Tadaa, there it is: the first clash between the Big Three of this winter. Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert and Tom Pidcock will face off for the first time in the World Cup race in the Belgian city of Antwerp, a race that Van der Poel won the last five times. IDLProCycling.com is happy to preview the race!
In four of those last five races, Van Aert was the runner-up, although the Belgian did manage to beat his Dutch rival by the Scheldt in 2015. In the women's category, Fem van Empel won last season, while the two World Cup editions before that were won by Denise Betsema.
Moreover, Antwerp will always hold a special place in Van der Poel's cyclo-cross history, as it was there in 2013 that he rode his first race in the Elite category. Finishing second after Niels Albert, he was off to a stellar career that continues to this day.
2022/2023 Mathieu van der Poel / Fem van Empel2021/2022 Cancelled
2020/2021 Mathieu van der Poel / Denise Betsema
2019/2020 BK
2018/2019 Mathieu van der Poel / Denise Betsema
2017/2018 Mathieu van der Poel / Sanne Cant
2016/2017 Mathieu van der Poel / Sanne Cant
2015/2016 Wout van Aert / Sanne Cant
2014/2015 Mathieu van der Poel / Sanne Cant
2013/2014 Niels Albert / Katie Compton
When you mention the Scheldt, you think of water and sand. Naturally, the riders won't have to make their way through the water, but there are two long sand sections in this course along the river. From the starting line, the course first heads in the other direction, where several grass sections and a more technical passage through a small park await. Then we head towards the sand of the harbor city for the first time.
The second passage, which is right before the finish, is often seen as a crucial point in this cyclo-cross race. Van der Poel and co will, however, know the course like the back of their hand, as they have often participated in the Scheldecross of Antwerp. On Friday, we'll get a preview of what we can expect at the Zilvermeer in Mol, as we will also encounter quite a bit of sand there.
Weather
The weather this week isn't great in the Low Countries, but Saturday seems to be dry for now. However, there will be a strong wind coming from the sea, which means that the riders will face quite a bit of resistance riding along the Scheldt. The temperature is expected to be around 10 degrees Celsius.
Times
Start women's race: 1:40 PM
Finish women's race: 2:30 PM
Start men's race: 3:10 PM
Finish men's race: 4:10 PM
Ten out of ten: that is Fem van Empel's score so far this season. The Dutch Jumbo-Visma rider clinched another victory last Saturday in Herentals, but this time it wasn't without difficulty. Van Empel was still recovering from a fall and a cold the previous week, which led her to decide to skip the race in Namen on Sunday.
World Cup leader Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado took advantage of this opportunity to bring home a convincing win, although she is also curious about how she will perform against Van Empel. "The European Championship is when I last raced against her. So I don't know what level Fem is at, and what you see on TV can be deceiving, but I also don't think she knows exactly what level I am at. I am looking forward to racing against her again. And, of course, I hope to win," she stated.
Lucinda Brand put up a strong fight in Herentals and finished just a few meters behind Van Empel, while she also managed to secure a spot on the podium in Namen. The Dutch rider is back in good form now, which is promising for her performances during the Christmas period. Puck Pieterse narrowly beat Brand in Namen, and she is also expected to perform well in Antwerp.
Shirin van Anrooij experienced a flat tire and a hard fall around the Citadel, so it is unclear where she currently stands. Additionally, we should keep an eye on two-time winner Denise Betsema (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal), her teammate Leonie Bentveld, Inge van der Heijden, Manon Bakker (Crelan-Corendon), Blanka Kata Vas, Marie Schreiber (SD Worx), Zoe Backstedt (Canyon/SRAM), Aniek van Alphen and Annemarie Worst (Cyclocross Reds).
Top favorite: Fem van Empel (Jumbo-Visma)
Outsiders: Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck), Lucinda Brand (Baloise Trek Lions)
Long shots: Shirin van Anrooij (Baloise Trek Lions), Inge van der Heijden, Manon Bakker (Crelan-Corendon), Marie Schreiber (SD Worx), Denise Betsema (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) and Annemarie Worst (Cyclocross Reds)
One man will rock up to the starting line in Antwerp as the absolute top contender, and that is Mathieu van der Poel of Alpecin-Deceuninck. The Dutchman left his competitors in the dust upon his return in Herentals and also boasts an excellent track record along the Scheldt, so the other gentlemen will have to put up a strong fight to compete against him.
Firstly, let's consider Wout van Aert and Tom Pidcock, representing Jumbo-Visma and INEOS Grenadiers, respectively, who both secured victories in Essen and Namen. Both of them already have a win under their belts, but will those do them much good this coming Saturday? Pidcock has openly mentioned that he's less comfortable with the Antwerp sand, while Van Aert generally handles such terrain well.
Furthermore, of course, keep an eye out for the men and teams that have colored the first half of this cyclocross season. The Baloise Trek Lions are lining up in full force, with Joris Nieuwenhuis, Pim Ronhaar, Lars van der Haar and the returning Thibau Nys. A podium finish would be a great result for them.
The same is likely true for the world cup leader Eli Iserbyt and his teammates Ryan Kamp and Michael Vanthourenhout, as well as Niels Vandeputte of Alpecin-Deceuninck, who has been performing well this season. Laurens Sweeck is usually strong in the sand, but he has been having a challenging winter on behalf of Crelan-Corendon. Additionally, we should keep an eye on Joran Wyseure, Witse Meussen, Toon Vandebosch (Crelan-Corendon) and Gerben Kuypers (Circus-ReUz). And what can we expect from foreign riders such as Cameron Mason (Cyclocross Reds), Felipe Orts (Burgos-BH) and Kevin Kuhn (Circus-ReUz)?
Top favorite: Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
Outsiders: Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), Joris Nieuwenhuis (Baloise Trek Lions) and Tom Pidcock (INEOS Grenadiers)
Long shots: Pim Ronhaar, Lars van der Haar, Thibau Nys (Baloise Trek Lions), Eli Iserbyt, Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) and Niels Vandeputte (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
The Scheldecross in Antwerp can be watched starting at 1:30 PM on Sporza (VRT 1), Eurosport (main channel, Eurosport.nl/Discovery+), a stream on NOS.nl, Promixus Pickx and Telenet Play Sports.