Men's Cyclocross World Championships Is A Very Unpredictable Two-Horse Race

Ian and Michael pick their favorites for the 2021 Men's UCI Cyclocross World Championships.

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The men’s race on paper appears to be a two horse race. Mathieu Van Der Poel and Wout Van Aert are the undisputed class of the field despite a plethora of worthy challengers on the start line. 

Van der Poel and Van Aert traded first and second places in the last four rounds of the World Cup, with neither managing to assert themselves as a clear favorite for the title this weekend.

Van Aert and Van der Poel both have three elite cyclocross world championships to their name, having collectively won the past six editions. The 2021 Cyclocross World Championships will serve as a high stakes tie-breaker. Both riders appear to be on peak cyclocross form, while eyeing increased investment in other cycling disciplines in the years ahead. The duo will face-off at the Tour of Flanders and Tour de France in 2021.

The battle between Van der Poel and Van Aert in Overijse was a perfect preview for how deep the two are prepared to go to come out on top in the 2021 UCI Cyclocross World Championships.