IDL Watch tip | The day Van Aert outpaced rival Van der Poel by minutes in Dendermonde mud

After being absent from the calendar for a year, this Sunday marks the return of cyclocross to Dendermonde. And not just any cyclocross, as the Flemish race is part of the cyclocross World Cup. IDLProCycling.com provides some nostalgic stories from the past!

The race in Dendermonde, a city in East Flanders located in the triangle of Ghent-Brussels-Antwerp, may need a bit of context. The cyclocross event is essentially the successor to the Ambiancecross in Wachtebeke but is still a relatively new course. It was only in 2020 and 2021 that the course was part of the World Cup, disappearing from the WC calendar in 2022 due to financial difficulties.

So, what exactly happened? On December 26, 2021, the Dendermonde cyclocross failed to attract around 10,000 spectators. The COVID-19 measures in place at the time disrupted the event, leading the organizers, including Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal's Jurgen Mettepenningen, to opt for caution and avoid any risks the following year. Consequently, there was no race in Dendermonde last year. 'I don't want to organize it again without fans or with restrictions,' Mettepenningen explained at the time.

In muddy Dendermonde, Van der Poel had to acknowledge superiority of Van Aert for the second time

But after a year without a spectacle, the cross is making a comeback this year! If we focus specifically on the inaugural edition in 2020, it becomes even more regrettable that the race didn't take place last year. On the flip side, this only fuels anticipation for the upcoming weekend. Indeed, anyone who watches the footage from 2020 (and certainly from 2021 as well) will feel their heart racing. Mud up to the knees, slips and slides, falls – you name it. The only thing missing was a large crowd of fans. Wout van Aert clinched two victories, maneuvering through the heavy mud with apparent ease. In 2020, Mathieu van der Poel finished second, trailing by almost three (!) minutes. 'I thought it was a challenging course. It can't always suit everyone, but I found it somewhat unworthy of a World Cup,' commented MVDP afterward.

We are eagerly looking forward to next Sunday. A glance at the weather forecasts reveals that it's going to be rugged under the smoke of Antwerp. From Monday to Sunday, the skies will open up, promising another true mud spectacle. Admittedly, without Van der Poel and Van Aert, but with several other top-notch cyclocross riders (Lars van der Haar, Eli Iserbyt, Michael Vanthourenhout).

Granted, the course in Dendermonde has changed somewhat (not much) in terms of characteristics. However, the organizers have presented us (read: the cyclists and cyclocross enthusiasts) with a course featuring a variety of elements: stairs, a washboard, a bridge, steep sections, a sandpit, and cobblestones. Add to that the forecast of heavy rainfall from Monday to Saturday and on Sunday, and we are likely in for a spectacular race. We shall see!

Check out the 2020 summary below!