“It took some getting used to riding for myself, but I had incredible legs today”: Rune Herregodts outsmarted favourites in chaotic finale to become new Belgian champion
Cycling
Rune Herregodts has produced a stunning upset at the Belgian National Championships in Brasschaat, winning from a reduced breakaway trio after a chaotic and high-speed race in which the pre-race favourites were never in contention.
A race decided far from the sprinters
The anticipated bunch sprint never materialised, as the key contenders were distanced from the front action early and never managed to regain control. Instead, the race evolved into a constant series of attacks. Herregodts followed the decisive move initiated by Jonas Rickaert and Fabio Van den Bossche, before outkicking both in the final sprint.
“I can still hardly believe it,” Herregodts said in a post-race interview. “I had ambition, but avoiding a sprint seemed impossible. When I missed the big group, I thought it was over. Then I forced it myself and it became a criterium. It took some getting used to riding for myself, but I had incredible legs today.”
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He also admitted that he had to play smart as he is a weaker sprinter than the other two. “On paper I have the weakest sprint of the three and I used that to play poker. I boxed Fabio (Van den Bossche) a bit. That hurt, but I had to think of myself. On days like this I know I’m quite fast.”
“This was my only chance ever to become Belgian champion. I didn’t want to have regrets and now it’s sinking in. I enjoy working for guys like Pogacar, but it’s nice to show I can ride hard on the bike. I haven’t signed anywhere yet for next year. There are talks with several teams.”
Frustration for the chasers
Behind him, second place Jonas Rickaert narrowly missed out on victory after animating the decisive move but lacking the final sprint power. “It’s bitter. I will never be this close again. I rode a perfect race, but in the end there was nothing left. I can position someone perfectly, but I don’t have the pure speed,” Rickaert said.
Fabio Van den Bossche, who completed the podium in third, also expressed disappointment after being outmanoeuvred in the sprint. “Herregodts was smart. I didn’t expect him to close me in during the sprint. That’s when I felt it going wrong. I have to accept how it went. It could be that I never get that chance again. It’s gone,” Van den Bossche said.
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Tim Merlier, one of the pre-race favourites, acknowledged that he never managed to control the race situation. “We lost control quite early in the beginning. Then I knew it would be a long race. At the moments when I moved up myself, the legs were immediately shut down,” Merlier said.
He nevertheless finished the race for the supporters and already turns his focus to the upcoming Tour de France. “For all the supporters I still finished,” he said calmly. “The signals are good.”
Thibau Nys, who finished fifth, had good legs but missed the decisive move. “There was more in it, but I’m also quite satisfied,” Nys said. “I can’t say I left much on the road. It’s a pity I missed the move of the final three. I hoped we could keep the pace high in the chase, but they were gone. They didn’t slow down.”
Félix SernaCycling Journalist
Félix Serna is a writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2025. He covers professional cycling across both the men’s and women’s calendars, with a focus on UCI rankings, race developments, and rider performance. His work includes interview-based reports, liveblogs, and tournament coverage designed to provide clear, accurate context throughout the season.
In his reporting, Félix regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical reference. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies.
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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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