The cyclocross returns in two days with Van der Poel in charge

The Christmas marathon that dominates the cyclocross race calendar takes a little break to celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas, but it will return with force next Friday, December 26, with a new race of the Cyclocross World Cup in the Flemish town of Gavere, just south of Ghent. A race in which Mathieu van der Poel will try to continue adding to his impressive winning streak.

Cyclocross World Cup Schedule – Gavere

December 26, 2025

• 13:40 – Women's Elite
• 15:10 – Men's Elite

Favorites for the Cyclocross World Cup – Gavere

Looking at the starting list for the next Cyclocross World Cup race, very few will doubt that, barring a biblical catastrophe, the victory should once again fall to Mathieu van der Poel, who has maintained a perfect record of wins in 2025. In fact, let's remember that he has not stopped winning any race he has participated in since a lamppost crossed his path in Benidorm in January 2024. This season, Van der Poel has been particularly untouchable, always seeming to have an extra gear to break away solo the moment his rivals give him the slightest opening.

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With the absence of Wout van Aert, Van der Poel's main rival in the Gavere Cyclocross World Cup will be at home. His teammate Tibor del Grosso, who is expected to be one of the great stars of the discipline, despite also starting his muddy season late, seems to have regained his rhythm and shows increasing solidity, having been one of the protagonists of the first block of Christmas races, which concluded yesterday with a great victory in Heusden-Zolder in an exciting face-off against Wout van Aert.

It is necessary to mention Thibau Nys, despite his erratic performance in recent days. He has been at the front, even seeming capable of challenging Van der Poel in Hofstade, but has ended up paying for his excesses, leading to mistakes in the form of small falls, both on the sand of Hofstade and in the slippery sections of Heusden-Zolder. In any case, throughout the year he has shown enough class to be there, which could lead to a beautiful three-way battle.

It does not seem that the rest of the participants can match the level shown by these two, but we know that cyclocross is an unpredictable discipline. Our bet for the podium would be on Michael Vanthourenhout, who, after a dip in the last few weeks, seems to be regaining the level that made him the main protagonist at the start of the season, just like Niels Vandeputte, who continues to confirm the high level of Alpecin-Deceuninck cyclists in the mud.

Now, we must also mention Felipe Orts as one of the favorites to be in the top positions, as he seems to be returning to his level from last year just at the peak of the season. After overcoming the sandy circuits that have troubled him, he showed ambition again in Heusden-Zolder, and surely in the remainder of the campaign, he will bring us some joy in the form of a podium finish.

Cyclocross World Cup Circuit – Gavere

Located in the heart of Flanders, Gavere will ensure that mud regains prominence in the races over the sand of recent days. A circuit without significant elevation changes marked by the alternation between grassy areas, some of them halfway up a slope, and winding forest sections where humidity, always present even without rain, makes the presence of mud almost guaranteed.

How to Watch the Cyclocross World Cup – Gavere

As in the last races, the Gavere Cyclocross World Cup race will be broadcast on the Eurosport 1 channel of the well-known sports network, which is indeed airing all the events on the calendar. Of course, those subscribed to the HBO-Max platform will also be able to follow the race through it.

For those who do not have access to Eurosport, remember that during this season, Spanish Television is broadcasting the World Cup events, with former national team coach and organizer of the Benidorm event, Pascual Montparler, as an exceptional commentator. This event can be followed both on the Teledeporte channel and on the online platform RTVE Play.