Cyclo-Cross World Cup 2024 – 13 – BENIDORM [FULL RACE]

January 21, 2023

Cyclo-Cross World Cup 2024 – 13 🇪🇸 – Benidorm, Spain

The UCI World Cup series is the pinnacle of the cyclocross season. The series often attracts the world’s best cyclocross racers and includes some of the most prestigious races on the calendar. This series will feature 14 rounds this season, with races held across Europe and the US as the UCI attempts to broaden the sport’s reach and bring cyclocross to a global audience. The UCI CX World Cup uses a points system to decide the rankings, with the first 25 riders to cross the finishing line scoring points. 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th place score 40, 30, 25, 22 and 21 points respectively, with riders then scoring one less point for every position they finish further down the field. These points then go towards the UCI CX World Cup rankings, with the rider who has accumulated the most points by the end of the series taking the overall victory. During the series, the leader in the rankings after each round will receive a white jersey with red accents to wear at the next race.

Wout van Aert (Visma-Leasa a Bike) claimed a solo victory at the UCI Cyclocross World Cup in Benidorm, Spain. The Belgian made his winning move on the last lap, and although he crashed over the barriers on the way to the finish, he managed to hold off chaser and runner-up Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) to take the day’s victory.

“I have a little bit of pain on my wrist,” Van Aert said at the finish line.” I think it is meant to be; my mother broke her wrist yesterday, they got married on the 13th of July, today I saw I had the number 13, and I thought, ‘it’s my day’. It was bad luck involved in the race, but I kept going, and that’s the way I like it.”

Thibau Nys (Baloise Trek Lions) led the chase group in for third place ahead of Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal), while World Champion Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) managed to come back to take fifth place after he lost time due to a crash.

“I felt quite strong today. Obviously, Mathieu was strong, too, but had some bad luck, so it’s unfortunate that it didn’t come down to a battle. Still, when Mathieu crashed in the final, I had to beat all the others, and it was not easy. I’m happy I was able to do that,” Van Aert said.

“It’s always a sweet feeling to win, but, especially, the feeling of having good legs today was my goal, and I definitely succeeded in that, so it was a nice day for me. My plan will not change; it was a tight race today, so it will be an interesting World Championships.”

HOW IT UNFOLDED
The men’s field lined up under sunny and dry weather conditions for the penultimate round of the UCI Cyclocross World Cup in Benidorm, Spain.

The location and timing of round 13 attracted the biggest stars, including world champion Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers), from January training camps, many of which take place in the Calpe and Denía area which is very close to the coastal town.

Laurens Sweeck (Crelan-Corendon) led the field onto the dry and dusty circuit, followed by Joris Nieuwenhuis and Thibau Nys (both Baloise Trek Lions), Ryan Kamp and Eli Iserbyt (both Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal).

The big three of Van der Poel, Van Aert, and Pidcock had slower starts and were stuck further back in the long line of riders trying to move forward on the opening lap.

Van der Poel threaded himself through the field, moving around riders and into the top 20, still several places behind Van Aert and Pidock, who were further up the line in the 12th and 15th at the start of the second lap.

At the front of the race, Pim Ronhaar (Baloise Trek Lions) stomped on his pedals on the paved climb and moved into the lead. But the paved section also allowed Van Aert and Van der Poel to use their road strength and power to gain ground.

Van Aert quickly jumped into the race lead before the end of the lap, Van der Poel in fourth, both riders setting the fastest lap times of 6:39.

Pidcock also consistently moved forward and led the chase group from sixth place down at the start of lap four, 11 seconds behind the lead group of Van Aert, Nys and Van der Poel.

Also in the chase group with Pidcock were Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal), Iserbyt, Rohnaar, Nieuwenhuis, and Toon Vandebosch (Crelan-Corendon).

Van Aert surged across the pavement on lap four, and only Van der Poel could follow the speeds, with Nys losing ground. Van der Poel counter-attacked around Van Aert, forcing his rival to spend extra energy to close the gap.

Although the Van Aert and Van der Poel had 10 seconds on Pidcock and Vanthourenout at the start of lap five, the Ineos Grenadiers rider single-handedly shut the gap down on the first half of the circuit and punched into the race lead. The crowds responded with loud cheering as the race between the ‘big three’ emerged.

Pidcock carried so much speed over the barriers and into the technical corners that he opened a two-second gap on Van Aert, Van der Poel and Vanthourenhout before the start of lap six. He was then distanced after a bike change in the pits but reconnected with the leaders by the end of the lap.

Slowing ever-so-slightly at the start of the penultimate lap, Van Aert, Van der Poel, Vanthourenhout, and Pidcock looked back to see Nys, Iserbyt, Vandebosch, Filipe Orts, Lars van der Haar, and Clement Venturini (Arkea) in the mix.

An untimely crash saw Van der Poel hit a course pole and go down, losing time and positions as he cautiously remounted his bike and got back into the race, but 22 seconds back.

Up ahead, Van Aert attacked along the uphill pavement on the eighth lap, and Vanthourenhout was the only rider to respond. The pair pushed their lead out to 11 seconds ahead of chasers Nys, Pidcock, Vandebosch, Orts and Van der Haar with one lap to go.

Vanthourenhout led the pair into the sandpit, but Van Aert jumped around the European Champion, made his winning move on the paved uphill section, and continued to open up his lead on the last section of the circuit.

Van Aert chose to dismount his bike before running over the barriers; however, he caught his leg on the saddle during the remount, causing him to crash. Despite the accident, Van Aert quickly got back up and held off Vanthourenhout to claim the solo victory in Benidorm.

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