"The fact that they continue to cross is a victory" - Sven Nys admits Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel are key to future of Cyclocross

The Cyclocross season will get underway on October 15th and speaking to Het Nieuwsblad, Sven Nys has addressed the growing concerns over the future of this particular cycling discipline.

My heart bleeds when I see the cross shrinking," he laments. A possible reason for the dwindling interest in cyclocross? The fact that appearances from star duo Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel are becoming fewer and fewer. "I understand those athletes, they have to rest somewhere. The fact that they continue to cross is a victory. They generate a lot of attention, but the result is that everyone wants to organize races during the Christmas period."

"As a result, organizers will be disappointed again because Wout and Mathieu cannot ride everything," Nys continues, showing some understanding of the duo's decision to prioritise other aspects of cycling. "And then I think it's a shame that some of those organizers are disappointed and don't organize in September or October."

"In any case, I think that the traditional cross rider will eventually regain the upper hand, because we are not going to see athletes at the level of Van Aert or Van der Poel every five years," Nys finishes his assessment. "What they do is very strong. I think we will go back to riders who race from the beginning of October to the end of February."