The UCI CX World Cup lands in Belgium before the European Championships
The first round of the UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup took place in Waterloo, in the United States, as has been the custom in recent years. However, the homeland of the discipline is undoubtedly Belgium, where 6 out of the 14 events in the circuit organized by the International Cycling Union are held. The first of these races will be this Sunday in Maasmechelen, just one week before the CycloCross European Championships, which will be held in France this time.
Maasmechelen hosts a World Cup event for the second consecutive year. Last year, Laurens Sweeck (1200) won the men's race, and Fem Van Empel (1200) won the women's race.
Both are on the provisional start lists, but they arrive in quite different ways. Fem Van Empel has won all 4 cyclo-cross races she has competed in this year, while Laurens Sweeck had a fall in his first race and has yet to win this season.
Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (1000), Denise Betsema (1200), Inge Van Der Heijden (1000), Annemarie Worst (1000), Manon Bakker (800), Aniek Van Alphen (800), Hélène Clauzel (800), Sanne Cant (600), and Zoe Backstedt (400) are expected to be the main rivals of Van Empel in the women's race, where neither Puck Pieterse (1200) nor Shirin Van Anrooij (1200) will be present.
For the men's race, in addition to Sweeck, the top favorites are Eli Iserbyt (1200), Michael Vanthourenhout (1200), Lars Van Der Haar (1200), Niels Vandeputte (1000), Joris Nieuenhuis (600), or the winner from 15 days ago in Waterloo, Thibau Nys (400).
Photo: © UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup