UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships, Valkenburg 2018

The 2018 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships take place for the first time in Valkenburg on the classic Cauberg cross course which is sure to put the riders and their gear through the paces.

With heavy rains soaking the course in the week leading up to the races, the mud is thick, and with plenty of climbing and tricky sections, the course is going to be one for the strongest and most technically adept riders.

In the men's race, Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel, the dominant rider of the season, is the overwhelming favourite, with only Belgian Wout van Aert in the picture as a rival.

The women's race is just the opposite, with at least 10 riders with a strong chance of winning. Defending champion Sanne Cant has been the most consistent, sharing hard-fought races with Katie Compton, Katlin Antonneau, Helen Wyman, Nikki Brammeier and more recently, mountain bikers Eva Lechner, Pauline Ferrand-Prevot and Katerina Nash. Add in a strong Dutch team with former world champions Marianne Vos and Thalita de Jong, and it's guaranteed to be a race for the ages.

Read the full preview.