Lars van der Haar eyeing European and World Championships as Cyclocross season begins - "I will continue to ride around with that aim"

This weekend will not only see the World Championships begin, but also the Cyclocross season. One of the main figures last year was Lars van der Haar who's had a strong comeback, and he will be aiming high this winter.

When asked about his main goals for the season, van der Haar was clear to Wielerflits: "The European Championship is in Namur this season, where I can and want to extend my title. In addition, I also want to show myself at the World Cup in Hoogerheide, whoever is at the start there.”

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Having won the European and Dutch national championships last season, van der Haar set the bar high for the 2022-2023 season. He's finished second in the World Championships and won the World Cup in Tabor, and following the separation of Baloise - Trek Lions with Toon Aerts, he will take up more responsibility within the team.

Teams have in the past few weeks trained together in preparation for the start of the season, in which van der Haar reports: “I had some problems with my knee and got sick on an internship in Mallorca. Unfortunately, I also fell a few times, which is never fun.”

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This next Sunday's Exact Cross Kruibeke will be the first race of the cyclocross season for many in the field, van der Haar included. “I really don't know what to expect. My condition is very good, but I don't know if I'm fit enough to ride a result. After a few laps it will soon become clear where I stand against the rest," he argued. With the main goals distant however, it is not urgent to have the best form already. 

Taking place later in the winter, Europeans and Worlds are where he'll have his eyes on. “However, it will be very difficult. Obviously it is not to win championships two years in a row. I will continue to ride around with that aim. For this, he said he'll also ride a smaller calendar. “After that I will also drop a number of crosses, depending on the championships. For me, in general, there should be a lot less World Cups. There are so many, which makes them less important," he justified.

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“I think you can make the World Cup more exclusive if you go back to nine or ten rounds. Every Sunday is now packed with one of the World Cups. The other classifications also want to be in between, where we all have to start. That way you get a very full and busy season. You also have to find the time to train, so you have to make choices," the veteran explained. This weekend kicks off the action in the Netherlands and Belgium, as the cyclocross stars come back to their speciality.

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