2022 Cyclo-cross World Championships Predictions Favor Pidcock

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The 2022 Cyclo-cross World Championships is held next weekend, on the 29th and 30th of January in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The men’s race will be without the top main stars of the sport, Wout Van Aert and Matthieu van der Poel. In their absence, the 2022 Cyclo-cross World Championships predictions favor Tom Pidcock to win the rainbow jersey. 

The 2022 Cyclo-cross World Championships is held next weekend in a purpose-built venue at the Centennial Park in Fayetteville. It is only the second time that the biggest event of the sport is held outside Europe after the 2013 World Championships in Louisville. The 2-mile course includes a tarmac straight, a grassy descends, and a steep uphill with 17% gradients. So cyclists won’t have an easy job for sure. In the men’s race the winners of the last seven years, Wout Van Aert and Matthieu van der Poel won’t compete this time. The Belgian star wants to concentrate on his road season and didn’t want to interrupt his preparation. While van der Poel is struggling with a back injury. In their absence, British Tom Pidcock has become the huge favorite. Meanwhile, the Dutch cyclists can dominate the women’s event as we already discussed here. 

Pidcock can win his first title according to the 2022 Cyclo-cross World Championships predictions 

Tom Pidcock has already won the junior and the under-23 cyclo-cross world title in the previous years. And he also finished second in the elite race in 2020. Now the British cyclist is the main favorite to win the event. With online sportsbooks in the UK offering the odds of 1.44 for his victory. Pidcock is a very versatile athlete just like the most famous representatives of the sport. He also won the gold medal in cross-country in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. And he got some great results in road cycling as well. Like winning the one-day classics of Brabantse Pijl last year.

The 22-year-old cyclist has got two wins in the 2021-22 Cyclo-cross World Cup and two more podium finishes. His biggest rival in the world championship can be the current leader of the World Cup, Belgian Eli Iserbyt. The two-time U-23 world champion is having his best season after winning six races in the world cup and leading the overall standings. He finished second in this course last October, so he can return with good memories.  Iserbyt has the odds of 4.50 to win now in the 2022 Cyclo-cross World Championships predictions. 

Other top Belgian and Dutch favorites

As Belgium and the Netherlands have been dominating the sport, we can find more cyclists from these countries in the top favorites. One of them is Toon Aerts, the two-time overall World Cup winner who has the odds of 5.50 to finish on the top of the podium. The 28-year-old Belgian has won three bronze medals in the last three world championships, finishing behind Van Aert and van der Poel. Now it might be his time to shine and win the gold medal. In spite of winning only one World Cup event this season. 

Still staying with Belgian cyclists, online gambling sites in the UK also mention Michael Vanthourenhout in the favorites. The 2018 silver medalist has been riding in great form recently and stands currently in second place in the World Cup. He won the Citadelcross race in December finishing ahead of Pidcock. And he got seven additional podium finishes in the season. Vanthourenhout’s odds to win the gold now are 8.00. In the absence of van der Poel, Dutch fans can hope for a good performance from Lars van der Haar. The 30-year-old is one of the most experienced cyclists on the field. He won the European championship this season and a World Cup race in the Czech Republic. The Dutch champion’s odds to win the title in Fayetteville are 21.00 on bet365. 

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