We know Van der Poel and Van Empel, but who else should we watch out for in other World Championship categories?

This weekend, the 2024 Cyclo-cross World Championships are being held in Tábor, Czech Republic. On both Saturday and Sunday, we'll see the elite races as the main events, but there are five other races throughout the weekend. IDLProCycling.com breaks down who to keep an eye on in the Mixed Team Relay, juniors, and under-23 categories.

2024 Cyclo-cross World Championships Course

The course for the World Championships remains the same, and it's not exactly a surprise for many riders since the Tábor circuit has been a part of the World Cup circuit for years and has previously hosted the World Championships in 2015, 2010, and 2001. It was most recently put to the test at the Czech National Cyclo-Cross Championships.

Spanning 2950 meters, the course begins with a decent stretch on asphalt before veering into the fields after a gentle curve along the Luznice River. Riders then face a bridge ascent and descent, leading to the course's first minor technical challenge. The route then doubles back over the bridge, entering a section filled with twists and turns.

The track then gradually starts ascending in the Czech fields, with the hurdles strategically placed just before the first serious ascent. Here, the key is to either maintain or lose momentum. Riders then approach the pits for the first time, where the track begins to climb in several stages.

For most of the final quarter of the lap, the focus is on navigating the numerous twists and turns, although the Tábor course generally offers good visibility. The course's real descent towards the finish line starts near the end, where after several laps, we will discover who will be adorned in the coveted rainbow jersey.

Mixed Team Relay (Friday, February. 2, 12:35 PM)

The Cyclo-cross World Championships kick off on Friday afternoon with the Mixed Team Relay. The defending Dutch champions will not participate, citing 'sports technical reasons' according to the KNWU. The decision was made to focus on ensuring that everyone is as fresh as possible for the individual championships. This is particularly relevant for the riders who will be competing again the following day. Each category must have one representative: juniors, under-23, and elite.

Participating are Belgium, Great Britain, France, Italy, the United States, Canada, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, and Austria. The Belgians, with riders like Sanne Cant, Ward Huybs, and Michael Vanthourenhout, are the favorites for the title. However, the British team, including Cameron Mason, Zoe Backstedt, and Cat Ferguson, are also serious contenders. For third place, the French, Italians, Canadians, and Czechs are in contention.

Junior Women (Saturday, February 3, 11:05 AM)

The first individual race is on Saturday morning, featuring the junior women. Looking at the World Cup standings in this category, it's noticeable that the first Dutch rider is only in sixth place and the first Belgian even further back in twelfth. It's mainly French and British riders, each with two in the top five, who dominate the top ranks.

French rider Célia Gery and British Cat Ferguson are the top favorites, but Slovak Viktória Chladanova is not far behind. They all finished on the podium at the European Championships. Puck Langenbarg will represent the Netherlands, with national coach Gerben de Knegt aiming for a top-five finish for her. Imogen Wolff (Great Britain), Amandine Muller, Anais Moulin (France), Vida Lopez de San Roman (USA), Katerina Doudova, Amalie Gottwaldova (Czech Republic), and Shanyl De Schoesitter (Belgium) are likely aiming for similar results.

Under-23 category men (Saturday, February 3, 12:35 PM)

Next, on Saturday, it's the turn of the U23 men, where the Netherlands is fielding Tibor del Grosso as the clear top favorite. Del Grosso, who races for Alpecin-Deceuninck, won four out of the five World Cups he participated in. “An absolute title contender,” is how national coach De Knegt described the young rider from Eelde.

He will mainly face a strong Belgian contingent, including Emiel Verstrynge (the winner of the World Cups in Namur and Benidorm), European champion Jente Michels, Baloise Trek Lions rider Ward Huybs, and also Aaron Dockx, Yorben Lauryssen, Arne Baers, and Victor Vandeputte. Del Grosso, meanwhile, can count on support from fellow Dutchmen Danny van Lierop, David Haverdings, Lucas Janssen, and Bailey Groenendaal.

Additionally, the French with Rémi Lelandais, Léo Bisiaux, and Martin Groslambert hope for a podium finish, while the American Andrew Strohmeyer, Dane Daniel Weis Nielsen, and Czech Vaclav Jezek could compete for a top five or ten finish.

Junior Men (Sunday, February 4, 11:05 AM)

Then there are the junior men, where Dutch coach De Knegt also has some strong contenders. “Keije Solen has achieved several podium places in the world cup, and Senna Remijn and Michiel Mouris are also podium-worthy,” he analyzed ahead of the World Championship in Tábor. The Dutch are rightfully aiming for podium places, as two riders stand out in this category.

These are the Italian Stefano Viezzi and Frenchman Aubin Sparfel, who evenly split three World Cup victories each this season. The Belgians are in a similar position, with Arthur van den Boer and Mats Vanden Eynde as potential front-runners. Also worth watching are the French riders Paul Seixas, Theopile Vassal, and Jules Simon, Czech Krystof Bazant, and American David Thompson.

And of course, Albert Withen Philipsen, the Danish multi-talent who has already signed with Lidl-Trek starting from January 1, 2025, will also make his appearance in Tábor. The Hungarians Barnabas Vás (the younger brother of a notable rider) and Zsombor Tákacs have already proven at the European Championships that they can be formidable competitors, finishing fifth and second, respectively.

Under-23 category women (Sunday, February 4, 12:35 PM)

In the under-23 women's category, the Netherlands starts with two strong candidates, but the competition is tough. Leonie Bentveld and Lauren Molengraaf will need to be at their best to compete in Tábor, especially Bentveld, who has already shown this season that she's capable of top performances, even winning the World Cup.

Familiar names from the elite cyclo-cross races include Zoe Backstedt from Great Britain, Marie Schreiber from Luxembourg, and Krystyna Zemanova from the Czech Republic, as well as the Belgian riders Julie Brouwers and the younger talents Fleur Moors and Xaydee Van Sinaey.

From across the Atlantic, sisters Ava and Isabella Holmgren will also participate, and they too have proven they could vie for a spot on the podium or even the rainbow jersey. They are all emerging talents, which is quite clear.

All in all, there's plenty to look forward to in the coming days, in addition to the elite competition. Sporza will broadcast all the cyclo-cross races at this World Championship, so that's the place to watch the above categories.