Cyclocross World Championships 2023 Course
Credit: 2023 UCI Cyclocross World Championships Hoogerheide
The course kicks off with a long tarmac section where there will be a fast and aggressive start as riders fight for positions. The riders will then turn right onto a grassy, technical section (this could be more muddy depending on the weather conditions on the day). As the course heads further into the trees, the riders will face more mud and some potentially slippery off camber corners. While there are no significantly long climbs on the lap, the entire course is undulating with some steep sections that could see riders forced to get off and run with the bike. Ruts and thick mud will cause fatigue as the race continues. There are two hurdles towards the end of the lap which riders will either aim to bunnyhop or run over, then a steep, tricky descent before a set of stairs which will test the legs. From there, the rider’s technical skills will be tested on a long, off-camber section before they return to the tarmac for the finishing straight.
Contenders – Cyclocross World Championships 2023 men’s elite race
With defending champion Tom Pidcock deciding not to race the World Championships in Hoogerheide due to moving his focus towards the road racing season, all eyes are on two of biggest names in cycling: Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert. The rival pair have been closely matched throughout the cyclocross season so far, often sharing out World Cup victories between them. One of the only things that gives us an indication of which way the race might go is the recent re-emergence of Van der Poel’s back injury. After the World Cup in Zonhoven – where he finished second to Van Aert in the end – the Dutchman was complaining of pain in his back which was making it “not fun to…