The day after the opener of the X2O Badkamers Trophy on the Koppenberg, the riders get a second chance. In Lokeren, the Rapencross awaits—a relatively young race, but one that has everything a modern cyclocross should have. Showmakers like Thibau Nys and Fem van Empel will certainly be back in action. WielerFlits looks ahead.
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2025 |  Joris Nieuwenhuis |
| 2024 |  Thibau Nys |
| 2021 | Eli Iserbyt |
| 2020 | Eli Iserbyt |
| 2018 | Daan Soete |
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Lucinda Brand |
| 2024 | Lucinda Brand |
| 2021 | Denise Betsema |
| 2020 | Aniek van Alphen |
| 2018 | Sanne Cant |
We still know the course in Lokeren from the Belgian Championship in 2023, but since the race made its debut in the X2O Badkamers Trophy last year, the circuit has changed a bit.
Where previously a little over three kilometers had to be covered, it is now just under three kilometers. For example, the river will no longer be crossed; the entire course takes place in the heart of Park Ter Beuken.
Mont Henri remains the highlight of the course. The challenging hill is located roughly in the middle of the lap. There is still some distance to the finish, but significant differences can definitely be made here. This section of the course also features many corners, which means a lot of acceleration. At the very start and in the final stretch, there are longer straight sections.
The Rapencross was traditionally held in September until the Belgian Championship in 2023. Of course, the race took place once in January, but now the cyclocross is scheduled for November. That could mean some mud on the course.
Officially, you could call this race in Lokeren the second chance after the Koppenbergcross, but in reality, it's a completely different story. Where the Koppenberg primarily involves long, steady climbing, Mont Henri is more explosive. Still, Thibau Nys has already won both events.
Two years ago, Nys scored one of his first big pro victories on the Koppenberg; last year, he was the best in Lokeren. At that time, it was one of his first races in his European champion jersey, which Nys won in Pontevedra. The 22-year-old Nys starts his cyclocross winter at the Koppenberg and immediately rides a double weekend.
The latter is something the explosive rider is not really used to; in recent years, he tried to avoid double weekends as much as possible. But now that Nys has become even stronger and has Tour de France kilometers in his legs, double weekends are more frequent. His father Sven especially expects more consistency and stability. Well, the young Nys can immediately prove that on Sunday.
Strikingly, his teammate Pim Ronhaar is not doubling, but most other crossers are. Also, Laurens Sweeck is a special case. The rider from Schriek knows very well what he can and cannot do and therefore chooses to skip the Koppenberg. Sweeck doesn’t like cyclocross with a lot of climbing, but his technique and power on the flat are very strong. That’s why he’s putting all his focus on Lokeren this week, and even more so on the European Championships the following weekend.
However, we can’t overlook Michael Vanthourenhout. The leader of Pauwels Sauzen-Altez won the first two classification races of the season and is therefore a serious contender. He also stood on the podium when his teammate Eli Iserbyt took the Belgian title here in Lokeren two years ago. It will still take a little while for Iserbyt to return, but in the meantime, Vanthourenhout is doing very well.
Also, Joris Nieuwenhuis and Toon Aerts have already made their mark with wins at Heerderstrand and Ardooie, respectively. We are in a cyclocross winter where everything is so close that they could easily dominate this race. In Lokeren, they are certainly not at a disadvantage. Furthermore, Niels Vandeputte, Jente Michels, Emiel Verstrynge, Joran Wyseure, and Felipe Orts also deserve mention.
Women
In the women’s field, we see few to no surprises. Of course, world champion Fem van Empel counts herself among the top favorites again after her triumphs, but we still remain a bit cautious.
“Unfortunately, Fem will not start today at the Superprestige race in Overijse because she does not feel fully fit. Get well soon, Fem!” her team suddenly reported. It is uncertain whether Van Empel really got sick or if it was simply the fatigue from two races in one week that got the better of her. In the latter case, Van Empel should be able to get back in shape for these races.
Last week in Overijse, however, it was Lucinda Brand and Sara Casasola who dominated. The two are very strong riders, but can they challenge Van Empel on a slightly more technical course with lots of twisting and turning? The sections at the start and end of the lap favor Brand, who does not seem to be losing any strength.
The outsiders are to be found in Casasola’s camp at Crelan-Corendon, which also includes strong riders Inge van der Heijden, Manon Bakker, and Marion Norbert Riberolle. Let’s not forget Aniek van Alphen (Seven Racing), who had an impressive start to the season. Just like Blanka Vas from SD Worx-Protime and the young Leonie Bentveld.
Saturday, the day of the Koppenbergcross, will be a very bad day in Belgium. Sunday brings less precipitation—around 2 mm according to Meteovista—but the rain from the previous day will impact the course. With temperatures up to 13 degrees Celsius, it will also be a bit cooler, an effect amplified by wind reaching up to 4 Beaufort.
X²O Badkamers Trofee - Rapencross| Rank | Rider | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 01:01:40 | |
| 2 | + 05 | |
| 3 | + 07 | |
| 4 | + 12 | |
| 5 | + 28 | |
| 6 | + 32 | |
| 7 | + 42 | |
| 8 | + 48 | |
| 9 | + 01:06 | |
| 10 | + 01:15 |
X²O Badkamers Trofee - Rapencross| Rank | Rider | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 46:07 | |
| 2 | + 21 | |
| 3 | + 34 | |
| 4 | + 52 | |
| 5 | + 01:07 | |
| 6 | + 02:09 | |
| 7 | + 02:20 | |
| 8 | + 02:30 | |
| 9 | + 02:37 | |
| 10 | + 02:51 |
Thibau Nys starts racing again – photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
Nieuwenhuis got off to a good start as well – photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
| # | Rider | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 40.06% | |
| 2 | 13.82% | |
| 3 | 8.87% | |
| 4 | 7.33% | |
| 5 | 3.52% |
Van Empel at work in Ruddervoorde – photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
| # | Rider | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 70.74% | |
| 2 | 10.89% | |
| 3 | 8.69% | |
| 4 | 3.19% | |
| 5 | 1.71% |
X²O Badkamers Trofee - Rapencross
