Cyclocross in Gullegem seems to be the only one in the Christmas period without none of the Big Three at the start

Of the eleven crosses that will take place in the period around Christmas and New Year, there is only one that neither Wout van Aert nor Mathieu van der Poel will attend: the Hexia Cyclocross in Gullegem. The cross, scheduled for January 6, is the only separate cyclo-cross during that period.

"The conversations with Wout and Mathieu are still ongoing. We are also still in full discussions with other riders, such as Tom Pidcock. I wouldn't draw too many conclusions yet," organiser Kevin Defieuw tells WielerFlits. "We actually see that conversations with the riders are only just getting started."

If the Big Three ignore Gullegem, that would not be a problem, according to Defieuw. "When we organized our first B-cross seven years ago, we had 3,500 visitors. And that's only for B-crossers, not a single professional. We have grown from the bottom up in recent years and see that there is always a lot of enthusiasm. People come for the ambiance and the sport. The Big Three may be able to make a difference, but with us that is less the case than elsewhere."

Last year, Gullegem wrote a short story in the Superprestige calendar, but Defieuw assures that was rather a one-off. "We actually helped them out by filling a gap," Defieuw explains. "That went well on both sides. They still wanted to try to keep us on board, but we thought it would be better to opt for clarity and opt for a loose cross."