Laurens Sweeck remains leader in World Cup but sees Mathieu van der Poel closing in

Is Mathieu van der Poel still the big favorite to win the Cyclo-cross World Cup? The Dutchman is certainly making a significant climb in the consistency rankings. After his victory in Koksijde, the world champion rockets up to fourth place.

Van der Poel’s gap to leader Laurens Sweeck is still 26 points. Although Sweeck has yet to win a World Cup race, the Crelan-Corendon rider consistently performs well. He was again on the podium in Koksijde, finishing second, increasing his point total to 146 and extending his lead in the World Cup standings.

The gap to his (currently) closest rival Michael Vanthourenhout is 18 points. Niels Vandeputte, who also delivered an excellent race in Koksijde, currently holds third place with 125 points. Van der Poel is now fourth, having collected 120 points with his victories in Namur, Antwerp, and Koksijde.

And the world champion is scheduled to race in most of the remaining World Cup events, except for the cyclo-cross in Dendermonde, although his participation in the Benidorm race is still uncertain. This could make Van der Poel a serious contender for the overall title.

Brand extends lead
In the women’s competition, there are no major changes, at least not at the top of the standings. Lucinda Brand solidifies her lead (with exactly 200 points) thanks to her win in Koksijde. Van Alphen now trails by 32 points, while Bentveld is third with 117 points. Shirin van Anrooij (moving from eighth to fourth) and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (from tenth to eighth) are two notable risers.