![\"Kerstperiode](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/corvos-wc-koksijde-lucinda-brand.jpg\")
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News & Racing<\/a><\/p>\n Lucinda Brand and Mathieu van der Poel are very much in control as the Kerstperiode gets underway.<\/p>\n Kristof Ramon, Cor Vos<\/p>\n The Kerstperiode is here, at long last. The festive fortnight of cyclocross this year spans from 20th December to 4th January; it\u2019s the pinnacle of the ‘cross season with 12 races across 16 days, many of them among the most distinctive and iconic courses on the calendar.<\/p>\n This weekend kicked things off with a World Cup doubleheader at the port city of Antwerp, up near the Dutch border, and the seaside town of Koksijde on the West Flemish coast, about two hours\u2019 drive away. Both are notable for their sand, particularly Sunday\u2019s race that is known as \u2018Duinencross\u2019, i.e. cyclocross of the dunes. Both are awash with CX history.<\/p>\n Another page was to be written this weekend as world champion Mathieu van der Poel was joined by lifetime rival Wout van Aert a week on from the Dutchman’s own victorious \u2013 but close-run \u2013 debut at Namur<\/a>. And in the women\u2019s field, remarkably, both events provided an opportunity for a first-time win for Lucinda Brand, rider of the season so far and World Cup leader in waiting.<\/p>\n At the top of the series standings before Antwerp were Aniek van Alphen, built on a consistent season including victory at Flamanville<\/a>, and Belgian national champion Thibau Nys who won the first two rounds but sacrificed a slew of points by skipping the third. Neither one\u2019s lead was large, Van Alphen least of all with just a single point separating her from Brand who had won all three rounds she started. In short, though the results may have been a foregone conclusion, it was an important weekend for all sorts of reasons.<\/p>\n This weekend’s World Cup results:Antwerp ‘Scheldecross’ (Saturday 20 Dec) \u2013\u00a0Lucinda Brand and Mathieu van der PoelKoksijde ‘Duinencross’ (Sunday 21 Dec) \u2013 Lucinda Brand and Mathieu van der PoelYou always have to keep believing … It’s a bit like me racing against Tadej Poga\u010dar on the road.”<\/p>\n \u2013 Van der Poel tried to offer a bit of hope to his rivals after taking ownership of Antwerp on Saturday<\/p>\n Coming up this Kerstperiode:Monday December 22 \u2013 X2O Hofstade ‘Plage Cross’Tuesday December 23 \u2013 Superprestige Heusden-ZolderFriday December 26 \u2013 World Cup GavereSunday December 28 \u2013 World Cup DendermondeMonday December 29 \u2013\u00a0X2O Loenhout AzencrossTuesday December 30 \u2013 Superprestige Diegem (night!)Thursday January 1 \u2013 X2O Baal ‘GP Sven Nys’Friday January 2 \u2013 Exact Cross Mol ‘Zilvermeercross’Saturday January 3 \u2013 Superprestige GullegemSunday January 4 \u2013 World Cup Zonhoven<\/p>\n We’ll have two more bumper Kerstperiode galleries on December 28 and January 4.<\/p>\n First things first: World Cup Antwerp, or ‘Scheldecross’, as in the river beside which the course sits, which has been on the calendar since 2005 (as Belgian National Champs in January 2020 and cancelled due to Covid-19 in ’21). This weekend saw the return of age-group categories to the World Cup, with the juniors getting an outing at both Antwerp and Koksijde, and the under-23 men racing their own race on Sunday (round three of six).<\/p>\n This post is for subscribers only Already have an account? Sign in<\/a><\/p>\n Did we do a good job with this story?<\/p>\n \n \ud83d\udc4dYep![\"Kit](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/profile-pic-KN-150x150.jpg\")
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Niels Albert won on the Scheldecross course three times, twice during the regular season, and one national championship. Particularly notably \u2013 for the purpose of this gallery \u2013 was his final victory at on the River Scheldt in December 2013. He came up against an 18-year-old Dutchman by the name of Mathieu van der Poel who was racing his very first elite ‘cross event, and with whom Albert was so impressed as to applaud the runner-up as he crossed the line. Albert was forced to retire just six months later at the age of 28 due to a heart problem.![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/corvos-antwerp-2013-mvdp-second-2.jpg\")
Van der Poel went on to win the U23 World Cup series ahead of Wout van Aert, the pair of them winning four and two of the seven rounds, Michael Vanthourenhout clinching round 1 in Valkenburg. Van der Poel only finished off the podium in three of 28 appearances, winning 12.<\/p>\n
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