Dendermonde 2025 World Cup – A new opportunity for Wout van Aert

It still hurts a little: in Dendermonde in East Flanders we could have witnessed a nice duel between Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel, but the latter still had to withdraw this center from his competition program at the last minute. An ideal opportunity for Wout van Aert? CyclingFlits look to the future.

History

Last year

Course

In Dendermonde, many fans will still remember the images of the procession from the first edition in 2020, when Wout van Aert and co had to complete a large part of the tour on foot. “But it will never be this bad again,” Jurgen Mettepenningen tells us. “Dendermonde is still very sensitive to precipitation. Within two weeks, the canals were full. But fortunately our journey has evolved, I would dare to say that we are much more than a crossroads.

The organization has a 75,000 square meter plot of land next to the Hamsesteenweg (start and finish) in Grembergen, a sub-municipality of Dendermonde. The possibilities are great. For example, Mettepenningen has had the course laid in several parts in recent years. A paved strip was built and the central hill also became much more solid.

“The first part of the course is always aimed at high-powered men,” Mettepenningen said. “But once the riders get on the hill, it’s a lot more technical. The explosiveness is high there and the hill is actually climbed from all sides. We tried to use this passage as much as possible and I think we did well.

In addition, the circuit is dotted with a sand pit of sea sand, with a slight descent, and a staircase of thirty steps. The Lange Wapper – a sixty meter long bridge – also offers a spectacle. “I think we’ve designed a nice cross with a lot of variety. There’s something for everyone,” says Mettepenningen.

Program and information

UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup #9 – Dendermonde

Emplacement
Termonde

Public information
Pre-sale tickets are available at the price of €18.50 each via the organization’s website. Tickets are also available at the ticket office located near the cross. Children up to 12 years old can enter for free.

Practical information
Organization of the website

List of men’s participants (CyclingFlash)
List of women participants (CyclingFlash)

Men’s favorites

Normally, world champion Mathieu van der Poel has always been the big favorite to win in Dendermonde. After all, he is the only ruler since his return to the cross. No one even came near him. But a stupid fall in the Azencross in Loenhout has been bothering him for some time now. First, Van der Poel had to remove Baal from his schedule due to rib pain, then Koksijde as well and on Wednesday afternoon the sad news arrived that Dendermonde was also due to suffer.

Van der Poel initially wanted to postpone his decision, but decided to communicate his package in time. “There’s no point in waiting. I took a new test today and it is clear that Dendermonde is still too early. My rib still hurts too much on off-road terrain. At the moment I have no choice but to remain patient,” said the Dutchman.

A second duel with Wout van Aert so let’s wait. But after his strong turn in the same Azencross, Van Aert is immediately the big favorite. At his first cross, Van Aert immediately competed for podium places, although after a fall due to contact with a spectator, he still had to lose to Laurens Sweeck and Thibau Nys. It says a lot that the three-time world champion can seemingly reach this level out of nowhere.

Cycling helps Van Aert, who will also ride in Gullegem on Thursday, in his preparation for the road season. “You don’t want to just pin a jersey number and not reach a level at all,” he said earlier. “Over the last few months, since we’ve felt it realistic to set a schedule, it’s been nice for me to have something to look forward to. This allowed me to take better care of myself and prepare for these races. In terms of training, I continued the process towards spring.

Perhaps it wasn’t a bad idea for Van Aert to choose his crosses carefully, as the infirmary was large enough for the rest of the cross peloton. Fatigue played a major role for many of them. Bee Toon Aerts That should be behind him now. To his great regret, Gavere and Loenhout dropped out due to illness, but in Besançon Aerts was even able to compete with Van der Poel. What does this mean on a course that really suits him? Despite discomfort and numerous back pains, Pim Ronhaar also runs without illness.

Michael Vanthourenhout canceled the first crossings of the new year, but he will return from Gullegem. The two runners will find a circuit tailor-made for them in Dendermonde. That is to say Iserbyt In Thibau Nys Both are still battling that fatigue, and the question is how fresh they will be to begin with. Laurens Sweeck is back in great shape, but does this circuit suit him? Niels Vandeputte is always and everywhere at his best.

Favoris selon WielerFlits
*** Wout van Aert
** Toon Aerts, Michael Vanthourenhout
* Eli Iserbyt, Thibau Nys, Laurens Sweeck

Favorite women

All the best riders should be there in the women’s, but of course you’ve also seen riders drop out or get sick here and there in recent weeks. To the world champion Fem van Empel It’s been a while since that happened, but that doesn’t mean she’s had an easy time in recent races. She won in a dominant manner in Besançon and Gavere, but in Baal she had all the difficulty in the world to get ahead of Lucinda Brand and in Koksijde she didn’t feel “in good shape”, but she still finished third.

Van Empel also seems to thrive this season when she can use all of her strengths and when technology plays a lesser role. Or maybe it is Puck Pieterse, who chose his crosses well this winter and is now reaching his best form just in time, after previously battling stomach problems. She has already shown that she is back with a victory in Koksijde. With Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado – she rides the most consistent winter in years – she forms a solid duo at Fenix-Deceuninck.

Marcus Lucinda there is still every cross. We can only respect the way she organizes her matches and continues to fight for each place. Whether it’s his perseverance, his age or his strong immune system: no injury or illness could slow Brand down this season. It is not without reason that she has not fallen off the podium once in 22 competitions. A unique one.

We must place everything else in the hands of foreigners. We then think first of great talents like the British Zoé Backstedtthe Hungarian Blanka Vas or the Luxembourg winner of the Hulst Marie Schreiber. But Inge van der Heijden has also been on the rise in recent weeks and once again reached the podium in Diegem.

Favoris selon WielerFlits
*** Woman of Empel
** Puck Pieterse, Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado
* Brand Lucinda, Zoe Backstedt, Blanka Vas

Weather and television

We could see a very rainy version of the World Cup in Dendermonde on Sunday. The weather site Weeronline predicts no less than 19 mm of precipitation, which could also be winter precipitation. Temperatures will rise to 11 degrees Celsius, but the strong wind from 4 Beaufort – from the southwest – combined with rain will create a cold feeling.