The excitement is still building this Saturday, as Mathieu van der Poel is not scheduled to compete until a day later. And so, the World Cup in Hulst on Saturday may be the last day for classic cyclo-cross riders hoping for success. Who will take the victory in this Dutch World Cup? IDLProCycling.com gives you a preview!
Van der Poel has been consistently dominant in Hulst in recent seasons. Of the past eight editions, he only failed to win the one in 2021 and 2019. A new victory won’t happen, so it’s looking forward to the relationships between the men we’ve seen all year. Will Michael Vanthourenhout continue his form, or is it perhaps Toon Aerts who will take the trophy?
2023/2024 Mathieu van der Poel / Puck Pieterse
2022/2023 Mathieu van der Poel / Puck Pieterse
2021/2022 Tom Pidcock / Lucinda Brand
20/2021 Mathieu van der Poel / Denise Betsema
2019/2020 Eli Iserbyt / Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado
2018/2019 Mathieu van der Poel / Denise Betsema
2017/2018 Mathieu van der Poel / Laura Verdonschot
2016/2017 Mathieu van der Poel / Sanne Cant
The course has changed slightly from last year. Two right-angle turns and a straight line are gone where the riders usually circle the crowds, perhaps because that area is where things went wrong in Hulst last year. In contrast, an additional right-angle turn has been inserted near the VIP areas. Other than that, the World Cup has not changed much; the distinctive ramparts of Hulst are still just the beautiful backdrop of the race!
Weather
A good amount of rain is predicted for Saturday, and it will also hit Hulst, probably even during the races. It will be about nine degrees. All in all, it’s not too bad, but with continued rain this week, mud is likely!
Times
Start women: 1:40 PM locally (7:40 AM EST)
Finish women: around 2:30 PM locally (8:30 AM EST)
Start men: 3:10 PM locally (9:10 AM EST)
Finish men: around 4:15 PM locally (10:15 AM EST)
So Mathieu van der Poel is still out, which may have something to do with last year when the world champion in the field got all kinds of junk thrown at his head. Wout van Aert isn’t here yet either, so we’re looking at the group of riders who have already entertained us so much this fall.
The trend in that group is changing slightly. Michael Vanthourenhout has found a consistent line, is tenacious, and has recently dared to gamble and attack. Thus, he is the logical favorite for Hulst. Behind him, Pim Ronhaar and Toon Aerts stand out as men showing an improving streak. However, the former seems further away from a win than Aerts.
On another note, we also rate Thibau Nys highly. The Belgian started so well but was bitten by bad luck. It seems he is looking for revenge. Laurens Sweeck, with his third place in the rankings, has a nice trend for now. Furthermore, it is watching out for men who have already surprised Niels Van De Putte and Emiel Verstrynge.
Top favorite: Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen Bingoal)
Outsiders: Thibau Nys (Baloise Trek Lions), Toon Aerts (Deschacht-Hens)
Long Shots: Laurens Sweeck, Emiel Verstrynge (Crelan-Corendon), Niels Van De Putte, Pim Ronhaar (Baloise Trek Lions)
Among the women, we see the same situation as in the men. In the current field, Fem van Empel is the woman to beat, but like Nys in Namen, she had an off day. Will she be able to make an impact again on Saturday? There is plenty of competition, as Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado makes life difficult for the world champion this year.
Lucinda Brand is a short distance behind these two, who is consistently among the first riders but still struggles to finish races. Puck Pieterse completes the top quartet but still lacks some rhythm and maybe a little behind her buddy Alvarado in the pecking order. Behind that, we can expect few surprises for the win. Annemarie Worst and Inge van der Heijden seem to have the best papers for a place among the first five, given their form.
Top favorite: Fem van Empel (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Outsiders: Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Fenix-Deceuninck), Lucinda Brand (Baloise Trek Lions)
Long shots: Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck), Annemarie Worst (777), Inge van der Heijden (Crelan-Corendon)
The World Cup can be followed at VRT on Sporza, at Eurosport via television (with advertising), and HBO Max via the stream. Both channels will be there starting around 1:25 PM locally (7:25 AM EST)
On idlprocycling.com you will find the latest news about cycling, cyclocross and mountain biking every day. On our site you can find the news about the Tour de France, Jumbo-Visma, Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert and all other current events in cycling.
