"A little guy suddenly came back on my wheel, that was Alaphilippe" - Lars van der Haar recalls annecdote from his last race on the World Championships course
Cyclocross
Lars van der Haar has fond memories of Liévin. He'll be one of the very few at the start of World Championships this weekend who'll be able to make a good use of past experience from the course, even if those memories come from 13 years ago.
In 2008, the now 33-year-old Van der Haar came second in the European Cyclocross Championships for juniors (U19) behind compatriot Tijmen Eising. "And I think I also rode there as a world champion in the U23s," he recalls for WielerFlits. In 2012, there was a World Cup round in Liévin. "In the last two laps, a little guy suddenly came back on my wheel, that was Alaphilippe. Haha! Luckily, I was able to drop him in the last lap.”
"I have fond memories of the course. It is a very beautiful course and it does not need to change much for me. I am curious whether it is somewhat the same as it was then," says Van der Haar.
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But what should we compare a course like Liévin to? "It’s a bit like Nommay. A big embankment and you go up and down a few times. If it’s muddy, you’ll have to walk a few parts. Then it’s just a tough cross. But if it’s just in between, then you get a really nice cross with really nice power sections. There’s a slightly longer slope in there, which is really nice to take. It’s a really versatile course."
Van der Haar notices a clear difference in the way the organisers build courses in France, compared to Belgium and Netherlands. "Here there are often narrow strips, lots of twists and turns. In France they are all 'running' bends and often there is also a muddy surface."
And how about his own ambitions? The Baloise Glowi Lions was third in the most recent World Cup round in Hoogerheide - that certainly boosts one's morale. "I definitely have the goal to be very good in Liévin. The middle period of the season was not what I expected, so that has its consequences. That is why I want to be good at the World Championship. But I have stuck to my plan towards that, with the goal of finishing close to the podium."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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