The Citadel of Namur will be the majestic setting for a round of the UCI World Cyclo-cross World Cup on Sunday for the 13th time. Michael Vanthourenhout will be defending his leading position in the general classification in this fourth World Cup race of the season. In the women’s race, Lucinda Brand and World Champion Fem van Empel share the lead. Brand has already won four times in Namur, van Empel once.
The course of the Namur Cyclocross is known as one of the most beautiful and challenging in the world. Located on the iconic Citadel, it offers a versatile mix of technical climbs, cobbled sections and many vertical metres. The course is full of technical stretches, such as the dreaded off-camber, making it a real test for the world’s best cyclocross riders.
Michael Vanthourenhout has repeatedly passed that test with flying colours. In 2021, the man from West Flanders won the World Cup in Namur and the following year he was crowned European Champion there. All the other top riders at the start are hoping for a first victory in Namur on Sunday. Toon Aerts has already achieved several podium places at the Citadel and Laurens Sweeck and Dutchmen Lars van der Haar, Pim Ronhaar and Corné van Kessel have also mounted the podium there.
Belgian Champion Eli Iserbyt, trailing 3 points behind Michael Vanthourenhout in the World Cup standings, has so far never been able to make his mark in Namur, but all of that can of course change on Sunday. European Champion Thibau Nys is also keen to stand out in the capital of Wallonia, where the 2030 Cyclo-cross World Cup will be held on the citadel course.
A total of 15 Belgians will compete in the elite men’s event. Besides Vanthourenhout, Aerts, Sweeck, Iserbyt and Nys, they are Niels Vandeputte, Joran Wyseure, Toon Vandebosch, Jenthe Michels, Emiel Verstrynge (last year’s U23 winner), Witse Meeussen, Victor Van De Putte, Gerben Kuypers, Aaron Dockx and Daan Soete. There will be 75 riders from 17 different countries starting on Sunday. Spaniard Felipe Orts (sixth in the World Cup standings) and Swiss rider Kevin Kuhn (ninth) are definitely names to keep an eye on in Namur.
Brand, van Empel, Alvarado … or new name?
In the elite women, the Dutch are always watched closely. With Lucinda Brand (4x), Fem van Empel (1x) and Ceylin Alvarado (1x), it means the last six winners will be at the start at the Citadel. And what about Annemarie Worst, Inge van der Heijden, Aniek van Alphen or Mountain Bike World Champion Puck Pieterse.
The World Cup standings also feature three non-Dutch names from third through to fifth places: Britain’s Zoe Backstedt, Luxembourg’s Marie Schreiber and Hungary’s Blanka Vas. They too will all appear on Sunday.
Best Belgian in the standings is Marion Norbert Riberolle in eighth place. Laura Verdonschot is tenth. The other Belgians at the start on Sunday are Sanne Cant, Julie Brouwers, Alicia Franck, Jinse Peeters, Floor Meurs, Xaydee Van Sinaey, Kiona Crabbé, Shanyi De Schoesitter, Alexe De Raedemaeker, Ilken Seynave, Kim Van de Steene and Xenna De Bruyckere. The total field of participants in the elite women consists of 74 riders from 14 countries.
Ticket sales booming
Tickets for the UCI World Cup in Namur are selling like hot cakes. And not only because cyclocross is extremely popular with the Flemish public. The Citadelcross can also count on plenty of local interest. Almost half of the tickets already sold have gone to French-speaking cyclocross fans. Cyclocross is gradually gaining ground in Wallonia. Good news for all supporters: this year the spectators’ marquee will be moved to the off-camber, close to the sporting spectacle. Fun guaranteed!
