In terms of winners, it has been a monotonous Christmas period in cyclo-cross, as Mathieu van der Poel and Lucinda Brand took a large share of the spoils. But what else caught our attention in cyclo-cross over the past two weeks? WielerFlits summarizes five conclusions.
This is a conclusion heard from everyone last weekend. Riders, staff members, team managers, press officers, speakers: this Christmas period was too packed. Twelve races within barely 16 days is unmanageable for anyone and might even have a counterproductive effect. Even Flanders Classics organizer Tomas Van den Spiegel admitted to us that the cyclo-cross calendar is overcrowded. But no one seems willing to scale back.
Of course, the Christmas period is 'money time.' We saw spectator numbers from the golden days of cyclo-cross, with all-time records broken, culminating in Zonhoven with 20,000 people. All organizers want to hold races during the Christmas holidays, but the fact that Niels Vandeputte was the only rider to complete 11 of the 12 races, a few others ended at 9, and Van der Poel at 8, says enough. Fewer races would mean that the top riders would have fewer choices and thus compete against each other more frequently. It is up to the UCI to regulate this without forgetting the other stakeholders like Golazo.
The only extra spark we missed was a rival for an incredibly strong Mathieu van der Poel, who was unbeatable in all his races. At his debut in Namur, we got a bit of hope after a strong performance by Thibau Nys; otherwise, only Wout van Aert in Loenhout and Mol gave the impression of being able to offer some resistance. It's a shame for the excitement that a flat tire and a crash with an ankle fracture spoiled things. As a result, we never got a genuine duel until the very end.
How beautiful it could have been between Van der Poel and Van Aert - photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
As a competitor, you would almost become disheartened by it. And the strangest thing of all: when we asked the seven-time world champion outright after the race in Zonhoven what feeling he had about traveling to Spain, he casually replied that he is 'definitely not at top form yet.' "I think I was really better at this time last year, but I can't complain," said Van der Poel. Good news for everyone else: we probably won't see the all-rounder back until January 24 in Maasmechelen.
Does this lack of excitement mean that no new talents are emerging in Van der Poel’s shadow? Of course not. Although he showed some impressive form last year, Tibor Del Grosso was the revelation of the Christmas period. With seemingly effortless ease, a dose of bike-handling skills, and visible joy on the bike, the 22-year-old talent pushed through the past two weeks. The most impressive thing is that he not only excelled in his wins in Zolder and Diegem but basically never faltered anywhere.
Not only does he occasionally resemble Van der Poel, but the natural heir also seems truly ready. We also give credit to Emiel Verstrynge, Niels Vandeputte, and Belgian champion Thibau Nys. Don’t expect too much from Nys in sand races, which led to off days in Antwerp and Zolder. In Zonhoven, there was that notorious crash with the broken handlebar, but otherwise, Nys never fell below his baseline. And when he is on form, like in Dendermonde, the 23-year-old Nys is very, very good.
Despite all the good news, we had to conclude over the Christmas period that cyclo-cross outside the top tier is not doing well. Sub-top riders like Amandine Fouquenet and Ryan Kamp found themselves without contracts at the turn of the year, and after the winter cross season ends, many more riders—especially among the women pros—will be in the same situation. Even the Ridley project around Joris Nieuwenhuis is not future-proof, so the top cross rider has yet to find a new team.
Lucinda Brand was unbeatable at times - photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
To catch riders like Kamp and Hélène Clauzel, the Roodhooft brothers have launched yet another new project with Team Ekoï. Meanwhile, they already run four teams in the cyclo-cross peloton with Alpecin-Premier Tech, Fenix-Premier Tech, Seven Racing, and Crelan-Corendon. According to the brothers, they do this out of love for the sport, but it’s also worrying to see. If you can’t get a spot with them or the teams of Sven Nys and Jurgen Mettepenningen, you have to fear the end of your career. That gives food for thought.
Finally, a word about the most dominant woman of the Christmas period and before that. Because don’t be mistaken: Brand’s 'streak' of consecutive podium finishes is still running. After Zonhoven, Brand’s count stands at 61, an absolute record. Although she had to face a very strong Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado in that snowy race, Brand had already won all her races since the Jaarmarktcross on November 11.
How she still manages to summon the professionalism and work ethic to compete at this level at 36 is admirable. Yes, there were, of course, injuries to Alvarado and the absence of world champion Fem van Empel, but that does not diminish Brand’s streak. She raced fewer events than in recent winters, hoping to peak at the Dutch and world championships. Let’s hope those choices pay off for her.
