Wout Van Aert wins Belgian cyclo-cross title
World champion beats Laurens Sweeck and Soete












Wout Van Aert (Crelan – Charles) lived up to his billing as pre-race favourite as he powered to a third national title in the elite men’s race at the Belgian Cyclo-cross Championships in Koksijde.
Laurens Sweeck (Era-Circus) was the world champion’s closest challenger on the seafront course, but he had to settle for second place, some 40 seconds behind Van Aert, while Daan Soete claimed the bronze medal.
Sweeck began the race in determined fashion, hitting the front in the opening lap, but Van Aert was live to the danger and leapt directly onto his rear wheel. The two favourites looked set for an absorbing duel over the first two laps, with Sweeck even briefly jumping clear of Van Aert, but the race began to turn in the world champion’s favour thereafter.
Van Aert caught back up to Sweeck on the second lap and was make much of the early running, though Sweeck impressed on the sandy sections of the course.
Midway through the race, however, Van Aert felt it was time to turn the screw, and he opened a dangerous gap on Sweeck. Although Sweeck managed to bridge back up to the world champion, it was an ominous sign.
On the sixth lap, Van Aert’s relentless pace-setting proved too much Sweeck, who was forced into a couple of small errors. That was all Van Aert needed, as he piled on the pressure and padded out his advantage all the way to the finish.
Sweeck finished strongly to claim the silver medal, while behind it was a duel between Telenet-Fidea Lions teammates for the bronze medal, with Daan Soete winning out ahead of Toon Aerts.
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Wout Van Aert (Bel) Crelan - Charles | 1:02:03 |
2 | Laurens Sweeck (Bel) Era-Circus | 0:00:42 |
3 | Daan Soete (Bel) Telenet Fidea Lions | 0:00:58 |
4 | Toon Aerts (Bel) Telenet Fidea Lions | 0:01:04 |
5 | Jens Adams (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen - Vastgoedservice | 0:01:30 |
6 | Michael Vanthourenhout (Bel) Marlux - Bingoal | 0:01:46 |
7 | Tim Merlier (Bel) Crelan - Charles | 0:01:54 |
8 | Kevin Pauwels (Bel) Marlux - Bingoal | 0:02:02 |
9 | Wietse Bosmans (Bel) Era-Circus | 0:02:09 |
10 | Quinten Hermans (Bel) Telenet Fidea Lions | 0:02:17 |
11 | Gianni Vermeersch (Bel) Steylaerts - Betfirst | 0:03:53 |
12 | Klaas Vantornout (Bel) Marlux - Bingoal | 0:04:02 |
13 | Jim Aernouts (Bel) Telenet Fidea Lions | 0:04:09 |
14 | Nicolas Cleppe (Bel) Telenet Fidea Lions | 0:04:10 |
15 | Diether Sweeck (Bel) | 0:04:15 |
16 | Vincent Baestaens (Bel) | 0:04:47 |
17 | Braam Merlier (Bel) Steylaerts - Betfirst | 0:04:58 |
18 | Joeri Adams (Bel) | 0:05:24 |
19 | Onno Verheyen (Bel) | 0:07:00 |
20 | Kenneth Van Compernolle (Bel) Tarteletto - Isorex | 0:07:20 |
21 | Jonas Degroote (Bel) | 0:07:31 |
22 | Yorben Van Tichelt (Bel) Era-Circus | -1 Lap |
23 | Edwin De Wit (Bel) | Row 22 - Cell 2 |
24 | Hendrik Sweeck (Bel) | Row 23 - Cell 2 |
25 | Stijn Huys (Bel) | Row 24 - Cell 2 |
26 | Daan Hoeyberghs (Bel) Steylaerts - Betfirst | Row 25 - Cell 2 |
27 | Kenny Roelandt (Bel) | Row 26 - Cell 2 |
28 | Ingmar Uytdewilligen (Bel) Tarteletto - Isorex | Row 27 - Cell 2 |
29 | Dario Tielen (Bel) | Row 28 - Cell 2 |
30 | Jens Gys (Bel) | Row 29 - Cell 2 |
31 | Yelle Leaerts (Bel) | Row 30 - Cell 2 |
32 | Mathieu Willemyns (Bel) | Row 31 - Cell 2 |
33 | Niels Koyen (Bel) | Row 32 - Cell 2 |
34 | Wouter Goosen (Bel) | Row 33 - Cell 2 |
35 | Julien Kaise (Bel) | Row 34 - Cell 2 |
36 | Pascal Colaert (Bel) | Row 35 - Cell 2 |
37 | Tim De Schuyter (Bel) | Row 36 - Cell 2 |
38 | Brecht Vandenheede (Bel) | Row 37 - Cell 2 |
39 | Pieter Meelberghs (Bel) | Row 38 - Cell 2 |
40 | Jelle De Bock (Bel) | Row 39 - Cell 2 |
41 | Vincent Oger (Bel) | Row 40 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Eli Iserbyt (Bel) Marlux - Bingoal | Row 41 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Rob Peeters (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen - Vastgoedservice | Row 42 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Tom Meeusen (Bel) Corendon - Circus | Row 43 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Dieter Vanthourenhout (Bel) Marlux - Bingoal | Row 44 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Jochem Danckaers (Bel) | Row 45 - Cell 2 |
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