For the second year in a row, Iowa City will host the opening of the Telenet Cyclocross World Cup, which will take place Sept. 17 as part of a three-day Jingle Cross Festival.

Last year’s Elite Men’s Jingle Cross winner was Wout Van Aert, who eventually went on to win the World Cup. He will hope to continue his title defense on Sept. 17, where it all began.

However, last year Van Aert raced without having to compete against his rival, Mathieu van der Poel, who was sidelined with a knee injury. This year, he is healthy and ready to challenge Van Aert’s reign.

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In the women’s category, 38-year-old Katherine Compton will try to repeat the winning effort she had at last year’s Jingle Cross.

Compton will face tough competition; last year’s World Cup top-three finishers — Sophie de Boer (1st), Sanne Cant (2nd), and Katerina Nash (3rd) — will race against her. The race will take place at a course designed by the organizers of the World Cup and Jingle Cross at Johnson County Fairgrounds.

Iowa City is known to be a bit bumpy, and the course does not shy away from that. This year, cyclists will have to cope with the daunting climb up Mount Krumpit and the ride though the Holly Jolly Hell Hole swamp mud pit.