Quinten Hermans powered to his second victory of the cyclo-cross season, taking out a muddy race in Essen over Laurens Sweeck (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal). Former world champion Zdenek Stybar (Deceuninck-Quickstep) finished outside the top 10 in his season debut.
It was Herman's second win after a C2 victory in Beringen, Germany in October.
With the dominant world champion Mathieu van der Poel and World Cup leader Eli Iserbyt on a training holiday in Spain, the field was wide open for the rest to fight for victory.
Thijs Aerts led the first charge on the opening lap before the race settled in for the next few laps. Hermans attacked on the third lap and Sweeck, who started on the second row, was too far back to respond.
Sweeck distanced the rest in pursuit, with Tom Pidcock coming in for the final podium spot.
Results
| Pos. | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Quinten Hermans (Bel) Telenet Baloise Lions | 0:59:26 |
| 2 | Laurens Sweeck (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal | 0:00:57 |
| 3 | Thomas Pidcock (GBr) Trinity Racing | 0:01:35 |
| 4 | Thijs Aerts (Bel) Telenet Baloise Lions | 0:01:43 |
| 5 | Diether Sweeck (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal | 0:01:46 |
| 6 | Jim Aernouts (Bel) Telenet Baloise Lions | |
| 7 | Nicolas Cleppe (Bel) Telenet Baloise Lions | 0:01:48 |
| 8 | Daan Soete (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal | 0:01:55 |
| 9 | David van der Poel (Ned) Corendon-Circus | 0:02:10 |
| 10 | Ryan Kamp (Ned) Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal | 0:02:14 |
| 11 | Tom Meeusen (Bel) Corendon-Circus | 0:02:16 |
| 12 | Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Deceuninck-QuickStep | 0:02:21 |
| 13 | Toon Vandebosch (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal | 0:02:26 |
| 14 | Loris Rouiller (Swi) Corendon-Circus | 0:02:42 |
| 15 | Ben Tulett (GBr) Corendon - Circus | 0:03:06 |
| 16 | Gianni Vermeersch (Bel) Corendon-Circus | 0:03:12 |
| 17 | Jelle Camps (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal | 0:03:28 |
| 18 | Ryan Cortjens (Bel) Corendon - Circus | 0:03:35 |
| 19 | Jarno Liessens (Bel) | 0:03:42 |
| 20 | Cameron Mason (GBr) Trinity Racing | 0:03:46 |
| 21 | Stan Godrie (Ned) | 0:04:10 |
| 22 | Jarno Bellens (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal | 0:04:20 |
| 23 | Julian Siemons (Bel) | 0:04:28 |
| 24 | Joachim Van Looveren (Bel) | 0:04:54 |
| 25 | Dieter Vanthourenhout (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal | 0:05:24 |
| 26 | Yorben Van Tichelt (Bel) | 0:05:41 |
| 27 | Victor Vandebosch (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal | 0:05:57 |
| 28 | Tomas Kopecký (Cze) Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal | |
| 29 | Witse Meeussen (Bel) | |
| 30 | Jeroen Meijers (Ned) | |
| 31 | Jens Gys (Bel) | |
| 32 | Glenn Verbeeck (Bel) | |
| 33 | Kenneth Van Compernolle (Bel) | |
| 34 | Lars Boven (Ned) | |
| 35 | Koen Van Dijke (Ned) | |
| 36 | Dolf Pemen (Bel) | |
| 37 | Lennert Meulemans (Bel) | |
| 38 | Thymen Arensman (Ned) | |
| 39 | Senne De Meyer (Bel) | |
| 40 | Hendrik Sweeck (Bel) | |
| 41 | Luke Verburg (Ned) | |
| 42 | Vince Van Den Eynde (Bel) Tarteletto - Isorex | |
| 43 | Cedric Vandesompel (Bel) | |
| 44 | Xandro Meurisse (Bel) Wanty-Gobert | |
| 45 | Max Judelson (USA) | |
| 46 | Raphaël Kockelmann (Lux) | |
| 47 | Wouter Goosen (Bel) | |
| 48 | Maarten Van Staeyen (Bel) | |
| 49 | Yoni De Bock (Bel) | |
| 50 | Jelle De Bock (Bel) | |
| 51 | Niels Koyen (Bel) | |
| 52 | Vincent Oger (Bel) | |
| 53 | Erben Van Meer (Ned) | |
| 54 | Gauthier Heymes (Fra) | |
| DNF | Wietse Bosmans (Bel) | |
| DNF | Ingmar Uytdewilligen (Bel) Tarteletto - Isorex | |
| DNF | Arne Vrachten (Bel) | |
| DNF | Nick Peers (Bel) | |
| DNF | Lennick Van Der Smissen (Bel) |
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