Van der Poel's 'Everything mixed together' provides ammunition for critics in escalating cross dilemma

"I respect riders who opt for rest, but to the detriment of the World Cup for another classification? This cannot continue," expressed UCI chief Peter Van den Abeele to Sporza on Tuesday. This concern stems from the fact that several cyclo-cross riders frequently prioritize other races over World Cup events, despite the World Cup's intended stature as the preeminent competition. Questions arise: Should performance in the World Cup be rewarded with more points? Should the World Cup races be condensed into a shorter period to allow all top riders to participate, perhaps from December to the final weekend before the World Cup?

On this front, Van den Abeele and the UCI would likely find satisfaction in the program recently announced by Van der Poel and Alpecin-Deceuninck a week earlier. This program encompasses all six World Cup races scheduled from December 22 to the World Cup, during which we will witness Van der Poel in action. The superstar is set to compete in Antwerp, Gavere, Hulst, Zonhoven, Benidorm, and Hoogerheide, much like his participation in nearly all of last season's World Cup races following his entry into cross-country. The sole exception was the Dublin event, which he skipped due to a training expedition.

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It's interesting how different things are among the men who participate in the entire cyclocross season. Lars van der Haar voiced his concern about the overly extensive World Cup calendar earlier, while his teammate Thibau Nys chose to compete in Niel on Saturday instead of participating in the Dendermonde World Cup on Sunday. Both riders are part of Baloise Trek Lions, the team managed by Sven Nys. Sven Nys shared his perspective on the UCI classification with this website, stating, "You can try to create something, but the classics remain classics. Regardless of their classification, they hold their significance. The World Cup is undoubtedly influential, but not every week. By emphasizing the World Cup, you undermine the importance of other races. The UCI aims to downgrade the rest, but no rider values the World Cup exclusively; a race at the Koppenberg or in Maasmechelen is equally significant."

Furthermore, with prominent riders starting their seasons later and later into December, the so-called "classics" prefer to schedule events during December and January. Combine this with Sundays being reserved for the World Cup throughout October and November, and you end up with an imbalanced situation, as Nys sees it. He pointed out, "I believe a race like Gavere or Ruddervoorde should take place on a Sunday in November. Why should Ruddervoorde, one of the oldest races on the calendar with a rich history, be held on a Saturday? If they organized it on a Sunday at a different time, they would attract a full house and all the top riders would participate. Presently, it forces riders to make difficult choices, and that's regrettable."

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Nys concludes that it's too much to handle in a short span of time. And to support his argument, he can point to Van der Poel's schedule as concrete evidence. Despite participating in all World Cup events, he opts to skip several races in the X2O Trophy and Superprestige series when he commences his season on December 22. "The riders don't take into account the organizers' intentions. What's particularly noticeable is that Van der Poel doesn't discriminate between Exact Cross, X2O Trophy, Superprestige, or World Cup races. Mathieu starts in Mol, without regard to specific classifications. After that, there's a mix of X2O Trophy, Superprestige, and World Cup races," he said.

It's quite a diverse cocktail, but with a later start date. Last year, Van der Poel was already in action on November 27 in Hulst, whereas this year, it's almost a month later. According to Dutch national coach Gerben de Knegt, this variation in timing isn't a significant concern. "The timing of the start varies a bit now and then, but it's an extensive program, and I appreciate that he's making an effort for the World Championships once again. That's perfectly fine with me because he'll have to make his own choices," De Knegt stated. Belgian selection manager Sven Vanthourenhout echoed similar sentiments, saying, "I understand Mathieu's choice, and Wout van Aert's program won't be much different from Mathieu's. It's a logical consequence of their development, and I respect that."

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So, there are two challenges for the cyclocross world. The first issue is a calendar that predominantly focuses on December and January, leading to limited weekend slots for races. Nys sees this as a reason to explore alternative options. In addition to advocating for earlier classics in the cyclocross season, the cyclocross legend has long been a strong supporter of the sport in America. He emphasizes this point in the ongoing discussion, saying, "Waterloo is an excellent race held in October, superbly organized. Ideally, we would have two American races, as it would be a more efficient use of resources. Riders could then compete for prize money twice, but it requires an organizer to step up. As long as that doesn't happen, I hope Waterloo continues to thrive."

The second challenge revolves around the diminishing opportunities to watch Van der Poel and probably Van Aert in action. According to national coach Vanthourenhout, this is not a cause for lamentation. He believes that the cyclocross world should embrace the emergence of new stars. "It's great that Thibau Nys has joined the team, a fresh face who's gaining attention. This brings excitement. Naturally, we all want to see these top riders in action frequently, as they are crowd-pullers and integral to the sport's vitality. However, we currently have a talented generation with multiple race winners. This also adds excitement and competition."