Preview Exact Cross Loenhout 2023 | Van der Poel will face a lot of familiar road rivals

A glance at the honor roll of Loenhout, one finds - as in any cyclo-cross race, right? - primarily the names of Van Aert and Van der Poel. The Belgian managed to win the last two editions of this festive race, while the Dutchman was the star from 2017 to 2019. Van Aert achieved his first victory here in 2014, with Tom Meeusen being the only one to interrupt this duo's winning streak. Last season, the Jumbo-Visma man won ahead of Van der Poel and Tom Pidcock.

In the women's division, Dutch cyclists have been ruling the roost for the past four years. Lucinda Brand bagged two wins, Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado clinched one, and Shirin van Anrooij emerged victorious last season. However, none of these champions will be participating this Friday for a variety of reasons.

2022 Wout van Aert / Shirin van Anrooij
2021 Wout van Aert / Lucinda Brand
2020 Cancelled due to Covid
2019 Mathieu van der Poel / Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado
2018 Mathieu van der Poel / Lucinda Brand
2017 Mathieu van der Poel / Sanne Cant
2016 Wout van Aert / Sanne Cant
2015 Tom Meeusen / Sanne Cant
2014 Wout van Aert / Katherina Nash
2013 Sven Nys / Marianne Vos

The Azencross in Loenhout is not particularly known for being a grueling course, but it can get quite muddy. The race's standout feature is the infamous washboard, an obstacle that distinctly marks this cyclocross. The race begins with a sharp bend leading to the bars, quickly followed by the challenging washboard section.

The course then stretches in a straight line past the equipment area towards a more technical section, eventually leading to longer stretches around the festival tent and VIP zone, both situated close to the finish line.

Weather
It has rained enough in recent weeks and on Friday there is again a chance of some heavy showers, with temperatures around 10 degrees Celsius, accompanied by a strong westerly wind.

Times
Start women: 1:45 pm
Finish women: 2:30 pm 
Start men: 3:00 pm 
Finish men: 4:00 pm 

The top women are actually all skipping the Exact Cross in Loenhout, although Manon Bakker, after her victory in the snow of Val di Sole, has gradually become a woman to watch out for. The lady from Flevoland starts as the absolute top favorite in Loenhout.

The young Lauren Molengraaf (Tormans) and the experienced Sanne Cant (Crelan-Corendon) are seen as the main challengers. Cant, who had secured several victories in this cyclo-cross before the rise of the Dutch competitors, would undoubtedly relish another win, though the same could be said for Molengraaf.

Moreover, the race features notable participants from across Europe: Anna Kay (Cyclocross Reds) from the UK, Kristyna Zemanova (Brilon) from the Czech Republic, and Sofia Rodriguez (Sopela) from Spain, all aiming for a top-five finish.

Top favorite: Manon Bakker (Crelan-Corendon)
Outsiders: Sanne Cant (Crelan-Corendon) and Lauren Molengraaf (Tormans)
Long shots: Anna Kay (Cyclocross Reds), Kristyna Zemanova (Brilon) and Sofia Rodriguez (Sopela)

After competing in Diegem on Thursday evening, Mathieu van der Poel is back in action in Loenhout on Friday afternoon. The Dutch rider from Alpecin-Deceuninck has been dominating this winter season since his entry into cyclo-cross and will not face his usual rivals this Friday. There will be no Van Aert, no Pidcock, no Eli Iserbyt or Michael Vanthourenhout, and no one from Baloise Trek Lions.

Therefore, the main competition is likely to come from within his own team, with Niels Vandeputte, Jente Michels, and Gianni Vermeersch, all donning the blue of Alpecin-Deceuninck at the start line. Additionally, the affiliated teams Cyclocross Reds and Crelan-Corendon are throwing their hats in the ring for potential podium spots in Loenhout with riders like Cameron Mason and Toon Vandebosch.

Other notable names in the mix include Ryan Kamp (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal), Felipe Orts (Burgos-BH), Toon Vandebosch (Crelan-Corendon), Jens Adams (Athletes for Hope), Timon Rüegg (Swiss Racing Academy), Lander Loockx (TDT-Unibet), and Corné van Kessel (Deschacht-Hens-Maes). Road cyclists Zdenek Stybar (Jayco AlUla), Florian Vermeersch (Lotto-Dstny), Clément Venturini (AG2R Citroën), and even Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ) are also participating in Loenhout.

Top favorite:Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
Outsiders: Cameron Mason (Cyclocross Reds), Niels Vandeputte (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Ryan Kamp (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal)
Long shots: Gianni Vermeersch (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Felipe Orts (Burgos-BH), Toon Vandebosch (Crelan-Corendon), Clément Venturini (AG2R Citroën) and Corné van Kessel (Deschacht-Hens-Maes)

You can watch the Azencross in Loenhout live from 1:40 p.m. on Sporza (VRT 1), Eurosport (main channel, Eurosport .nl/Discovery+ and GCN+) and a stream on Promixus Pickx.