There will be no Wout Van Aert or Lars van der Haar on Wednesday in the Jaarkmarktcross in Niel. That gives a rare opportunity for the other riders to finally grab a victory. Kevin Pauwels did it in Ruddervoorde last Sunday. Will he make it two in a row on will Sven Nys win again, one year after his last victory?

Van Aert and Van der Haar will skip the race which is not part of any of the major series. That increases the chances for Sven Nys and made a demonstration of power one year ago when he rode to his latest victory. "I’ve always been in contention for the victory," Nys said optimistically after the race in Ruddervoorde "But the fact that Lars and Wout won’t participate on Wednesday does not mean much. Perhaps Tom Meeusen will step up on Wednesday. This year I have often been at the start of a race where I initially thought that I had many opportunities but there's always someone who was just a little bit better than me. I do not ride badly. I am satisfied with my condition and at some point there will be a race where everything falls into place and I can take the victory,” said the rider who has the record of six wins in Niel.

Last year Sunweb-Napoleon Gams manager Jurgen Mettepenningen complained about an artificial strip of sand. This year the circuit has undergone some changes. "This year the finish is no longer at the Wirix Recherche but in the Schuttershofstraat" said Erwin Vervecken from organizer Golazo Sports. "That makes the road section much longer and that could make it a more tactical. Close to the finish of the circuit, we have made a small ramp and the artificial sand climb is now an ordinary sandbox where you can really make a difference if you can stay on your bike.”