Whether or not the likes of Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert and Tom Pidcock will compete much over the coming winter cyclocross season remains a question without a clear answer. According to cyclocross experts Paul Herygers and Ruben van Gucht however, Van der Poel at least is a certainty.

“Everyone will secretly hope that Wout van Aert will appear in the field a little earlier after his heavy crash in the Vuelta, but I fear that we will have to disappoint people a little bit,” Herygers begins his analysis for Sporza. “But don’t worry: he will come. He likes to race too much and knows that he needs it, but it will be more towards December. Although I am guessing now. You can’t do much wrong with cyclo-cross. It’s the road where you come out of the battle so battered. So come and cyclo-cross quickly, Wout, you’re safe there in the forest.”

As for the reigning world champion Van der Poel, who was utterly dominant last winter? “I really can’t believe that he’ll skip a year. I think the most technical rider we’ve ever had, he’ll have to go,” Herygers says, noting how Van der Poel seems determined to break Erik De Vlaeminck’s record of 7 world titles, something he needs just one more to equal. “I think the Dutchman has his teeth into those world titles. He can’t afford that.”

“You have to look at how tough his end of the season was. But what is the alternative: long training sessions in the Spanish sun and ultimately having to simulate,” adds Van Gucht. “Although I do think that Van der Poel can also become world champion with 5 or 6 cyclo-cross races.”

None of the big 3 will be present for the first season kick-starter on Saturday evening in Beringen though. As such, the experts must name a different winner. “I was 200 percent sure of Thibau Nys, he expected a lot from it himself. But he has been ill. Was he really confined to his bed for 10 days? Sometimes these things are exaggerated,” previews Van Gucht. “I think that after what he showed on the road, he was ready to dominate the season until the other big names would start their cyclocross season. I think that is or was his ambition.”

Herygers isn’t so sure Nys is ready to dominate just yet though. “I would wait another year. The flashes that were there, like Beringen and Koppenberg, will certainly double. But that he would just outshine Iserbyt… I went out with Eli Iserbyt this summer: he was impressive. How he lives for the race. He might just be the man of the season,” he answers. “But it won’t be long before Nys junior takes over everything.”