The 2021/22 cyclocross season is alive and well on both sides of the pond. With the USCX kicking off this weekend and the World Cup starting in a few weeks, I wanted to throw out some of my initial thoughts of the season. One quick caveat – I actually wrote an article like this before the season kicked off. However, the Google Doc never saved – so I’m writing this now.
As usual, there are many storylines heading into the cyclocross season. So far, for me at least, the best part is seeing North America racing taking place as well as the crowds at the Belgian races. It almost feels like things are back to normal. For those of you who have visited The Run Up, you will be familiar with my “5 Thoughts” articles. If you’re not familiar, it’s a quick hit list of my thoughts on cyclocross. If you were a fan of The Run Up (which I shut down last year), I hope you enjoy this article. If not, enjoy!
North American Men finally throw down
The battle between Curtis White and Kerry Werner in 2019 was one of the best things to happen to the North American cross scene in years. It finally provided a narrative that we could follow and enjoy. Now that racing is back, I’m stoked to see both men firing on all cylinders at Go Cross. However, I think the 2021/22 cyclocross season is going to be even better with the return of Steven (Stevie?) Hyde.
Hyde’s story is a pretty cool one: coming from seemingly nowhere to win three National Championships. I liked Hyde, but I was always more of a Jeremy Powers fan. I think a lot of that is related to the fact that when I raced UCI cross, guys like Powers, Ryan Trebon, Todd Wells and Jamie Driscoll (to name a few) were at the top of the sport. However, when Hyde faded out from the cross scene I was disappointed. I missed him throwing down and animating races. So, I am glad he is back.
I think the rest of the North American season is going to be a great battle and will create multiple narratives. I expect Hyde, White, Werner and a few others (Michael van den Ham) to battle it out week in and week out. The real treat is we get to watch it on GCN+!
The USCX brings TV coverage to America
For the first time ever, there’s a US based cyclocross series that will be available to watch live on the internet. Sure, we have been able to watch US Nationals for years, but this will bring eight US races into living rooms around the world thanks to a deal with GCN+. I am hopefully optimistic that this will be the future of our sport in the US.
This weekend’s race in Rochester will kick-off the eight race USCX series. It also features the first C1 race of the 2021/22 cyclocross season. I’m beyond excited, because due to family commitments and the lack of UCI races within driving distance, I haven’t been able to watch top quality North American racing in years. The fact that it’s available for me to watch live (or on demand) is incredibly exciting.
My only fear is that the coverage will be a bit spotty and not cover the whole course. In Europe, they design the courses (primarily) for TV coverage. In the US, our courses tend to be more spread out and designed around the venue and its features. For the first go around, it wouldn’t surprise me if the entire course isn’t covered like it is in Europe. However, my hope is that in year two, the courses and TV coverage will adapt.
Will the “New” World Cup deliver?
The 2021/22 World Cup features double the amount of races as it has in previous years. There are 16 races beginning on October 10, 2021 and ending on January 23, 2022. Races take place every Sunday, with the exception of the Fayetteville (Wednesday) and Rucphen (Saturday) rounds. While I’m glad to see the World Cup venture into new countries and venues, it’s a lot of racing.
I think this will lead to diluted fields at some of the races. Riders could go the MTB route and just race the World Cups, but for the Europeans, the money is in the other race series. There is no star money for World Cup races. We’ve seen the top riders skip rounds in the past and my concern is that we will see that more often than not. Hopefully, this is not the case, but I would be very surprised if the World Cup delivers the overall action and excitement we are used to.
If you’re not a Dutch Woman, you will not podium
Over the past few years, the Dutch women have absolutely dominated European cyclocross. I suspect this year will be much of the same. I’m not going to go off on a tangent as to why, but it is clear they have a lot of talented women in the Netherlands.
The start of the 2021/22 cyclocross season further proves my point. There have been two big races in Belgium thus far. In both races, the Dutch women took the top five spots. With that said, Belgium’s top rider, Sanne Cant, has not started her season, but I think it will take her time to come around. In addition, a lot of the women seem to skip the World Cup rounds in the US due to the travel time and cost, so a North American slugfest is not in the cards.
So, who do I think can beat the Dutch? Not to be a homer, but Clara Honsinger proved last year she can do it, and I think she will again. Maghalie Rochette is another rider who I think can reach the top step of the podium in Europe. Finally, there is Kata Vlas, who just took fourth place at the Road World Championships. She’s also capable of toppling the Dutch.
Can anyone stop the big three?
It feels like we are already on a repeat of the last few years. Eli Iserbyt comes into the season hot and wins the first few races of the season. Toon Aerts will race the first three rounds of the World Cup and split them with Iserbyt. Back in Europe Lars van der Haar, Iserbyt, Aerts and Laurens Sweeck will continue to battle it out for the win.
Then, come late November/early December, Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert and Tom Pidcock will start their 2021/22 cyclocross season. Those three will dominate the aforementioned riders and it will almost seem like a whole new season. Am I pessimistic? Yes. Are my predictions accurate? Probably.
So, back to my original thought – can anyone stop these three? The short answer in my eyes is “no.” Not only are van der Poel, van Aert and Pidcock the best three cyclocross racers, but they’re amongst the top-ten cyclists in the World right now. My money is on Aerts to throw down at a few races and at minimum land on the podium. Iserbyt tends to fade as the season goes on, so I don’t see him breaking through.
Diving deep into my cross brain, here’s the real answer to the question: Michael Vanthourenhout. Just remember who said it first!