Cyclo-cross Archives

Nys and del Grosso Ambush Their Elders in Belgian and Dutch National Championships

January 13, 2025 at 12:16 pm3 min reading

Road cycling

This past weekend was a festival of national cyclo-cross championships with no fewer than 18 European nations, from Albania to Switzerland, alphabetically speaking, crowning their 2025 home champions. The most interest, quite naturally, was in the two countries that dominate men’s cyclo-cross, Belgium and the…

Van Aert’s Weekend Cyclocross Double Signals Return to Form

January 6, 2025 at 10:41 am3 min reading

Outdoor/Mountain

The first weekend of the new year provided good news for Wout van Aert and his many fans. The 30-year-old Visma–Lease a Bike rider won both cyclocross races of the weekend, including a dominating victory in Sunday’s World Cup race in the deep mud of…

Better Late Than Never for Michael Vanthourenhout

December 20, 2024 at 3:49 pm3 min reading

Road cycling

This winter is turning into a kind of power play for the Belgian cyclo-cross rider Michael Vanthourenhout, who turned 31 on December 10 and seems finally to be getting the hang of the sport after years of undistinguished results. Going into the pre-Christmas weekend, he…

Vanthourenhout Takes Dramatic World Cup Win After Aerts Crashes Near Finish

December 16, 2024 at 1:05 pm2 min reading

Outdoor/Mountain

Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) won his third successive cyclo-cross race in the most dramatic of World Cup races in Namur on Sunday when Toon Aerts (Deschacht-Hens-FSP) crashed on a devilishly difficult muddy descent just a few hundred meters from the finish line.

Van Aert Prepares for Critical Comeback Season

December 11, 2024 at 10:09 am2 min reading

Road cycling

Following a severe knee injury suffered in the Vuelta a España, Wout van Aert is scheduled to return to racing just before Christmas in the first of six cyclo-cross races as he attempts to rediscover his cycling mojo after a disastrous 2024.

Nys Crashes as Sweeck and Vandeputte Share the Weekend Cyclo-Cross Spoils

November 18, 2024 at 10:05 am3 min reading

Outdoor/Mountain

Everyone has heard of the so-called Commentator’s Curse. Praise an athlete and they will immediately drop the ball, trip over their shoelaces or, in the case of Thibau Nys, crowned cycling’s Next Big Thing in this column, lose a race he should have won and…

Is Thibau Nys the Next Big Thing in Cycling? Yes!

November 14, 2024 at 9:28 am3 min reading

Outdoor/Mountain

It’s probably a little early to compare Thibau Nys, who just turned 22, with the likes of Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert and Remco Evenepoel on the basis of a handful of cyclo-cross and road race victories, even if the manner of his…

Nys Triumphs Again as Sweeck Battles Through Deep Mud to Win at Niel

November 12, 2024 at 2:06 pm3 min reading

Outdoor/Mountain

Cyclo-cross fans waiting impatiently this season for the arrival of a superstar such as current world champion Mathieu van der Poel and three-time world champion Wout van Aert needn’t bother. Their wait is over. There is already a superstar riding on the circuit. His name…

Iserbyt Wins First Cyclo-Cross Race After Ban, then Finishes Second to Nys

October 28, 2024 at 2:09 pm3 min reading

Outdoor/Mountain

Belgian cyclo-cross champion Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) said that his dominant victory in Saturday’s Exact Cross race at Heerderstrand wasn’t for revenge over this three-race suspension for stamping on a rival’s bike. “I just wanted to race,” he said after beating Pim Ronhaar (Baloise–Trek Lions)…

zdenek-stybar-a-freshly-retired-cyclo-cross-legend-if-i-stop-my-career-on-sunday-on-monday-i-want-to-be-back-to-work-whatever-that-is

Zdeněk Štybar, a Freshly Retired Cyclo-Cross Legend: “If I stop my career on Sunday, on Monday, I want to be back to work, whatever that is“

March 20, 2024 at 12:38 pm2 min reading

Road cycling

In this episode of the We Love Cycling podcast, Matt Stephens is revisiting one legendary pro career that just recently reached its conclusion. In his virtual studio, he welcomed Zdeněk Štybar, a Czech native and a road cycling and cyclo-cross household name.