The Iowa City World Cup kicks off the 2019-2020 cyclo-cross series on the same ground that helped propel Toon Aerts (Telenet-Fidea) to the overall World Cup victory last season.
The Belgian will be back for more glory - in particular in the absence of Wout Van Aert, who was seriously injured during the Tour de France time trial in July and Mathieu van der Poel who is focussing on the UCI Road World Championships.
Aerts will be heading the Belgian delegation with teammate Quinten Hermans and Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen Bingoal). Tom Meeusen (Corendon-Circus) and MIchael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen Bingoal) add to the country's firepower on US soil.
Pan Am champion Curtis White, recently victorious in Rochester, and US champion Stephen Hyde head up the American contingent.
On the women's side, last year's winner Katie Keough (Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld) will lead a strong field with US champ Katie Compton, Rebecca Fahringer, Ellen Noble, MTB stand-out Jolanda Neff, Katerina Nash, former world champion Evie Richards and Pan Am champion Maghalie Rochette.
Dutch talents Maud Kaptheijns and Sophie de Boer have made the trip across the Atlantic, but world champion Sanne Cant opted to skip the opening races.
