Belgian veteran Toon Aerts claimed a statement win in his first cyclocross outing of the winter, powering to victory at Kermiscross Ardooie 2025 ahead of compatriot Michael Vanthourenhout after a thrilling finale. In the women’s race, Lucinda Brand marked her own seasonal debut with an assured victory of her own.
Under grey skies in Ardooie, the men’s race unfolded at a steady tempo through the opening laps, with a large front group of 15–16 riders locked together on the fast, dry circuit. Michael Vanthourenhout and Yordi Corsus animated the early stages, while Toon Aerts, making his long-awaited return to racing, looked comfortable near the front.
A nasty crash for Milan Lenaers briefly interrupted the rhythm, but the front of the race soon settled again with names such as Felipe Orts, Ryan Kamp, Joran Wyseure, Witse Meeussen, and Gerben Kuypers all in contention.
With three laps to go, Wyseure attempted to raise the pace, but on the flat terrain no one could force a real separation. The lead group remained intact entering the final lap, with Meeussen setting tempo and the favourites marking each other’s moves.
On the final circuit, Vanthourenhout hit the front and tried to break clear through the technical section, but Aerts stayed glued to his wheel. The two Belgians pulled away from the rest, setting up a head-to-head sprint for victory — and it was Aerts who launched early and proved the stronger, sealing a dominant win on his return to competition.
Brand times her move perfectly
In the women’s race earlier in the afternoon, Lucinda Brand (Baloise Glowi Lions) showed her trademark patience and power to take her first victory of the season.
The former world champion waited until the final lap before making her decisive move, riding away from Marion Norbert Riberolle and Inge van der Heijden on a bone-dry circuit that had offered few chances for separation.
After several laps of stalemate, Brand accelerated as the bell sounded, gradually opening her advantage metre by metre to solo to victory. Behind her, Belgian champion Norbert Riberolle managed to hold off Van der Heijden for second place, but Brand was long gone — celebrating a commanding win in her first race of the campaign.