Preview European Cyclocross Championships - Men 2023 | Van der Haar, Iserbyt, or Nys: it's going to be great anyway!

The upcoming European Cyclocross Championships in Pontchateau, France, are set to feature an exciting showdown in the men's title race, with a tantalizing battle between the Belgians and the Dutch. In this preview, IDLProCycling.com provides a sneak peek into what to expect.

First, let's take a closer look at the recent history of this European Championship, which has been held in its current format only eight times. In 2015, Lars van der Haar secured the inaugural European title in Huijbergen, besting Wout van Aert. A year later, the European Championship took place in Pontchateau, mirroring the 2023 edition. That race proved to be a closely contested cyclocross event. Toon Aerts emerged as the victor, with Mathieu van der Poel and Van Aert in second and third, respectively.

Subsequently, Mathieu van der Poel dominated the championship three times before both he and Van Aert shifted their focus to the road season. The European Championship title was claimed by Eli Iserbyt, followed by Lars van der Haar and, in the last season, Michael Vanthourenhout. The tall Belgian rider displayed his prowess on the Citadel in Namur, winning the title there last year.

Latest winners European cyclocross men

2022 Michael Vanthourenhout
2021 Lars van der Haar
2020 Eli Iserbyt
2019Mathieu van der Poel
2018 Mathieu van der Poel
2017 Mathieu van der Poel
2016 Toon Aerts
2015 Lars van der Haar

Highlights European cyclocross championships 2022 (last year) and 2016 (also in Pontchateau)

Course, weather and times European cyclocross championship men Pontchâteau 2023

Pontchateau is a well-known name in cyclocross. This French location has previously hosted several significant events, including World Cups, European Championships (as recently as 2016), and more World Cups. Typically, the course is quite fast, allowing riders to stay together for an extended period. However, the organizers have made some adjustments to the course on the French hill to make it more challenging.

The Dutch (Gerben De Knegt) and Belgian (Sven Vanthourenhout) national coaches, both experienced in cyclocross, discussed their expectations for the event while wearing their Leader's Jerseys. De Knegt participated in another World Cup in Pontchateau back in 2004 and also served as the national coach in 2016. He commented, "The conditions will somewhat depend on the weather. They are forecasting a lot of rain for next week, so it might turn into a mud puddle. This could result in a fair race, where the best rider prevails. In such conditions, it truly becomes a test of skills."

Vanthourenhout also shared his thoughts about the upcoming event. "The weather conditions in that area are currently quite severe, and I have never been to Pontchateau in this role before. Therefore, we need to carefully assess the impact of weather on the course. If the race turns into a slow and grueling one, similar to the Koppenberg, tactics may not play a significant role. However, if we experience a scenario like the 2016 European Championship in Pontchateau, where the race stayed close for an extended period, it will become more of a tactical battle," he anticipated.

Weather
The women are expected to contend with exceptionally adverse weather conditions on Saturday. However, for the men, conditions appear to be improving as we head into Sunday. Some rain is still in the forecast, and the wind, with a strength of 6 on the Beaufort Scale, remains notably strong. Nevertheless, all things considered, it remains manageable.

Times
Start: 3 p.m.
Finish: 4 p.m.

Favorites European cyclocross championship men Pontchâteau 2023

It's a consensus that the European star jersey will likely be donned by a rider who recently donned either a Dutch orange jersey or a Belgian blue jersey in the European Championship. With that in mind, it's worth noting that the favorites, particularly the top three, are incredibly closely matched for Sunday's race. Before delving into the final section, we can confidently state that this race promises to be exceptionally thrilling!

The three riders that everyone will be keeping a close eye on are Lars van der Haar from the Netherlands and the Belgian duo Thibau Nys and Eli Iserbyt. Judging by their recent performances and victories, Nys appears to be the rider to beat. However, he also made it clear after his victory at the Koppenbergcross that, as far as he's concerned, this season's form can't be better.

In light of this, both Nys and his fellow Belgian Iserbyt are keeping a keen eye on the Dutchman Van der Haar, who can be rightfully labeled as a true championship-caliber rider. The cyclocross specialist from Woudenberg can reach peak performance like no other and always seems to possess that extra edge when it comes to major races. The specific nature of the course hardly matters to him. "I'm genuinely looking forward to it," he expressed on Wednesday after a strong showing at the Koppenbergcross.

Then there's the Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal duo of Iserbyt and Michael Vanthourenhout. Iserbyt claimed third place at the Bult van Melden but couldn't quite keep up with Nys and Van der Haar during the crucial moments, which puts him third in our rankings. His teammate and fellow countryman Vanthourenhout has been grappling with illness recently, but as the defending champion and a well-known championship rider, he might still manage to pull something remarkable out of the bag.

Laurens Sweeck might be somewhat under the radar at the moment, possibly because he didn't participate in the Koppenberg race. However, he too possesses the potential to make a significant impact on the race, which the Dutch riders, Pim Ronhaar, Ryan Kamp, and Joris Nieuwenhuis, need to remain vigilant about. Additionally, the same applies to other Belgian contenders like Toon Vandebosch, Niels Vandeputte, Joran Wyseure, and, of course, the highly competitive Gerben Kuypers.

Are there other countries participating? Absolutely, although they tend to be on the periphery of contention. Cameron Mason, a British rider, should never be underestimated on a challenging course. Meanwhile, Felipe Orts (Spain), Kevin Kuhn (Switzerland), Gioele Bertolini (Italy), Joshua Dubau (France), and Michael Boros (Czech Republic) are equally motivated not to disappoint their nations.

Favorites European cyclocross men's Pontchâteau 2023, according to IDLProCycling.com

Top favorite: Lars van der Haar (Netherlands)
Outsiders: Thibau Nys and Eli Iserbyt (Belgium)
Longshots: Gerben Kuypers, Michael Vanthourenhout, Laurens Sweeck (Belgium), Pim Ronhaar (Netherlands) and Cameron Mason (Great Britain)

TV European Cyclocross Championships Pontchâteau men 2023

The women's European cyclocross championship will be covered by both NOS (NPO1), Sporza (VRT1) and Eurosport (Eurosport 1 and online channels). This will be from 3 p.m., the moment the cross starts. In the Leader's Jersey will be on site for all the bits and pieces regarding the race!