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From Paris-Roubaix and unbound gravel to the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France, Vuelta a Espana and everything in between when you>”,”name”:”in-content-cta”,”type”:”link” }}”>join from outside+.
Don’t expect any elbows or argy-bargy between the cyclocross world title favorites in the final round of pre-world action this weekend.
The men’s titans of ‘cross Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel and the women’s dominating Puck Pieterse and Fame van Ampel all compete in the coming days, but all in different races.
Van Aert and Van Empel will board their cross-busting Jumbo-Visma team bus for the X20 Trophy, Hamme’s trip on Saturday.
Van der Poel and Pieterse represent the Alpecin-Dessinck franchise the next day in Besançon, where the French ‘cross World Cup draws curtains on the calendar.
Who’s racing where this weekend?
- Saturday – X20 Humme: Fame van Ampel, Shireen van Unrooij, Watt van Aert, Michael Vanthorenhout, Celine del Carmen Alvarado
- Sunday – World Cup Besançon: Mathieu van der Poel, Puck Pieterse, Sylvia Persico, Laurence Sweek, Ellie Iserbeit
And what about defending champions Tom Pidcock and Marianne Vos?
Sad to say this, but the two have now officially pulled the plug on their ‘cross calendars and donned the rainbow jerseys for the last time in 2022-23. Pidcock is now booted into road mode, and Vos has been sidelined with arterial issues.
No clue before ‘Cross World’
Hoogerheide adds a deliciously intriguing run-up to the world not seeing Van Aert and Van der Poel, or Van Ampel and Pieterse, face off this weekend.
While there’s no last chance for fireworks, there also won’t be a preview of how the pairs might shape up when the rainbow jersey is at stake.
There is no doubt that the formidable foursome are far from favorite status for February’s race after a winter of ruining the experts’ chances.
This cyclocross season, van der Poel has won five out of 13 and van Aert eight out of 12. Pidcock in rearview.
It’s a continuation of a multi-discipline rivalry that hasn’t been seen elsewhere in the modern peloton, and one that will take center stage at Van der Poel’s “home” Hoogerheide circuit – a grassy, steep race where the Dutchman had already achieved five elite victories.
And the story for 2022-23 is similar for 20-year-old phenoms Van Ampel and Pieterse.
The former won 12 out of 19, the latter eight out of 17. only their companions wunderkind Shireen Van Aarooj came a close second, chasing U23 pride the following weekend.
Both Pieterse and Van Ampel regularly called each other out in post-race interviews, which was the birth of a barnstormer elite rivalry. The Dutch women divebombed, shouldered and shadowed each other through 11 races this winter and are best after their tight-to-the-fro “buddies.”
Meanwhile, Van Aert and Van der Poel have shared so many races over the past decade that they probably know more about each other than they’d like to.
Van Aert, Van der Poel, Van Empel, and Pieterse would not see each other again until February 4 and 5, Hoogerheide.
