Alpecin-Deceuninck rider confirms he is the favourite for the world championships as Van Aert ends his cyclocross campaign Mathieu van der Poel's rainbow jersey was covered in mud during the Maasmechelen World Cup cyclocross race but there was no doubt who was the dominant winner and why he is so likely to win a seventh world title in Liévin Van Aert got up after flying over his bars but could only finish second Joris Nieuwenhuis (Ridley Racing Team) won the best of the rest Van der Poel made the “hang up the phone” celebration gesture made famous by US tennis player Ben Shelton and by Remco Evenepoel at the Paris Olympics He later revealed it was a birthday message for  Evenepoel who is 25 today I sent him a message this morning to congratulate him and he asked me to do this if I won today It was a real cyclocross race today," Van der Poel said "I'm always quite good when I come from training camps so that's a good feeling."     Van der Poel revealed that the rib pain that forced him to miss the holiday cyclocross race was actually a rib fracture and is ready for next week's cyclocross World Championships I could still feel it but that meant I didn't think so much about my legs," he joked.  Both Van der Poel and Van Aert had a good start to the race avoiding a big crash mid-pack as the riders hit the off-road sector for the first time.  Van Aert was slowed when he hit a post during a pass but was soon back up to the world champion.  The much-anticipated duel seemed possible as Van der Poel and Van Aert went clear but then ended in a split second during the second lap Van Aert led down a short descent but then his front wheel sunk into the mud and he was thrown over his bike at speed He got up and soon began to chase but Van der Poel was clear and realised it was time to up the speed.  He had been lamenting before the start about the possible pain his rib fracture could have on his cross efforts but he was soon clear and powering to victory in the mud Van der Poel opened a 50-second gap on Van Aert and never looked back Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Cibel Clementines) was at 1:45 after four laps with Toon Aerts (Deschacht-Hens-FSP) behind him before both and were overtaken.  Van der Poel appeared to float across the mud but everyone else was suffering He rode the off-camber sector with poise and skill staying high on the grass instead of taking the lower He kept his left foot on the pedal and then used his right leg to push his bike along and keep going.  Van der Poel had a lead of 1:05 on Van Aert  Nieuwenhuis rode third at 1:39 as the gaps opened more and more. The time gaps stayed the same even as Van der Poel 'hung up the phone' to confirm he was ready for the World Championships Results powered by FirstCycling 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 Wout van Aert fought his way to a respectable second place in the Maasmechelen World Cup the Belgian was able to match him for a while but a crash on the second lap allowed the Dutchman to quickly pull ahead it was his final cyclocross race of the season in which he was victorious in two of the five races Van Aert quickly moved up a few spots in the early meters boldly took over the lead but had to chase Van der Poel after a crash the Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider gave it his all and managed to keep the gap limited but he could not get any closer to his rival “I was maybe a little too eager,” Van Aert said afterward which allowed Mathieu to quickly ride away I felt like today was a day to battle it out I could have been closer and made it a long fight I made the best of it and still managed to ride a good race.” With victories in Gullegem and Dendermonde Van Aert can look back on his cyclocross season with satisfaction though he still feels a bit sad because it went by so quickly “I think it’s a shame that the cross season flew by so fast there will definitely be cyclocross winters in the future where I’ll compete in many more races again.” Subscribe yourself for the Team Visma | Lease a Bike newsletter and receive previews for races Be one of the first to try our new activity feed Blanka Vas wins in gripping finale to mud-packed women’s race Lucinda Brand seals overall World Cup victory with men's series still in play It was their final showdown for now, and Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) came away with the win The Dutch world champion vanquished arch-rival Wout van Aert in the last of their big square ups before the road season, emerging top dog in the penultimate round of the cyclocross World Cup in Maasmechelen on Saturday At one point Van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) looked set to buck the trend He had overcome a worse starting grid position than his rival plus an early mishap to hit the front on the second of seven laps The Belgian hammered it and appeared to have Van der Poel under pressure but slid out on a short muddy descent and hit the deck He had to straighten his handlebars and get a bike change losing a chunk of time and then conceding more as the race progressed He ultimately finished 1.14 back, and 39 seconds ahead of third-placed Joris Nieuwenhuis (Ridley Racing Team) “I am always quite good when I come from training camp even if I do quite some load,” Van der Poel said it is better like this after a training camp than a fast one fending off a hard-chasing Bäckstedt by just one second “After three years I am again at the top,” the Hungarian said referring to her previous World Cup victory in Overijse in 2021 because sometimes it is very hard to stay in Belgium all winter The Maasmechelen round of the World Cup was held in muddy with the off-camber section in particular producing a spate of crashes in the men’s and women’s races Two such incidents complicated things for Van Aert who was chasing hard early on and making great progress through the field until he hit his holder on a post He stayed upright but the impact flicked his bike around 180 degrees he was riding very powerfully and caught leaders Nieuwenhuis and Van der Poel with just under 11 minutes of racing completed Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen – Cibel Clementines) joined soon afterwards going clear with Van der Poel and putting pressure on him However he crashed on a muddy descent and this plus the need to straighten his handlebars cost him vital time Van der Poel hammered it and ended lap two of seven 19 seconds clear of Van Aert The latter was further delayed by a bike change and was 37 seconds back at the end of lap three The off-camber section was one of the complications in his bid to get back on terms “I like the route we had here a couple of years ago,” Van Aert said afterwards He continued to yield time to his big rival He finally finished 1.14 adrift in the final cross race of his season “It is hard to say when you lose by a minute,” he replied Results powered by FirstCycling.com Vas was impressive from the start of the women’s race leading early on while the previously-dominant Fem Van Empel (Visma Lease a Bike) and Ceylin Alvarado (Fenix-Deceuninck) yielded time World champion Van Empel had a demoralizing race changing bikes early on with what seemed to be a rear wheel puncture and losing more time when she slid under the barriers on the off camber section She continued to have problems on the slippery course In contrast mud specialist Bäckstedt thrived, edging past Vas on lap three of five and building a slight lead. However she crashed on the off camber section, with World Cup leader Lucinda Brand (Baloise Glowi Lions) taking over for a time Bäckstedt was back at the front and five seconds clear of Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) starting the final lap She seemed en route to her first-ever World Cup victory but once again fell on the off camber section She changed her bike afterwards and Vas swept into the lead holding off first a hard-chasing Brand and then Bäckstedt to take the win “I practiced it a lot,” she said of the off camber section “We came yesterday and in the morning I think I did it five times “I think it was also smart to change that bike only one time That is why I think I came back again to the front Bäckstedt could well have won without her mishaps “It was so close in the end but I made a few too many mistakes for the win today,” she said She confirmed she will aim to defend her under 23 title rather than go for an elite medal at next weekend’s world championships I think it is going to be a good battle in the under 23 as well Results powered by FirstCycling.com The cyclocross World Cup concludes Sunday with the final round in Hoogerheide. Brand had to accept third Saturday but was smiling nonetheless, having enough points to seal her overall victory. “It is great to win the overall classification in what was a really tough but also fun battle today,” she said. She has 310 points, well ahead of Van Empel and Bäckstedt. They are on 254 and 224 points respectively. Things are still all to race for in the men’s event. Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Cibel Clementines) finished sixth Saturday, one place behind his top rival Toon Aerts (Deschacht-Hens-FSP). Their totals are 251 and 219 points, while Saturday’s fourth place by Joran Wyseure brings him up to 184 points. That makes for a big battle Sunday. Van der Poel’s sporadic World Cup participation leaves him too far back to take the overall but with Van Aert missing the race, the world champion looks on course for his second race win of the weekend. What’s it like to be an American cyclist living in France? Watch to get professional road cyclist Joe Dombrowski’s view. ​CategoriesCategoriesEnglishJUSTICEFBI and Belgian police foil kidnapping in Miami22 January 2025 Belgian police have foiled a kidnapping plot in Miami by arresting a 19-year-old man in the city of Maasmechelen Four other suspects were arrested by the FBI in the United States as part of the same investigation The Federal judicial police of Limburg arrested the Belgian man during a raid in Maasmechelen on 13 January His exact role is still under investigation the Limburg public prosecutor's office said on Wednesday The operation was the result of international cooperation between the Belgian police and the FBI the FBI also arrested four suspects in the United States who were allegedly on their way to Miami to kidnap someone for ransom The suspects were reportedly in contact with the Maasmechelen man via the digital platform Telegram Prosecutors and police said they were seeing an increase in crimes committed using such digital tools "This makes offenders feel untouchable," said Anna Degraen spokeswoman for the Limburg public prosecutor's office "They believe their involvement in crimes will fly under the radar resulting in lighter sentences if they are prosecuted." "Police and prosecutors want to emphasise that criminal acts in a digital context are equally subject to prosecution and severe penalties," Degraen said #FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO HATIM KAGHAT 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 Please note that this is an automated translation and it will not be perfect All articles have been written in English and if anything appears to not make sense A bumper CX gallery to celebrate a dramatic conclusion to the World Cup as the favourites home in on the World Champs in France she was already chasing Van Empel who accelerated hard There were already gaps opening on the final ascent of the road climb Nys accelerated hard to leave Eli Iserbyt behind and take a few seconds into the sun-dappled woodland But it took less than a minute for hopes to be snuffed out as Van Aert lost the wheels from beneath him on a technical steep downward ramp into a muddy lefthander "a stupid mistake" – to add insult to injury he had to reposition his wonky bars before remounting It was the Belgian's second mishap in as many laps having snagged his upper arm on a post in the first while moving up leading him into an additional chase he could have done without especially after the requisite climb through the field forced by his low starting position Van der Poel was already putting several bike lengths between himself and Nieuwenhuis in the moments after Van Aert's incident The claggy mud after the flyover caused problems for all but a select few; Nieuwenhuis was one of a very small handful of riders who were able to ride through this section putting him on the front of the group racing for second behind Van der Poel who had long ago let fly Brand completes the podium as World Championship contenders test their form Bäckstedt was leading on the final lap but stumbled on the key off-camber sector She was suddenly five seconds behind Vas but fought back in the final sectors.  Vas dived into the final corner with Bäckstedt almost in her slipstream but the finish line was in sight and she could celebrate a huge win in the mud Despite her strong ride in the World Cup elite division Bäckstedt confirmed she will ride the under-23 race at the World Championships Lucinda Brand (Baloise Glowi Lions) was third at 12 seconds with Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) fourth at 28 seconds after going over her bike on the barriers.  "I practised the off-camber a lot and we even came to train on the course on Friday I think it was also smart to only change my bike once and that helped me come back to the front I looked back and saw that Zoe was coming full gas Fem van Empel (Visma-Lease a Bike) led from the start but Vas soon took over showed her intentions and lined out the big-name favourites on the muddy but fast course.  Van Empel slipped on the steep off-camber section and lost places, as Brand moved up after a difficult start Bäckstedt was constantly in the top four positions and opened a gap as the third of five laps began with Brand at five seconds and Vas at eight seconds everyone else was already over 30 seconds behind.  The race shuffled again on lap four when Bäckstedt slipped out on the off-camber section Van Empel flipped over her bike on the same section and so did Ceylin Del Carmen Alvarado (Fenix-Deceuninck) Most riders were forced to run the section Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) also took a dive later with her front wheel sinking deep into the mud Brand upped the pace and opened a gap but the others came back to her taking different lines through the puddles and mud and using their different techniques to fight for the front Then suddenly Brand lost contact with the front group Bäckstedt did not hesitate and surged away the bell ringing as she crossed the line to start the final lap.  She looked like she was heading for victory but then slipped out on the fatal off-camber as her front wheel sunk into the mud and she flipped over the bike.  the 20-year-old and huge favourite for the under-23 women's World Championships refused to give up.  She found a final surge of speed and closed the gap the finish came quickly and so she took her second World Cup win of her career Fem van Empel was unable to contend for victory in the 11th round of the World Cup The Dutch rider got off to an excellent start but had to chase after a small mistake the 22-year-old rider showed her willpower but was unable to close the gap to the leaders Blanka Vas proved to be the strongest in Maasmechelen Van Empel immediately demonstrated her readiness The Dutch rider entered the field first and was able to keep up with her rivals the world champion in cyclocross made a mistake but she could no longer close the gap to the leaders “It was a day to quickly forget,” Van Empel reflected after the race Tomorrow is another day on a completely different course so the result could be totally different again.” did not have a flawless race and finished thirteenth but still looked back with a sense of satisfaction but things got better and better during the race I was eventually able to join the chasing group and was riding for fifth place until I made a mistake on the last lap and I look back on today with satisfaction I'm looking forward to being back at the start in Hoogerheide tomorrow.” British rider confirmed to defend U23 women's title at Cyclocross World Championships next week Zoe Bäckstedt (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) made the decision on the final lap of the Maasmechelen World Cup race on Saturday to take a precautionary bike change following a fall in the muddy conditions who then took control of the race and won a second elite World Cup contest of her career.  The Team SD Worx-Protime road and cyclocross rider proved practice makes perfect as she chose the right lines through the treacherous course to win her first World Cup round in three seasons Bäckstedt crashed several times on a difficult off-camber section and was one of those riders who had regular bike changes in the mud She was leading into the difficult feature on the final lap before loosing her footing when running and then changing bikes as a ‘precaution’ The 21-year-old was closing on Vas in the final moments but finished just a single second behind at the line “I’m so disappointed,” said Bäckstedt but I made a few too many mistakes for the win today “I fell over on the off-camber and I decided it was better to change my bike because if something had gone wrong The British rider is still searching for her maiden elite World Cup victory and was left reflecting on making ‘too many mistakes’ as she came agonisingly close to victory You have to go super slowly or you have to run It was just a gamble every lap in the end," she said “It was probably the best course of the season It's one of the most fun things," she added We come back to Belgium and it's a proper cyclocross weather.” Bäckstedt has picked up four elite podiums this cyclocross season and two World Cup second places. However, she has decided to defend her under-23 title at the Cyclocross World Championships and faces tough competition from Marie Schreiber and European Champion Célia Gery When asked about the decision to ride in the under-23 category next weekend Backstedt added: “It has been decided already It's going be a good battle in the under-23 (category) as well Vas said practicing the off-camber and her one bike change strategy paid dividends “I practiced a lot,” Saturday's 23-year-old winner said “We came yesterday and also in this morning I think five times I did the off-camber [in practice] “I think it was also smart to change my bike only one time That's why I think I came back again to the front Vas was left surprised at the speed in which Bäckstedt came charging back to her before falling just short at the line “One moment before the last running part I looked back and I saw that Zoe was coming full gas but luckily I had the legs for the sprint.” Experienced Lucinda Brand (Baloise Glowi Lions) also avoided mishaps to take the final podium spot and seal the World Cup series overall ahead of the final round at Hoogerheide on Sunday Reigning world champion Fem Van Empel struggled in the slippery conditions crashing several times on the difficult off-camber and eventually finishing sixth Brand also reflected on a ‘tough but fun’ battle with youngsters Bäckstedt and Vas The Baloise Glowi Lions rider battled for second place in the final minutes “It was a really strange feeling,” said Brand “In the first part of the lap I felt super-strong and the second part I always struggled a little bit “It was really hard to make something out of it Ben raced as an amateur cyclist in the UK from a young age into the senior ranks on the road and has spent over 10 years as a news and sports journalist Ben has been covering cyclocross for media outlets since 2021 and has been on the ground reporting at World Championships in Zolder Away from cycling as a freelance sports journalist Ben regularly reports on a range of sports including football he is happiest whilst reporting on-site at cyclocross races in Belgium and the Netherlands Belgian completes cyclocross season with 'bigger goals on the road arrive very quickly' the Belgian crashed and Van der Poel took the opportunity to attack “I was eager to come forward quickly because I was never in the race last week in Benidorm because of that bad starting position," Van Aert said “I was really trying to get to the front as soon as possible When I started the attack in the second lap I made a stupid mistake." Despite still suffering from the effects of a broken rib the reigning World Champion pulled out his advantage for the victory After having to battle from a slow start to finish fourth in Benidorm last weekend Van Aert said he was eager to rejoin the front group early at Maasmechelen because Mathieu actually rode very far away from me But I would have preferred to have fought for a while Maasmechelen was the final cyclocross race of the season for Van Aert starting his campaign late after recovering from a serious knee injury he sustained at last year’s Vuelta a España taking two wins and finishing in the top four on each occasion “It has been a short winter,” said Van Aert “It’s not the ['cross] season I was hoping for but given the injury that I finished the last road season with it was good to minimise the races “The races I did I could fully enjoy and get good results I have always enjoyed it [cyclocross] very much Every time I get back on the field and I meet all my competitors Next he prepares for a busy road campaign, including both the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France The Belgian head to a final pre-season training camp before making his 2025 debut on February 17 at Clásica Jaén Now I have to use my mind because those bigger goals on the road arrive very quickly.” Fans flocked to Maasmechelen to witness a race duel between Van Aert and Van der Poel which was dubbed the ‘unofficial World Championship’ I got up at eight o'clock this morning and it was a headline on the news That's special," Van Aert told Sporza ahead of the race When asked if it was 'the unofficial World Championship' Despite still suffering effects from a broken rib Van der Poel looks set to defend his Cyclocross World title next weekend in Liévin maybe it is good as I didn’t think so much about my legs," Van der Poel said Mathieu van der Poel, facing his first CX race in 34 days due to a rib injury, won Saturday’s trudge-through-the-sludge penultimate round of the 2024-2025 UCI World Cup in Maasmechelen, Belgium Mishaps battered Wout van Aert in his final mud meeting with van der Poel the Visma rider 24 days away from his road season debut Michael Vanthourenhout wrapped up the title with a race to go The Benidorm round was important for Vanthourenhout’s World Cup title aspirations as he increased his lead over Toon Aerts to 33 points New Dutch champion Thibau Nys won in Benidorm while his teammate Lars van der Haar had taken last year’s round in Maasmechelen The Canadian contingent was Cody Scott and Tyler Clark Van der Poel started from Row 2 and van Aert was in Row 4 Emiel Verstrynge snaffled up the hole shot on Lap 1 who finally got his season underway in the Dutch nationals Nieuwenhuis assumed the lead with Ridley teammate Filipe Orts on his six Van der Poel muscled up to second when van Aert was seventh Aerts found Vanthourenhout five spots ahead of him Heading into the off-camber section of Lap 2 three Dutch riders were in the front: Nieuwenuis this little gang put daylight between themselves and the rest of the string Van Aert crashed and had to straighten out his bars Van der Poel was free to fly and hit the line going into Lap 3 of 7 with a 19-second lead over van Aert–who again popped up from a crash and carried on–Nieuwenhuis and Vanthourenhout van Aert chased alone 37-seconds in arrears of his great rival but to tremendous cheers the Podium Battle was between Joran Wyseure Nieuwenhuis shook off his companions on the penultimate lap Vanthourenhout and van der Haar exchanged glances Van der Poel must be the favourite to win his seventh world championship after six out of six wins Nieuwenhuis has only raced three times this season and was he on the podium in the Dutch nationals eighth in the Benidorm World Cup and third in Maasmechelen third in the Dendermonde and Zonhoven rounds Tomorrow is the final round in Hoogerheide Get the digital edition of Canadian Cycling Magazine Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Visma-Lease a Bike teammate Marianne Vos pulls out of Hoogerheide race with calf pain ahead of Liévin The Visma-Lease a Bike rider called Sunday's effort an ‘off day’ The 22-year-old was in the podium fight at Hoogerheide before sliding out on a slippery corner and riding 53 seconds after Lucinda Brand (Baloise Glowi Lions) took victory leaving Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) and Blanka Vas (SD Worx-Protime) to take the other spots on the podium “The feeling was much better than yesterday I came back strong and rode well until the crash," Van Empel said it would’ve been nicer if it had been a great weekend but I’m feeling good and very confident heading into next week’s World Championships." Van Empel took runner-up honours in the World Cup series with 276 points well behind Brand but holding a 23-point advantage over Vas after the 11th and final race There really wasn't a lot of celebration for Visma-Lease a Bike, as the doubleheader of racing proved to be more subdued with the crashes. Van Empel's teammate Marianne Vos which was her best finish of just four World Cup starts Vos pulled out at Hoogerheide when she experienced calf pain from a fall in the first lap her recovery will be closely monitored" for a start next weekend Vos was hoping to pick up key ranking points to improve her gridding position for next weekend at Liévin but had another crash in the mud on Sunday The Dutch rider will now have to battle through the field at the elite women's race next Saturday if she is going to be in medal contention "It is what it is," Vos told Wielerflits "At Maasmechelen I didn't move up right away you just hope for a good start there [in Liévin] it wouldn't change much about my ambitions “Although of course you have to be realistic: if you can't go straight to the top ten from the first lap Vos also had a message for her young teammate Van Empel who is hoping to defend her world title in the elite race at age 22 she already has quite a bit of experience," Vos said She just has to ride her own race next week." the Hungarian rider emerging from the weekend as an outside favourite for a historic first women’s world cyclocross title for her country “There are a lot of girls in good shape at the moment so I expect an exciting battle," Van Empel said about the next weekend in Liévin “The coming days will mainly be about recovery to ensure I’m fresh at the start in France on Saturday.” You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed A greasy quagmire made Saturday’s 11th and penultimate round of the 2024-2025 UCI World Cup in muddy Maasmechelen Belgium and chaotic hour of crashes in the elite women’s race Hungary’s Blanka Vas impressed with her first victory of the year Canada’s Isabella Holmgren placed 12th Third-place Lucinda Brand had the series title wrapped up Lucinda Brand’s lead atop the standings seemed insurmountable for Fem van Empel 51 points back Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado two and Marie Schreiber one Van Empel had also claimed last season’s Maasmechelen round Alvarado had aspirations on Saturday and she took over New Dutch champion Puck Pieterse had to make her way up from the second row Alvarado and Zoe Backstedt formed the leading group All sorts of difficulties hung up the riders and Backstedt was a little behind van Empel Van Empel fell and was snagged in the netting in the off-camber section at the start of Lap 2 Vas kept up her efforts at the front with Brand right behind her Pieterse and Backstedt were the nearest chasers Pieterse kept hustling and was soon in Position 2 Van Empel was 25 seconds in arrears by the line On Lap 3 of 5 Backstedt found Vas’s back wheel Brand and Pieterse continued their chase and caught up crossing the line a few seconds before Brand and Pieterse with Vas showing the effects of her earlier work Bella was knocking on the top-10’s door The penultimate lap‘s off-camber section saw van Empel endo and Alvarado slide into her it was clear that the winner and podium were in the leading quartet Backstedt pried out another gap and led into the “wet cement” section Pieterse and Brand in the first half of the bell lap Pieterse augered in on the planks and looked grimly at her bike In the final 200 metres Backstedt came back to Vas but the Brit couldn’t sprint around the Hungarian Well, the multiple square-offs between world champion Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert didn’t exactly materialize as many times as we hoped but there’s one last time to see the superstars go at it Visma – Lease a Bike’s Van Aert was supposed to start his cyclocross season on Dec 23 at the Zilvermeercross round of the Superprestige series in Mol Van Aert felt sick after a ride and had to withdraw from the race There was nothing that could be done,” his manager Jef Van Den Bosch said to HLN “It was a matter of recovering and taking it day by day.” He did debut at the Exact Cross he returned to the Superprestige for the Gullegem round on Jan he shifted to the World Cup in Dendermonde Van Aert’s cyclocross campaign will conclude at the World Cup in Maasmechelen Alpecin–Deceuninck’s Mathieu van der Poel’s cyclocross schedule included the World Cup in Zonhoven on Dec followed by the Superprestige in Mol on Dec He then competed in the World Cup in Gavere on Dec Van der Poel had to skip the X2O Trofee in Koksijde on Jan he is back with the World Cup in Maasmechelen on Saturday but won’t race the World Cup in Hoogerheide on Sunday He will be there to defend his crown at the world championships in Lièvin on Feb To watch the two superstars go head to head, you can watch it for free on the UCI YouTube channel, or if you have a FloBikes account, go to FloBikes.com Last week Wout van Aert released his stingy 2024-2025 cross schedule which begins December 23 in the Mol round of the Superprestige series and ends at the Maasmechelen we learned of Mathieu van der Poel’s schedule leading to a defense of his rainbow stripes in Liévin A seventh world title would see him tie the great Erik De Vlaeminck The news you have all been waiting for: six-time World Champion @mathieuvdpoel returns to CX with 11 interesting appointments coming up 📚 Read more about MVDP’s program and his ambitions through the interview: https://t.co/G4dHLokbFz… pic.twitter.com/ZvzUcq7X53 — Alpecin-Deceuninck Cycling Team (@AlpecinDCK) December 13, 2024 It will all kick off for the world champion at the Zonhoven World Cup on December 22 but he won’t face van Aert until the next day in the Mol round of the Superprestige (Happy Holidays from MdvP and MvA!) The great rivals will also race Azencross Exact Cross in Loenhout on December 27 the Dendermonde round of the World Cup on January 5 and the Maasmechelen World Cup on January 25 Van der Poel will race six rounds of the World Cup two of the X2O Badkamers Trofee and one each of the Superprestige and Exact Cross series Last year he won 13 of the 14 cross races he took on In a press release “After careful consideration and discussions with the team management and performance staff two World Cup races combined with the World Championships was another option but I think it makes more sense to do a more extensive package of races.” Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); ​CategoriesCategoriesEnglishGENERAL, MOBILITYPolice disperse illegal car tuning gatherings in Limburg30 December 2024 The police in the Lanaken-Maasmechelen (LaMa) zone successfully stopped an illegal gathering of tuned cars at the Europark industrial estate in Smeermaas which involved approximately 300 vehicles with mostly German and Dutch licence plates Police confirmed that calm was restored by 23:30 on Saturday evening after guiding the vehicles towards the E314 motorway to prevent further disruptions Supported by teams from neighbouring police zones including Maasland and Bilzen-Hoeselt-Riemst Additional patrols were deployed on the Rijksweg (N78) towards Maasmechelen and near the E314 slip roads to prevent participants from regrouping within the Lanaken-Maasmechelen or Maasland zones Lanaken Mayor Marino Keulen (Open VLD) stated that a convoy of cars eventually headed toward Aachen He added that all Limburg police zones would maintain heightened vigilance throughout the night similar gatherings in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia escalated into chaotic scenes around 2,000 participants arrived with hundreds of tuned cars Police reported incidents of dangerous driving reckless and aggressive behaviour and fireworks being thrown leading to blocked streets and hazardous situations The authorities intervened to end the gathering another meeting of approximately 800 vehicles occurred though it was described as largely peaceful and went unreported to authorities beforehand Authorities are becoming more alert to the growing trend of "tuning meetings" where modified vehicles often attract large crowds The Limburg Federal Judicial Police Service has prevented a kidnapping from happening the US city of Miami. The Limburg Prosecutor’s Office reports that a 19-year-old man from the Limburg town of Maasmechelen was detained on Monday 13 January in connection with the planned kidnapping. At the same time officers from the FBI arrested 4 suspects in Miami. They were allegedly planning a violent kidnapping. The arrests were made thanks to a joint operation involving officers from the FBI and the Federal Judicial Police. The 19-year-old man detained in Maasmechelen has since been formally arrested and is currently on remand. The 4 suspects arrested in the United States were allegedly on their way to an address in Miami to carry out a kidnaping. They allegedly intended to demand a ransom for their intended victim’s release. 2 firearms were found in their vehicle. The 4 are believed to have been in touch with the man that has been arrested in Limburg via the messaging service Telegram. The precise role he played in the kidnapping plot is being further investigated by the Limburg Federal Judicial Police.  According to the Public Prosecutor's Office the FBI contacted The Federal Judicial Police in connection with the case.  The Limburg Public Prosecutor’s says that fact that a young man from Maasmechelen was in digital contact with armed suspects in Miami is disturbing. “Prosecutors and police see that more and more crimes are being committed with the help of digital communication tools. This often serves to make offenders feel untouchable”, says Anna Degraen of the Limburg Public Prosecutor's Office told VRT News. ​CategoriesCategoriesEnglishMOBILITY, INNOVATIONTerhills tourist site launches self-driving shuttles29 May 2024 Visitors to the Terhills tourist site in Maasmechelen can now use five self-driving shuttles the first fully autonomous transport system in Belgium the shuttles will be able to carry more than 200 passengers per hour A pilot project with two self-driving shuttles was launched at the site in 2022 The vehicles followed a trajectory of 4.5km and stopped at all major tourist attractions have decided to officially launch the project five self-driving shuttles will transport visitors around the site without a steward Terhills covers an area of ​​approximately 356 hectares in Dilsen-Stokkem and Maasmechelen on the edge of the Hoge Kempen national park optimisations have been made to the trajectory of the shuttles and a depot has been built where they can be maintained and charged The shuttles can carry 12 passengers at a time and are accessible for wheelchair users All visitors will be able to use them free of charge Minister of Mobility and Public Works Lydia Peeters tried one of the shuttles on Wednesday “Innovation and sustainability are the keywords for the future and innovative applications in mobility boost the economy and prosperity,” she said #FlandersNewsService | A self-driving shuttle at Terhills © BELGA PHOTO MARC DIRIX plus: is racing more exciting with the sport's superstars The police have launched a search operation that they say will take several days following a DNA match on a stull found in the Limburg municipality of Maasmechelen in 1991 A DNA sample taken from the skull matched that of Angelique Hendrix who went missing from a village just across the Dutch border in 1990 Around 50 people are involved in the search that it is hoped will lead to a breakthrough in the 34-year-old cold case 18-year-old Angelique Hendrix disappeared in July 1990 while riding her bike in Stein a small village a just across the border from Maasmechelen in the Dutch province of Limburg As we reported last week Angelique Hendrix’s DNA had been found to match a sample taken from a skull discovered in 1991 It is 100% certain that the skull is Angelique Hendrix’s When it was discovered 33 years ago no link was made with the Dutch teenager’s disappearance a year earlier In recent weeks the police have given little if any detail about the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the skull in 1991 It is possible that the police are now searching for the rest of Angelique Hendrix’s body The skull found in 1991 was reportedly discovered by hikers that were walking in a nature reserve The search that is currently ongoing is being carried in cooperation with the Dutch police that are leading the investigation into Angelique Hendrix’s disappearance and murder The Angelique Hendrix case is also being linked to the disappearance of Mirjam Verboort Her remains were found two years later in Stein It is possible that the police believe that Angelique Hendrix and Mirjam Verboort were killed by the same person Pieterse and Van Anrooij complete podium after race-long battle Fellow under-23 riders Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Shirin van Anrooij (Baloise Trek Lions) traded blows with the World Cup leader throughout the fast race but were distanced on the final lap.  Van Empel powered away from her rivals in the closing moments of the race to take victory.  Pieterse’s search for a maiden World Cup race victory continues as she settled for second while van Anrooij was narrowly beaten into third All three riders will compete in the under-23 category at next weekend’s European cyclo-cross championships and lead a new generation of young cyclocross riders The Dutch riders now face the dilemma of whether to move up to the elite category early for the end of the season world championships next year or stay in the under-23 ranks Van Empel admitted that her fourth World Cup victory was the hardest yet with Pieterse able to bunny hop the barriers on the final section of the fast and dry course.  “I think this is the hardest race I have ever raced this season it was a hard battle,” said Van Empel.  it was a bit chaotic in the race and then Puck (Pieterse) overtook me.  “I saw a gap on the last steep section and luckily I could overtake Puck and it was then full gas to the finish I just hoped that Puck was not sitting in my wheel but it was enough to win.”  World champion Marianne Vos (Team Jumbo-Visma) was swamped at the start and then struggled with the pace of the leading group The cyclo-cross World Cup headed to Belgium for the first time this season with Maasmechelen used as a ‘cross venue for the first time.  Fem Van Empel (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) had won the opening three World Cup rounds with her latest coming after a stinging last lap attack in Tabor last weekend Van Empel along with fellow under-23 riders Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Blanka Kata Vas (Team SD Worx) all missed Saturday’s Superprestige race at Ruddervoorde won by Denise Betsema (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) choosing to focus on the World Cup series.  A warm weekend in Belgium resulted in a fast and dry course around the Maasmechelen former mine turned nature reserve which included a mixture of terrain and challenges.  Sprinting away from the start fastest was Hélène Clauzel (AS Bike Racing) who went into the first steep bank first while Vos was swamped further back causing the world champion to lose time.  Van Empel was in close attendance and on the first full lap took the lead with only Pieterse able to follow as the World Cup leader swept around the course After showcasing her bunny hopping skills on her way to second in Tabor last weekend Pieterse powered through the sand section and then jumped the barriers to pull out a slender lead at the end of the opening lap.  Shirin van Anrooij (Baloise Trek Lions) led the chase behind along with Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Alpecin-Deceuninck) pulling back up to Van Empel as Pieterse continued to grow her advantage.  Taking part in her first World Cup event of the season Vos was struggling with the fast early pace and was in the second chasing group 12 seconds back.  the World Cup leader gradually pulled back Dutch rival Pieterse just before the planks on the second lap and this time the leading group stayed together.  Pieterse and van Anrooij powered along the fast course putting pressure on Alvarado who was eventually dropped on the third lap After winning at Ruddervoorde the previous day Betsema caught Alvarado 10 seconds behind the leading trio by the midway point.  Last year’s under-23 European cyclocross champion van Anrooij hoped to defend her title next weekend in Namur and contributed towards the pace of the leading group Paying for her earlier effort van Anrooij was put under pressure by Pieterse as the three youngsters traded blows.  The experience of 29-year-old Betsema saw the three-time World Cup race winner close the gap to the leading trio to six seconds However European road race and time trial champion Van Anrooij attacked with three laps remaining quickly taking a gap of four seconds over Van Empel and Pieterse who were calm in their response.  World Cup leader Van Empel looked in control as she powered back across the gap to Van Anrooij on a steep bank as the trio regrouped.  Pieterse was the first rider to make a mistake almost sliding out in a dry but dusty off-camber section but quickly powered back to prevent Van Empel from establishing a gap.  Coming into the penultimate lap the relentless pace of the front three resulted in Betsema losing time The three leaders took the last lap bell together with nothing to separate them and the three often swapped the lead.  Searching for her first World Cup elite win Pieterse powered to the front hoping to use her skills to establish a winning gap which put Van Anrooij under pressure Van Empel was equal to her rival’s pace and the pair went side-by-side fighting for the lead position into the sweeping bends.  The three Dutch riders continued to swap positions on the tight circuit with Van Anrooij also fighting for the lead.  World Cup leader Van Empel wanted to lead into the final section and used her speed to force a gap over Pieterse coming into the sand section with her lead then continuing to grow to the finish line.  Taking her fourth World Cup in as many rounds Van Empel was delighted with her victory celebrating three seconds ahead of Pieterse while Van Anrooij took her first elite World Cup podium in third at six seconds.  On her first World Cup outing of the season world champion Vos finished in sixth Lars van der Haar gave a commanding performance on a difficult and deteriorating cyclocross course in Maasmechelen The 32-year-old Baloise Trek Lions rider put his competitors on their heels throughout the final four laps of the eight-lap race ultimately beating out second-place Eli Iserbyt by 21 seconds and third-place Laurens Sweeck by 27 seconds Van der Haar not only earned his first World Cup win since Nov but he took over the World Cup leader’s jersey He leads Iserbyt by one point and teammate Thibau Nys by two points in the standings The race was characterized by strong teamwork among the Baloise Trek Lions driving the pace through the first three laps then Van der Haar broke clear and made life difficult for his competitors riding a clean race while they struggled to stay upright in the muck “Today was a special race,” Van der Haar said after the race “From the start we were in good position as a team Pim rode an amazing first half of the race ‘we can’t let that happen,’ because we had a good gap so I just took over and tried to attack.” Van der Haar’s hard work was nearly undone with two laps to go due to a tire puncture and was able to get a wheel change in time to maintain his lead “I had a little scare,” Van der Haar said ‘I can’t lose like this,’ but fortunately I could reach the pit in time That also gave me a little extra anger to make it to the finish.” Van der Haar didn’t know that the leader’s jersey was a possibility. It was previously held by Nys, who won his first ever elite World Cup race at Trek CX Cup in Waterloo earlier this month Nys entered Sunday as one of the favorites to win after a torrid start to the season but didn’t have the legs to stay at the front following a crash on the last lap The 20-year-old is still well positioned for an excellent season as are several other Baloise Trek men’s riders including Joris Nieuwenhuis All four of those riders were lined up next to each other on the front row to start the race Joris Nieuwenhuis continued his strong start to the season Thibau Nys is now third in an incredibly tight overall World cup battle the squad will be in Oudenaarde for the famous Koppenbergcross the Baloise Trek men will race European Championships in Pontchâteau Van der Haar won the European Championship in 2021 and took second place last season every elite men’s cyclocross race this season is going to be an all out battle Even more certain is that you should expect to see multiple Lions riders mixing it up at the front This squad isn’t done setting off fireworks Watch TFR XC's end of season video and relive the high drama and emotions of the final four World Cup races of the year Ronhaar and Meeusen complete the podium after close race Results powered by FirstCycling  Sie haben erfolgreich Ihre Einwilligung in die Nutzung von Transfermarkt mit Tracking und Cookies widerrufen Sie können sich jetzt zwischen dem Contentpass-Abo und der Nutzung mit personalisierter Werbung Once a clique of Calabrian mountain dwellers the criminal organization has become one of the biggest in the world by teaming up with the competition Photo-illustration by Guillermo Flores for POLITICO Speaking Italian can get you a long way in this sleepy postindustrial town on Belgium’s eastern edge. The empty sidewalks of Maasmechelen are studded with shabby pizzerias, delis, coffee bars and sports shops showcasing selections of Italy merch — the legacy of a wave of Italian immigration that started in the late 1940s Recently however the Flemish town was also the site of another On an early spring morning earlier this year Belgian police carrying an international arrest warrant swooped in on a gated villa and Lucio Aquino — known as the “Godfather of Maasmechelen” — was handcuffed and led to a waiting police car The arrest was part of a pan-European bust as police in 10 countries stormed the bolt-holes of Europe’s most feared mobsters in May bags of cocaine and cases of Rolex gold watches Their target: the international branches of the feared ‘ndrangheta a criminal organization with origins in rural Calabria that has spread across Europe to control the lucrative cocaine trade In an operation that involved thousands of police officers more than 130 people were taken into custody in Belgium Romania and Slovenia — among them Lucio Aquino Aquino’s story — how he and his family came to live in Belgium and how he joined a global network that stretches from the hilltops of Calabria to places as far-flung as Colombia and Australia — offers a window into the modern mafia with tight-knit clans controlling family territories; today the ‘ndrangheta operates internationally expanding not only through hit jobs and turf battles but through something akin to a franchise system with local players like Aquino operating as part of a worldwide network of crime Setting up a foreign outpost for the ‘ndrangheta “is like opening a McDonald’s store,” said Antonio Nicaso an author and expert on the Calabrian criminal organization.  “The link to Calabria is what gives you credibility Lucio Aquino may have worked with the Italian mob, but he was born and raised in Maasmechelen. Ironically, his father left Calabria in the 1970s partly because he was fed up with the ‘ndrangheta relocating with his wife and two kids to Limburg where the a now-defunct coal-mining industry had attracted waves of earlier Italian immigration was murdered while awaiting trial on drug charges.  “They were poor and didn’t want to ask their parents for money That’s why they started hanging out with the wrong people,” recalls Loredana Capocciuti a childhood friend of the Aquinos and the owner of Gianni’s a 1960s-style Italian grocery shop in Maasmechelen where the clan still buys their edibles The Italians in town remember Lucio Aquino as a teenager like many others: He hung out with friends in the miners’ community and had an eye for women and flashy sports cars.  “But you could tell that he was the most serious of all brothers; he’s someone who would mind his own business,” recalled Franco a 60-year-old man who grew up with Aquino in the Italian emigré circle but distanced himself when his friend joined the underworld Franco — who preferred not to disclose his surname — stood on the sidewalk in an SSC Napoli football tracksuit and a flashy black watch He said that Lucio’s rise to power started with small robberies in the Netherlands and cash-for-protection arrangements with local businesses when he was in his teens setting up a sprawling drug trafficking network funneling tons of cocaine from South America to the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam in fruit crates the Aquino organization became among the most profitable family businesses in the Limburg region.  For many years the family operated undetected the police needed time to gather sufficient evidence against this clan.” his immediate family has stayed behind in what neighbors call the “White House,” a gated villa shielded by guard dogs and solar panels his older brother Antonio — nicknamed “Rafke” — lives in a brick townhouse overlooking a forest “I’m not speaking while my brother is in [prison] but I promise I will if you come another time,” he said politely when a reporter knocked His brothers could not be reached for comment Being a family business was one of the Aquinos’ early secrets to success ensuring a degree of loyalty to the firm.  “They only work with people they can fully trust … They’re Italians and family is a big deal for Italians,” said a person with intimate knowledge of the Aquino family who spoke on condition of anonymity There was no godfather-like figure presiding — decision-making was collegial The family insider described Silvio as the early leader of the clan with his brother Mario in charge of the logistics with dark sunglasses seemingly perched permanently on their heads the Aquino brothers became well-known figures among the Belgian public “Everyone in Belgium was afraid of them simply for how they looked,” said the Flemish lawyer Walter Van Steenbrugge, who came across the Aquino family when he defended one of their associates Criminal operations are by their nature vulnerable to machinations by rival clans — and the Aquino family was no exception Their rise to power was punctuated by personal vendettas and family drama.  the Aquinos liked to frequent a restaurant owned by Martino Trotta — a man they thought was a friend “Martino might have had a limoncello or an Averna too much,” recalled Franco “He decided to kidnap Silvio Aquino in exchange for money.” But the plan went terribly wrong it was the end of an era — and Lucio’s turn to helm the firm It was during his tenure at the top that the family opened up to powerful outsiders.  Lucio joined forces with the ‘ndrangheta working with powerful clans like the Nirta and Strangio families to funnel cocaine from South America to Europe and abroad Lucio brokered deals with the local underworld across different continents; oversaw the delivery of drug shipments to the port of Gioia Tauro in Calabria; and laundered the profits from these operations to buy bars and restaurants in France and Germany Prosecutors describe Aquino as the leader of the drug network the one who set everything up,” his Belgian lawyer Jan Keulen told POLITICO.  The Aquino family is “the largest gang we have ever caught in our country,” a spokesperson from the Limburg prosecutor’s office told journalists after Lucio’s arrest “It is a family at the head of an international organization … In addition to accountants they even have a court interpreter on their payroll.” While the ‘ndrangheta once had a reputation for brutal violence, it has generally tried to maintain a low profile since a 2007 massacre outside a restaurant in the German city of Duisburg left six dead and made headlines across Europe “They are not conducting this type of violent crime doing their business trying to remain under the radar of law enforcement,” Stock said The group is “more interested in cash than blood,” according to Nicola Gratteri the newly appointed prosecutor general of Naples who has become a household name in the fight against the ‘ndrangheta in Calabria “The mafia is there to buy cocaine and reinvest the money to buy hotels The change in tactics has facilitated the ‘ndrangheta’s international expansion the group has been content to team up with other organizations worldwide “It’s better to invest together with the competition,” said Koen Voskuil who has written extensively about Italian crime in the Netherlands It has become standard practice for different criminal groups to jointly invest in drug shipments from South America and split the profits a Dutch journalist who is an expert in drug-related crime With Italian authorities cracking down on organized crime at home dozens of ‘ndrangheta families have relocated abroad to countries including Belgium and the Netherlands where authorities are still unused to their activities “Belgian counterstrategies have not been as specifically developed as the Italian ones,” said Vermeiren the ‘ndrangheta has expanded through a system akin to a restaurant franchise Setting up shop abroad requires the approval of the crimine di San Luca — a committee made up of seven elders in Calabria He added that franchisees pay annual dues of tens of thousands of euros — known as a fiore (flower) The scattered structure has made it harder to crack down on the organization “These decentralized operating models are like terrorist cells,” said Stephen Kavanagh executive director for police services at Interpol “It’s very horizontal and clans operate almost uniquely from each other on occasions and this makes it far more difficult for us to support member countries in understanding the threat.” The Dutch police estimate that as many as 100 known mobsters from Calabria operate in the Netherlands described the ‘ndrangheta “as a multinational” that is active both in Colombia and in key European entry points such as Amsterdam and Rotterdam The Limburg region where the Aquino family lived was the perfect place from which to base an operation It is close to the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam and to the production sites of ecstasy and cannabis plantations in the south of Holland a professor of criminology at the University of Leuven Aquino’s role in the network wasn’t as a formal member of the ‘ndrangheta Experts described him as a “broker” — someone who offers his know-how to different criminal organizations the Aquino family is mostly remembered fondly “It’s worse than living in Naples or Calabria,” said Franco “Most Italian mobsters went into retirement “They are quite loved within their community,” said the individual with knowledge of the family “The assumptions we have from movies like ‘The Godfather’ or the story of [Colombian drug lord] Pablo Escobar are true in their case.” a childhood acquaintance who runs a barber shop said the Aquinos remind him of “the Daltons,” the brothers from the Lucky Luke comic books who look nearly identical — in the case of the Aquinos with round faces “It must be 20 years since I’ve last seen him [Lucio] in my hair salon,” said Roselli “I used to go to school with one of the siblings; but since then Lucio was already in trouble with the police before he was arrested in May, in and out of prison during a long-running trial, on charges of shipping thousands of kilos of cocaine from South America in cahoots with a retired policeman gone rogue The new charges are more serious and could land him a life sentence Prosecutors accuse him of helming the drug network from his prison cell near the city of Leuven with the help of jailers who would smuggle him kebabs and encrypted telephones he’s the object of a tug-of-war between Italian prosecutors who insist he should face trial there because of his use of the port of Gioia Tauro who have been fending off attempts to extradite him “He should have stopped long ago,” mused Franco “If you always want to make more and more money Elisa Braun contributed reporting for this article World Champion dominates from start to finish in Belgium to win fifth race of the season Fem van Empel (Jumbo-Visma) takes the win in Maasmechelen(Image credit: Getty Images)Fem van Empel (Jumbo-Visma)(Image credit: Getty Images)World Champion Fem van Empel (Jumbo-Visma) extended her cyclocross winning streak with another dominant solo display at the first European World Cup round in Maasmechelen The Dutchwoman made it five wins from five races for the 2023-24 season and ten in a row if added to her wins from the start of the year.  My start was good and it went well but the feeling was not great on the first lap," said Van Empel it went quite well so I'm happy with the rest of the race."  albeit in a less thrilling race than last year with the likes of Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) and Shirin van Anrooij (Baloise Trek Lions) absent from the start line as they recover back to form Van Empel set the tone from the gun, exploding off the start line into first with Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Alpecin-Deceuninck) as her closest competitor no battle would play out as Alvarado suffered an off-camera crash on the second lap that ended her challenge for the win.  Alvarado came home for second after recovering well from her crash with Aniek van Alphen (Cyclocross Reds) in third for her first-ever elite World Cup podium at 24 years old Van Empel escaped the chaos of the start with a typically explosive launch off the start line as crashes behind ruined the chances of Annemarie Worst (Cyclocross Reds) and Manon Bakker (Crelan-Dorendon) from fighting for the podium.  The World Champion’s superiority was evident from the first lap as one of the only riders able to bunny hop the wooden hurdles on the course forcing Alvarado to react as Marie Schreiber (SD Worx) began to lose Van Empel’s wheel.  Alvarado appeared the only equal to Van Empel’s strength spurred on by her first victory of the season at yesterday’s Superpresitge in Ruddervoorde.  Van Empel continued to apply the pressure in pole position powering into the sand and ramp sections and she was suddenly alone as the second lap developed with the cameras exposing a bloodied knee for Alvarado who had been down hard.  It later turned out that she broke her shoe in the fall and had to ride easy for a lap and a half to ride out the pain ruining any hope of a thrilling battle at the head of racing.  This was the defining moment of the race as the only rider possibly able to keep up with Van Empel lost 20 to 30 seconds in a flash leaving the World Champion alone to build a big advantage.  Alvarado’s race ended up being against Van Alphen who rode well but eventually wasn’t able to stay with the former World Champion as the six-lap race entered its final stages.  Van Empel arrived at the finish line in Maasmechelen alone after 51 minutes of racing able to hold up her hand with five digits on show the number of wins she’s taken this season Her eventual winning margin was 1:28 from Alvarado.  The likes of Van Empel and Alvarado will now gear up for the upcoming European Championships next weekend in Pontchâteau with the famous Koppenbergcross acting as the perfect warm-up on Wednesday as the X2O Trofee series kicks off Results powered by FirstCycling 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 First Cyclocross World Cup victory in two years for Dutch rider Lars van der Haar (Baloise Trek Lions) took his first Cyclocross World Cup win in two years at the first European round of 2023 in Maasmechelen going one better than last year when he finished as runner-up He capitalised on minor mistakes from Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels-Sauzen-Bingoal) and teammate Thibau Nys and attacked to build a slim lead that he maintained all the way to the line after just over an hour of racing some young guys and today I really benefitted from my teammates,” said Van der Haar.  but luckily it was just really hard from the sandpit to the finish line and the rest you couldn’t make up much time on It was all about trying to focus on the hard part and then try not to make any mistakes.” Van der Haar also revealed that his race nearly unravelled with a late puncture but he was thankfully close enough to the pits to change bikes and hold his lead.  “I flatted with two laps to go so I thought it was over but luckily it was not too far to the pit.” Mistakes characterised Iserbyt’s race as he took minor tumbles and got caught on wooden posts throughout the eight-lap race with World Cup series leader Nys simply not able to match the pace of his teammate and suffering a crash on the final lap This is Van der Haar’s second win of the season after taking victory in last Wednesday’s Kiremko Nacht van Woerden Laurens Sweek (Crelan-Corendon) looked strong but a rear-wheel puncture ruined his chances of fighting for the win Iserbyt and Sweek rounded out the podium behind with Nys dropping all the way down to seventh after entering the round as the favourite Van der Haar had the best start alongside Niels Vandeputte (Alpecin-Deceuninck) in Maasmechelen shooting off the line and into the first corner as Iserbyt and Nys were forced to move up through the positions European Champion Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels-Sauzen-Bingoal) moved into control of the race before the first passage of the sandpit but he then got stuck at the crest of one of the muddy ramps This allowed Pim Ronhaar (Baloise Trek Lions) to get a small gap at the head of the race.  Vanthourenhout was the only rider on Ronhaar’s wheel for a period of time as Iserbyt allowed his teammate’s wheel to go Nys and Van der Haar took up the job before the Belgian made a small mistake allowing them both to get away from him momentarily.  Nys hit the front as expected on lap four as the favourite coming into the day and was met by boos from the Belgian crowd as Iserbyt and Van der Haar quickly joined him and he began to look tired A further mistake from Iserbyt gave Van der Haar the opportunity to execute the race-winning attack as he got stuck again after an unplanned dismount where the DUtch Champion kept up his speed and moved away.  perhaps labouring from his explosive start to the season which is understandable given how he is still only 20 But a late crash in the now deep muddy ruts created by the women’s and men’s aggressive racing throughout ruined his possible podium and he eventually rolled in for seventh.  Van der Haar kept it the cleanest of any of the leading ten riders staying on his bike the most and not falling victim to the course which increased in difficulty as the day went on.  The riders will now head to Wednesday’s iconic Koppenbergcross race for a brutal round of racing ahead of the European Championships next weekend in Pontchâteau Results powered by FirstCycling