Sure, we are Canucks. But we gotta follow the Euro ‘cross champs. Especially this weekend when it seems like lots went down,
It was a few days of drama and dominance on the dunes of Middelkerke, Belgium, as Toon Aerts and the Netherlands’ Leonie Bentveld claimed European cyclocross titles in wildly different fashion — one through a nail-biting sprint, the other through sheer superiority.
For Aerts, the victory marked a nice little return to the ’cross circuit — especially given a few hiccups along the way, shall we say. Nine years after first winning the continental title, the 31-year-old Belgian captured gold again after a chaotic, fast-shifting battle among the sport’s biggest names.
Men’s race
The men’s race began with Aerts launching quickly off the line, while pre-race favourite Thibau Nys struggled early but clawed back into contention. Through the middle laps, the front of the race constantly reshuffled — with Michael Vanthourenhout, Pim Ronhaar, Joris Nieuwenhuis and Joran Wyseure all taking turns driving the pace.
One of the best interviews of the whole year 🥺
Chapeau Toon Aerts. 🫶🏻🫂
📷: @cyclingontnt pic.twitter.com/EpJCuW3LXo
— Lukáš Ronald Lukács (@lucasaganronald) November 9, 2025
By the sixth of eight laps, Aerts surged across a growing gap to rejoin the leaders, setting up a tense finale. As the riders hit the final sand section, Ronhaar led, with Nys and Aerts glued to his wheel. Nys briefly found daylight, but Aerts countered perfectly, launching his sprint from the front and holding off Nys to the line. Wyseure rounded out the podium, giving Belgium gold and bronze on home soil.
Women’s race
While the men’s race was a battle of seconds, the women’s was decided by minutes. Leonie Bentveld, still eligible for the under-23 category, took off like a champ — leading from the first lap and never looking back. By the finish, the 21-year-old Dutchwoman had distanced France’s
Celia Gery by more than a minute, showcasing the form that has her knocking on the door of the elite world podium.
“I tried to start fast and then just ride clean,” Bentveld said. “It was about making no mistakes — and I didn’t.”
Us Canucks will still continue to report on ‘cross from afar. But good news, December is nigh (how did that happen?) and Canadians will be racing in Belgium and the Netherlands soon. Just wait and see.