There is a chill in the air, the smell of frites, the tang of spilled beer, the rustle of winter coats and the slosh of rubber boots in mud: Why are thousands of Belgians standing in the cold and rain? It’s cyclocross season, of course!

Cyclocross is still as popular as ever around the world despite a challenge from the growing gravel racing scene, and it wouldn’t be winter if we weren’t tracking when Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel might be starting their off-road season.

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The first World Cup round will not take place until the series opener in Tábor on November 23.

Van Empel won her 50th race at the Exact Cross in Heerderstrand, but now that she has decided to give herself more space to enjoy life outside of sport, there is room for other stars to emerge.

Lucinda Brand showed she is back to her best with back-to-back victories in the X2O Trofee last weekend in the Koppenbergcross and Rapencross.

Belgian champion Marion Norbert Riberolle won the first Superprestige race in Ruddervoorde, followed by Italian Sara Casasola winning in Overijse.

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Across the pond, Maghalie Rochette has dominated the Trek USCX series, winning seven of the eight races so far. Lizzy Gunsalus has five wins to her name in the non-series races.

Keep an eye out for the return of Puck Pieterse, who will start her ‘cross season in Namur on December 15, and the return of Shirin van Anrooij from iliac artery endofibrosis surgery. She will also likely begin in December.

The under-23 world champion Zoe Bäckstedt will miss the first part of her season after suffering a concussion in a training crash.

Aside from waiting for Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert to return to the mud, the men to watch include, Michael Vanthourenhout, who claimed back-to-back wins in the Superprestige to lead that series. Thibau Nys won the X2O Trofee opener, the Koppenbergcross, but was plagued by crashes and mechanicals the next day but has high aspirations for defending his European title. Dutchman Joris Nieuwenhuis, who won the Rapencross, is another rider with immense talent in the dirt.

In the States, Andrew Strohmeyer and Eric Brunner have traded blows in the Trek USCX series, each taking four wins.

In Great Britain, Thomas Mein has dominated the National Trophy series and won two of the four Hope Supercross races.

Belgians continue to hold the top spots in the UCI Rankings, with Vanthourenhout in the lead, followed by Toon Aerts, and Eli Iserbyt – although the Belgian has had multiple surgeries for a problem with his femoral artery and will not be in action until later in the season. Niels Vandeputte, Laurens Sweeck and Nys are also riders to watch.

Keep an eye on Spaniard Felipe Orts, winner of the Nacht van Woerden, Pim Ronhaar, Joran Wyseure and Tibor del Grosso.

Lars van der Haar will be retiring after a successful career at the end of the season, but will still be one to watch at the pointy end of the races.

Dutch Mathieu Van Der Poel (L) and Belgian Wout van Aert compete during the men's elite race of the 'GP Sven Nys' cyclocross cycling event, stage 4 out of 8 of the X2O Badkamers 'Trofee Veldrijden' competition, in Baal on January 1, 2024. (Photo by JASPER JACOBS / Belga / AFP) / Belgium OUT

Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert race reduced schedules in cyclocross (Image credit: Getty Images)