Here are the five cyclo-cross races you can watch Wout van Aert vs Mathieu van der Poel this winter
The reigning world champion and his biggest rival will return to off-road later in December
The world's top two men's cyclo-cross racers, Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel have both announced their programmes for this winter now, setting the scene for five thrilling face-offs.
Two of those will be in the UCI World Cup series, two in the top-tier X2O Trofee and one at the Exact Cross at Mol on January 2.
"Mathieu, and Wout coming back is a factor…" British cross racer Cameron Mason told Cycling Weekly last month.
“The Christmas period is a phase of the cyclocross season that I always enjoy being part of,” he said. “Because of the races themselves, the large numbers of supporters who come thanks to the holidays, and the fact that these races fit perfectly into my build-up towards the major spring classics on the road.”
This season, Van Aert's scant eight-race programme is significantly more compact than that of his rival, with Van der Poel planning to compete in 13 races, including the World Championships in Hulst, Netherlands. If the Dutchman – who is the current reigning champion – won this, it would be his ninth rainbow jersey in the event.
Van der Poel (left) and Van Aert compete in a sandy Exact Cross, 2023
Wout van Aert's cyclo-cross programme 25/26
December 20 – UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, Antwerp, Belgium
December 22 – X2O Trofee, Hofstade, Belgium
December 23 – Superprestige, Heusden-Zolder, Belgium
December 28 – UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, Dendermonde, Belgium
December 29 – X2O Trofee, Loenhout, Belgium
January 2 – Exact Cross, Mol, Beligum
January 4 – UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, Zonhoven, Belgium
January 11 – Belgian National Championships, Beringen
Mathieu van der Poel's cyclo-cross programme 25/26
December 14 – UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, Namur (tbc), Belgium
December 20 – UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, Antwerp, Belgium
December 21 – UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, Koksijde, Belgiun
December 22 – X2O Trofee, Hofstade, Belgium
December 26 – UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, Gavere, Belgium
December 29 – X2O Trofee, Loenhout, Belgium
January 1 – X2O Trofee, Baal, Belgium
January 2 – Exact Cross, Mol, Belgium
January 4 – UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, Zonhoven, Belgium
January 18 – UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, Benidorm (tbc), Spain
January 24 – UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, Maasmechelen, Belgiun
January 25 – UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, Hoogerheide, the Netherlands
February 1 – UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships, Hulst, the Netherlands
How to watch
UK subscribers to Discovery+ will find these races on the streaming platform (£30.99/month), with some also making it to the TNT Sports linear TV channels.
Fans in the USA will find the World Cup races on Flobikes ($29.99/month) and the rest on HBO Max ($18.49/month).
You can watch the UCI Cyclocross World Cup for free in many parts of the world, with the UCI providing free live streaming on its YouTube channel. The Exact Cross and X2O events are usually available to watch for free in Belgium through Sporza.
Take your CX coverage anywhere with NordVPN's Cyber Monday deal
A good VPN will enable you to avoid geo-restrictions and access your usual streaming services when you're abroad, all while bolstering your internet security. NordVPN is the best, so say our colleagues at TechRadar, and there's a great offer on right now.
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.