Preview: UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup Waterloo

All rejoice, the UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup is back in business. With the road WorldTour on its last breath with the Gree-Tour of Guangxi and the Tour of Chongming Island wrapping up this weekend, the off-road specialists waste no time taking centre stage with the premiere ‘cross series starting Sunday in Waterloo, Wisconsin.

In total, the UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup is comprised of 14 rounds in North America and Europe. Included in those stops are: the classic December round in Namur, the snow-covered ‘cross at Val di Sole, the trip to La Playa at Benidorm in Spain and the last stop coming at the famous Hoogerheide track on January 28, 2024 – the site of last season’s enthralling World Championship battle between Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel.

While Van der Poel and Van Aert won’t be reprising their World Championship battle in Waterloo – the two riders have made it a tradition to ease into cyclo-cross after a pair of busy road seasons – there is plenty to look out for as many of the top riders in the world begin vying for the season-long prize of the World Cup.

With the season already a month old in the United States, it's hard to say that the season has yet to begin. Nevertheless, the Waterloo World Cup, which has become a staple of the series, is the beginning of the important appointments of the season.

Here is everything you need to know before the races on Sunday in Wisconsin.

The route

The race will take place on the campus of Trek Bikes Headquarters in southern Wisconsin in the small town of Waterloo. The race uses a large grassy expanse and hardwood forests around the Trek facilities, with its sloping terrain, to offer the perfect canvass for a classic looking ‘cross contest that would be expected in the cyclo-cross homelands of Belgium and the Netherlands.

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The course in Wisconsin

While the map only provides so much detail to the course in Wisconsin, there will be ample laps throughout the men's and women's races. On each lap the riders will be confronted by one set of logs and barriers, two flyovers, and two short but steep climbs.

The contenders

While the Waterloo World Cup will have the best start list of any cross race so far this year, it is still early doors on the off-road scene and an ocean away from where most of the season’s cyclo-cross action will take place. Thus, the start lists are slightly shorter than they will be for the later stops on the World Cup in Europe.

Nevertheless, the points at Waterloo are equal to the points at those later European races, so for both the men and women who are vying for the overall World Cup crown, the process starts now.

Women:

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The big two riders to watch this weekend are Fem van Empel and Puck Pieterse

Of all the names on the preliminary roster for Waterloo, the top two are a pair of Dutch superstars.

Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck), fresh off of her mountain bike World Cup overall title, is the favourite to continue her run of form straight into a full cyclo-cross season against her rival, Fem van Empel (Jumbo-Visma), who is the reigning World Champion and last year’s winner in Waterloo. Additionally, Pieterse will be joined by former World Champion Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado as a part of the Alpecin-Deceuninck set-up.

One rider who could spoil the Dutch party is the British talent Zoe Bäckstedt (Canyon//SRAM). The multidisciplinary rider swept through the junior categories and now brings a year of professional racing experience with her for the 'cross season. Evie Richards, like her compatriot Bäckstedt, will be looking to spring a surprise as the former mountain bike World Champion will be racing in front of her main sponsor, Trek Bicycles.

The North Americans will be hoping to make their presence felt on the only race on their home turf. They will be led by the US national champion Clara Honsinger who will be hoping to emulate her seventh place at the Waterloo World Cup last season. Raylyn Nuss will also be one to watch during the race.

For the Canadians, who won’t be far from home turf in the Northern state of Wisconsin, Maghalie Rochette will be hoping for a strong result, as will first-year elite Isabella Holmgren who is coming off of four top fives so far this season in the US.

Last, but not least, will be the mountain biking legend Jolanda Neff (Trek Factory Racing) making her return to the cross fields.

Men:

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Eli Iserbyt is back in Wisconsin after winning the race last year

For the men’s race, the Belgian riders will be heavily favoured in the race, as the likes of Michael Vanthourenhout, Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) and Thibau Nys (Baloise Trek Lions) line up to start their season-long quests for the overall World Cup crown. Lars van der Haar (Baloise Trek Lions) will also be hoping to fight for a win after a strong season last winter. The Dutchman was third last year in Wisconsin.

One rider from the Benelux who will not be racing is the defending World Cup champion Laurens Sweeck (Crelan-Corendon) who was injured in the run up to the race.

The American contingent is full of young riders who will be hoping to spring a surprise in their chance at home glory. Leading the way is Andrew Strohmeyer (CXD Trek Bikes). Strohmeyer took the only American victory at the early season USCX races in Baltimore and has been gearing up specifically for the race in Wisconsin. Eric Brunner is another strong American who just reentered the cyclo-cross scene after a summer riding the LifeTime Grand Prix, as did Lance Haidet. Curtis White is another stalwart of the US scene who is back for another year.

A few other names to know is the Swiss Loris Rouiller, who has been riding the USCX series and performing well, as has the Canadian Michael van den Ham.