Pidcock third while Vos vanquishes Brand in final World Cup round before cyclocross World Championships

Tom Pidcock finished third in his final race before the cyclocross World Championships next weekend, where he will have a good chance of taking the rainbow jersey given the absence of both Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert.

Today's World Cup round in Hoogerheide was a reminder to more casual followers of the discipline that there are more than three riders who spend their winters running through muddy fields bike in hand, however. The Belgian Eli Iserbyt finished first, his seventh World Cup victory this season, while the Dutchman was runner-up two seconds in arrears, Pidcock trailing another second later. Both men will line up alongside Pidcock next weekend in Fayetteville.

“It was not quite enough in the end," Pidcock said of his third place. "They were working well together behind through circumstance - as people made mistakes and there was a chance to take the lead, but I didn’t quite snap the elastic."

In the women's race, Marianne Vos broke the spell Lucinda Brand has been casting of the female field this season with a blistering attack on the final lap. Brand has only failed to win at three out of 14 races since November 27, all three have been due to the presence of Vos.

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Both Dutchwoman will also line up in America on Saturday, where a winner from the Netherlands will be expected in the women's field.

As for Pidcock, a crash yesterday hasn't seemed to have fazed him at all and he is up for the fight to become world champion.

"My condition will be good next week [at the World Championships]," he said. "It’s going to be a hard, fast race and a good battle. Everyone is in with a chance, it’s going to be interesting next week."