Clément Venturini fears for the future of cyclocross: "Mathieu and Wout set the bar so high that I don't know who will attract the public when they stop..."

Cyclocross
Tuesday, 24 December 2024 at 06:00
mathieu van der poel wout van aert

It's obvious that Mathieu van der Poel and Wout Van Aert are what attracts the largest crowds in cyclocross. In fact the reach out of their names on the startlist alone is what can multiply the attendance of some of the smaller races. But both the riders will soon be 30 years old and the elephant in the room is who, if anyone, will be able to take over and be the "poster boy" for cyclocross when the kings are gone.

For several years, Mathieu van der Poel and Wout Van Aert have been constantly postponing their entries into the cyclo-cross season, to adapt to the needs of their road season goals. This disengagement of the duo inevitably pushes the organizers to increasingly postpone the start of the World Cup season.

"When you organize in October and you have 5,000 people, while in December you have 15,000, I think the calculation is quickly done," concedes Clément Venturini in comments relayed by Eurosport. "The organizers of the World Cup think about that."

The Exact Cross of Loenhout this Friday, where both men should make an appearance might therefore draw a wider audience than many of the early season World Cup rounds. In particular those that take place outside the traditional home of top cyclocross in Benelux countries.

"Unfortunately, that's how it is," notes Venturini. "It's by generation. There was (Zdenek) Stybar, (Sven) Nys, (Niels) Albert. There was a small gap in terms of popularity of cyclo-cross when they left. And now, hop, it's started again. So, I think it's a bit cyclical. It's true that with all the respect I have for the pure cyclocrossmen, Mathieu (Van der Poel) and Wout (Van Aert) have set the bar so high that I don't know if there will be a nugget that will attract the public in 3-4 years. "

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