Niels Albert: "I would like to see if Van Aert and co really stand out as much as they did in the past two years"

Niels Albert, former pro and cyclocross star, has recently talked about Eli Iserbyt in harsh form that has seen him in the spotlight. Now, he's given his opinion on some of the current updates in cyclocross as we head deeper into the season and some comebacks will happen soon.

“Laurens Sweeck and Michael Vanthourenhout are currently riding at a very high level,” Albert told Het Laatste Nieuws. “I would like to see if Van Aert and co really stand out as much as they did in the past two years. Or has the difference narrowed? On a course like that of Beekse Bergen, I think Vanthourenhout and Sweeck can go a long way with the real toppers.”

After Eli Iserbyt's early season dominance, now Michael Vanthourenhout has taken the win in the European Championships and Laurens Sweeck has won the last two World Cup rounds, almost completely closing the point gap to his former teammate.

“It was a lot of turning and turning in the woods, a sandbox, then pulling it again, and then you can only ride as fast as the course allows. Even if you ride a Formula 1 car that is much more powerful. Even if your name is Wout van Aert or Mathieu van der Poel," he argues, in favour of the seasoned pros.

Whilst Tom Pidcock is set to return to competition this weekend in the Superprestige Merksplas, Wout van Aert will make his debut in the Kortrijk World Cup the weekend after and Mathieu van der Poel is expected to take part in the Hulst World Cup aswell at the end of November. Albert was also keen on talking about Joris Nieuwenhuis, who has turned to a full-time cyclocross schedule after leaving the road and Team DSM, and has ridden into a 4th place in Beekse Bergen recently.

"Nieuwenhuis was once again in very good shape. He was U23 world champion before he became a road cyclist. And now he's back," he said. "Nieuwenhuis did become fourth on Sunday. I would like to see it sometime, during the Christmas period, when other riders are gradually getting tired, or Nieuwenhuis will not stand out.”