Sweeck, another grandson molded in the mud that challenges and tames giants

Sitting next to a table with old newspaper clippings, the boy

never tired of listening to Grandpa

's war stories .

He hallucinated when he told him how he fought against

and how he won the tenth stage of the 1960 Tour of Spain, between Barcelona and Barbastro.

In that round, the Belgian was also third on day 12 and finished 16th in the overall standings.

That same year he won the Tour of Belgium.

An idol in his country.

Laurens Sweeck, reigning cyclocross World Cup winner, is shaped by the genetics and tradition of a cycling family.

Today he will fight for gold in the World Cup in Hoogerheide, a Dutch town on the border with Belgium.

Sweeck, born 29 years ago in Leuven, will challenge

(28), the main favorite, with whom he shares roots and experiences.

His grandparents were born and died in the same years, barely a month apart.

Alphonse Sweeck: March 1, 1936 (Keerbengen)-December 13, 2019 (Louvain).

The Frenchman

: April 15, 1936 (Merignat)-November 13, 2019 (Saint Leonard de Nobat).

Laurens, after hearing about his grandfather's adventures on the road, would take the bicycle and leave with his brothers

and

(also cyclists) to the outskirts of Leuven.

He soon became captivated by the mud of cyclocross.

From sub'23 he got used to the podiums of the national and European championship.

He is very combative, but he has always been eclipsed by the brilliance of his compatriot Wout Van Aert and the Dutchman Van der Poel,

.

However, the Belgian does not give up and this season he has tamed those giants in the World Cup.

''I'm looking forward to the race.

This is the most important test of the season and I have podium ambitions.

The route is fast, I think I'll be in front”, explains the cyclist, who finished fourth in the event last January in Benidorm.

''Sweeck's main attribute is his great ability to overcome shoals.

He is less known than Van der Poel and Van Aert, but he is good.

He knows how to suffer in the sections that least favor him and fly in the favorable ones,'' explains

, a Spanish specialist in cyclocross information.

Sweeck belongs to the Crelan-Fristads group,

of Van der Poel's Alpecin.

He could be integrated into the first team, but strategically it is not convenient for the group's management to have two contenders for the title in the same brand.

Sweeck is one of the benchmarks of Belgian sport.

In cyclocross he is second only to Van Aert's notoriety.

In that country, mud biking is a religion.

Van Aert is permanently followed by a legion of fans.

In front of his house, it is common for there to be fans demanding his autographs.

The runner feels uncomfortable because of this persecution and is thinking about moving to Spain, where he would go more unnoticed and the climate is more pleasant.

"For many, Sweeck, compared to Van Aert, is second only, but what would have been of many second best if people like

hadn't appeared ?", stressed Álvaro García.

The Belgian, passionate about skiing and snowboarding and an electronic engineering student, goes to the World Cup with the support of winning the World Cup, but with the burden of knowing that historically he has never adapted well to the Hoogerheide circuit.

In addition, this year the layout has been designed by

, 1996 cyclocross world champion, and Mathieu's father.

''The layout is not created for my son to show off.

It's hard for him and for everyone,'' says the former running back.

The circuit includes sections of asphalt, grass, mud, sand and steps.

It is very similar to the one in Benidorm, where Van der Poel won.

''My chances with Van Aert are 50%.

I want to do my best race of the season, although the result of a World Cup depends a lot on the weather conditions,'' said Mathieu van der Poel after his victory in Besançon.

VDP has won the rainbow jersey four times, Van Aert three.

''I have prepared my training sessions thinking about the World Cup.

In Hoogerheide I was proclaimed champion under 23 in 2014 and

,'' the Belgian proclaimed.

VDP and Van Aert will compete to inherit the title from

.

The Briton from Ineos has decided to close the mud season to focus on the road.

The Spanish options go through

, who from the Spanish concentration in Antwerp, 30 kilometers from Hoogerheide, points out: "

, something that I have never achieved in a World Cup, the best position was 12th in 2019''.

''The big fight will be between Van der Poel and Van Aert.

Laurens Sweeck is a podium candidate.

.

He is the alternative on a circuit that will be fast and with hardly any muddy areas,'' added the man from Alicante.

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