CX World Championship of Hoogerheide: circuit, schedules, how to watch and who will be the favorites

The 2023 CX World Championships will be held in Hoogerheide on February 3, 4 and 5. What for many is the most special event of the season will feature the two big names of the discipline, Van Aert and Van der Poel. The current rainbow rider, Pidcock, will be the most important absentee.

Where and how to watch the CX World Championship 2023 in Hoogerheide

The event will be held on February 3, 4 and 5. Admission for Friday is free of charge. For the other days, the price varies from 21 euros for Saturday, 26 euros for Sunday or 46 euros for both days. The mixed relay race is included in the program after the pilot test carried out in the previous edition.

Hoogerheide CX World Championships Schedule

Friday, February 3rd

• Mixed Relays at 12:30

Saturday, February 4th

• Women's junior at 11:00 a.m

• Men's U-23 at 13:00

• Women's Elite at 15:00

Sunday, February 5th

• Men's junior at 11:00 a.m
  
  
• Women's U-23 at 13:00
  
  
• Men's Elite at 15:00

How to watch the CX World Championship in Hoogerheide

The race will be available on the Eurosport app.

How is the circuit of the 2023 CX World Championship in Hoogerheide?

The Hoogerheide course is 3 kilometers long. Most of the course runs over field and dirt, areas that will be more or less muddy depending on the amount of water that has fallen in the previous days and during the day of the competition itself.

The riders will have to cross the forest towards the VIP tent in the opposite direction than in previous years.

The course will have only slight slopes until the final part. It will be then when they will have to face some of the most technical parts. Another of the hot spots of the course is located on the hillside that they will have to ride diagonally.

As for the artificial obstacles, they have their well-known stairs and planks, both located in the second half of the lap.

Van der Poel and Van Aert, final head-to-head to decide the rainbow jersey with the notable absence of Pidcock

Van der Poel and Van Aert are the favourites to be crowned World Champions. The two best riders on the mud will face each other for the eleventh time this season, although this duel will be the most special because the rainbow jersey will be at stake.

All the forecasts point to them as the rivals to beat: backed by their track record, the superiority they have shown throughout this season with respect to the rest are their best letter of introduction.

So the question is, who will arrive better at the World Championship? As expected, it is difficult to give an answer. Van der Poel won the last time they met, at the Benidorm World Cup.

But if we look at the overall season, the balance is positive for Van Aert by 6-4.

The general feeling is that Van Aert is slightly ahead of his rival. Although the two have shown a very similar level during the season, back problems have attacked Van der Poel again. Still, he managed to recover and Benidorm dispelled any doubts when the Dutchman crossed the finish line in first place. 

For his part, Van Aert has not shown any weaknesses throughout the season, beyond his adaptation to the new SRAM groupset with which he started racing less than a month ago. The Belgian arrives with the high level he has maintained since the beginning.

This weekend was the last test for both riders before Hoogerheide. Van Aert won the X2O in Hamme by 47 seconds, while Van der Poel won the World Cup in Besançon by 49 seconds.

The truth is that both riders have shown to be at a very similar level, so on Sunday they are expected maximum equality between them in the fight for the rainbow jersey.

Van der Poel can further enlarge his legend if he wins in Hoogerheide by being crowned World Champion for the fifth time, after previously being champion in 2015, 2019, 2020 and 2021. Van Aert could equal the Dutchman in number of rainbow jerseys after winning them in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

The reigning World Champion will not be in Hoogerheide to try to revalidate the rainbow jersey. Pidcock already announced that he would not attend, focused on the first races of the road season.

Other big names in cyclo-cross beyond Van der Poel and Van Aert

The full list of participants has not yet been made official, but some of the best riders in the speciality have already been confirmed. On the other hand, the organisers are expecting cyclists from around 30 countries.

Belgium breathes cycling and cyclo-cross has a huge following in the country. That's why the Belgian team is the most important one. Apart from Van Aert, Sweek, current World Cup overall winner, and Vanthourenhout, National Champion, will be present. Iserbyt, Adams, Kuypers, Vandebosch, Vandeputte and Kielich will also be there.

The other big team is the Netherlands. Apart from Van der Poel, Van der Haar, the current National Champion and runner-up in the World Championship, stands out. Ronhaar, Nieuwenhuis, Kamp, Hendrikx and Van Kessel complete the list.

Other riders who could play a big role are Khun (Switzerland), Mason (UK), Mein (UK) or Venturini (France).

Van Empel and Pieterse are the favourites in the women's category

The Dutch team are the favourites for the World Championship. Not surprisingly, nine of the top ten in the overall World Cup standings are Dutch. Among them, Van Empel and Pieterse stand out. It is likely that both, who arrive at a very similar level, will be the favourites in the fight for the rainbow.

Brand, Alvarado, Betsema, Van der Heijden or Worst are some of the other riders best prepared to take the victory this weekend. Another big name, Van Anrooij, has decided to race in the U23 category.