the overall standings. With his latest success, he is just 23 points behind Laurens Sweeck (288 vs 265), while Iserbyt (249) has lost some ground after a crash in Italy.

Iserbyt’s team announced the good news that the rider did not suffer any fractures. He will be eager to take up the battle for the overall victory, while the likes of Van Aert and Van der Poel will try to take the rainbow stripes from Tom Pidcock (GBR) in the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships held in Hoogerheide, the Netherlands, on 3 to 5 February.

Women Elite: a victory and a scare for van Empel

Like Iserbyt, Dutch Fem van Empel (Pauwels-Sauzen Bingoal) had a great start of the season with four consecutive victories, before a crash at Val di Sole. Medical examinations did not show any fractures and so the rising Dutch star should soon return to action, aspiring to continue her dominance.

Before abandoning the race in Italy, van Empel had a nearly perfect record: six victories and three second places in the first nine rounds of the season. Her countrymen Shirin van Anrooij (Baloise Trek Lions) and Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) managed to pass her in November but December was more successful for the young leader of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, first in Antwerp and then in Dublin, where she edged Pieterse and pushed everyone further behind (Denise Betsema came third with a gap of 1’37’’).

Pieterse then won again in Val di Sole, ahead of Ceylin Alvarado (Alpecin-Deceuninck), who has not reached the podium since the first round, and Manon Bakker (Crelan-Fristads). After cutting her deficit in the overall standings to 65 points, can Pieterse turn the tables in the final four rounds?

The juniors also return to action

The Zonhoven (Belgium) cyclo-cross, organised since 1958, will also host dedicated races for the Men U23, Men Junior and Women Junior.

Lauren Molengraaf (NED - Women Junior), Léo Bisiaux (FRA - Men Junior) and Thibau Nys (BEL - Men Under 23) are currently leading the overall standings in their respective categories. But everything is still up for grabs with three more rounds, in Zonhoven, Benidorm and Besançon.

The athletes will then head to Hoogerheide for the 2023 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships. The intensity is picking up and will keep rising for the next few weeks.