With World Champion Zdenek Stybar out with injury, the hometown favorites at the 2015 World Cyclocross Championship will have to fight their way through the fields if they want a chance at first. We present to you some of our favorite contenders for the Men's Elite Race, with a quick look at all the American racers as well as some international riders to look out for. The weather shows that snow will be likely before and during the Women's and Junior races on Saturday. Only time will tell how much of that will factor into Sunday's U23 and Men's races.
Also, don't miss our Women's Elite Race Preview for Tabor.
The Favorites: Lars van der Haar
Lars van der Haar was never far from the front at CrossVegas. © LasalaImages.com
Last year at this time, Lars van der Haar was a popular choice to take the win in Hoogerheide, which was in part due to his dominating performance at the 2013-14 World Cup. This year, Van der Haar learns what it is like to be the veteran rider with a bunch of young hotshots trying to steal the show.
He is ranked third overall, and like Pauwels, he was able to capture two World Cup victories, his coming at Valkenburg and Zolder. He saw last year’s podium slip away from him after keeping pace with Nys and Stybar for the majority of the race.
Like Meeusen, Van der Haar is not afraid to work hard pulling a chase group around the course. He has put on good shows in the snow before, although at the Superprestige at Diegem, his aggressive cornering got the best of him as he went down in the same area multiple times. If the course stays hard and the Dutch rider can make a few good gaps on the younger riders late in the race, he could find himself wearing the rainbow stripes on Sunday.
