This is the 'queen stage', but the key is the fact that the organisers have made this the final day of racing, rather than the penultimate stage, like it was in the past," says Mitchelton-Scott head sports director Matt White. "In previous years, if you were within 10 seconds of the race lead after Willunga Hill, and going into the final day of racing, you still had a chance of winning the overall on the last day. That dynamic has been taken away, and that puts more importance on Willunga and the result there.
"There are no second chances this year. On Willunga, everyone knows where Richie Porte attacks. It's around the one-kilometre-to-go banner. However, nobody has been able to match his incredible accelerations. The time gaps in those last couple of minutes are always a mystery to a certain extent with cars being barraged and race radio delays, and key riders know they can hold nothing back all the way to the line."
-
Fears raised that section of 2026 Cyclocross Worlds course is ‘dangerous’ after Cat Ferguson crashed out and taken to hospital
Saturday’s Hulst World Cup used around 60% of 2026 course -
World and European women’s cyclocross champion Fem Van Empel sees World Cup overall hopes all but ended this weekend
Van Empel to miss both World Cups this weekend -
Niels Vandeputte solos to win his first World Cup in muddy Hulst
Felipe Orts second and Pim Ronhaar third in first race of doubleheader weekend
