Seven days after the first round in Tábor, Czech Republic, the Cyclocross World Cup will be hosted this weekend in Flamanville, France. Not a stranger in the overall standings, it returns after a year’s absence. Especially in the women's field, the entire lineup is wide open due to numerous absences. WielerFlits looks ahead.
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2025 |  Thibau Nys |
| 2023 | Eli Iserbyt |
| 2022 | Eli Iserbyt |
| 2018 |  Francis Mourey |
| 2017 | Clement Venturini |
The Flamanville World Cup is mainly known for the idyllic surroundings of the Château de Flamanville - not far from the French coast. This year, the organizers have made few changes to the course, which benefits its recognizability.
Shortly after the start, the riders quickly face the first set of stairs and two artificial bridges, as noted by former French pro Steve Chainel during his course reconnaissance in Flamanville. "Immediately followed by a very technical section along the water. You turn completely inward there, I call it 'the serpentine.' Then you climb back up again, in total there are about five explosive little climbs."
Showpiece
Right in the middle of the lap is the true highlight of the cross: the riders actually ride over the water there. “Previously, the course ran just beside the moat, next to the street where the campers were parked,” Chris Mannaerts, Head of Cyclocross at World Cup organizer Flanders Classics, told us earlier. “Since last year, a pontoon has been laid parallel over the final moat, so they no longer have to cross that road.”
A second notable change to the course was the relocation of the log section. “They are no longer next to the equipment zone but just before the finish. At the end of what will hopefully be an exciting race, that might still play a role,” Mannaerts believes.
The lap is also characterized by a second set of stairs. Chainel: "At the very end, there is first an embankment, which you get a good run-up to. On the second, you start with less speed and barely make it to the top. After that, you go over the planks towards the beautiful final straight near the castle."
Not too demanding
Furthermore, the World Cup in Flamanville should be a relief for the riders. Mannaerts: “It flows well there; we certainly won’t get a mud race. Even with heavy rain, it should stay relatively rideable. I think the riders will appreciate that after the hard work of recent weeks. It doesn’t always have to be tough.”
“It remains a fantastic setting, that area around the castle,” says Mannaerts. “It’s a fairly typical French course. There are fewer rolling corners than in Troyes, but the riders will often have to stand up on the pedals. There are no long or really tough climbs, but they will frequently need to accelerate to and from the water.”
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Men
After several inconsistent weeks, we saw the real Thibau Nys again in Tábor. A rider who can dominate and has made a huge step forward compared to last season because of it. The week before, the young Nys was also successful in Hamme, so we can say the Belgian champion is on a roll. If you know him a bit, you know he will do everything to keep that going.
For Nys, it’s a constant balancing act between loading enough training volume in his schedule towards the road season and still coming into his races fresh enough. He seems to be succeeding better and better. Maybe this week best of all, as he gets to travel to Spain from Monday for a week or two of sunny training. The Cabras World Cup is therefore omitted, with Nys focusing on resting and training.
Who can challenge him the closest in Flamanville? On Czech soil, that was Laurens Sweeck, who seems to be riding on clouds since his win in Niel. Sweeck is therefore dangerous again in Flamanville, but the most consistent rider of the last weeks after Nys is Joris Nieuwenhuis. This strong Dutchman is often in the news due to uncertainty about his Ridley project, but physically he is showing up in every race. In Flamanville, he can once again put his strength to good use.
We also see European champion Toon Aerts steadily improving. After his European title, he took a bit of a break, and shortly after also fell ill. He therefore didn’t feature in races for several weeks, but that can’t last forever. Intrinsically, the man who earns the right to wear the blue-and-white jersey has all the qualities, and Aerts is more than motivated to show them to the public.
The cyclocross world is tough and the level is high. If you, like Aerts, lose a bit of form, plenty of young talents are ready to gladly take your spot. Jente Michels and Emiel Verstrynge are two riders already on that list, and the Brit Cameron Mason definitely belongs there as well. The three are close to the podium; just a big win seems a matter of time.
Also, some more experienced riders are doing well. Lars van der Haar has found a second wind despite announcing his retirement. And Michael Vanthourenhout can already lean on two major wins in the first two big races. In Tábor, he couldn’t defend his chances due to a crash but should be back in shape now. And will Pim Ronhaar climb back to the top?
Women
Although Lucinda Brand has stood out for weeks, she made it very exciting in Tábor last week. Likely, the technical course there wasn’t demanding enough to create real gaps. Or will the eternal energy source that is Brand finally runs dry? In any case, she has decided to just focus on training this week and skip the World Cup in France. As if that weren’t enough, her Italian rival Sara Casasola is also sitting this one out.
But there are other contenders on the coast. World champion Fem van Empel is still not back in cyclocross, and it’s unclear how much longer that will take; Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado is back. The former world champion struggled for weeks with knee problems and has not been able to race any events this season. Alvarado waited long enough to come back at a good level immediately, so we expect the Dutchwoman to be right at the top. Whether that is enough to win remains to be seen.
The list of riders behind Brand is completely wide open. From the Netherlands, European champion Inge van der Heijden, Aniek van Alphen, Leonie Bentveld, Denise Betsema, and of course Shirin van Anrooij are all dangerous. The latter does lack a good starting position though, forcing her to lose a lot of energy in the early phase chasing back, just like last week.
The strong French generation is perhaps racing their most important cross of the year here, so French champion Amandine Fouquenet is definitely one to watch. But the very young Célia Gery will also aim to finish near the front again after her impressive ride on the Koppenberg. After some rest, the 19-year-old talent is back.
The weather conditions this Sunday in Flamanville will be pleasant. According to Weeronline, temperatures can reach up to 10 degrees Celsius and the sun will also make an appearance. However, a fairly strong northwest wind of 4 Beaufort is expected. The course might also be wet due to heavy rain the day before.
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2025 |  Aniek van Alphen |
| 2023 | Lucinda Brand |
| 2022 | Fem van Empel |
| 2018 | Marlene Petit |
| 2017 |  Christine Majerus |
| 2015 | Caroline Mani |
| 2013 | Pauline Ferrand-Prévot |
UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup - Flamanville| Rank | Rider | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 01:00:09 | |
| 2 | + 13 | |
| 3 | + 47 | |
| 4 | + 54 | |
| 5 | + 01:23 | |
| 6 | + 01:36 | |
| 7 | + 01:47 | |
| 8 | + 02:04 | |
| 9 | + 02:16 | |
| 10 | + 02:31 |
UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup - Flamanville| Rank | Rider | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 50:05 | |
| 2 | + 20 | |
| 3 | + 30 | |
| 4 | + 45 | |
| 5 | + 55 | |
| 6 | + 58 | |
| 7 | + 59 | |
| 8 | + 01:17 | |
| 9 | + 01:21 | |
| 10 | + 01:29 |
Nys celebrating - photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
Toon Aerts in his new jersey - photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
| # | Rider | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16.61% | |
| 2 | 13.93% | |
| 3 | 9.42% | |
| 4 | 8.59% | |
| 5 | 6.97% |
It’s only Alvarado’s first race of the winter - photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
| # | Rider | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 40.31% | |
| 2 | 17.64% | |
| 3 | 9.56% | |
| 4 | 7.43% | |
| 5 | 5.65% |
UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup - Flamanville
