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Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Sunday, December 24, 2023

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2023 Tour de France | 2023 Giro d'Italia

Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care. - Theodore Roosevelt

Les Woodland's book Paris-Roubaix: The Inside Story - All the bumps of cycling's cobbled classic is available in print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Upcoming racing:

• Dec 26: World Cup Gaver Cyclocross
• Dec 27: Superprestige Heusden Zolder
• Dec 28: Superprestige Diegem
• Dec 29: Exact Cross Loenhout-Azencross
• Jan 12-21: Santos Tour Down Under
• Jan 20: Clasica Comunitat Valenciana
• Jan 24-28: Challenge Illes Balears-Volta Ciclista a Mallorca
• Jan 28: GP d'Ouverture-La Marseillaise
• Jan 28: Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
• Jan 30 - Feb 3: Saudi Tour

Latest completed racing:

• Dec 17: World Cup Namur Cyclocross
• Nov 5: European Cyclocross Championships
• Nov 1: Trofee Oudenaarde-Koppenbergcross
• Oct 28: Superprestige Ruddervoorde
• Oct 22: Superprestige Overijse-Vlaanse Druivencross
• Oct 12 - 17: Tour of Guangxi
• Oct 15: Japan Cup
• Oct 15: Veneto Classic

Men | Women

Mens race:

Mathieu van der Poel on his way to winning again. UCI photo

The race: Here's the UCI's race report.

There was no measure of Mathieu van der Poel in Antwerp. The world champion had to correct a lopsided situation early in the race, but on lap three he embarked on an impressive solo. Van Aert finished second, Iserbyt third.

The race in Antwerp actually started in chaos. Already at the start, Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) clicked out of his pedal, which dashed his account to move up from row two to row one. Then, in one of the first corners, Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) went down. Van der Poel was also held up and had to start a long catch-up race.

From position 15, the world champion rode in no time to the front ranks of the longer-lasting leading group. When Iserbyt made a small mistake on lap three, Van der Poel moved into the lead for the first time. He immediately turned on the throttle and in no time was 11 seconds ahead of his rivals.

27 km/h was the speed at which Van der Poel rode around Linkeroever. In no time, he built his lead to more than 40 seconds on the chasing group where Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal), Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), Nieuwenhuis (Baloise Trek Lions) and co were clearly evenly matched. With two laps to go, it was World Cup leader Iserbyt who opened the throttle to put pressure on Nieuwenhuis and Van Aert.

Entering the penultimate lap, it was Van Aert who rode to Iserbyt's wheel and started to pressure him half a lap later. Iserbyt folded and Van Aert was on his way to spot two. But the man of the race crossed the line just under half a minute earlier. Van der Poel, like last season, took the win on Linkeroever.

Results:

26.49 kilometers raced at an average speed of 26.342 km/hr

Women's race:

World Champion Fem van Empel has left everyone behind. Jumbo-Visma photo

The race: Here's the report from winner Fem van Empel's Team Jumbo-Visma.

Fem van Empel has won the World Cup race in Antwerp for the second year in a row. The young rider from Team Jumbo Visma pulled away from Lucinda Brand on lap five and then rode solo to the line. It was Van Empel's eleventh victory of the season.

Starting from the second row, Van Empel got off to a fast start on the sandy Antwerp track. The reigning European and world champion was third on the grid and, together with Brand, quickly opened up a gap on the rest of the field. When Puck Pieterse joined them halfway through the race, a three-way battle seemed likely, but Van Empel was having none of it.

The youngster accelerated on the fifth lap and gradually pulled away from her compatriots. With an eighteen-second lead over Brand, Van Empel coasted to her third World Cup victory. "It took some getting used to, but during the race, I gained more and more confidence and felt stronger and stronger. I am thrilled with this win."

Van Empel also owed her victory to the jumps. It was the first time she had jumped over the barriers in competition. "I practiced a lot on Wednesday, and I'm happy that I was able to make a difference today because the barriers followed each other quickly and were conveniently placed on the straight", she said.

According to Van Empel, it is good that the competition is getting closer. "The closer the level, the higher the level at the end. I like the battle, and it is also great for the spectators to see."

Van Empel has a busy cyclocross schedule in the final week of 2023. She will race in Gavere on Tuesday, 26 December, in Heusden-Zolder on 27 December and in Hulst on 30 December.

Results:

19.89 kilometers raced at an average speed of 22.950 km/hr

Here’s the team’s update:

Wout van Aert has taken second place in the World Cup race in Antwerp. On the sandy track in the port city, the 29-year-old Belgian was unable to beat Mathieu van der Poel, who won for the second day in a row.

Wout van Aert on his way to second place. Jumbo-Visma photo

Van Aert, who started from the second row, was in a good position from the start. The rider from Jumbo-Visma was part of the first group and tried to follow the wheels of his predecessors for as long as possible. After Van der Poel's blistering attack, no one was able to follow the Dutchman.

Van Aert rode at his own pace and battled with Eli Iserbyt for second place. Van Aert took the upper hand and relegated his compatriot to third place. "I'm pretty happy with the way the race went. I felt much better than yesterday when I wasn't comfortable in the saddle and had to let go”, he said.

"I had a good start and then decided to ride conservatively. It was the right tactic. Ultimately, I had a little left to accelerate and got the best possible result.” Van Aert once again saw Van der Poel excel. "He was the best today. Nobody could get close to him.”

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