Preview World Cup Maasmechelen 2025 | Mathieu van der Poel vs. Wout van Aert, last time this winter

And so we are back in Belgium for a 'normal cyclo-cross race' in the World Cup! After the busy Christmas period, the second weekend of January was dominated by the national championships, after which the entire cyclo-cross pack boarded a plane for Sunday for a training camp and the World Cup in Benidorm. Now we're back on Belgian soil for Maasmechelen. IDLProCycling.com takes you there!

The World Cup in Maasmechelen, at the Terhills venue, is relatively new on the calendar. The cyclocross is only being organized for the third time, yet it has already secured a nice spot on the calendar. This year, for the first time, it will be organized the weekend before the World Cup as part of a World Cup double. That will attract Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert to the start for the second time this winter.

In the women's event, Fem van Empel managed to win both editions in Maasmechelen, while Lars van der Haar is defending the title in the men's event. The year before, Laurens Sweeck took the win. By the way, Van der Poel and Van Aert never rode in Maasmechelen, which was scheduled a lot earlier in the winter.

Latest winners World Cup Cyclo-cross Maasmechelen

2023/2024 Lars van der Haar / Fem van Empel
2022/2023 Laurens Sweeck / Fem van Empel

Course, weather and times World Cup Cyclo-cross Maasmechelen 2025

This is the third time Maasmechelen has been organized, and the motto 'every beginning is difficult' applies here. During the first edition, many riders had flat tires, which caused consternation. After that, some adjustments were made for the second edition of the World Cup cyclo-cross.

This led us to the cyclo-cross race that will also be run in 2025. It will include some elevation gains, a sandbox, the barriers required in the World Cup, and some technical zones—a race for cyclo-cross riders to enjoy.

Weather
Belgium is rainy during the second half of the week, including on Saturday, with a temperature of around 5 degrees Celsius.

Times (Saturday, January 25, 2024)
Women's start: 7:40 AM EST
Finish women: 8:30 AM EST 
Men's start: 9:10 AM EST
Finish men: 10:10 AM EST

Favorites women's World Cup Cyclo-cross Maasmechelen 2025

Fem van Empel is on a roll, and also in the past in Maasmechelen, where she has won the two editions so far and in her victory in Benidorm. The Dutch of Visma | Lease a Bike is on her mission to extend the World Cup title, meaning top form is gradually approaching. So, in Maasmechelen, she can go for three in a row.

But women are still quietly getting into top form for Lievin. Lucinda Brand, for example, the Baloise Glowi Lions lady, has her rankings in the bag and has now made the rainbow jersey her big goal. In Benidorm, on a course that didn't suit her, she came second, which was promising.

Puck Pieterse is also busy at the World Championships. The Dutch champion got a little sick after the Nationals and decided to skip Benidorm, but will be back in Maasmechelen. The same goes for Marianne Vos, who added this race to get a better-starting line at the World Championships, and Pieterse's teammate Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado.

The SD Worx-Protime duo Marie Schreiber and Blanka Vas, Sara Casasola (Correlan-Corendon), Zoe Backstedt (Canyon/SRAM), Inge van der Heijden, Manon Bakker (also Correlan-Corendon), and the Canadian Lidl-Trek sisters Holmgren are also competing.

Top favorite: Fem van Empel (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Outsiders: Lucinda Brand (Baloise Glowi Lions) and Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck)
Long shots: Marie Schreiber, Blanka Vas (SD Worx-Protime), Marianne Vos (Visma | Lease a Bike), Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Fenix-Deceuninck) 

Favorites men's World Cup Cyclo-cross Maasmechelen

Mathieu van der Poel is back for the first time this year! The Dutch rider bruised a rib in Loenhout and thus had to skip Baal, Koksijde, and Dendermonde but has been able to prepare well in Spain for what's to come, returning to competition one week before the World Cup.

Wout van Aert is saying goodbye after Maasmechelen. The Belgian of Visma | Lease a Bike has also completed a Spanish block and flew to Belgium two days after his fourth place in Benidorm. In Maasmechelen's last cyclo-cross race this winter, he will compete against his biggest rival.

And then there is Thibau Nys, the man of the past few weeks on behalf of Baloise Glowi Lions. Nys junior impressed both at the BK and in Benidorm and said after that second race that he would like to compete with the big men again this weekend. What is he capable of?

Lars van der Haar (Baloise Glowi Lions) and Laurens Sweeck (Corelan-Corendon) know what it's like to win in Maasmechelen, while Pauwels Sauzen-Cibel duo Eli Iserbyt and Michael Vanthourenhout will of course be there again, just like Joran Wyseure, Emiel Verstrynge (Crelan-Corendon), Toon Aerts (Deschacht-Hens), Niels Vandeputte (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Pim Ronhaar (Baloise Glowi Lions) and of course Felipe Orts and Joris Nieuwenhuis of Ridley.

Top favorite: Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
Outsiders: Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Thibau Nys (Baloise Glowi Lions)
Long shots: Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen-Cibel), Joris Nieuwenhuis (Ridley), Lars van der Haar (Baloise Glowi Lions) and Laurens Sweeck (Crelan-Corendon)

TV broadcast World Cup cyclocross Maasmechelen 2025

We are talking about a Belgian World Cup, which means Sporza owns the broadcasting rights and will switch on VRT1 from 7:30 AM EST onwards. You can also check out NOS.nl in the Netherlands, while Eurosport will start broadcasting at 7:30 AM EST.

Read also

Why Van der Poel could be the one to win mountain biking world title this year: "Someone like him could benefit from that"

Visma | Lease a Bike men and women (partly dressed up) cheer on Van Aert, Vos and Van Empel in Benidorm

Sven Nys puts Thibau’s Benidorm win into perspective: "Wout van Aert is no longer really a cyclo-cross rider"

Want to know when and where the most exciting races of 2025 will take place? Check out our updated 2025 cycling calendars for the men's and women's peloton!

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