Tom Pidcock (GBR) has his sights set on a top-five finish at next weekend's World Cyclocross Championships in Switzerland.

The 2019 U23 World Champion finished seventh in the final World Cup race on Sunday.

The Dutch rider enters the World Championships as the leading contender for the rainbow jersey as he looks to defend his title, and Pidcock is one of the riders vying for a top finish.

On Sunday, the 20-year-old Pidcock stayed in the lead group and set the pace at various stages until Van der Pol broke away with a few laps to go. However, Van der Pol, the U23 Paris-Roubaix winner, finished in seventh place.

"It was super fast. It was easy," Pidcock told Cycling News at the finish line.

"It was ridiculous. We were in a group the whole time, and super fast...We got a gap on one climb, which was a little soft on the grass, and Mathieu attacked, and that's where we went down. That's where Mathieu attacked and that was my weak point. But I am still happy. But there was a power difference, but I was still fighting there, so it wasn't too bad.

Pidcock finished fifth in the final World Cup race in Nomei, but he and his coach stood at the finish in the Netherlands and spoke candidly of their confidence that the rider is moving in the right direction as the World Championships approach.

"I can see I'm making some progress," Pidcock told Cycling News. 'I think a top-five finish next week would be good. He returns to Belgium tonight and flies to the world championships on Friday.

The world championships will be held in Switzerland on February 1-2. Pidcock is the only Brit in the elite men's race and will face defending champion Van der Pol and other Belgians, including Pidcock's former U23 rivals Eli Iserbyt, Wout Van Aert and Toon Art.

Evie Richards, who finished a strong fifth in Hugelheide, will lead the British women's team.