The fifth round of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup in Antwerp is circled on the calendar for one reason only: the return to action of Wout van Aert, and his first clash against Mathieu van der Poel.
The races, from elite men to under-23 women, take place on Saturday 20 December.
Quick guide to watching the UCI World Cup Antwerp
UK: Discovery+ (£30.99/mon)US & Canada: Flobikes (USD$29.99/mon, CAN$39.99/mon)Australia: Stan (from AUD$12/mon + AUD$15/mon sports add-on)Free coverage: UCI YouTube (geo-restricted)Anywhere: Watch your usual stream while abroad with NordVPN
How to watch the UCI World Cup Antwerp in the UK
In the UK, fans will be able to watch the Antwerp round of the Cyclocross World Cup on Discovery+, which is £30.99 a month. The race isn’t on the TNT Sports linear TV schedules.
How to watch the UCI World Cup Antwerp in the US and Canada
For North American viewers, this year’s coverage of the UCI World Cup is on FloBikes. Plans start from USD$29.99/mon or CAN$39.99/mon.
How to watch the UCI World Cup Antwerp in Australia
Cycling fans in Australia can watch the UCI World Cup Antwerp on the Stan Sport streaming service.
You’ll need to add the Stan Sport package ($20 per month) to a base Stan subscription (from $12 per month).
Can I watch the UCI World Cup Antwerp for free?
There are many places around the world where you can watch the UCI World Cup Antwerp for free.
As with all its CX World Cup rounds, the UCI is providing free streaming live on YouTube. Geo-restrictions apply, on the basis that the stream is blocked in countries that have a licensed broadcaster, so that includes the UK and the US.
To check availability in your area, the UCI has a list of blocked territories.
How to watch the UCI World Cup Antwerp while abroad
Most streaming platforms have geo-restrictions in place, meaning they only work in certain countries. But being locked out of the races is a thing of the past thanks to a VPN, so you can continue to watch the UCI World Cup Antwerp while on the move.
A Virtual Private Network is a piece of internet security software that can alter your device’s location, so you can unblock your usual streaming services, even when you’re abroad.
Our colleagues over at TechRadar know everything there is to know about VPNs and they rate NordVPN as the best VPN out there right now.
Want to know more? We have an explainer on the benefits, costs, and considerations…
– Should I use a VPN to watch cycling?
When is the UCI World Cup Antwerp on?
UK coverage of the UCI World Cup Antwerp begins at 11:30am GMT, with the elite women’s race followed by the elite men.
In the US and Canada, coverage will begin at 7:30am EST.
What to expect from Cyclocross World Cup Antwerp
Although Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) have seasons built around the road these days, both riders are former cyclo-cross world champions and World Cup winners, and even now start as favourites in any race they enter.
Van der Poel is the more prolific of the two, having won five World Cup rounds and the World Championships last season; he is searching for his eighth title this season.
Therefore, the return of the pair to CX is hotly anticipated. Van Aert will only race eight times, while Van der Poel is set to race 13 times. They will clash five times.
The start lists are packed with other big names, from Lucinda Brand (Baloise Glowi Lions), who has won all but two races this year so far, European champion Inger van der Heijden (Crelan-Corendon) and Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck)
The men’s race, beyond Van Aert and Van der Poel, boasts Thibau Nys and Lars van der Haar (Baloise Glowi Lions), and Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw).
See also: Cycling TV and streaming guide
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