In a surprising turn of events, Wout van Aert will unexpectedly compete in the Cyclocross World Championship this Sunday. However, the Belgian rider will start with a significant disadvantage, a setback that also affects Thibau Nys.
A Blow for Van Aert
The main issue for both riders is their starting positions. Nys will line up on the second row, while Van Aert will have to start from the third row. This is a major disappointment, as the Visma-Lease a Bike rider was already expected to start behind Mathieu van der Poel but had hoped for a slightly better position.
Starting positions for the World Championship are determined by the final standings of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup. The top eight riders in the standings start from the first row, while the next eight occupy the second row. Van Aert finished 17th in the rankings—just one spot short of securing a second-row start. There had been some hope that he would still be placed higher.
This hope stemmed from the fact that Van Aert took the place of Jens Adams, who ranked 15th in the World Cup standings. Normally, riders absent from the top 16 are replaced by the highest-ranked competitors in the UCI cyclo-cross rankings. However, Van Aert is only 41st on that list due to his limited participation in cyclo-cross races this season. As a result, he remains stuck on the third row, a significant disadvantage for a title contender.
Nys Also Faces a Setback
While Van Aert’s situation is unfortunate, Nys is also facing disappointment. The young Belgian should have started from the first row based on his previous World Cup position. Until last weekend, he was comfortably in the top eight. However, after withdrawing from the race in Maasmechelen on Saturday and retiring early in Hoogerheide on Sunday, he dropped to 10th place.
This slight drop in the standings means Nys now has to start from the second row instead of the first. Meanwhile, Van der Poel, who was in a similar position before last weekend, managed to secure the best possible starting spot by winning both races and earning the maximum number of points.
With both Van Aert and Nys facing these setbacks, their chances of a strong start in Sunday’s race have been compromised. While both are strong enough to make up ground, their initial disadvantage could play a crucial role in their quest for victory.
