Van der Poel decides against adding World Cup Benidorm to CX schedule
Cyclocross world champion Mathieu van der Poel has decided against adding this weekend's World Cup Benidorm to his CX schedule.
When Van der Poel and his team unveiled his winter programme in December, Benidorm was included but with a TBC attached. The decision not to race comes almost two weeks after the Dutchman took over the World Cup overall lead with Zonhoven victory at the end of the Kerstperiode. Early series leader Thibau Nys now looks poised to resume control of the overall classification this weekend, though Michael Vanthourenhout and Niels Vandeputte are also within a podium finish of the lead (obviously Nys would also have to have a bad day) – each round, the winner receives 40 points, then it goes 30, 25, 22, 21, 20, etc.
Unfortunately for whoever takes over the leader's jersey on Sunday, Van der Poel will be back on the startline for the double-header World Cup finale next weekend, with Maasmechelen (January 24) and Hoogerheide (January 25) carrying a combined maximum of 80 points, for which its hard to look beyond the world champion who has not lost yet this season.
World Cup standings pre-Benidorm (three rounds to go):
- Mathieu van der Poel – 200
- Thibau Nys – 190
- Michael Vanthourenhout – 187
- Laurens Sweeck – 186 *
- Niels Vandeputte – 176
- Emiel Verstrynge – 165
*Laurens Sweeck took over the World Cup lead at Antwerp and held it through three further rounds, until a crash at X2O Loenhout ended the Belgian's season days before Zonhoven.
