Preview: X2O Trophy Baal 2024 – Pidcock rewards fans with a new Big Three match

Yuri Ijensen •
Sunday, December 31, 2023 at 4:00 pm

Since the turn of the 20th century, the Sven Ness Supporters' Club has spoiled many riders' New Year's Eve party. No champagne toasts after midnight, if the men and women cyclists are at all successful. Meanwhile, Golazo is the organizer of GP Sven Nys in and around Balenberg. In short: January 1 has been Baal Day for everyone since the year 2000, hangover or not. Cycling Looking forward!

date

The last ten winners hubby
men
2023: Elie Esserbet
2022: Woot Fan Art
2021: Matthew van der Poel
2020: Matthew van der Poel
2019: Matthew van der Poel
2018: Matthew van der Poel
2017: ton aerts
2016: Woot Fan Art
2015: Woot Fan Art
2014: Sven Ness

slim
2023: Wim van Empel
2022: Lucinda brand
2021: Celine del Carmen Alvarado
2020: Celine del Carmen Alvarado
2019: Jolanda Neve
2018: Catherine Compton
2017: Marianne Vos
2016: Sunny was
2015: Katrina Nash
2014: Catherine Compton

last year

X2O Cup 2022-2023
hasty JB Sven Nes Baal, men
1. Elie Iserbit (Pauls Sosin-Bingol) in 1 hour and 35 seconds
2. Michael Vanthornhout (Pauls Sosin Bingol) +11 w
3. Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) +1m02s
4. Lars van der Haar (Balloise Trek Lions) +1m08s
5. Jens Adams (Shocofit) +1m56s

X2O Cup 2022-2023
hasty GP Sven Ness Baal, women
1. Wim van Empel (Jumbo-Visma) with a time of 50 minutes and 50 seconds
2. Lucinda Brand (Baloise Trek Lions) at 2 p.m
3. Celine del Carmen Alvarado (Alpecin Desoninck) at 2 minutes and 27 seconds
4. Denis Betsema (Pauls Sosin-Bingol) at 3 minutes and 12 seconds
5. Marion Norbert-Riberol (Krilan-Frestads) in 3:20 seconds

Effect

Balenberg has been an event venue since the beginning of GP Sven Nys. The site breathes cyclocross. Not only is there a permanent track on which children have been training in recent years, but the Sven Nes Cycling Center was also opened in 2016. The Cycling Center is an experience center, including a café and a museum. For completeness: Sports management company Golazo has fully owned the Balenberg car since 2016.

The course at Balenberg is 85 percent natural, according to Ness himself. The mountain is climbed from all sides during the cross, and the clay subsoil makes it more difficult in rainy weather. Strength and agility are two of the most important requirements to perform well as a rider. This year's track is once again a copy of last year's track; The route has not been modified since 2021.

Since 2016, the rink has been fully and permanently fenced, giving the rink a more professional appearance. Four years ago, the descent was decorated with additional bumps (Dirt jumps). It is an obstacle that not everyone has received with the same amount of enthusiasm. “We've already received criticism for this and we've listened to it,” Ness says. “We widened this corridor three years ago, making it less dangerous, but it still retains its amazing value.”

Program and information

Program Monday, January 1, 2024
11 am: Junior category
12.15pm: U23 Men's Promises
1:45 PM: Women's Elite
Three o'clock in the afternoon: elite men

location
Balenbergstraatje 11, 3128 Bal (Tremelo)

general information
Pre-sale tickets are available at €15.00 each via The organization's website. Children up to 12 years old can enter for free.

Practical information
Site organization
X2O Trophy website

List of participants for men
List of women participants

Favorite men

Do you want to start the new year quietly? forget that. GP Sven Nys could boast a number of big names on the first day of 2024. All the reasons to wait a little later in the afternoon with New Year's Wishes visits, because we could be presenting a men's derby.

Photo: Cor Foss

It must be said: only if Matthew van der Poel Interested in that? 28-year-old Dutch world champion Alpecin-Deceuninck is currently infallible. He started his demonstration campaign this winter in Herenthals and immediately won Force Majeure. Then he also did it at Mole, Antwerp, Javier, Dighem and Loenhout, and all the other five races he has competed in so far. fact that Mfdb He has competed in Baal seven times (twice as a junior, once as an under-23 and four times as a professional) and has won six times, confirming his favourite-like status.

The only time he didn't win, Van der Poel came second – of course – Woot Fan Art. That was exactly ten years ago during the only version ever completed by Eternal Vows Rivals. However, the 29-year-old Belgian's track record is also impressive, because Visma | Lease a Bike-crosser also won three times among the elites. Therefore, he needs another victory to equal Van der Poel's number. The advantage Van Aert has: There will be heavy rain on Monday, which will turn the Ballenberg River into a mud puddle.

Iserbyt made it difficult for Van Aert in Heusden-Zolder – Photo: Cor Vos

The last four years I stood Tom Pidcock Always on the podium – if it weren't for his failed attempt he would have won last year. The Briton later added this cross to his program. As a result, the Big Three begin work on this Day of Baal. Last year, the INEOS Grenadiers rider was on course for victory on January 1, but crashed in the absolute final after trying to steal the spotlight. Does he want revenge?

Also at the party: the title holder Elie Esserbet. The Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal cyclo-cross racer says he's in the shape of his life. However, he is not on the same level as Van der Poel. He made it difficult for Van Aert in Heusden-Zolder and the next day in Diegem he did the same to Pidcock. What can the little Belgian do on Monday?

There is also Iserbyt's prestige at stake. He wants to win all the classifications this winter. Even though Baal only takes us halfway through the X2O Cup, he's still standing Lars van der Haar Official there to this day. The 31-year-old Dutch Baloise Trek Lions champion has a nine-second lead over his Belgian rival. This arrangement is on time. After training in December, Van der Haar's results dropped slightly. Having previously been the only podium finisher, he is now almost sixth. It is up to him to turn the tide.

Nieuwenhuis and van der Haar – Photo: Cor Vos

colleague Joris Nieuwenhuis He has also made an excellent impression since mid-November. The 27-year-old Dutchman decided to focus fully on cross country again more than a year ago. Successfully, because in recent weeks Nieuwenhuis has won the World Cup, it also makes it difficult for top players in other competitions. If it gets very muddy again, as it happened during the Jaarmarktcross in Niel, and there is a lot of walking, Nieuwenhuis could take third place on the podium. Last year he performed Baal for the first time. The sixth came.

Tournaments come again and then you can set the clock accordingly Michael Vanthornhout She's back on track. Pauwels rider Sozin-Bingol struggled all season, but won the European title. However, in recent weeks we have seen him more and more from the front. On the contrary – or at least in his last two matches – this applies to him Pim ronhar. He doesn't have a very good track record in Baal either, but he's eccentric enough to be there again in one go.

Nys won the X2O Cup round in Koppenberg earlier this year – Photo: Cor Vos

Finally, a word about the son of the one who bears the name of this cross. Tibau Nice. There is no other rider in the world who knows this route, down to the deepest tree roots, like Ibn Sven. After all, he had been training in this arena for years. When he was young, he won this competition twice and also once in the U-23 competition. How does he fare in the pros? But the knee injury he suffered in Diegem worries him.

Favorites according to WielerFlits
***Mathieu van der Poel
** Woot Fan Art, Tom Pidcock
* Elie Isserbyt, Lars van der Haar, Joris Nieuwenhuis

Favorite women

The women's field is much less impressive. There are quite a few big names that stand out due to their absence. This way, Bock Pieterse, Shirin van Anweij, Celine del Carmen Alvarado, Angie van der Heijden, Kata Blanca Vaas, Zoe Backstedt and Marie Schreiber can sleep in on January 1st. This provides many ladies with an opportunity on stage.

Van Empel continues to master winning – Photo: Cor Vos

Winning is a different story. World champion and title holder Wim van Empel He is already at the departure point. Visma Leader | However, renting a bike starts with a question mark. She still has problems with her knee. For now, the Baal match is Van Empel's last, but given the strength of the field – or rather lack thereof – she is bound to win. With the exception of Javeri, I have been successful in all my crosses this winter.

It's actually the only strong contender left Lucinda brand. She missed the start of the season with a bad shoulder injury, but then the 34-year-old Baloise Trek Lions racer turned out to be anything but worn out. Only in Jhaveri (fourth) she missed the podium after saying she had bad legs. She has been on the podium in the other ten competitions, winning three of them: the World Cup in Flamanville and Dublin, and most recently the Zilvermercross in Mull. Can the Van Empel brand handle the heat?

The brand won at the mall – Image: Cor Foss

While Vanthornhout always rises to the top among men once there are close tournaments, the same applies to the three-time world champion among women. Sunny was. Until the beginning of December, she was one of the women who ranked fifth and tenth every week. But since the Zilvermeercross race at the end of December, she has increasingly finished at the front. In Antwerp there was an exception with a 13th place finish, but she struck in Loonhout, and there the emotional Cant won her first UCI cross this year. right on time.

As for the other places on the podium, we have to look to the women who are having a tough time this year. I'm thinking of Anne Marie is worseand is much less dominant than he has been in recent seasons due to physical discomfort. Dennis Betsema Just like Brand, he started the season late due to a crash in training. They are still having difficulty, but team manager Jurgen Mettebiningen sees improvement. The person who is attending the dates more and more is the 20-year-old Czech top talent Kristina Zemanova. Will she continue her second-place finish at Loenhout?

He couldn't win again at Loenhout – Photo: Cor Vos

Favorites according to WielerFlits
*** Wim van Empel
** Lucinda Brand, Sunny Cant
* Kristina Zemanova, Annemarie Wurst, Denis Betsema

Weather and TV

It promises to be a muddy affair for Baal on New Year's Day. It rains heavily on Sunday and Monday, as well as during the afternoon cross country race. According to WeerOnline, there are southwesterly winds of force four on the Beaufort scale. The mercury rises to about eight degrees, which makes splashing around in water not fun.

X2O Trophy Hub, Cyclo Cross
Live on Sporza, VRT1 (from 1:30pm)

Live on Eurosport 1 (from 1.30pm for women)
Live on Eurosport.nl/Discovery+/GCN+ (from 1:30pm women)

Live on Eurosport 1 (from 2.55pm for men)
Live on Eurosport.nl/Discovery+/GCN+ (from 2:55pm men)