Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

news

Wout Van Aert wins CX World Championship for Belgium

Belgian and Dutch riders dominate in thrilling race

Wout Van Aert of Belgium has delighted home fans in Zolder by becoming the new men's elite Cyclo-Cross World Champion following a thrilling race that was dominated by riders from the host nation and their Dutch  next-door neighbours, the two countries providing the first eight finishers.

His victory came despite having to chase back on midway through the race after a bizarre incident when defending champion Mathieu van der Poel of the Netherlands got his foot stuck in Van Aert's front wheel, costing both riders precious seconds.

By the final lap, Van Aert had got back to the front of the race and was fighting it out with Dutch rider Lars van der Haar, getting clear on a climb towards the end of the circuit to ride away to victory.

Behind the front two, van der Poel seemed poised to take bronze but he was beaten to the line by two Belgians, Kevin Pauwels, who took bronze, and Sven Nys, riding the race for the last time and waving to the crowd as he came in fourth.

Aged 39, Nys is regarded as the greatest men's cyclo-cross rider of his generation. In van Aert, 21 and the most consistent rider this season, Belgium may have found his successor.

 

 

 

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

Add new comment

1 comments

Avatar
Leviathan | 8 years ago
0 likes

He looks thrilled.

Latest Comments