30/12/2023

"We may never experience it again" - Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert headline GP Sven Nys

Sven Nys was in Diegem last night and saw Mathieu van der Poel take on another comfortable win. However he believes that the Dutchman may not have such an easy task over the coming crosses, as in his eyes Wout van Aert's form is rising and the gap between the two is closing.

“Wout realizes that he can grow during this period. In Gavere I saw him for the first time making the effort to keep the gap as small as possible. It wasn't feasible yet, but he is growing," Sven Nys shared with Wielerflits. "In the previous races he just did his own thing, waited and raced constructively. I expect that one of the coming days they will become much closer to each other. I think that will also be Wout's goal. He came to the cross season with a different mindset, but he wants to give the best of himself and you can see him evaluating.”

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Although the Belgian will only race a few more crosses, his rising form could see him match van der Poel on a suiting track. That will be no easy task and by no means a probability, but it is a possibility. The two face off now in the Hulst World Cup, the X20 Trofee Badkamers Koksijde and the Benidorm World Cup. However, they will also meet at the GP Sven Nys in Baal on New Year's Day which promises to be an exciting battle.

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“It's fantastic that they are both there at the start. The traditional supporters always come, but if Wout and Mathieu are also there, it gives an extra boost to the race. We may never experience it again, but I'm glad they are there this year," Nys says. "Let's make the most of that. Pidcock is a bit similar to recent years. He is also dominant on his courses. Diegem is probably also one of them. That was cool too, but if you miss your start, the better rider has of course already started flying.”

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This Thursday he saw an easy victory for the World Champion, but an exciting and tight battle for the positions behind. Nys, a pure cyclocross specialist in his day, praises Eli Iserbyt for racing all winter long at the head of the field - and currently is fighting for victory in all three classification, leading both World Cup and Superprestige. “We see that the calendar is so busy that it is almost no longer feasible to ride everything. Eli Iserbyt is the only exception."

"Congratulations on what he is doing, but we did not want to take that risk, because we also hope to be fresh enough in January to still be on the podium. That's working out very well for the time being. Even now that Mathieu, Wout and Pidcock have returned, we continue to lean towards that podium.” With his performance in Diegem, Iserbyt has confirmed his victory in the Superprestige classification, as it is not possible for anyone to get close to him with only one round remaining. He finished third, having been overtaken by Tom Pidcock in the final seconds of the race only.