Eli Iserbyt, Ceylin Alvarado, Tibor Del Grosso, Célia Gery and Stefano Viezzi head to the UCI Worlds in Czechia as the overall winners of the 2023-2024 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup.
Men Elite: Iserbyt means consistency
The season’s winners were crowned in the Dutch venue Hoogerheide at the weekend. It was the 14th and final round of the 2023-2024 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, and the 250th round since the series was launched 30 years ago.
At 26 years old, Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) has more than established himself as one of the greatest specialists in his field. Already winner of the UCI Men Elite Cyclo-cross World Cup in 2021-2022, after he dominated the Junior (2014-2015) and Under 23 (2015-2016) classes, the Belgian Champion returned to the summit with a very strong campaign.
Iserbyt participated in all 14 rounds of the 2023-2024 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, taking two victories, stepping on to the podium four more times, and finishing outside of the top five on only three occasions: 6th in Gavere (Belgium) and Zonhoven (Netherlands), DNF in Hulst (Belgium), due to illness.
The reigning UCI Men Elite Cyclo-cross World Champion Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) capped off the season with a home victory in the final round in Hoogerheide. With five successes, the Dutch star is the best scorer in a campaign that saw eight different riders win at least one round: MVDP (Antwerpen in Belgium, Gavere, Hulst, Zonhoven, Hoogerheide), Iserbyt (the French rounds in Troyes and Flamanville), Pim Ronhaar (Dendermonde in Belgium, Dublin in Ireland), Thibau Nys (Waterloo, USA), Lars van der Haar (Maasmechelen, Belgium), Joris Nieuwenhuis (Val di Sole, Italy), Tom Pidcock (Namur, Belgium) and Wout van Aert (Benidorm, Spain).
Overall top 3:
Eli Iserbyt (BEL), 338 pts
Joris Nieuwenhuis (NED), 313 pts
Pim Ronhaar (NED), 295 pts
Women Elite: Alvarado, all the way to Hoogerheide
With 10 podiums this season, Ceylin Alvarado (Alpecin-Deceuninck) was the most consistent rider of the 2023-2024 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup. She took the leader’s jersey after the first of her three victories, in Dendermonde (round 3), and retained it all the way to Hoogerheide, where her compatriot Fem van Empel (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) wrapped up this campaign with another victory.
Five different riders won at lease a round this season, all of them from the Netherlands: Van Empel (Waterloo, Maasmechelen, Antwerpen, Benidorm, Hoogerheide), Alvarado (Dendermonde, Troyes, Namur), Puck Pieterse (Gavere, Hulst, Zonhoven), Lucinda Brand (Dublin, Flamanville) and Manon Bakker (Val di Sole).
Only three non-Dutch riders managed to make their way to the podium: British wonderkid Zoe Bäckstedt, (3rd in Dublin and Zonhoven), Luxembourg’s rising talent Marie Schreiber (2nd in Flamanville) and Hungarian prodigy Kata Blanka Vas (2nd in Hoogerheide).
Alvarado won the Elite overall standings for the first time after she was runner-up in 2019-2020 (the season that saw her claim the rainbow jersey) and 2020-2021.
Overall top 3:
Ceylin Alvarado (NED), 348 pts
Puck Pieterse (NED), 308 pts
Lucinda Brand (NED), 284 pts
Men Under 23: Del Grosso tames the Belgians
Already runner-up in the Men Under 23 2022-2023 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, Tibor Del Grosso (Alpecin–Deceuninck Development Team) ruled this season while Thibau Nys (the only rider who resisted him last year) stepped up to the Elite ranks.
Del Grosso also impressed among his elders this season (top 10 in the UCI World Cup round at Hulst). But the main ambition was to get the better of a strong Belgian opposition in the Under 23 battles – which he did with four victories in six rounds, including a final show of class in Hoogerheide.
Emiel Verstrynge powered to victory in Namur and Benidorm. Jenthe Michels was highly consistent to secure the 3rd place overall and Ward Huybs rounds out the top-5 between two French talents, Rémi Lelandais (4th) and Léo Bisiaux (6th).
Overall top 3:
Tibor Del Grosso (NED), 160 pts
Emiel Verstrynge (BEL), 135 pts
Jenthe Michels (BEL), 110 pts
Women Junior: Gery resists Ferguson and Chladonová
While young stars already rule the Women Elite ranks, more talents are rising through the Junior category, promising more and more exhilarating battles at the summit.
France’s Célia Gery and Great Britain’s Cat Ferguson traded blows all season long. Already a bronze medalist in last year’s UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships, Gery eventually got the upper hand with three victories (Dublin, Namur and Benidorm) against Ferguson’s two (Troyes, Antwerpen).
The duo saw the last round of the season escape them as the Czech Republic’s Viktória Chladonová powered to victory, after finishing 2nd in Troyes, Namur and Benidorm. A versatile talent with strong references on the road and in mountain bike, she’s coming to the forefront at the perfect moment ahead of the UCI Worlds in her home country.
Overall top 3:
Célia Gery (FRA), 145 pts
Cat Ferguson (GBR), 140 pts
Viktória Chladonová (CZE) 130 pts
Men Junior: Viezzi edges Sparfel
Stefano Viezzi started strong and finished on a very high note to secure the overall victory ahead of Aubin Sparfel. Winner of the first two rounds in Troyes and Dublin, the Italian youngster saw his French rival (winner of the Junior European Championships) take the leader’s jersey in Benidorm, where he confirmed his previous successes in Namur and Antwerpen. Everything was to be decided in Hoogerheide…
Viezzi reacted at the perfect moment, with his third victory of the season, while Sparfel had to settle for fourth. The UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup may have escaped him but his eyes have already turned to the rainbow jersey, the “high point” of his season.
Viezzi is the second Italian winner of the Men Junior UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, 19 years after Davide Malacarne won the inaugural edition in this category. He went on to win the rainbow jersey that same season.
Overall top 3:
Stefano Viezzi (ITA), 150 pts
Aubin Sparfel (FRA), 145 pts
Keije Solen (NED), 102 pts