While Mathieu van der Poel was exploring the course in Zonhoven, bad news came from the camp of his eternal competitor: Wout van Aert has been struck down by stomach flu and will not recover in time for the Superprestige competition in Mol on Monday, where he would normally ride his first cyclocross of the season. That return will therefore be postponed, just like the first match with Van der Poel, which the people in Mol were already looking forward to. Visma-Lease a Bike could neither confirm nor deny whether Van Aert will be fit by Friday, where a duel with Van der Poel awaits. “We look at it day by day,” he said.
And so Van Aert starts his cyclo-cross winter with a false start, after his road season also came to an abrupt end due to a heavy crash in the Vuelta. Van der Poel, on the other hand, started his cyclo-cross season in Zonhoven with a dominant victory.
Regularity criterion: Telenet Super prestige
On TV: live on Telenet and Proximus
Plan:
9:30 am: first-year newcomers
10.30 am: second-year newcomers
12:00: junior boys
1:40 p.m.: elite women
3.10 pm: elite men
Main participants:
Men: Mathieu van der Poel (Ned), Michael Vanthourenhout (Bel), Eli Iserbyt (Bel), Lars van der Haar (Ned), Niels Vandeputte (Bel), Laurens Sweeck (Bel), Felipe Orts (Spa), Joran Wyseure (Bel) )
Vto grieve: Lucinda Brand (Ned), Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Ned), Sanne Cant (Bel), Laura Verdonschot (Bel), Inge van der Heijden (Ned), Sara Casasola (Ita), Marion Norbert Riberolle (Bel)
This is how it was last year:
Last year Mathieu van der Poel was able to win at the Zilvermeercross in Mol. After a long solo, the Dutchman crossed the finish line more than a minute ahead of Wout van Aert, who finished second. Niels Vandeputte completed the podium. Among the women, Lucinda Brand was able to fulfill her role as favorite and win the competition. Shirin van Anrooij came second, Laura Verdonschot finished third.
Honors list:
2018: Corné van Kessel and Sanne Cant
2019: Mathieu van der Poel and Laura Verdonschot
2020: Wout van Aert and Lucinda Brand
2022: Wout van Aert and Shirin van Anrooij
