2014 Preseason UCI Cyclocross Men’s Rankings

Zolder’s podium in 2013: Bina, Van der Haar and Stybar. Van der Haar goes into this season ranked best in the world. © Cyclocross Magazine

With the 2014-5 cyclocross season just around the corner, now is the perfect time to examine the UCI preseason rankings. This year, UCI rankings mean even more than good call ups for races. The best in the world will have extra incentive to fight for a top fifty ranking as they will be provided with an automatic bid to a World Cup, even if their country has already selected the maximum allowable bids.

Today we will be looking at the men’s field, and stay tuned for an upcoming examination of the elite women, a ranking that should have even more interesting implications for the United States.

Lars van der Haar captured the top spot in the rankings. Even though he was unable to keep up with the pace of Stybar and Nys in the 2014 Cyclocross World Championship, he has more than earned first place due to his flawless riding in many of the world cups last season, including firsts at Valkenburg, Tabor, and Zolder. Sven Nys takes second in the rankings, and is situated 150 points above third. The preseason rankings also serve as a sad farewell to Niels Albert, who was diagnosed with cardiac arrhythmia late last season, forcing him to retire.

The new UCI rule will be welcome news to Belgian riders like Bart Aernouts, who despite a solid 14th ranking in the world, is often left out of world cups due to the fierce competition in Belgium. Top-ranking American Jeremy Powers is close on Bart’s heels in 15th place, whereas Tim Johnson is the next American superstar at 21st.

French National Champion Mourey took a commanding win in front of all the favorites in Namur. © Cyclocross Magazine

Another great star to point out from the rankings is French rider Francis Mourey, who often makes his presence felt in world cups, including his incredible solo victory at Namur last year. Those who watched the 2013 World Championships in Louisville might remember him as the rider who heroically took an early lead in the Men’s Elite Race only to be captured later on by the Belgian pack. He’s a fierce, technical rider with a lot of heart, and he more than deserves a seventh overall ranking.

For Americans, it will be interesting to see if any more of our rising stars can break into the top 50 to give us a better presence at world cup stagings. Logan Owen (64th) and Jamey Driscoll (65th) continue to impress and have a solid chance to move up this list, although Owen will likely concentrate on U23 races at the world level. Further down, Yannick Eckmann (69th, another U23 rider) as well as Zach McDonald (72) also have promising shots.

For more details, check the UCI preseason rankings below, and as always, stay tuned to cxmagazine.com for more preseason action.

2014 Preseason UCI Cyclocross Rankings - Men