Thibau Nys also won the second round of the 2025-2026 Cyclocross World Cup. The Belgian champion was the best in Flamanville, France, after capitalizing on bad luck for Joris Nieuwenhuis and quickly recovering from a small crash himself. Lars van der Haar and Cameron Mason joined World Cup leader Nys on the podium.
A week after the World Cup opener in Tábor, the overall classification continued in France, in Flamanville to be exact. Classification leader Thibau Nys started in the brand-new World Cup leader's jersey, defending a lead over Laurens Sweeck and Joris Nieuwenhuis. All the big names were at the start; Mathieu van der Poel is still awaited and will probably make his comeback only in Namur, as he announced this week.
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2025 |  Thibau Nys |
| 2023 | Eli Iserbyt |
| 2022 | Eli Iserbyt |
| 2018 |  Francis Mourey |
| 2017 | Clement Venturini |
| 2015 | Clement Venturini |
| 2013 | Francis Mourey |
Joris Nieuwenhuis missed his start from the front row in Flamanville, causing him to be swallowed up by the peloton. Fortunately for him, he quickly corrected that false start and managed to join the lead group. Laurens Sweeck did get off the blocks quickly, entering the field first, ahead of Lars van der Haar and Toon Aerts. World Cup leader Thibau Nys was somewhat boxed in at the start and found himself outside the top 10, just like Michael Vanthourenhout and Cameron Mason.
The first gaps were made in the second lap. On the long straight stretches through the French meadows, Joris Nieuwenhuis was able to unleash his power, taking the lead and putting the rest under pressure. Initially, only Nys could follow him, but Van der Haar and Niels Vandeputte were also attentive. Behind them, the gaps were not very big, but Nieuwenhuis sent a first signal to the rest.
Joris Nieuwenhuis - photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
Van der Haar and Nys put pressure on Nieuwenhuis, Mason makes a comeback
The four leaders managed to create a gap, with Nys and Van der Haar being teammates. They tried to exploit this advantage by letting the Dutchman ride away, forcing Nieuwenhuis to chase. Successfully, as he closed the gap halfway through the race, which consisted of nine laps in total.
Nieuwenhuis kept the pace high and managed to drop Vandeputte, leaving three leaders at the front. Meanwhile, Cameron Mason was coming from behind. The British champion had shaken off, among others, Sweeck, Michels, and Vanthourenhout and went solo in search of the lead group. Due to a mechanical problem with Nys, Mason was able to make the connection, with the Belgian on his wheel. As a result, the gaps were very small with three laps remaining.
Bad luck costs Nieuwenhuis dearly, Nys takes immediate advantage
The pace was somewhat managed upfront, allowing Vandeputte to catch up and Sweeck to come into sight of the lead group. Six riders were still dreaming of a podium place. However, a slip-up cost Nieuwenhuis dearly: his chain fell off, and he lost contact with the others. Nys took full advantage and quickly opened an 8-second gap on the rest. Mason was tasked with the chase.
The lead over Mason and Van der Haar grew towards 10 seconds, while Nieuwenhuis’s race fell apart. After a bike change, he was almost 25 seconds behind Nys. Was it over? No, because Nys crashed in a narrow 180-degree turn, allowing Mason and Van der Haar to see him again. Catching up wasn’t possible, as Nys found his rhythm again and slowly pulled away.
Mason couldn't close the gap, after which Van der Haar tried to escape from the Brit in the final lap. That didn’t succeed, but with a strong final sprint, the Dutchman managed to take second place behind his teammate. In the 2025-2026 Cyclocross World Cup standings, Nys sits convincingly at the top after his wins in Tábor and Flamanville, with the full 80 points.
UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup - Flamanville| Rank | Rider | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 01:03:01 | |
| 2 | + 03 | |
| 3 | + 05 | |
| 4 | + 23 | |
| 5 | + 26 | |
| 6 | + 32 | |
| 7 | + 38 | |
| 8 | + 49 | |
| 9 | + 01:12 | |
| 10 | + 01:23 |
| Rank | Rider | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (3) |  Mathieu van der Poel | 200 |
| 2 | Thibau Nys | 190 | |
| 3 | Michael Vanthourenhout | 187 | |
| 4 | (3) | Laurens Sweeck | 186 |
| 5 | Niels Vandeputte | 176 | |
| 6 | Emiel Verstrynge | 165 | |
| 7 | Toon Aerts | 141 | |
| 8 | (2) | Tibor Del Grosso | 139 |
| 9 | (1) | Mees Hendrikx | 131 |
| 10 | (1) | Lars van der Haar | 122 |
