Preview X2O Trophy Baal 2025 | January 1st means fireworks with Van der Poel

Anyone who thought Mathieu van der Poel was partying til the morning on New Year's Eve will be disappointed. The Dutch rider from Alpecin-Deceuninck often goes out for dinner with friends and then heads to bed not too late, knowing he usually shows up in Baal on January 1. Van der Poel has won there five times already: he was the best between 2018 and 2021, and last season, he also won this tough cyclo-cross race overwhelmingly.

Among the ladies, it is Fem van Empel who managed to win the last two times, but also Lucinda Brand and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado already have the New Year's Cyclo-cross race on their palmares.

2024 Mathieu van der Poel / Fem van Empel
2023 Eli Iserbyt / Fem van Empel
2022 Wout van Aert / Lucinda Brand
2021 Mathieu van der Poel / Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado
2020 Mathieu van der Poel / Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado

2019 Mathieu van der Poel / Jolanda Neff
2018 Mathieu van der Poel / Katie Compton
2017 Toon Aerts / Marianne Vos
2016 Wout van Aert / Sanne Cant
2015 Wout van Aert / Katherina Nash

The GP Sven Nys is traditionally staged around the Sven Nys Cycling Center, a place made for cyclists, young and old. This makes it one of the most beautiful courses, mainly because of the presence of the Balenberg, which has to be climbed several times. And the weather conditions in recent days won't make it any easier either.

Winning this cyclo-cross race demands a good dose of healthy power, but you must also be technically skilled. There are some tricky passages where bike agility can make the difference. By this, we mean the slant, the barriers, and the washboard, among others, which makes it a complete cross.

Weather
On Wednesday, Baal and the surrounding area looked dry, but with a temperature of 8 degrees Celsius and a brisk southwest wind, it may still feel cold in this part of Belgium.

Times (Wednesday, January 1)
Women's start: 1:45 PM local time (7:45 AM EST)
Finish women: 2:35 PM local time (8:35 AM EST)
Men's start: 3:00 PM local time (9:00 AM EST)
Finish men: 4:00 PM local time (10:00 AM EST)

It took a while before we got news from Baal about the competitors, but the names will not disappoint. For example, Fem van Empel will go for her third win in a row here on behalf of the Dutch Visma | Lease a Bike. Van Empel knows what it is to win on New Year's Day and shows in Gavere and Besançon that she is ready.

The previous editions went to Lucinda Brand and twice Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, who will now also be there on behalf of Baloise Glowi Lions and Fenix-Deceuninck. Puck Pieterse is also on the provisional start list, but she had to skip the Diegem cross on Monday night with stomach issues.

Pieterse was not the only one struggling. Sara Casasola and Marion Norbert-Riberolle also had problems representing Corelan-Corendon, so we might have to expect Sanne Cant and Manon Bakker in the first cyclo-cross race of the 2025 calendar year.

Top favorite: Fem van Empel (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Outsiders: Lucinda Brand (Baloise Glowi Lions) and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Fenix-Deceuninck)
Long shots: Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck), Sanne Cant and Manon Bakker (Crelan-Corendon)

Also, it took a long time to learn about the competitors in the men's category. Finally, the GP Sven Nys organization shared a preview of ten participants. One name stood out: world champion Mathieu van der Poel of Alpecin-Deceuninck. He showed how to do it in Baal last year and will want to aim for another victory.

Opposite him are no Wout van Aert but men from the teams of Sven Nys, the Roodhooft brothers, and Jurgen Mettepenningen. Nys hopes for a top day from his son Thibau Nys and Dutchmen Pim Ronhaar and Lars van der Haar. Based on the last few weeks, Nys junior brings the most credentials.

On behalf of Pauwels Sauzen-Cibel Clementines (as the team is called from January 1), Michael Vanthourenhout and Eli Iserbyt will go for the prizes, while Emiel Verstrynge represents the honor of Crelan-Corendon. Toon Aerts (Deschacht-Hens-FSP), like Jente Michels and Jens Adams, has also been announced.

Top favorite: Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
Outsiders: Thibau Nys (Baloise Glowi Lions) and Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Cibel Clementines)
Long shots: Emiel Verstrynge (Crelan-Corendon), Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen-Cibel Clementines), Lars van der Haar (Baloise Glowi Lions) and Toon Aerts (Deschacht-Hens-FSP)

VRT 1 and Eurosport (also HBO Max) will televise the ladies starting at 1:30 p.m. and continue directly afterward with the men's cyclo-cross race, ending the broadcast between 4:15 and 4:30 PM local time (10:15 and 10:30 AM EST).