Wout van Aert to skip showdown with Mathieu van der Poel and Tom Pidcock?
Highly anticipated battle of the titans may not happen
Many cyclocross fans were excited to see three of the best riders in the world face off, but it turns out, that may not happen. The trio was set to square off at the Hulst World Cup round on Nov. 27, but some Belgian news outlets are saying that is not going to go down.
According to Het Laastse Nieuws, van Aert will skip a meeting between the three super stars, instead starting his ‘cross season the day before, riding in the X2O Trofee Kortrijk-Urban Cross on Nov. 26. Van aert has not confirmed this, and is set to announce his schedule on Thursday.
According to the report, following the race in Kortrijk, he will race in Antwerp and Dublin, then spend the Christmas period with races in with Gavere, Heusden-Zolder Diegem, and Loenhout, as he prepares for the world champs in Hoogerheide, The Netherlands.
Pidcock, the reigning world champion, will be debuting his rainbow jersey at the first world cup, and it will also mark van der Poel’s return to cross following a roller coaster season. All three riders have been the talk of cycling with their incredible performances in multiple cycling disciplines. Pidcock, at just 22, won the legendary Alpe d’Huez stage this year at the Tour de France. Van alert also had an incredible Tour, wearing the yellow jersey and eventually winning the points.
Wout van Aert borrowed a fan’s pump and then gave him the best TdF souvenir ever
Van der Poel, whose 2021 season included taking the coveted yellow jersey, is a four-time ‘cross world champion.
