World Cup in live stream: fight for gold between Wout Van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel in Hoogerheide

The big highlight of the World Championships is the men’s elite race on Sunday. The starting signal will be given at 3:05 p.m. – and all experts assume that a good hour later either Wout van Aert (Belgium) will get his fourth or Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands) his fifth rainbow jersey.

The Belgian is a slight favourite, having won nine of his 13 races this season. The other four times he was second. He was only beaten by van der Poel, who also won the last power test of the two in Benidorm on January 22nd. The Alpecin pro “only” managed six wins this season, but struggled with back problems in between, which now seem to have been resolved. He finished first in his last two missions.

The scene’s third top star, the reigning world champion Tom Pidcock (Great Britain), has decided not to defend his title in favor of his preparations on the road. So the circle of those who hope for the bronze medal is quite large. The Belgians are the biggest contenders with Michael Vanthourenhout, Laurens Sweeck and Eli Iserbyt. But the Dutchmen Lars van der Haar and Joris Nieuwenhuis can also count on chances, as can the Swiss Kevin Kuhn and the Belgian Niels Vandeputte.

Cross World Championship: hot duels for gold

On Saturday at 3:05 p.m. the elite women start the race. The situation there is very similar to that of the men. At the top of the list of favorites is Fem van Empel, who has achieved the most wins this season and who usually wears the jumbo jersey. However, she is also being chased by a Dutchwoman employed by Alpecin, because Puck Pieterse seems to be the only driver who can endanger her compatriot.

On the track, the two don’t take each other much, but her powerful sprint, which she can drive short or long, speaks for van Empel. Pieterse has not found any means against him so far and so van Empel decided almost all direct duels in her favour. The course in Hoogerheide does not appear to be technical enough to benefit Pieterse, who is more gifted in this area.

The third 20-year-old from the Netherlands, Shirin van Anrooij, has decided to remain in the U23 category, unlike her two occasional teammates. The three youngsters dominated events this winter at will, but without van Anrooij there is again place on the podium in Hoogerheide for one of the more experienced riders. Defending champion Marianne Vos hardly played a role this winter and will miss the World Championships, her predecessor Lucinda Brand and her predecessor Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado are the biggest contenders for bronze.

However, the series of Dutch women with podium ambitions is far from over. Annemarie Worst, Aniek van Alphen, Denis Betsema and Inge van der Heijden are also going into the race with ambitions – and thus the entire Oranje team is named. Only one rider from another nation has serious chances of a medal on Saturday: Italy’s Silvia Persico. Besides her, only the Hungarian Kata Blanka Vas can hope for a medal.

The program of the Cyclocross World Championship 2023

• Friday, 3.2. – 12:35 p.m.: Mixed Relay
• Saturday, February 4th – 11:05 am: juniors
• Saturday, February 4th – 1:05 p.m.: U23 men
• Saturday, February 4th – 3:05 p.m.: Elite women
• Sunday, February 5th – 11:05 am: Juniors
• Sunday, February 5th – 1:05 p.m.: U23 women
• Sunday, February 5th – 3:05 p.m.: Elite men