The elite men’s cyclocross season – sans Van der Poel, Van Aert, and Pidcock – has been something of a free-for-all so far, and this weekend’s racing didn’t disappoint.
British champion Cameron Mason has been knocking on the door of a big result for quite some time now. And yesterday at the Flandriencross, he nearly burst right through it.
What a battle 😮💨
Cameron Mason and Thibaut Nys have locked horns with just under two laps remaining in Hamme 👀 pic.twitter.com/Xw6BGxHN4r
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) November 16, 2025
In a thrilling two-up duel in Hamme, the third round of the X2O Trofee series, Mason – who also finished fifth at Saturday’s Superprestige Merksplas – went toe-to-toe with multi-disciplinary star Thibau Nys, after the pair forged clear with five laps to go on the treacherously muddy course.
Despite forcing the pace towards the end, Mason’s dream of a maiden elite win on the continent was scuppered on the last lap, however, when a few slight errors allowed Nys to take control, the Belgian champion powering onto the finishing straight to pip his British rival and secure his second win of the series.
A scintillating battle 🤩
Thibaut Nys got the better of Cameron Mason after a five-lap duel between the pair finished with a sprint for the line 🙌🏻 pic.twitter.com/iTsb1G42OO
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) November 16, 2025
So close. But considering how much Nys, one of the current stars of the sport, had to work for that win, it seems only a matter of time before Cam Mason nabs that big breakthrough victory.
Earlier on Sunday, things weren’t quite so tight in the women’s elite race in Hamme, as Lucinda Brand continued her dominant start to the season, taking her third consecutive win thanks to an attack from the gun and a long-range solo exhibition, as European champion Inge van der Heijden was forced to settle for second, nine seconds back.
Brand on brand 🫡
Lucinda Brand led the race from start to finish as she claims a hat trick in Hamme with a third victory this week 🤩 pic.twitter.com/yWuuJ6jymw
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) November 16, 2025
That victory also means that Brand has won seven times from nine starts this season (in the other two she finished second), and – wait for it – has now finished on the podium in each of her last 50 (50!) cyclocross races.
The last time the 36-year-old was off the podium in a ‘cross event? 21 January 2024, in Benidorm… where she finished fourth. Now that’s dominance.
Meanwhile, there were also plenty of non-cyclocross happenings at the weekend.
In the altogether more sterile world of turbo trainer racing, Germany’s Jason Osborne and New Zealand’s Mary Kate McCarthy retained their titles at the UCI Esports world championships in Abu Dhabi.
Osborne looks delighted…
And, following the (admittedly inevitable) news that Chris Froome would not be part of the cycling team formerly known as Israel-Premier Tech next season, our man Callum delved into the four-time Tour de France winner’s difficult legacy:
> Chris Froome’s retirement limbo leaves the sport of cycling to grapple with a difficult legacy
Dan Bigham also had some fancy new aero lasers to show off:
And finally, in infrastructure and health news, it turns out cycle lanes and bike schemes are good for you, after all (I’m shocked too…).
> “Mind-blowingly good” cycle lane proposals unveiled by local council