And so, on the eve of the European Cyclo-cross Championships in Middelkerke, only one favorite remains in the elite women's category. Many Dutch women were already out due to injuries, and last week world champion Fem van Empel also joined that list. This leaves all roads open for Lucinda Brand to claim the title. WielerFlits looks ahead.
Last year it was exciting until the finish - photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
Sand specialists, take note! This weekend, the beach of Middelkerke offers a unique chance to win the European cyclo-cross title. The pros have only raced this course once before, so Erwin Vervecken of organizer Golazo gives us some insight.
Only once? Middelkerke has hosted the Noordzeecross since the 1950s, which has been the final event of the Superprestige since 2011, right? That’s true, but that race always takes place in Sportpark De Krokodil. When Middelkerke organized the Belgian cyclo-cross championships in 2022, Golazo shifted the venue to the military domain of the Lombardsijde district.
Ex-pro Bjorn Rondelez, once winner of the Kermiscross in Ardooie and the elite-2 Belgian champ, was working at the barracks back then and designed the course. It was perfect terrain for Wout van Aert, who during the height of the COVID period and on a crowdless loop under rather chilly conditions, beat Laurens Sweeck and Quinten Hermans. Among the women, Sanne Cant took the win. “We’ve tweaked a few details here and there, but we’ll be reusing that course for 99%,” Vervecken tells us.
Organizing on a military domain, however, is no easy task. “Everyone who enters the domain in the lead-up and preparations for the race must provide their number plate and ID in advance. It’s similar at the Duinencross in Koksijde. It makes preparations more complex. Fortunately, security on the event day itself is sufficient, and everyone is welcome.”
All on the beach
The course has one major highlight: the passage over the beach of the coastal town Middelkerke. “That’s also where you can make differences. The riders briefly exit the military domain, descending through sand to reach the waterline. Think of the World Championships in Ostend, where riders charged onto the beach at high speed and tackled the hard sand at the water’s edge.”
“For the men’s elite riders that won’t be too difficult. They ride when the tide is far out, so they have plenty of beach space. The toughest part comes when they have to run back through loose sand and scramble through the dunes to get back onto the military domain. That’s where strength and running ability come into play,” explains Vervecken.
According to the three-time world champion, the Middelkerke race can therefore be described as a true sand cross. “Looking at the course now, that sandy section looks manageable in theory. But when hundreds of riders train on it and youth categories race, the sand gets churned up and deep ruts appear. Then it becomes much harder.”
Rabbits
Does that mean there are no other obstacles on the course? Certainly not, but they’re simply less impactful. Shortly after the start on the main road in the middle of the military domain, a small hill forces riders to zigzag several times. “The complexity here is that the hill has been eaten away by rabbits that live there and have dug burrows. It’s full of holes and bumps, which made laying out a nice line difficult.”
“Immediately after follows a taller dune, where it will be touch and go if riders can climb over it. Also, a cobbled section colors that first part before the beach,” Vervecken adds. At the end of the lap there’s a second, fairly easy hill. “After the beach section there are mostly asphalt sections, so between the buildings you’ll be quickly at the finish.”
We don’t use the term ‘beheaded’ lightly when it comes to a championship. Unfortunately, due to circumstances, this European cyclo-cross championship in the elite women’s category stands out for the absence of several top contenders. For example, it’s not surprising that Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado and Annemarie Worst have been sidelined all winter due to persistent injuries.
Last week, world champion and defending titleholder Fem van Empel was added to that list. Last Saturday, Van Empel dropped out early at the Koppenbergcross. Her team then reported that the 23-year-old from Brabant wasn’t fully recovered from an illness. Therefore, she also didn’t start the Rapencross on Sunday. The European Championship also arrives too soon. The world champion will travel to Spain this week to prepare for the rest of the cyclo-cross season under the Spanish sun.
And while we’re at it: don’t look for 19-year-old Célia Gery, the Frenchwoman who gave Lucinda Brand a tough battle until the last meter at the Koppenbergcross. She races in the under-23 women’s category. The same applies to 21-year-old Leonie Bentveld. Otherwise, the Dutchwoman from Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw, who finished third at the Heerde Cross, would always be a medal contender.
It’s no surprise that in our search for a top favorite, we quickly arrive at Lucinda Brand. At 36, Brand remains a model of consistency, as the leader of Baloise Glowi Lions proved again last weekend. She comfortably outpaced the rest both at the Koppenberg and in Lokeren, on two totally different courses.
Add to that the fact that Brand loves sand, and you know there are few factors that can stop her on Saturday. In her previews of the championship, the Dutchwoman—who lives in Lille, Belgium—has repeatedly said she has fond memories of sand. In 2021, she was crowned world champion on the sand of Ostend—a course very reminiscent of this one—her only world title to date.
Despite the string of absences, the Netherlands still fields the strongest team overall. This season, you can hardly overlook Aniek van Alphen. The Seven Racing rider is someone who often flies under the radar because she wins so rarely. Yet Van Alphen has already crossed the finish in the top 4 six times. Also, Inge van der Heijden and Manon Bakker can mean something for orange.
The only rider to beat Brand in her first five races this winter was an Italian: Sara Casasola of Crelan-Corendon. Sara Casasola of Crelan-Corendon took advantage of Brand’s crash in the last lap of the Druivencross, but was mostly in control of that race. She later said she worked on some of her weaker points over the summer. Whether sand is among them remains to be seen on Saturday.
Although Gery won’t be there, France still brings a strong group of women to the start in Middelkerke. Consider the teamless Hélène Clauzel—although she is currently supported by the Roodhooft brothers—and French champion Amandine Fouquenet, who currently rides for Arkéa-B&B Hotels but will be without a team starting January. Don’t be surprised if one of them reaches the podium.
For Hungarian Blanka Vas, that podium may still be a bit too early. The SD Worx-Protime rider is coached by Sanne Cant, who became Belgian champion on this course in 2022, but she still needs to improve her form to reach last season’s level. For Luxembourgish Marie Schreiber, it’s uncertain whether she will start her first race of the winter this weekend.
For the first championship with spectators in Middelkerke, the crowds are in luck! Temperatures up to 15 degrees Celsius will be quite pleasant, and no rain is forecast. This will keep the sand sections in fair condition. According to Meteovista, the wind, at up to 3 Beaufort, is also mild for a coastal location.
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2025 |  Inge van der Heijden |
| 2024 | Fem van Empel |
| 2023 | Fem van Empel |
| 2022 | Fem van Empel |
| 2021 | Lucinda Brand |
| 2020 | Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado |
| 2019 | Yara Kastelijn |
| 2018 | Annemarie Worst |
| 2017 |  Sanne Cant |
| 2016 | Thalita de Jong |
UEC Cyclo-cross European Championships| Rank | Rider | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 50:41 | |
| 2 | " | |
| 3 | + 07 | |
| 4 | + 10 | |
| 5 | + 17 | |
| 6 | " | |
| 7 | + 18 | |
| 8 | + 26 | |
| 9 | + 27 | |
| 10 | + 50 |
Sanne Cant once won the Belgian Championships in Middelkerke - photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
Brand celebrating on the Koppenberg - photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
Casasola already trumped Brand - photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
Vas and Clauzel, two outsiders - photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
| # | Rider | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 77.86% | |
| 2 | 10.56% | |
| 3 | 2.74% | |
| 4 | 1.96% | |
| 5 | 1.78% |
UEC Cyclo-cross European Championships
