"Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel for the world title, the rest for the third podium place" - Sven Nys previews CX World Championships

This weekend's Cyclocross World Championships have been given a boost of intrigue by the last minute announcement of Wout van Aert's involvement. According to cyclocross legend Sven Nys, the mere presence of the Belgian ensures a much more exciting Rainbow Jersey race.

"The cross fan in me can only be happy about that (Van Aert taking part ed.)," explains Nys in conversation with Het Nieuwsblad, stressing how because of Van Aert being at the start line, it's no longer an 'easy' win for pre-race favourite Mathieu van der Poel. "No matter how impressive Mathieu's performances are, people don't watch the cross to know who the winner is after one lap. Actually, I don't want to know who's going to win until half a lap from the end. Sport thrives on duels."

The consensus from most experts is that the Lievin course is actually more favoured to Van Aert too, increasing the likelihood that we might actually see Van der Poel given a real test next weekend. "The power that Wout developed on Saturday in Maasmechelen will come close to Mathieu's level on a course like that of Liévin. And that is what we want," Nys explains, agreeing that Van Aert is well suited to the conditions in France. "We are now going to have a battle on two fronts: Wout and Mathieu for the world title, the rest for the third podium place."

Nys' own son Thibau Nys is likely to be one of the favourites to win that fight for the podium. Could the European and Belgian champion even challenge the Van der Poel? "It is possible to beat him, but that will largely depend on Mathieu and the circumstances," Sven Nys concludes. "On a course where it is not just about power, there are opportunities to stay close for a bit longer. The longer you see him ride, the bigger the kick. But I will continue to speak in two words, right? Yes, Mathieu is of a different calibre."