The UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships mark the highlight of a season that has seen intense rivalries from the top riders of the sport, both men and women. The races take place in Heusden-Zolder, on the same circuit used for the World Cup in December, but heavy rains are expected to create a dramatically different challenge compared with last month's race. Cyclingnews looks at 10 riders who can challenge for the podium in either Saturday's elite women's event or Sunday's elite men's race.
Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands)
Defending world champion Mathieu van der Poel came into the season a bit of a question mark, having had knee surgery to treat an injury sustained on the road. The recovery kept him from racing until the end of November.
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Whatever doubts surrounded his ability to push to his maximum were quickly dispelled when Van der Poel surged to a podium position in the Koksijde World Cup in his comeback race. His first victory came two weeks later in Overijse, and by the Namur World cup he began a winning streak that was only interrupted by a tactical race in Loenhout.
Since Namur, Van der Poel has won all of the World Cups, including Zolder, which was contested on the world championship course. There, he faced a difficult battle with Lars van der Haar whose untimely puncture in the final lap scuttled his hopes to out-sprint his young compatriot. It was left to Kevin Pauwels to challenge, but the Belgian fell short.
Van der Poel demonstrated his diverse talents by trouncing everyone on a fast Lignières-en-Berry World Cup and a heavy, slippery Hoogerheide round, leaving all of his competitors puzzling for ways to defeat him. Only flawless team tactics from the stronger Belgian squad could prove his undoing on Sunday.
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