At the start of the 200 kilometer-long race strong winds in the Moeren meant the group’s chances were slim Söderqvist managed to break away with seven others before another group of seven riders attacked from the shattered peloton the two groups merged to form a 15-rider breakaway including Söderqvist and Theuns but the peloton was following at less than a minute but thanks to a powerful effort from Söderqvist Theuns went early and managed to stay in front all the way to the finish line https://twitter.com/LidlTrek/status/1903123281244295379 https://twitter.com/LidlTrek/status/1903117660113559886 I haven’t won since my son was born and he asks me a lot of times when I come back from the race ‘Daddy I love to do the lead outs for Milan and that’s my place and he’s one of the best sprinters in the world But when your own son is saying ‘Why didn’t you win?’ it hurts a little bit I told him last week it will come one day and today I had unbelievable legs and I could win after a long time without a victory I really have to thank everybody who supported me the whole team and especially my girlfriend and my son It’s not always easy to live together with a cyclist 'In the Middle of Lidl-Trek' is here to complement our 'All Access' videos and give you even more behind-the-scenes action Luke Lamperti (Soudal-QuickStep) and Aime De Gendt (Cofidis) lead the large breakaway group Podium at 2025 Breden Koksijde Classic (L to R): Luke Lamperti of Soudal-QuickStep on second place race winner Edward Theuns of Lidl-Trek and Nils Eekhoff of Team Picnic PostNL on third place Lidl-Trek rider earns win from sprint in breakaway group of 15 riders as peloton closes in final metres Edward Theuns (Lidl-Trek) scored a victory from the breakaway at the Bredene Koksijde Classic winning in the finishing sprint as the move – which went clear 100km from the finish – just about held on to the line With the peloton finally closing in on the attackers in the closing metres of the race Theuns launched a long sprint with Luke Lamperti (Soudal-QuickStep) and Nils Eekhoff (Picnic-PostNL) on his wheel He had enough to hold off his two competitors with Lamperti and Eekhoff filling out the remainder of the podium places I haven’t won since my son is born and he asks me a lot of times when I come back from the race ‘Daddy did you win?’ and it hurts,” Theuns said after the race “I love to do the lead outs for Milan and that’s my place and he’s one of the best sprinters in the world But when your own son is saying ‘Why didn’t you win?’ it hurts a little bit “I told him last week it will come one day and today I had unbelievable legs It’s not always easy to live together with a cyclist but moments like these make it worth it.” The flat start to the 201km race brought with it high winds The big attacks of the day would come on the ‘hill zone’ comprising of two ascents of the Baneberg and Kemmelberg and one of the Monteberg The five ascents came packed into a short circuit after 73km of racing and would bring attack after attack at the front of the race Attacks from Erik Resell (Uno-X Mobility) and Jakob Söderqvist (Lidl-Trek) instigated the main move of the day heading towards the Baneberg including Vito Braet (Intermarché-Wanty) Ethan Vernon (Israel-Premier Tech) and Robbe Ghys (Alpecin-Deceuninck) went along Florian Vermeersch (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) Upon finishing the second ascent of the Kemmelberg and exiting the ‘hill zone’ with the peloton trailing around 20 second back though it would take another 40km before the two break groups merged and Arkéa-B&B Hotels worked at the front having missed the moves The gap to the enlarged leading group of 15 men came down very gradually but the riders out front kept on battling despite Uno-X and Tudor joining in the work behind with Söderqvist having put in a mountain of work on the front to help Theuns The catch was close to being made inside the final kilometre both peloton and break finished on the same time but the breakaway riders won out as the fastmen prevailed Theuns proved the quickest in the dash to the line after a hectic day out by the North Sea coast He held off Lamperti and Eekhoff in the sprint for his first UCI win since 2021 while Vernon and Braet rounded out the top five Results powered by FirstCycling Dani has reported from the world's top races She has interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars and her favourite races are the Giro d'Italia you will then be prompted to enter your display name Fem van Empel secured third place at the Koksijde cyclocross race The reigning world champion visibly struggled but managed to fight her way to a podium finish Van Empel and Lucinda Brand found themselves slightly behind the explosive efforts of Pieterse and Inge van der Heijden while Van Empel overtook Van der Heijden to claim third “I didn’t feel like there was more in it today,” Van Empel admitted afterward that’s often a sign that things won’t go smoothly I just hope to recover quickly and get back to performing at my best,” she said “My next race is this Sunday in Dendermonde She also confirmed that she won’t compete in the Dutch National Championships next weekend “With such a busy schedule and big goals this season 🇧🇪 #X2OTrofeeThank you, Koksijde! 👌🏼 pic.twitter.com/VqbO7MH8o6 Subscribe yourself for the Team Visma | Lease a Bike newsletter and receive previews for races A young team will be at the start this Friday The 22nd edition of the Bredene Koksijde Classic has all the ingredients of a Belgian one-day race: climbs and narrow roads which all promise to spice up the day and give the attackers a chance to foil the sprinters’ plans The 200km course features two ascents of the iconic Kemmelberg although given that the last ascent is tackled around 100 kilometers from the line there’s a strong possibility for things to come back together the wind could cause chaos on Friday and turn everything into an attritional race our team will take on this race with a young and motivated team Andrea Raccagni and Warre Vangheluwe will be joined by two riders from our feeder squad – Federico Savino and Gauthier Servranckx – on the six-man Soudal Quick-Step roster for the Wolfpack’s final outing of the week on Belgian soil “We start with six riders and we are determined to leave everything out there The hills on the course could play a role in the outcome but the wind is the one that could end up being crucial on Friday which is famous for its crosswinds and where the race could split where there is a possibility for a regrouping and a bunch sprint although it remains to be seen how big that group will be” Photo credit: ©Billy Ceusters / Getty Images to know how many times a particular page is read We only use this information to improve the content of our website These cookies are only placed after you have given your consent Scores of clubs around Europe have Koksijde on their calendar every year as the guarantee of partners and the perfect location make it an attractive prospect; more than 30 years of history are the evidence of its success but with a guest coach for at least one session Belgium’s own world champion and Olympic medallist Dirk Van Tichelt is often in attendance and for a recent edition Jimmy Pedro and Travis Stevens were at the helm The star of the show though is always the mat time the focus is the collecting of randori minutes The 2025 Koksijde camp has 550 participants from Germany The world tours are due to begin in only a few weeks time juniors in Bosnia and seniors Slovenia and Paris and before them is also the incredible Mittersill camp in Austria The year is beginning at a pace for the majority and it’s certain that it will pay off the International Coaching Enrichment Certificate .. 2024 / Interviewing an Olympic champion is something special .. Belgium has produced champions with impressive .. 2024 / The incredible Paris Grand Slam concluded just yesterday 2024 / It’s become an annual pilgrimage for the majority .. Laurens Sweeck (Crelan-Corendon) proved the strongest in a battle of skill through the sand against Tibor del Grosso (Alpecin-Deceuninck) to take the victory at X2O Trofee Koksijde-Vlaamse Duinencross in Belgium on Friday.  so I'm happy to be the first and on the podium," Sweeck said in a post-race interview Sweeck opened several gaps on his rival in the closing laps but Del Grosso refused to let up dragging himself back into contention after each attack Sweeck made his winning move with a lap and a half to go who fumbled through a corner in the sand and ended up settling for second place on the day at 26 seconds back Toon Aerts (Deschacht-Hens-FSP) completed the podium in third place at 52 seconds back back After Puck Pieterse secured the victory in the elite women's race the men's field lined up to start under dry but cooler conditions in Koksijde Sweeck took the lead with Del Grosso on his wheel and the pair opened a sizeable gap on the rest of the field Lone chaser Pim Ronhaar (Baloise Trek Lions) raced at 11 seconds behind the leaders and another handful of seconds ahead of a chasing trio of Aerts Toon Vandebosch (Crelan-Corendon) and his teammate Joran Wyseure and likely out of contention for the podium were Corne van Kessel (Deschacht-Hens-FSP) Michael Boros and Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) Del Grosso was flawless through the sand sections on lap four during the second half of the race using that technical skill to open a small gap on Sweeck and the pair back together with three laps to go Sweeck regained his control through the sand on the next lap and pulled ahead of Del Grosso crossing the line two seconds ahead of his rival and Del Grosso managed to pull back that time Aerts chased alone at 46 seconds behind followed by Vandebosche all separated by several seconds and losing over a minute to Sweeck and Del Grosso on the uphill sand section riding the steep incline while his rival showed signs of fatigue as he struggled to close the gap Del Grosso reconnected with Sweeck with two laps go Sweeck proved his strength on the next sand run-up and technical section as Del Grosso's pedal caught on the fencing and lost momentum The Crelan-Corendon rider raced through the finish line hearing the bell that signified the last lap with 15 seconds in hand Sweeck continued to widen his gap to Del Grosso as he orbited the final lap and sealed the race victory Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races She began her sports journalism career with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006 Kirsten became Women's Editor – overseeing the content strategy race coverage and growth of women's professional cycling – before becoming Deputy Editor in 2023 The 22-year-old mountain bike World Champion showed off her superior skills on the technical course that includes the steep climbs and descents and long sections of deep sand Pieterse went clear alone after a lap and a half and never looked back as her rivals faltered and raced each other Koksijde was Brand's 13th second place of the season while Pieterse rode a near perfect  race across the sand especially a big race like Koksijde," she said immediately after her victory but today I could do a smooth ride in the dunes and I kept up my momentum." Pieterse has raced a carefully calibrated cyclocross campaign and seems to be peaking for January and the World Championships in Liévin "So I'll take my form to the National Championships Following the long starting straight sprint effort Van Empel led the riders into the first corner but Pieterse and Van der Heijden were also there as they hit the first climb and everyone ran up in the deep sand Brand and Sanne Cant were also in the top five but the hierarchy soon emerged in the exposed dunes close to the North sea Der Heijden and Pieterse opened a gap as every mistake in the sand cost riders precious seconds and speed  The two then began to swap places in the sand Pieterse seemed far more in control in the sand and surged clear alone after Der Heijden came to a stop after a lap and a half taking the wrong line and hitting the barriers during the third lap However she powered on alone as Van Empel and Brand caught Der Heijden they were 30 seconds down on Pieterse.  Pieterse was out of sight to her rivals for much of the course She was able to manage her effort and decide her best lines in the sand Behind Brand found extra speed and determination to distance Van Empel and Der Heijden.  Results powered by First Cycling Stephen FarrandSocial Links NavigationHead of NewsStephen is one of the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team having reported on professional cycling since 1994 He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022 before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters Cyclocross world champion Mathieu van der Poel has withdrawn from the third race in a row announcing he would miss Sunday's UCI Cyclocross World Cup in Dendermonde The reigning world champion opted out of racing the sandy X2O Trophy in Koksijde on Friday and the GP Sven Nys on January 1 due to the rib injury he sustained after Christmas The withdrawals have cut into a planned 11-race calendar and leaves him only two more races - the World Cups in Maasmechelen and Hoogerheide before he defends his world title in Lièvin on February 2 Van der Poel expected to make a decision on Saturday about racing in Dendermonde and it's clear that Dendermonde comes too soon I'm still experiencing too much pain in my rib He will head to Spain for a training camp before returning to racing on January 25 in Maasmechelen Van der Poel sustained the injury during his solo win at the Exact Cross Loenhout when he clipped a wooden post while executing a turn in the closing laps Despite holding onto that win and triumphing at the World Cup in Besançon two days later Alpecin-Deceuninck announced he would miss Koksijde on Thursday afternoon but are yet to confirm whether or not he'll skip the Dendermonde World Cup on Sunday "Mathieu van der Poel's rib problems persist, causing significant discomfort, particularly on heavier terrain," read an Instagram post from the team.  he will not participate in Koksijde tomorrow Regarding his participation in Dendermonde Mathieu and the team will make a decision on Saturday." Van der Poel has won all five of his appearances convincingly in the 2024-25 cyclocross season so far and was gutted to miss out on one of the best-attended and most exciting courses on the calendar He won his first CX rainbow jersey there as a junior in 2012, ahead of long-term rival Wout van Aert and has won the men's senior race there four times "This is really disappointing because Koksijde is one of my favourite races," said Van der Poel.  "It’s where I won my first world title If Van der Poel is also forced to miss Dendermonde he will only have two races left before he defends his world title in Lièvin France and takes aim at a seventh senior men's rainbow jersey Victory on February 2 would put him on the equal most alongside the 60s and 70s star Erik De Vlaeminck during which time he also wrote for Eurosport Prior to joining the team he reported on races such as Paris-Roubaix and the Giro d’Italia Donne for Eurosport and has interviewed some of the sport’s top riders in Chloé Dygert he spends the majority of his time watching other sports – rugby In one of the most engrossing CX matchups of the season veteran Belgian Laurens Sweeck and young Dutchman Tibor del Grosso fought tooth and nail through the sand at Vlaamse Duinencross Friday’s sixth round of the 2024-2025 X2O Badkamers Trofee in Koksijde and the Belgian adds a X20 round to his three Superprestige triumphs this season Series leader Eli Iserbyt lost 48 seconds to Toon Aerts Canada’s Ian Ackert placed seventh in the U23 race After his victory in Baal Iserbyt’s small lead over Lars van der Haar swelled to 3:36 over Aerts Niels Vandeputte and the absent Michael Vanthourenhout could all claim one Mathieu van der Poel was still recovering from an injured rib Gunnar Holmgren and Fabian Merino were the Canadian entrants World U23 champion del Grosso carved his way into the hole shot on Lap 1 A huge crash in the first turn delayed Vandeputte a great deal and Iserbyt a little Sweeck latched on to del Grosso and the two grunted through the endless sand before crossing the line with Pim Ronhaar Aerts and a couple of others 19 seconds in arrears Holmgren was in 30th in a group with Vandeputte Sweeck and del Grosso skirmished out front on the second circuit Aerts and Toon Vandebosch made up the next pursuit gang Sweeck kept pushing at the business end of the race Aerts had snipped Iserbyt’s series lead by 30 seconds at this point del Grosso placed fourth to Sweeck at the Superprestige series’ Diegem night race del Grosso pried open a gap during Lap 4 before the veteran rider caught up Ronhaar returned to the fold early on Lap 4 which del Grosso pared down to two by the line Aerts and Wyseure began their podium scrap with Ronhaar worried about them disappearing on him Again the elastic stretched on Lap 5 and again del Grosso rebounded back The penultimate lap was where Sweeck dashed clear Del Grosso hooking a pedal ensured his aspirations were stymied Runner-up was still his best performance of the season Get the digital edition of Canadian Cycling Magazine Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Puck Pieterse claimed her first win of the season Friday at sand-festival Vlaamse Duinencross the sixth round of the 2024-2025 X2O Badkamers Trofee in Koksijde At the start of the day, Lucinda Brand was nearly ten minutes clear Fem van Empel, who mounted a fine comeback to beat Brand in Baal Van Empel had carried off last year’s Koksijde race There was no fourth place Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado Van Empel claimed the hole shot heading into the first right turn on Lap 1 Coming out of the first sandy uphill carry van Empel and Pieterse distinguished themselves Van Empel lagged a little in the middle of the circuit Pieterse then took her leave while Brand chased in Position 4 Puck finished the first 3.1-km lap in 9:27 six seconds clear of van der Heijden and 21 seconds ahead of van Empel and Brand Van der Heijden made it back to Pieterse at the beginning of Lap 2 of 5 Brand came around the world champion and the two carried on in pursuit A costly mistake that hooked her brake lever on the barrier meant that van der Heijden lost contact and crossed the line 11 seconds in arrears Brand edged closer to van der Heijden and van Empel patiently worked to reestablish contact Pieterse slurped down a gel heading over the line 29 seconds clear Van der Heijden’s hopes for a sixth podium of the season began to slip away on the penultimate lap Brand was 20 seconds back and van Empel 25 seconds in arrears as Brand made her patented late race charge Be one of the first to try our new activity feed World champion’s perfect winter season hit by injury and schedule disruption with Sunday's Dendermonde World Cup the latest race affected With one month to go to the defence of his world title, Mathieu van der Poel has been forced to cancel another two races as a result of injury The in-form but now-hampered Dutchman dominated his first five events including the Exact Cross Loenhout on December 27 He hit a wooden post during the course of that race and while he won that plus the Besançon World Cup two days later Alpecin-Deceuninck gave an update via social media on Thursday “Mathieu van der Poel’s rib problems persist he will not participate in tomorrow’s X20 Trofee in Koksijde Regarding his participation in Dendermonde World Cup (Sunday) Mathieu and the team will make a decision on Saturday.” Van der Poel also commented in the same Instagram post “This is really disappointing because Koksijde is one of my favorite races,” he said However he announced on Friday that the World Cup would also be struck off his schedule “There’s no point in waiting any longer,” he explained in a team social media post and it’s clear that Dendermonde comes too soon I’m still experiencing too much pain in my rib This means Sunday’s much-anticipated faceoff against Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) won’t happen What will be most frustrating for Van der Poel is that the injury initially did not appear serious Team boss Christoph Roodhooft explained the situation this week to Wielerflits “Medical check-ups are not necessary,” he told that website plus others before Wednesday’s race in Baal but Mathieu didn’t necessarily say anything about it afterwards.” He said that he “experienced relatively little trouble in Besançon,” but that he had more symptoms the following day The second day is of course always the most difficult for these kinds of incidents At the time he said that medical check-ups were unnecessary. On Friday, he sounded a little more serious in a further update with Wielerflits “He is still suffering a lot from that crash,” he explained After the cross in Loenhout it was a simple crash but a little later it turned out to be more serious We had hoped that he would be able to start here Van der Poel and the team planned to make a decision on Saturday and means it will be more than three weeks before he will compete again Mathieu will head to a training camp in Spain after Dendermonde,” his team said on social media he is set to compete in the World Cup races in Maasmechelen and Hoogerheide before making a bid for his seventh world title in Liévin in early February the rest of his cyclocross program remains unaffected.” Van der Poel’s top target of his cyclocross season is the world championships in Liévin on February 2 He is going for a record-equaling seventh win there and while he has a month to go and time to recover the incident in Loenhout shows that even the best and arguably most skillful cross rider in the world can suffer setbacks What’s it like to be an American cyclist living in France Watch to get professional road cyclist Joe Dombrowski’s view - See also: Cyclocross LIVE - Cyclocross Videos -  NOTE:  If you believe you may not be seeing the latest content on this page try clearing your browser's cache (or try a different browser) 2025 X2O Badkamers Trofee Cyclocross Koksijde, Belgium - Women & Men Race Art: "Sand Pit - Inge van der Heijden (Crelan-Corendon), Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck)" by Greig Leach.  More The Art of Cycling - Sponsored by Richeson Art - Copyright © 2025 Greig Leach 2025 X2O Badkamers Trofee Cyclocross Koksijde, Belgium - Women & Men Race Art: "Climbing the Dune - Lucinda Brand (Baloise Glowi Lions), Fem van Empel (Visma-Lease a Bike)" by Greig Leach.  More The Art of Cycling - Sponsored by Richeson Art - Copyright © 2025 Greig Leach 2025 X2O Badkamers Trofee Cyclocross Koksijde, Belgium - Women & Men Race Art: "Making Her Own Track - Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck)" by Greig Leach.  More The Art of Cycling - Sponsored by Richeson Art - Copyright © 2025 Greig Leach 2025 X2O Badkamers Trofee Cyclocross Koksijde, Belgium - Women & Men Race Art: "A Slight Advantage - Tibor del Grosso (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Laurens Sweeck (Crelan-Corendon)" by Greig Leach.  More The Art of Cycling - Sponsored by Richeson Art - Copyright © 2025 Greig Leach 2025 X2O Badkamers Trofee Cyclocross Koksijde, Belgium - Women & Men Race Art: "Surfing the Sand - Tibor del Grosso (Alpecin-Deceuninck)" by Greig Leach.  More The Art of Cycling - Sponsored by Richeson Art - Copyright © 2025 Greig Leach 2025 X2O Badkamers Trofee Cyclocross Koksijde, Belgium - Women & Men Race Art: "Chasing the Podium - Toon Aerts (Deschacht-Hens-FSP)" by Greig Leach.  More The Art of Cycling - Sponsored by Richeson Art - Copyright © 2025 Greig Leach - See also: Superprestige Cyclocross Art - Twitter Medievalists.net Who lived in Flanders during the 7th century New DNA research from Merovingian graves in Koksijde has uncovered surprising insights into the region’s diverse ancestral origins A recent study by geneticists from KU Leuven has shed light on the diverse population groups that inhabited early medieval Flanders using DNA analysis from Merovingian graves discovered in Koksijde The findings reveal a dynamic community composed of individuals from two distinct ancestral origins—North Sea Germanic and North Gaulish—who lived and interacted in the late 7th and early 8th centuries when a crane operator in Koksijde unearthed bone material that led archaeologists to uncover a Late Merovingian settlement and burial ground Dating to the second half of the 7th century through the mid-8th century these remains offered researchers a rare opportunity to examine skeletal material from this period as cremation had been the prevailing funerary practice in Flanders for much of the early Middle Ages the deceased were cremated for a long time and the skeletons from Koksijde are among the oldest after the fall of the Western Roman Empire that we can study genetically,” explains genetics professor Maarten Larmuseau who coordinated the research alongside Professor Toomas Kivisild “The discovery in 2016 is an absolute treasure trove of information which we used to investigate who lived here at the time and how people lived together.” which spanned three centuries following the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD particularly regarding the lives and origins of the broader population reveals that the burial site in Koksijde was home to a community with an unexpectedly high degree of genetic diversity The DNA analysis identified two main ancestral groups displayed genetic links to contemporary populations in Great Britain and the Netherlands showed connections to individuals from France’s late Iron Age the groups differed not only in their genetic profiles but also in their lifestyles the individuals are usually distantly related to each other but this is not the case within the small North Gaulish group in which the individuals often also showed more bone wear and therefore performed more hard work during their lives.” The researchers also discovered significant dietary differences between the two groups reflecting genetic variations in food metabolism “Interesting for understanding the current patterns of genetic variation in the Low Countries is that these two groups had a different diet coupled with genetic differences in their ability to process food One particularly striking find was the genetic relationship between a mother whose father was of North Sea Germanic descent This evidence suggests there was intermixing between the groups contradicting earlier assumptions that the burial site represented a small “Our research shows that in Koksijde we are not dealing with a small closed family but with a broad community in which a merger of two origin groups was taking place,” says Larmuseau “We would never have been able to find this out without DNA research.” Further analysis also revealed genetic ties between the Merovingian skeletons in Koksijde and late medieval remains from nearby Wulpen indicating a lasting impact of early medieval population dynamics on the genetic makeup of the region “Although the Merovingian period may not be in our collective memory this period appears to be very important for the DNA of Flanders,” concludes Larmuseau We've created a Patreon for Medievalists.net as we want to transition to a more community-funded model We aim to be the leading content provider about all things medieval podcast and Youtube page offers news and resources about the Middle Ages We hope that are our audience wants to support us so that we can further develop our podcast and remove the advertising on our platforms This will also allow our fans to get more involved in what content we do produce Member Login Source : www.uci.org © DirectVelo - Tous droits réservés. Mentions légales - CGV Vous pouvez aussi consulter du contenu spécifique à la FranceBelgique : Koksijde returns to the series on same weekend as Antwerpen The 2025-2026 UCI Cyclocross World Cup calendar will replicate a 12-race series for a second season with a return to Koksijde and a second try at a new round in Sardinia after the Italian race was cancelled due to extreme weather last December.  The calendar will begin on the last two weekends of November at Tabor a 16-time World Cup host which last saw the series in 2022 which has hosted a World Cup twice before.  A return to the coastal town of Cabras, Italy is scheduled for December 7 marks the third round a storm with heavy rainfall and powerful winds of more than 90 kph caused the UCI and race organisers to cancel those races just hours before the elite women were to compete Seven of the World Cup races would be held in Belgium leading to a weekend doubleheader on December 20-12 in Antwerp and Koksijde the latter challenging riders with the large sand dunes that have seen a three-year absence A trio of traditional Belgian events stretch through 'kerstperiode' and the start of the new year - Gavere with the season concluding with a Maasmechelan and Hoogerheide final weekend before the World Championships the UCI instituted a new 'protected status' for a limited number of events to ensure top riders would focus on World Cups over series which this past year included Superprestige Besançon and Benidorm received this status last season the UCI management committee had not determined selections for the upcoming season which an amended rule last March stated "will not concern more than half of the rounds" of the World Cup calendar a sports marketing and public relations agency which managed projects for Tour de Georgia a Georgia non-profit to promote safe cycling She is proud to have worked in professional baseball for six years - from selling advertising to pulling the tarp for several minor league teams She has climbed l'Alpe d'Huez three times (not fast) Her favorite road and gravel rides are around horse farms in north Georgia (USA) and around lavender fields in Provence (France) The early medieval period in Flanders is a period that is not very well-known because of the limited historical and archaeological sources A unique discovery from the seventh century in Koksijde allowed KU Leuven geneticists to use DNA research to reveal the ancestry of the people who inhabited Flanders during this time The genetic diversity in the thirty skeletons found in Koksijde was surprisingly high and their DNA profiles show that groups from two different ancestries coexisted at the time: people with a North Sea - Germanic ancestry and people with a Northern Gaulish ancestry The results of the study were published in the scientific magazine PNAS an observant crane operator found bone material during construction works in Koksijde Archaeologists discovered traces of a late Merovingian settlement and a burial ground from the second half of the seventh to mid eighth century KU Leuven researchers analysed the DNA of thirty skeletons from this burial ground the bodies of the deceased were cremated for a long time and the Koksijde skeletons are one of the oldest skeletons after the fall of the Western Roman Empire we can study in terms of genetic material,’ says Maarten Larmuseau who coordinated the study in collaboration with Toomas Kivisild (both KU Leuven researchers) ‘The bone materials found in 2016 contain a wealth of information We used it to determine who lived here at that time and how people lived together in groups.’ After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD Merovingian kings reigned over an area that spans over present Belgium This period had an important impact on Western history in terms of administration Less information is known about the ancestry and way of living of the population at large DNA analysis of the bones found in Koksijde dating from the Late Merovingian period (circa 675-750 AD) The DNA profiles of the bones in Koksijde show a high level of diversity indicating that this was a dynamic and mixed community The researchers distinguished two groups of different ancestries that coexisted in Flanders during the Merovingian dynasty: a large group of individuals with a ‘North Sea - Germanic’ ancestry whose genes match with their contemporaries in Great Britain and the Netherlands; and a smaller group with ‘Northern Gaulish’ ancestry which lines up with people from France from the Late Iron Age Larmuseau explains: ‘In the larger North Sea - Germanic group the individuals are mostly distant relatives This is not the case in the smaller Northern Gaulish group where individuals also showed more bone wear.’ ‘An interesting observation is that these two groups had different dietary habits linked to genetic differences in their ability to process foods like milk for instance,’ adds professor Kivisild the researchers found a mother-daughter relationship where the mother came from the Northern Gaulish group and the father was part of the North Sea - Germanic group The researchers concluded that there was a fusion between the two groups Our research shows that the bones in Koksijde do not belong to a small close-knit family but rather a large community where people from two different ancestry groups lived together The study also shows genetic links to late medieval skeletons found in the neighbouring village Wulpen This suggests that the genetic influences from the early medieval period had a lasting impact on the composition of the Flemish population ‘Even though the Merovingian period might not be in our collective memory this period proves to be very important for Flanders’ DNA,’ concludes Larmuseau Merovinger DNA - 2025 Bredene Koksijde Classic Live Online Coverage Guide -   Bredene Koksijde Classic LIVE - Click for high resolution -  Notes:  (latest notes always appear at the top)   Cyclingfans LIVE on Twitter - LIVE Saturday:  Don't miss the season's first monument, Milan-San Remo LIVE - Expected LIVE video here and here.  (Sporza - Need a VPN to access a geo-restricted feed? Try ExpressVPN - Videos: Bredene Koksijde Classic Videos - Photos: Bredene Koksijde Classic Photos - This page will be updated throughout the race - Results: Bredene Koksijde Classic Results (coming) - Official Start List here - 2025 Bredene Koksijde Classic schedule/times: 7:20am ET Finish at 16:35 CET 11:35am ET ------------------------------ * Daylight saving time USA on Sunday - Luca Mozzato (Arkéa-Samsic) won the 2024 Bredene Koksijde Classic - The 2025 Bredene Koksijde Classic is being held Friday - This race was formerly known as the Handzame Classic - We will update here with the best and latest live feeds at broadcast time - Welcome to our live coverage guide for the 2025 Bredene Koksijde Classic (en direct) 2025 Bredene Koksijde Classic LIVE March 21, Belgium Official Website Start List Race starts at 12:20pm CET (7:20am U.S Finish at around 4:35pm CET (11:35am U.S Live video from 2:15pm CET (9:15am U.S  Handzame Weather Live video streaming: (Eurosport live stream) (-- CET) (-- U.S (Sporza livestream) (--) (--) Alternative Alternative   (--) (Listen online) (cycling news) Yahoo photo gallery (AP/AFP) Copyright © 2025 www.cyclingfans.com Pascal Ackermann (BORA-hansgrohe) won the 2019 Bredene Koksijde Classic. There was no race in 2020 due to Covid-19. - Click for high resolution - more Bredene Koksijde Classic Photos - photo Copyright © 2019 Cor Vos/cyclingfans.com Notes from the 2024 Bredene Koksijde Classic - Expected LIVE video here and here.  (Sporza - 2024 Bredene Koksijde Classic schedule/times: 7:20am ET Finish at 16:30 CET 11:30am ET ------------------------------ - Gerben Thijssen (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) won the 2023 Bredene Koksijde Classic - The 2024 Bredene Koksijde Classic is being held Friday Notes from the 2023 Bredene Koksijde Classic - Expected LIVE video here and here.  (Sporza - 2023 Bredene Koksijde Classic schedule/times: 7:10am ET Finish at 16:35 CET March 26th 5 hours behind CET - US Eastern - Pascal Ackermann (UAE Team Emirates) won the 2022 Bredene Koksijde Classic - The 2023 Bredene Koksijde Classic is being held Friday Notes from the 2022 Bredene Koksijde Classic - Expected LIVE video here.  (Sporza - Team DSM roster for the 2022 Bredene Koksijde Classic: Cees Bol (NED)
 Leon Heinschke (GER)
 Jonas Iversby Hvideberg (NOR)
 Niklas Märkl (GER)
 Pepijn Reinderink (NED) Sam Welsford (AUS)
 Hannes Wilksch (GER) Team DSM coach: "The route of Bredene Koksijde takes place along the Belgian coastal area where the wind can play a big part in the outcome of the day There are a lot of open sections where the bunch is really vulnerable to echelons if the wind is strong while in the middle of the race we take on the famous Kemmelberg - all of which should make for an exciting day of racing The key for us is to be prepared for multiple scenarios With Cees we have a strong finisher who we will work for when it comes down to a bunch sprint If the wind is strong then we have to be ready to race collectively from the gun so we can get multiple riders into the final and play our cards from there." - 2022 Bredene Koksijde Classic schedule/times: 11:35am ET ------------------------------ * Daylight saving time USA on Sunday - Tim Merlier (Alpecin-Fenix) won the 2021 Bredene Koksijde Classic - The 2022 Bredene Koksijde Classic is being held Friday Notes from the 2021 Bredene Koksijde Classic - 2021 Bredene Koksijde Classic schedule/times: 7:40am ET Finish at 17:15 CET - There was no race in 2020 due to Covid-19 - Pascal Ackermann (Bora-Hansgrohe) won the 2019 Bredene Koksijde Classic - The 2021 Bredene Koksijde Classic is being held Friday Notes from the 2019 Bredene Koksijde Classic - LIVE video here.  (Sporza - Official Start List here - Alvaro Jose Hodeg (Quickstep Floors) won the 2018 Handzame Classic - The 2019 Bredene Koksijde Classic is being held Friday the new mayor of the West Flemish coastal municipality of Koksijde swore the oath required for him to become mayor on Oostduinkerke Beach The former MEP Sander Loones (Flemish nationalist) was accompanied by two shrimp fishers and their horses Horse-Drawn Shrimp Fishing in Oostduinkerke has been on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity The new mayor of the seaside municipality of Koksijde Sander Loones (photo) chose an unusual spot to take his oath of office on Tuesday morning  Accompanied by two shrimp fishermen on horseback the Flemish nationalist politician took his oath on the sandy beach at Oostduinkerke a coastal village that is part of Koksijde  A table on which he was to sign documents required for him to become mayor and the official flags were also brought onto the beach in what was an almost surreal spectacle in Flanders a mayor swears their oath and signs the papers required for them to take office at the official residence of the Provincial Governor in this case the governor of West Flanders However on Tuesday morning the Governor of West Flanders Carl Decaluwé (Christian democrat) joined Sander Loones on the beach Governor Decaluwé told VRT News that “This is a first in the history of West Flanders It was for practical reasons that Sander Loones asked to be able to take the oath on the beach Bernard Quintin (Francophone liberal) is coming here on a working visit So we were both present in Koksijde anyway Mr Decaluwé went on to say that “The law only stipulates that the oath must be taken in the presence of the provincial governor Whether it takes place in my official residence on the beach or elsewhere it's perfectly in accordance with the law this doesn’t mean that in future new mayors will be able to choose where they take the oath Mr Loones told journalists that “We had set up a table on the beach so that we could sign the documents I know that the governor also loves the sea I think it's wonderful that I was able to take the oath on the beach” ​CategoriesCategoriesEnglishPOLITICS, ECONOMYBelgium halts sale of military sites and unveils expansion plan16 March 2025 Belgium’s Defence minister has announced a halt to the sale of military sites The move is part of a broader strategy to strengthen the armed forces including expanding personnel to over 40,000 and reactivating the Koksijde airbase Belgium will no longer sell off its military sites Theo Francken confirmed in his policy declaration The decision reverses previous plans to offload certain military domains either for military use or for industrial production,” Francken said His plan also includes reactivating the Koksijde airbase Helicopters were set to move to Ostend Airport The policy follows the previous government’s proposal to establish “future barracks” in both Flanders and Wallonia is now off the table due to opposition from the new city council Francken also aims to expand the armed forces significantly The previous government had set a target of 25,300 military personnel and 3,800 civilian staff these numbers would increase to 29,000 soldiers and 5,700 civilians Belgium will introduce a voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds Participants will receive a competitive salary with the option to extend their service or join the reserves after the initial year #FlandersNewsService | Minister of Defence Theo Francken during a visit to the Defence headquarters in Evere Copy linkGet updates in your mailboxYour email addressSubscribeBy clicking "Subscribe" I confirm I have read and agree to the Privacy Policy rapid and high-quality information 24 hours a day from Belgium and abroad to all Belgian media not to mention entertainment and lifestyle our journalists and press photographers produce hundreds of photos and news stories Since the end of March 2022 English has been added as a language businesses and various organisations that need reliable information Belga News Agency also offers a comprehensive range of corporate services to meet all their communication needs www.belganewsagency.eu Arkéa-B&B Hotels rider out-sprints Dylan Groenewegen A crash in the final bend took out the lead-out for Arnaud De Lie (Lotto Dstny) and disrupted the run-in to the finish line leaving only a dozen riders sprinting for the win Groenewegen opened up the sprint first but faded in the headwind getting a perfect lead-out from the Dutchman before coming around to snatch only the third victory of his career Thijssen started his effort from too far behind and could only manage third "I'm super happy especially because the season so far was not super Today I think I changed a lot," Mozzato said "To win a race like this is really special because it's a classic in Belgium." Mozzato proved to be attentive and anonymous throughout the race - the perfect formula to win a Belgian classic He survived the Kemmelberg and made the split when the bunch shattered in the crosswinds Everybody knew the day would be like this with the echelons and it was super nervous from the start," Mozzato said With the help of the team I tried to stay in front as possible I think I did a pretty good job to save some energy throughout the day This helped me to have a good sprint in the end." Riders lined up for the Bredene Koksijde Classic facing typical dreary Belgian weather but not enough wind to create too much havoc The riders of the Continental teams were keen to get some television time and Mauro Verwilt (Tarteletto-Isorex) and Jasper Haest (VolkerWessel) made the first successful attack Abram Stockman (TDT-Unibet) and Max Kroonen (VolkerWessel) came across and the day's early breakaway formed The peloton never let them get more than a minute or two and by the time they reached the Kemmelberg for the first time the bunch split and very nearly caught the breakaway as Haest was dropped but then the peloton sat up and let the gap go back out to a minute and a half The pace picked up over the Baneberg and by 82km to go A crash with 77.5km to go as the bunch neared the crosswind section helped split up the peloton and soon echelons formed Pre-race favourite Arnaud De Lie (Lotto Dstny) made the first group but it didn't deter teams from working A surge from Nils Politt (UAE Team Emirates) spat De Lie out but the Belgian sprinter put in a solo effort to get back into the first group with 49km to go The second peloton finally bridged across as the wind eased with 28km remaining Otter Vergaerde (Lidl-Trek) put in a move but was brought back with 18.5km to go Politt tried again inside 10km to go and was joined by Daan Hoole Lampaert and Dries De Pooter (Intermarché-Wanty) but they were unable to make the move work Robbe Ghys (Alpecin-Deceuninck) tried to foil the sprinters but was swept up in the dash to the line A crash from his teammate disrupted the lead-out in the final kilometre but Luca Mozzato (Arkéa-Samsic) came out on top in the sprint over Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-AlUla) she coordinates coverage for North American events and global news As former elite-level road racer who dabbled in cyclo-cross and track Laura has a passion for all three disciplines When not working she likes to go camping and explore lesser traveled roads UCI governance and performing data analysis.