The Cyclo-cross European Championships take place in the Netherlands for the third time in the competition’s history. The event is in 's-Hertogenbosch, the hometown of double European Champion Marianne Vos, and the Dutchwoman will be looking to take her third title on home soil.
If Vos wants to take her first European victory in front of a home crowd, she will have to get past some stiff competition in defending champion Sanne Cant and her teammate Kim Van De Steene, who recently won the Koppenbergcross. Alice Maria Arzufi is Italy’s best chance after Eva Lechner was left off the roster. Great Britain brings Nikki Brammeier and Helen Wyman, while Christine Majerus is the lone Luxemburg representative. Alongside Vos, the Dutch also have Sophie de Boer and Annemarie Worst.
In the men’s competition, the Dutch are the defending champions with Mathieu van der Poel. He has been the dominant rider so far this season but suffered a bit of a wobble in the build-up to the event. The 2016 champion Toon Aerts will line-up alongside world champion Wout van Aert for Belgium, who have an undeniably strong squad. It is hard to look past these two nations for the title, though France’s Steve Chainel or Michael Boros of the Czech Republic could get into the mix.
