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Rarely are start lists an actual story, but when two former UCI Cyclocross World Champions now focused on their road careers make an appearance, it captures attention.

Former Cyclocross World Champ Boom adds in some cyclocross racing to tune up for road season. 2016 Heusden-Zolder Cyclocross World Cup. Elite Men. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

Boom is back, and focused on a strong, late cyclocross season. Former Cyclocross World Champ Boom adds in some cyclocross racing to tune up for road season. 2016 Heusden-Zolder Cyclocross World Cup. Elite Men. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

2007 World Champion Lars Boom is back, and with an impressive, risk-taking move from sixth row to seventh in just a few turns at the World Cup in Zolder, he has shown he’s motivated and taking his shortened cyclocross season seriously. Boom has said his aim is to race through Worlds, and fans can only hope he returns to the form he showed as a young Elite racer to challenge the likes of Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert.

2010 Cyclocross World Championships, Tabor, Czech Republic. © Joe Sales / Cyclocross Magazine

Stybar returns to cyclocross at the Azencross Loenhout. photo: Near the end of his incredible ride at Worlds in 2010, with a face full of dirt to prove it. © Joe Sales

Three-time World Champion Zdenek Stybar will also be contesting Azencross Loenhout, although perhaps with less all-or-nothing attitude than Boom. The Czech racer recently said (translated), “I start on the last row and in view of the road season I would also like to [avoid] taking any risks.” Yet he hopes to still put on a show:

“That does not mean that I here will drive around to fifty percent. For an hour I will completely turn on the throttle. It is suffering, but in a fantastic atmosphere. Whether it’s an advantage for me is that it is a dry track? It would be an advantage if the race only lasted half an hour.” -Stybar

Most of the top racers including the current and former World Champions of Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel, Thalita de Jong and Marianne Vos will be lining up.

Vos’ comeback is another headline story. Winning her second and third races in her three-race-old comeback, the seven-time World Champion could prove to be the one to beat, especially if the track proves to be fast and dry.

The climbs were where Marianne Vos was supreme. 2016 Heusden-Zolder Cyclocross World Cup, Elite Women. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

Vos is the ‘cross boss again. photo: The climbs in Zolder were where Marianne Vos was supreme. 2016 Heusden-Zolder Cyclocross World Cup, Elite Women. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

Americans Sunny Gilbert and Elle Anderson will be two Americans lining up, while Canadian Gunnar Holmgren will line up in the Junior Men’s race.

Fans can expect another suspenseful battle on the women’s side, and hope for another beautiful duel between the two young men’s champions that didn’t materialize in Zolder.

The storied event hosts the infamous pump track rollers, but also has been the site of some pretty intense battles, whether it was between Sven Nys and a beer-throwing fan, or an early battle between then-U23 racers Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert back in 2014 showing up the Elite Men. Last year’s four-way sprint to the line on the women’s side was also a memorable race.

See the full start lists below, and stay tuned for our DVV Verzekeringen Trofee series coverage of the Azencross Loenhout race.

2016 Azencross Loenhout Start List - Junior Men

1Dewulf Maxim
2Van Den Broeck Arno
3Bekaert Seppe
4Pemen Dolf
5Ellis Matthew
6Hendrikx Mees
7Dussek Tom
8Artz Bart
9Houssin Bavo
10Beerepoot Stanley
11Tulett Daniel
12Cools Wannes
13Schoormans Rav
14Agterberg Kyle
15Mein Thomas
16Bruyninckx Jonas
17Gilles Cyprien
18Tocaven Fabien
19Räkers Martijn
20De Vet Sander
21Wachters Jef
22Rivet Benjamin
23Peyroux Hugo
24Bellens Jarno
25Verdonck Andres
26Verdonck Loeka
27Le Fresne Julien
28Hebing Demiz
29Suijkerbuijk Raoul
30Le Fresne Julien
31Mosses Sam
32Young Simmion
33Van Den Aarssen Jurgen
34Kielich Timo
35Smits Rune
36Cullell Estape Jofre
37Braes Brent
38Peeters Damian
39De Meyer Jarne
40Carême Grégory
41Gustafsson Elias
42Schreiber Felix
43Thys Joren
44Van Den Eynde Vince
45Broex Victor
46Vandebosch Toon
47Vreeswijk Luca
48Hoez Theo
49Verdijck Lenn
50Kamp Ryan
51Olomek Dominik
52Gavenda Jan
53Syrovatka Matej
54Broeckx Seppe
55Zankel Jost
56Withag Jeldert
57Ferdinande Anton
58Turner Ben
59Van Gils Maxim
60Blom Kenneth
61Logie Aaron
62Bonsergent Maxime
63Vandeputte Niels
64De Smedt Yanni
65Sanderson Brody
66Holmgren Gunnar
67Peremans Jochen
68Steurs Ward

2016 Azencross Loenhout Start List - U23 Men

1Iserbyt Eli
2Hermans Quinten
3Toupalik Adam
4Aerts Thijs
5Cleppe Nicolas
6Peeters Yannick
7Schuermans Jelle
8Peeters Yannick
9Runhaar Marvin
10Goossens Kobe
11Robertson Finlay
12Lee Stephen
13Poldervaart Mario
14Fontana Filippo
15Colledani Nadir
16Grimault Ronan
17Bouwmans Dylan
18Bouwmans Bryan
19Lallement Guillaume
20Dekker David
21Morichon Mathieu
22Bonnet Thomas
23Vandael Roel
24De Meyer Senne
25Liessens Jarno
26Carriou Maxime
27Van Der Heijden Maik
28Siebens Gianni
29Van Bennekom Kevin
30Oda Hijiri
31Devos Han
32Derveaux Niels
33Van Der Stegen Roel
34Bauters Reno
35Smets Gert
36Rombouts Seppe
37Eriksson David
38Wuyts Mathijs
39Jansson Henrik
40Vandebosch Victor
41Driesen Jarne
42Caluwe Stijn
43Van Der Heijden Bjorn
44Degroote Jonas
45Van Broekhoven Rob
46Van De Klundert Koen
47Jacobs Johan
48Bakx Kelvin
49Joseph Thomas
50Möbis Maximilian
51Van Dijke Koen
52Russo Clement
53Pauwels Tijl
54Loockx Lander
55Degueurce Joffrey
56Jacobs Sybren
57Van Roosbroeck Pieter
58Boguslawski Marceli
59Jaspers Jappe
60Odonnell Trevor
61Floren Wesley
62De Maeght Dorian
63Van Staeyen Maarten

2016 Azencross Loenhout Start List - Elite Women

1De Jong Thalita
2Vos Marianne
3Cant Sanne
4Nash Katarina
5Van Loy Ellen
6Brammeier Nikki
7De Boer Sophie
8Havlikova Pavla
9Verschueren Jolien
10Kaptheijns Maud
11Sels Loes
12Gammons Madeleine
13Lomas Sarah
14Palm Eva Maria
15Meistrok Susanne
16Crees Xan
17Leonardi Elena
18Wadsworth Emily
19Nelen Kristien
20Nikolopoulos Julia
21Knaven Britt
22Kuijper Elodie
23Menut Audrey
24Arzuffi Allegra Maria
25Witlox Lizzy
26Bakker Manon
27Van Der Heijden Inge
28Hoeke Geerte
29Boschker Julia
30Burke Sinead
31Jackson Marie
32Van Wunsel Lise
33Vanwunsel Lara
34Verdonschot Laura
35Schoon Lisette
36Karami Miyoko
37Verdeyen Tine
38Molin Saga
39Delhaye Pauline
40De Bruyne Meg
41Mulder Mascha
42Van Anrooij Lindy
43Sels Loes
44Peeters Jinse
45Rombouts Tine
46Weerink Floor
47Labous Juliette
48Jansson Ida
49Van Boven Hannah
50Trabazo Bragado Irene
51Verhestraeten Karen
52Phillips Pepe
53Gilbert Sunny
54Massagé Birgit
55Del Carmen Alvarado Ceylin
56Berkane Sarah
57Vermeiren Tinne
58Clauzel Hélène
59Thy Emilie
60Anderson Elle
61Gonzalez Blanco Lucia
62Gonzalez Blanco Alicia
63Bajgerova Nikola
64Willems Gertie
65Goossens Veerle
66Greefs Kelly
67Cancellieri Virginia
68Morichon Anais
69Van Rompay Anke

2016 Azencross Loenhout Start List - Elite Men

1Van Aert Wout
2Van der Poel Mathieu
3Pauwels Kevin
4Meeusen Tom
5Sweeck Laurens
6Vanthourenhout Michael
7Aerts Toon
8Merlier Tim
9Van Kessel Corne
10Vantornout Klaas
11Van der Poel David
12Taramarcaz Julien
13Boros Michael
14Vermeersch Gianni
15Van Amerongen Thijs
16Baestaens Vincent
17Aernouts Jim
18Vanthourenhout Dieter
19Walsleben Philipp
20Peeters Rob
21Sweeck Diether
22Bosmans Wietse
23Adams Jens
24Adams Joeri
25Stybar Zdenek
26Van Tichelt Yorben
27Butler Michael
28Konwa Marek
29Clarkson Jack
30Maeda Kohei
31Geuens Alexander
32Tielen Dario
33Eriksson Martin
34Dassonville Flavien
35Venturini Clément
36Ania Gonzalez Daniel
37 Schmidt Marvin
38Cant Kevin
39Vandekinderen Jens
40Denuwelaere Jan