The 2023-24 cyclocross season reaches its pinnacle this weekend with the World Championships in Tábor, Czechia as defending champions Mathieu van der Poel and Fem van Empel look to retain their rainbow jerseys, both arriving as heavy favourites after dominating their respective elite calendars.
Between them, they have taken 29 wins from the 32 races they have started. Van Empel managed 11 victories in a row before she was beaten in Gavere, while Van der Poel’s only defeat came in Benidorm after hitting a pole and crashing as close rival Wout van Aert rode to victory.
Van der Poel has a long history with Tábor and 2024 marks nine years since he claimed his first elite world title in the Czech town and became the youngest-ever elite men’s World Champion. He and Van Aert chose to debut at senior worlds following a season of already competing with the best at just 20. A decision he called “the best choice of my life so far” in 2015.
Unaware of its significance at the time, Tábor has become the site where one of Cyclocross’ finest-ever riders found his first monumental senior success. The first of many both in the off-road discipline and on the road where he has now developed into one of the riders of a generation. Four more CX rainbow jerseys, the road world title, stages of Grand Tours, a stint in the maillot jaune and maglia rosa and four Monuments have followed since that day.
The Dutchman has hinted that it could be his final appearance in cyclocross without much left to achieve in the general cyclocross racing calendar and it not adding much to his abilities in the spring Classics, also admitting that it would be hard to match the euphoria of that first world title in 2015 even with a sixth triumph.
“The finish was quite emotional. Equalling [Tábor in 2015] now is difficult. The first time is often the best,” said Van der Poel in a recent press conference.
When asked if Tábor would be his final dance in CX, he said, “I’ll have to think about that and see,” adding that stopping after a seventh title might be nice. “First elite world title in cyclocross in 2015, now again in Tábor. It could be full circle, but I don’t know yet.”
There aren’t many courses not suited to Van der Poel’s abilities, but Tábor specifically has been one where his raw power mixed with excellent technical skills have resulted in him taking many wins here throughout his career – from as a 17-year-old in 2012 to his most recent win there in 2020.
Van der Poel…
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