"The fact that they are there should be cherished" - Gerben de Knegt thinks about the possible exclusion of top riders from certain races

Dutch national team coach Gerben de Knegt once again had his say in the discussion regarding the cyclo-cross calendar and the possible exclusion of top cross riders from the World Championships. He is clear in his reasoning and states that we should simply cherish the participation of Mathieu van der Poel and Wout Van Aert.

"The top riders in the sport are also the riders who participate in multiple disciplines and therefore do limited cyclo-cross racing. But, they do bring something extra. The fact that they are there should be cherished," he tells Het Nieuwsblad. "We shouldn't thwart them, but rather be happy when they come and compete."

Changing the cyclo-cross calendar has been a topic of discussion in recent weeks. Particular reference is made to the high number of cyclo cross races in the World Cup. "There are now fourteen and that's just too many. It makes sense, because the World Cup is in the hands of a commercial party," says De Knegt about the fact that there is a lot of media attention for the many crosses. "In my opinion you cannot force riders to ride, you have to entice them to come and participate."

De Knegt is thinking of eight World Cup crosses. But he still realizes that there is little chance that all the top players will travel to those competitions. It would become more manageable for many riders just below that. "Look at all the traveling. You would have less of that. For many riders it costs thousands of euros to travel, while you may have little to gain in the rankings if you do participate," he points out about the endless hours in cars or even airplanes.