European Cross-Country Championships in Middelkerke: Triple victories for Belgium and the Netherlands

It was an interesting mix of cycling, beach running, bobsleigh and luge that was demanded of the athletes at the European Cyclocross Championships. The course in the Belgian beach resort of Middelkerke led through the dunes on the North Sea coast - not everything was rideable in the deep sand. Toon Aerts coped best, dethroning his compatriot Thibau Nys as European champion after a 58:40-minute ride and running time. In a thrilling race that remained open until the end, Aerts sprinted across the finish line just ahead of Nys as the first runner-up. Another Belgian, Joran Wyseure, finished in third place. "This is a very special day. The last few years have been so incredibly difficult, so much has happened. To be honest, I didn't expect everything to fall into place for me again. I kept going during this difficult time, sometimes against my better judgement," said the newly crowned European champion at the finish line, according to the website hetnieuwsblad.be. This is the 32-year-old Aerts' second European Championship title in the elite class. He had already won the continental championships in Pontchateau, France, in autumn 2016. In the meantime, the Fleming had to sit out a doping case. Because the breast cancer drug letrozole was detected in his urine sample during a doping test, Aerts received a two-year ban from the UCI until February 2024. The title win was by far the biggest success after his comeback. However, the competitions were also characterised by the absence of many top stars. Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert and Tom Pidcock did not compete in Middelkerke after a long and intensive road season. Luca Harter was the only German rider to finish in 25th place out of 26 riders.

The Dutch clean up

Dutchwoman Inge van der Heijden celebrated the biggest success of her career on Saturday. The 26-year-old was a clear 41 seconds ahead of compatriot and former world champion Lucinda Brand at the finish line. Aniek van Alphen followed in third place and completed the total triumph of the Dutch women. At the finish line, the new European champion told Dutch TV station NOS: "I didn't expect this. I know that I can get through the sand well, but I also knew that Lucinda is strong." Van der Heijden had already shot to the top as world champion in the U23 age group in 2019. After that, her success in the elite class did not continue. "Hopefully this will give her a boost," said national coach Gerben de Knegt according to nos.nl. As with the men, some familiar faces were also missing from the women's field, such as former world champions Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado and Marianne Vos, defending champion Femke van Empel and mountain bike world champion Puck Pieterse. German female cyclists did not compete.

Late start in the World Cup, World Championships in the Netherlands

The cyclocross season is picking up speed late this year. The overseas races in the USA, which were already on the calendar in September in previous years, will no longer be part of the World Cup in the 2025/2026 season. This year, the most important race series will not begin until 23 November with the first stop in Tabor, Czech Republic. A total of eleven races are scheduled until the end of January, seven of them in Belgium. After the World Cup season, the World Championships are traditionally the highlight of the season. It will take place from 30 January to 1 February 2026 in Hulst in the Netherlands. Info at www.hulst2026.com

European Championship venue becomes start location for Gent-Wevelgem

The European Championship venue Middelkerke will also play a permanent role in road cycling in the future. The venue for the European Cross Championships will be the starting point for the semi-classic Ghent-Wevelgem, which will premiere on 29 March 2026. According to organiser Flanders Classics, the pros will start the traditional road race from there for the next ten editions. In future, the race will be called "In Flanders Fields - from Middelkerke to Wevelgem" (see also our message). The name comes from the fact that parts of the route run across the battlefields of the First World War.