CX season levels up on November 27th

There is already a date for Tom Pidcock, Wout Van Aert and Mathieu Van der Poel to face each other on the cyclocross circuits. Will they be able to impose their quality against Isserbyt, Vanthourenhout, Van der Haar or Sweeck, who have shown a very high level and have given us an exciting start of the season?

Pidcock, Van Aert and Van der Poel return to cyclocross

Although the cyclocross racing campaign is already advanced and has already passed its first key event with last weekend's European Championships, the absence of mud until this past weekend, the races in the United States and the absence of the great dominators of the specialty in recent years have given us the feeling that we are still in a kind of pre-season.

A start of the season marked by the even level shown by the current cyclocross referents and in which, although Eli Isserbyt has been the one who has shown some superiority in the World Cup, we have also enjoyed episodes such as the first victory in this event for Laurens Sweeck or the hard-fought triumph on the very hard Namur circuit where Michael Vanthourenhout conquered the European Championship.

RECOMENDADO

When do helmets have to be changed? Do they have an expiration date?

Garmin Edge GPS range, which one to choose?

Easy to apply tips for riding faster

7 tips for cycling in the rain

Pogacar is the highest paid cyclist of 2024 and is proving why

Why the World Champion's jersey is rainbow

However, everything will change in the coming weeks with the arrival of Tom Pickcock, who will make his debut at the Merkplas Supersprestige on November 19, while the following week, at the World Cup race in Hulst, Wout Van Aert and Mathieu Van der Poel will make their appearances.

Will this affect the spectacle and the alternatives we are enjoying, and will the current protagonists be able to stand up to them? These are the doubts that surround us before the, on the other hand, desired arrival of these names.

"They will have to test themselves. I think the level is quite high at the moment. Everyone is talking about it, but I'm not afraid," said Laurens Sweeck, facing the imminent arrival of the dominators of the last few seasons.

If previous seasons are anything to go by, the races will change completely and we will no longer enjoy tactical races so that the most inspired rider that day will open the gas from the first stages of the race. Last year, with Van der Poel suffering from back problems and Pidcock struggling to find his best form, it was Van Aert who swept the field wherever he raced.

"I've trained hard to reduce the differences, but we have to be realistic, there will be three stronger riders. I think if Tom, Wout and Mathieu come back, the tactical races will be over," said Michael Vanthourenhout when asked about it.

It cannot be avoided, however, that Van Aert, Pidcock and Van der Poel arrive at the cyclocross races at a similar level and between the three of them are capable of exciting duels, undoubtedly the desire of all the fans. There could also be a scenario in which these three monsters, who are increasingly prioritizing their road season, take the cyclocross campaign as a kind of pre-season without being at their highest level and this could give the option to the rest of the regulars to fight against them.

In any case, their arrival at the races is an extra point of expectation that will make us follow the cyclocross races with even greater attention waiting for the spectacle they can offer us.