Since then Stybar has moved to the road, Nys has retired, and Van Aert and Van Der Poel have continued their rivalry in the elite ranks. Many of the venues for major races this season are familiar – Hoogerheide, Zolder and Koksijde, to name a few. The World Championships have never visited Valkenburg, a spa resort nestling in the Dutch Alps, but the venue has staged many rounds of the World Cup. So far, so traditional.
And yet… is there just a glimmer of a deeper change?