While Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel have divided the cyclo-cross races between them, Lars van der Haar is still watching from the sidelines. The Dutchman is recovering from a muscle tear but hopes to be back in action in January. "When I can train fully, I can get a reasonable level. Maybe not the level for the podium, but for a 4th or 5th place," the Dutchman tells Sporza.

"It goes well with me," Lars van der Haar says. The Dutchman has been on the list of injured riders since early November due to a muscle tear. "I have been riding for two weeks and am very motivated to come back soon.

"The rehabilitation is going well. The muscle rupture is recovering nicely, but sprints and interval training are not yet possible."

Does Van der Haar already know when he will be back in action? "

There is no date, because there is no certainty yet. If the pain stays away, I could do a race as training. Even if I will only finish in 25th place, I can see how it goes."

Will van der Haar be seen in the field in January? "I dare to say that this shouldbe the case. I would like to ride a few races. If you quit now and start again in March, you never know where you stand.

"It is better to do everything to finish with a good feeling. Whether I still think about the Worls? If I can train fully, I can get a reasonable level. Maybe that's not the level fir a podium but for the 4th or 5th place."

The cyclocross season is dominated by Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel. "Sometimes the others admit their supremacy too far," says Van der Haar. "But it's hard ride against guys who are just really better.

"I think it is still beautiful to watch the races but it would be nicer if Kevin Pauwels and Toon Aerts could make it more difficult for them.

"Whether I expected this difference in their level? I knew the difference was there, but I had expected that Pauwels would have been closer.

"I could also have made it difficult for them even though Van der Poel has a very high level. But I could definitely have been the third man who could steal a race from them."