World Champion Fem van Empel (Jumbo-Visma) and Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) are each set to defend their continental titles as they head to the European Cyclocross Championships this weekend in Pont-Château, France, alongside an entire host of the self-discipline’s finest.
Seven European champions might be topped throughout junior, U23 and elite races for women and men, in addition to riders in an inaugural workforce relay. Solely six groups will compete Friday within the workforce occasion because the Netherlands have opted out regardless of being a dominant nation within the self-discipline.
Van Empel would be the heavy favorite for the ladies’s race on Saturday having received each occasion she’s lined up for within the 2023-24 season to date. Nationwide workforce coach Gerben de Knegt can also be assured in regards to the 21-year-old’s probabilities, with the remainder of the medals much less sure, however nonetheless a chance.
”After all, the races should be held first. However I believe we solely have a transparent favorite for the title in a single class within the type of Fem van Empel for the elite girls,” stated De Knegt in a KNWU press launch. “However we’ve a number of trump playing cards for medals in all classes.”
Former World Champion Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Alpecin-Deceuninck) ought to give compatriot a robust problem however will hope for higher luck than at final weekend’s World Cup in Maasmechelen the place an early crash prematurely ended a possible battle for victory.
Fellow Dutch stars Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck), Shirin van Anrooij and Lucinda Model (each Baloise Trek Lions) will, nonetheless, all miss out as a consequence of damage or obligatory restoration time, making Van Empel’s probabilities of victory even increased.
“It’s good that we’ve riders like Lars van der Haar and Pim Ronhaar who’ve began the season strongly. They may definitely battle for prizes in what is predicted to be an open championship. We’re optimistic in regards to the Netherlands’ probabilities at this European Championship,” added De Knegt.
The lads’s race on Sunday will probably be a way more open contest with a number of riders taking wins to date this season. Defending champion Vanthourenhout will arrive off the again of constant outcomes, however the Belgian ‘cross nationwide champion lacks a win this season and has been off the tempo in his two most up-to-date appearances.
Younger expertise Thibau Nys (Baloise Trek Lions) will probably enter because the favorite, having backed up a flying begin to his first yr at senior degree with a 3rd win of the yr at Wednesday’s Koppenbergcross, an iconic race on the calendar.
He’s stepped up as anticipated at simply 20 years of age however didn’t need to over-hype his probabilities after his victory in Oudenaarde, stating that he ‘didn’t care if he misplaced’ on Sunday having already had an unbelievable season that features a first World Cup win in Waterloo.
Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) can also be a earlier European Champion and has appeared sturdy all through the early rounds of the season, as he tends to, with one other former winner, Lars van der Haar (Baloise Trek Lions) additionally taking the beginning.
Van der Haar is coming off the again of his first World Cup win in two years at Maasmechelen and a second-place end on the Koppenbergcross so confidence needs to be sky-high for the Dutch champion.
Blanka Kata Vas (SD Worx) is on the provisional begin listing, however she probably registered earlier than breaking her collarbone, so don’t count on to see the Hungarian on the beginning line. Denise Betsema (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) additionally withdrew on Wednesday regardless of a robust second-place end on the Koppenbergcross, as she needs to coach extra for energy within the latter season.
There’s additionally expertise proper throughout the age teams with junior Danish sensation Albert Withen Philipsen set to start out the lads’s junior race. He’ll be making an attempt so as to add to his severe assortment of medals from the summer time together with his World Junior Highway and MTB Cross-Nation titles, in addition to European titles in MTB Cross-Nation, MTB Staff Relay and the Particular person Time-Trial.
Younger British duo Cat Ferguson and Imogen Wolff are additionally headline names on the ladies’s junior begin listing. Ferguson lately signed a Girls’s WorldTour contract with Movistar for subsequent season at simply 17.
Pont-Čhateau has beforehand hosted each the Cyclocross World Championships (1989 and 2004) and European Championships (2005 and 2016), and organisers have set a comparable course to what was used within the Continental occasions for this yr.
