Gavere CX World Cup: favorites, schedules and how to watch it

The CX World Cup lands for the first time in Gavere for the tenth race of the season. A big day for the discipline, which will bring together Van Aert, Van der Poel and Pidcock. Meanwhile, Sweek, Vanthourenhout and a recovered Iserbyt will fight for the general classification.

Where and when to watch the Gavere CX World Cup 2022

In order for the CX World Cup not to coincide with Christmas, the Gavere event will take place next Monday, December 26th.

Tickets are priced at 15 euros or 18 euros if purchased on the same day of the race.

Gavere CX World Cup Timetable

Monday, December 26th

• Elite women's race at 13:40
• Elite men's race at 15:10

Where to watch CX Gavere World Cup

The race will be available on the Eurosport app and on GCN.

Van Aert, Van der Poel and Pidcock: the stars meet again in the mud

After Van der Poel was the only one of the three to be present in Val di Sole, Gavere will be the stage where the top riders of cyclo-cross will meet again. It will be the third time this season after the first World Cup meeting in Antwerp and the EXACT CROSS in Mol.

Van der Poel, who took a lot of precautions last weekend for fear of crashing, is eager to shine again on a more familiar and less treacherous terrain than snow and ice. The Dutchman will go full out to shake off the poor performance in Val di Sole and will try to sign his third victory of the season in the top CX competition after Hulst and Antwerp.

To everyone's delight, Van Aert and Pidcock will be racing against him. The Belgian, who made his debut in Antwerp, will arrive this time with a victory already in his pocket and with the right competitive rhythm after racing in the Exact Cross in Mol on December 23rd (where he will also compete with Van der Poel and Pidcock).

For his part, the British rider is ready after a 12-day break in which he has been able to gather his strength and rest for the busy post-Christmas schedule.

Iserbyt recovers in time to fight for the overall classification

The stretcher with which Iserbyt left the circuit in Val di Sole suggested the worst. Finally, the team reported that nothing was broken and his presence in Gavere has been confirmed.

Iserbyt (249 points), the World Cup leader at the beginning of the season, lost the first overall position in Hulst to his compatriot Sweek (288 points). Iserbyt's withdrawal last Saturday dropped him to third place, overtaken by Vanthourenhout (265 points).

Entering the final part of the competition, any abandonment or bad result can be a real problem for these riders who are fighting for the overall. Next to them, on Sunday will also start some outstanding names, who will try to continue with the good sensations they are leaving this year, such as Van der Haar, Vandeputte or Kuhn.

Van Empel also recovered and will race in Gavere

The undisputed leader of the women's category, Van Empel (330 points), was also carried off on a stretcher during the Val di Sole race. These images raised doubts as to whether the Dutchwoman of the Pauwels Sauzen - Bingoal team would be ready to race in Gavere.

Fortunately, an initial examination on site revealed that she did not have a fracture. Team sporting director Tom De Kort explained that the emergency services feared for a moment that she had a broken leg and that she would undergo further tests upon arrival in the Netherlands, according to Sporza.

De Kort thought it may have been a muscle spasm "in which the muscle in his thigh was crushed. In any case, Van Empel will be on the start line next Monday ready to hold off her closest rival, Pieterse (265 points) and defend her lead.

Another top rider, Van Anrooij (159 points and sixth overall) will be in Gavere after a break to train with her team in Spain and race in the EXACT CROSS in Mol.