"There are many favourites" - Tibor del Grosso not taking U23 Cyclocross World Championship victory for granted

After finishing second last year behind Thibau Nys at the under-23, Cyclocross World Championships, Tibor del Grosso heads into the 2024 edition as one of the favourites.

Heading into the World Championship on the back of victory in Hoogerheide last weekend, del Grosso will be full of confidence. “Still, I don't think that final victory is the crowning achievement of my promising period," he reflects to Wielerflits. "That will depend on next week at the World Championship, but it is certainly nice.”

The 20-year-old Dutchman has also done some research on the Tabor course already. “I saw that the course was quite fast with the Czech championship. I have no idea what the weather conditions will be like next week. We shall see," he says. "Those beams may give me confidence, but all my competitors basically jump over the beams just fine. We'll see how much difference that will make.”

Who does del Grosso see as his main competitors for the title? “I think that Emiel Verstrynge is normally my closest competitor," he previews. "But Jente Michels is also always good. Rémi Lelandais has also been riding well in recent weeks and Aaron Dockx was also good. So there are many favourites."