Preview Superprestige Overijsse 2023 | Will Thibau Nys secure his third consecutive victory?

On Sunday, October 22, the first of a total of eight rounds of the Telenet Superprestige will be held. As is known, Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert, and Tom Pidcock will not be participating, but there will be plenty of other top riders at the start in Overijse. IDLProCycling.com brings you all the necessary information!

Cyclo-cross and Overijse have a long history together. The first edition of the so-called Druivencross was held back in 1960. Therefore, it is not entirely illogical that the famous cyclo-cross race is also known as the 'Mother of all Crosses'. Cross legend Roland Liboton won the race no fewer than sixteen (!) times, although it should be noted that the event was held twice a year during his time. Later, superstars like Van der Poel and Van Aert also (multiple times) won in Overijse, where the Druivenkoers is also held in the summer.

The Druivencross is a prestigious cyclo-cross race that epitomizes everything a true cyclo-cross race should encompass. Situated a mere stone's throw from Brussels, it has been the stage for numerous thrilling battles for victory. Typically, this race in Flemish Brabant was included in the World Cup calendar. However, this season marks its inaugural inclusion in the Superprestige classification. This shift, nonetheless, has not diminished the fervor and anticipation that surrounds the event in the Halle-Vilvoorde district.

Most recent winners Superprestige Overijse

2022 Michael Vanthourenhout / Puck Pieterse
2021 Eli Iserbyt / Blanka Kata Vas
2020 Wout van Aert / Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado
2019 Mathieu van der Poel / Annemarie Worst
2018 Toon Aerts / Lucinda Brand
2017 Mathieu van der Poel / Pauline Ferrand-Prévot
2016 Mathieu van der Poel / Sophie de Boer
2015 Mathieu van der Poel / Jolien Verschueren
2014 Tom Meeusen / Sanne Cant
2013 Sven Nys / Katherine Compton

Course, weather and times Superprestige Overijse 2023

A bit of everything, that's how we can describe the course design, in the east of Brussels. In the Dijleland nature reserve, a cross circuit of 2,800 meters has been mapped out. However, the loop is one of the toughest on the cyclocross calendar, which can only benefit the spectacle.

Grass, mud, wading, running: it's all part of the cyclocross race in Overijse. In addition, the cobblestones are characteristic of this race, in which usually the strongest wins.

Weather

Those who love good weather are in luck, those who prefer harsh conditions are out of luck. Sunday, October 22, is expected to be one of the few dry days in Flemish Brabant. The chance of precipitation is only 25 percent on Sunday afternoon, while the temperature rises to about 14 degrees Celsius.

Times
Start women: 1:40 pm
Finish women: around 2:30 pm
Start men: 3:10 pm
Finish men: around 4:15 pm

Favorites women's Superprestige Overijse 2023

Let's start with the favorites among the elite women. Based on intrinsic quality and past cyclocross races, there really is only one person we can put forward as the absolute top favorite, namely Fem van Empel. The world champion from Hoogerheide has participated twice in this cyclocross season so far and managed to win both times. Both in Beringen and in Waterloo it was a hit for the versatile talent of Jumbo-Visma.

As has been the case for years in women's cyclocross, there is a Dutch top favorite and the biggest challengers also come from the Netherlands. That seems to be no different this year, including in the Druivencross. Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Fenix-Deceuninck) and Annemarie Worst (Cyclocross Reds) must be seen as the biggest competitors for Van Empel. Alvarado previously told IDLProCycling.com that she entered this cyclocross winter with a lot of ambition. And that seemed to be true, because in Beringen and Waterloo she finished second and third, respectively. Worst is also in good shape. After a fifth place in Beringen and a fourth place in Oisterwijk, she triumphed in the Kermiscross of Ardooie, which indicates good form. Jot that down!

Van Empel won in Waterloo

Denise Betsema (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) had to postpone the official start of her cyclocross season, but she was on the ball in her first race. The 30-year-old lady from Texel finished third in Oisterwijk and will therefore travel to Overijse with quite a bit of confidence. Inge van der Heijden (Crélan-Corendon) stated in mid-September that she wanted to give 'The Big Three' a hard time. However, in her first races, things did not go as hoped for the 24-year-old lady from North Brabant, who recorded a DNF and an eleventh place in Beringen and Waterloo, respectively. Aniek van Alphen (Cyclocross Reds) is on a good streak and must therefore be taken into consideration. The also 24-year-old rider won in Mechelen and raced to extremely close podium places in her other crosses.

Finally, we also like to jot down the names of Marie Schreiber (SD Worx), Laura Verdonschot (De Ceuster - Bonache), and Leonie Bentveld (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal). We don't see these ladies triumphing so easily, but they recently showed good form and could surprise on a good day (and maybe with a bit of luck).

Favorites for the Women's Superprestige Overijse, according to IDLProCycling.com

Top favorite:Fem van Empel (Jumbo-Visma)
Outsiders:Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Fenix-Deceuninck) and Annemarie Worst (Cyclocross Reds)
Longshots: Denise Betsema (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal), Inge van der Heijden (Crélan-Corendon), Aniek van Alphen (Cyclocross Reds), Marie Schreiber (SD Worx), Laura Verdonschot (De Ceuster -Bonache) and Leonie Bentveld (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal)

Favorites for the Men's Superprestige Overijse 2023

In the men's category, a duel seems to be shaping up between Eli Iserbyt and Thibau Nys. The two Flemings faced each other in Beringen and Waterloo, and both times it was the son of Sven Nys who walked away with the flowers. Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) had to admit defeat to the super talent from Baloise Trek Lions in both Belgium and the United States and will therefore be eager for a victory, especially since he also finished second in the Kermiscross of Ardooie (this time behind Gerben Kuypers). Nys, in turn, would love to book a third consecutive victory.

We just mentioned him: Gerben Kuypers is someone to keep in mind. Because if you can impressively beat a in-form Iserbyt, you are doing well. The 23-year-old crosser from Circus-ReUz-Technord also won in Oisterwijk. There he referred Joran Wyseure and Yordi Corsus to the closest podium places. In Overijse, he will once again face Iserbyt, but he must also defeat Nys. We look forward to being surprised by the man from Nieuwpoort.

Lars van der Haar finished fourth in Beringen and fifth in Waterloo. The 'Terrier of Woudenberg' is someone you should never write off. The 32-year-old veteran is a perseverer and never gives up, which logically only benefits his chances. We wouldn't be surprised if he suddenly pops up like a jack-in-the-box in Overijse and rushes to victory. The same actually goes for Michael Vanthourenhout, who doesn't seem to have reached his peak form yet. In Ardooie, he had to let Kuypers and Iserbyt go quite quickly, although that doesn't necessarily mean anything.

Normally, Laurens Sweeck is more than a longshot, were it not for the fact that the Crelan-Corendon rider is just coming back from an injury, from which he may still be recovering. A muscle tear meant that the 29-year-old strongholder couldn't travel to America for his beloved World Cup. In Waterloo, team- and countrymen Joris Nieuwenhuis and Pim Ronhaar (Baloise Trek Lions) were on the ball together. Ronhaar finished third, Nieuwenhuis fourth. With Nys, the team of Sven Nys has the top favorite in its ranks, but don't count out this Dutch duo either. Finally, Ryan Kamp is also someone to put on your watchlist. Winning may be difficult for the North Brabander from Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal, although with a seventh place in Wisconsin, you certainly can't call him out of form.

Favorites for the Men's Superprestige Overijse, according to IDLProCycling.com

Top favorites:Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) and Thibau Nys (Baloise Trek Lions)
Outsiders:Lars van der Haar (Baloise Trek Lions), Gerben Kuypers (Circus-ReUz-Technord) and Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal)
Longshots: Laurens Sweeck (Crelan-Corendon), Joris Nieuwenhuis, Pim Ronhaar (Baloise Trek Lions) and Ryan Kamp (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal)