Last week Zdenek Stybar announced that he is going to ride two cyclo-cross races this winter: the DVV Verzekeringen Trofee in Loenhout on Thursday and the race in Bredene the next day. Last year Stybar also returned to his first love at the race in Essen. 

Stybar has no ambition, except to enjoy the race, despite being a triple World Champion. He has fully devoted himself to the road after the 2013-2014 season which he crowned with his last worlds title.

"I've done a little reconnaissance of the course today (Tuesday),” he explained to Sport.be. “I have not been here for a few years but not much has changed. On Thursday, I will feel a bit at home. It was in this environment that I grew up. The team has even put a mobile home at my disposal so that I can immerse myself totally in the ambiance. 

In the interview with Sport.be, the Czech champion has made it clear that he is far from the level of the best and that his only interest is to have “a distraction from (his) training during the holiday." 

"I want to have fun, have a sense of still being a cyclo-cross rider," he said, adding that he will start from the last row and will not take “any risks.“ But that does not mean that it will be a simple ride.

"For an hour, I'll ride hard. I will suffer in a fantastic atmosphere.”