We've had to wait a while, but it's finally happening: Wout van Aert is making his return to cyclo-cross! At the Exact Cross in Essen, he will re-enter the cyclo-cross scene after a long absence, before heading to a training camp with Jumbo-Visma a few days later. Who will challenge the Flemish superstar in his home region? IDLProCycling.com offers a preview!
The cyclo-cross in Essen has been organized since 1965. Initially, it was a standalone race in the cyclo-cross calendar, but from 1987 to now, it has been part of various cyclo-cross classifications. Since 2019, the race has been a part of the Exact Cross. The cyclo-cross was formerly sponsored by Rouwmoer, which is why the race is still popularly called the GP Rouwmoer.
Over the years, Essen has seen various world-class riders triumph. Mathieu van der Poel has won multiple times, as has Van Aert. Among the women, Sanne Cant has often been the top performer, although the same can be said for Marianne Vos. In 2022, the roster was slightly less strong, and the trophies went to Gerben Kuypers and Aniek van Alphen.
Most recent winners Exact Cross Essen
2022 Gerben Kuypers / Aniek van Alphen
2021 Wout van Aert / Zoe Bäckstedt
2020 Mathieu van der Poel / Marianne Vos
2019 Quinten Hermans / Marianne Vos
2018 Laurens Sweeck / Maud Kaptheijns
2017 Mathieu van der Poel / Sanne Cant
2016 Wout van Aert / Sanne Cant
2015 Wout van Aert / Sanne Cant
2014 Wout van Aert / Sophie de Boer
2013 Kevin Pauwels / Sanne Cant
Course, weather and times Exact Cross Essen 2023
The course in Essen - located at the Robotland technology park, not far from the train station - offers a little bit of everything. It has plenty of turns, barriers, and a sandpit. Moreover, the circuit often transforms into a true mud course (more on the weather below), which of course only adds to the spectacle.
Weather
For anyone looking at the Flemish weather forecasts, the outlook might be a bit disheartening. Unless you enjoy heavy rainfall, as that's what's expected on Saturday afternoon. At the time of writing, the chance of precipitation is as high as 85 percent, with some forecasts even estimating a 95 percent probability. It's also going to rain heavily on Friday, so spectators should bring their boots!
Times
Start for elite women: 1:45 pm
Finish for elite women: around 2:30 pm
Start for elite men: 3:00 pm
Finish for elite men: around 4:00 pm
Favorites for the Exact Cross Essen 2023 - men
Who else but Wout van Aert is the absolute favorite to take the win in Essen? "The preparation is going well, and it will take some time to get into the groove, but we thought the same two years ago, and then he won in Boom by a two-minute margin," Jumbo-Visma coach Jan Boven told IDLProCycling.com about his protégé's return. And the chance of Van Aert winning in Essen with a two-minute lead is very high. His biggest competitor - with all due respect - is Jens Adams, who is having a solid cyclo-cross campaign. But, indeed, no Pim Ronhaar, no Eli Iserbyt, no Lars van der Haar, and no Joris Nieuwenhuis.
Van Aert stands out as the top favorite. But besides Adams, who else has good chances for a podium finish? Local rider Tom Meeusen should certainly be mentioned. He knows the course like the back of his hand and is often found in the top fifteen of high-profile cyclo-cross races. This also applies to Tietema-colleague Lander Loockx, who sometimes appears to be somewhat inconsistent in performance.
Victor Van De Putte is also a rider to watch in Essen. The 21-year-old cyclo-crosser from Deschacht-Hens-Maes usually races in the U23 category. In Essen, he "has to compete with the big boys," so it's exciting to see what he can achieve there. Finally, it's worth mentioning Daan Soete. The 28-year-old Flemish rider is a teammate of Van De Putte and a faithful companion (and training partner) of Van Aert. Will the Jumbo-Visma star manage to keep his mate in his wake for a while?
Favorites men's Exact Cross Essen, according to IDLProCycling.com
Top favorite: Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma)
Outsiders: Lander Loockx (TDT-Unibet) and Jens Adams
Longshots: Daan Soete, Victor Van de Putte (Deschacht-Hens-Maes) and Tom Meeusen
Favorites Exact Cross Essen 2023 - women
No Fem van Empel (Jumbo-Visma) and Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) on Saturday, although those two world class riders will not be in Val di Sole a day later either. Shirin van Anrooij and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado will not be traveling to Essen, leading to increased attention on women who typically finish between fifth and fifteenth place. An example is Aniek van Alphen, the 24-year-old rider from Cyclocross Reds. The North Brabant native is having an excellent season, characterized by consistency. Van Alphen has not finished outside the top ten in any race, making her the absolute top favorite in Essen!
On paper, the race appears to be right up Van Alphen's alley, but she can expect strong competition from the likes of Marion Norbert Riberolle. The Walloon rider from Crelan-Corendon is somewhat inconsistent, but this also means she is capable of achieving high peaks. Looking at the participants list in Essen, the 24-year-old Belgian should definitely be able to finish on the podium, and perhaps even claim the top spot.
Beyond this, the battle for the third podium spot appears to be an intriguing contest. In this context, we should mention Laura Verdonschot (De Ceuster Bonache), Kiona Crabbé (Proximus-Cyclis-AlphaMotorhomes CT), Suzanne Verhoeven, and Lies’l Schevenels (both De Ceuster Bonache). In short, aside from Van Alphen, it's primarily the Belgian women who seem poised to vie for medals this time.
Favorites women's Exact Cross Essen, according to IDLProCycling.com
Top favorite: Aniek van Alphen (Cyclocross Reds)
Outsider: Marion Norbert Riberolle (Crelan-Corendon)
Longshots: Kiona Crabbé (Proximus-Cyclis-AlphaMotorhomes CT), Suzanne Verhoeven, Lies'l Schevenels and Laura Verdonschot (De Ceuster Bonache)
TV Exact Cross Essen 2023
The women's race at the Exact Cross starts at 1:45 pm, with the men following at 3:00 pm sharp. Eurosport will broadcast both races live on Eurosport 1 and its online channels (Eurosport.nl/Discovery+/GCN+). Belgian viewers can tune into Sporza on VRT1.
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