Preview World Cup Namur 2023 | Everyone present in the women's race, very open competition in the men's race!

Namur – that's where we're headed this Sunday! After some trips to France, Ireland, and Italy, the World Cup is back in Belgium. This time, we'll experience a classic race around the renowned Namur Citadel, and IDLProCycling.com will be thrilled to share the tales!

The World Cup returns to Namur after a one-year hiatus. Indeed, last season hosted the European cyclocross championship, where Michael Vanthourenhout and Fem van Empel claimed the European titles. Looking back, champions like Mathieu van der Poel and Lucinda Brand have graced the winner's list five times.

Wout van Aert secured a victory as well, but much like Van der Poel, he won't be present this Saturday. In the women's category, we eagerly welcome all the top riders, primarily hailing from the Netherlands. However, this only adds to the anticipation for next Sunday. Far from diminishing the excitement, it heightens it!

Latest winners World Cup cyclocross Namur

2022 (European Championship) Michael Vanthourenhout / Fem van Empel
2021 Michael Vanthourenhout / Lucinda Brand
2020 Mathieu van der Poel / Lucinda Brand
2019 Mathieu van der Poel / Lucinda Brand
2018 Mathieu van der Poel / Lucinda Brand
2017 Wout van Aert / Evie Richards
2016 Mathieu van der Poell / Katerina Nash
2015 Mathieu van der Poell / Nikki Brammeier
2014 Kevin Pauwels / Katerina Nash
2013 Francis Mourey / Katie Compton

Course, weather and times cyclocross World Cup Namur 2023

The Tour of Namur unfolds in and around the renowned Citadel of Namur, a well-known tourist attraction in the Walloon town. The race kicks off on the Route Merveilleuse, a cobblestone climb leading to the course's highest point near the Citadel Castle.

Upon reaching the summit, cyclists will find the equipment station before navigating descents towards the Route des Canons. This marks the onset of the second cobbled climb, followed immediately by a challenging sloping section. For this edition, the slope is a few meters higher than usual, culminating in the stage conclusion via two newly introduced climbs. All in all, it promises to be a demanding lap, consistent with the challenging nature of the Namur cross!

Weather
The weather conditions Sunday in Namur will be fine, especially compared to the last few weeks in the Low Countries: in fact, it will be dry! This at temperatures of around 6 degrees Celsius in Wallonia, where the sun will also appear now and then.

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

Favorites women's cyclocross World Cup Namur 2023

Fem van Empel took a brief hiatus but is now back representing Jumbo-Visma for the cyclocross events in Herentals and the Citadelcross in Namur. Her victory in the European cyclocross championships last season showcased her prowess on the Wallonian circuit, making her a top contender this winter.

The upcoming cyclocross in Namur marks the first gathering of prominent Dutch stars this season. Lucinda Brand, a four-time winner, returns in top form for Baloise Trek Lions. Shirin van Anrooij, a promising talent, has the potential to demonstrate her strength. Although she found it challenging just two weeks ago, a training period in Spain might bring about a positive change for the cyclist from Goes.

Not to mention Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Alpecin-Deceuninck). Pieterse, despite not securing a victory this year, possesses remarkable technical skills and capabilities that make her a formidable competitor on the Namen circuit. Alvarado faced a setback with illness two weeks ago, impacting the World Cup leader's performance against the challenging backdrop of Val di Sole.

Manon Bakker (Corelan-Corendon), the unexpected winner of the cyclo-cross race in Italy, returns to the competition, while Denise Betsema (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal), last year's European Championships runner-up in Namen, is also in the mix. And there are others—Annemarie Worst, Aniek van Alphen (Cyclocross Reds), Leonie Bentveld (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal), and Inge van der Heijden (Crelan-Corendon) are all contenders.

Then the foreign ladies: with the likes of strong Italian Sara Casasola (FAS), British Zoe Backstedt (Canyon/SRAM), Belgian Marion Norbert-Riberolle (Correlan-Corendon) and the SD Worx trio Blanka Kata Vas, Christine Majerus and Marie Schreiber traveling to Namur as outsiders.

Favorites women's cyclocross World Cup Namur, according to IDLProCycling.com

Top favorite: Fem van Empel (Jumbo-Visma)
Outsiders: Lucinda Brand (Baloise Trek Lions) and Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck)
Long shots: Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Manon Bakker (Crelan-Corendon), Shirin van Anrooij (Baloise Trek Lions) and Denise Betsema (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal)

Favorites men's cyclocross World Cup Namur 2023

So, no Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel, but does that matter? Certainly not! Upon examining the list of participants for the men's Citadelcross in Namur, it becomes evident that naming a single top favorite for Sunday is a challenging task. This is the logical consequence of a World Cup season where several top riders have already left their mark.

Let's quickly turn our attention to the formidable lineup of Baloise Trek Lions. While Thibau Nys is absent until Antwerp on Saturday, December 23, the team remains strong with Joris Nieuwenhuis (victorious in Val di Sole), Pim Ronhaar (triumphs in Troyes and Dublin), and Lars van der Haar (winner in Maasmechelen). Van der Haar secured a second-place finish at last year's European Championships, Ronhaar claimed the U23 Championships here, and Nieuwenhuis placed fourth at Namur in 2018 and at the European Championships last season.

Next up, the men from Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal: Michael Vanthourenhout, Eli Iserbyt, and to a slightly lesser extent, Ryan Kamp. Vanthourenhout, the winner of both the 2022 European Championship and the provisionally final 2021 World Cup in Namur, hasn't been in his best form in recent weeks. Meanwhile, World Cup champion Iserbyt has struggled to make a strong connection with Namur, where he has failed to finish on several occasions.

The Brits will also have their eyes on the TV screen on Sunday at 3:10 p.m. as Cameron Mason (Cyclocross Reds) competes for the second time alongside Tom Pidcock. The British rider has already secured two podium finishes at this race, but his current form remains to be seen.

Additionally, keep an eye out for several Belgian outsiders: Laurens Sweeck leading the Corelan-Corendon charge, with Joran Wyseure, Witse Meeussen, and Toon Vandebosch in his shadow. Notably, the exceptionally strong Gerben Kuypers (Circus-ReUz-Technord) and Alpecin-Deceuninck rider Niels Vandeputte are also worth watching.

Favorites men's cyclocross World Cup Namur, according to IDLProCycling.com

Top favorite: Joris Nieuwenhuis (Baloise Trek Lions)
Outsiders: Tom Pidcock (INEOS Grenadiers) and Lars van der Haar (Baloise Trek Lions)
Long shots: Eli Iserbyt, Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal), Pim Ronhaar (Baloise Trek Lions) and Cameron Mason (Cyclocross Reds)

TV Cyclocross World Cup Namur 2023

Eurosport will broadcast the women's and men's crosses live on Eurosport 1 and the online channels (Eurosport.co.uk/Discovery+/GCN+). From 1:30 p.m., the broadcast will begin. The NOS may also cover the World Cup in its afternoon broadcast. Unlike the cross Saturday, the Belgians get more channel choice. For example, Telenet Play Sports and Proximus Pickx will broadcast the World Cup live, while Sporza will also include the cross in its afternoon programming.