PHOTOS | Snowstorm turns Exact Cross Mol into historic cycling event - Van der Poel and Van Aert race in the snow and sand

This Friday provided one of the most unique images in modern cycling history, as the 2026 Exact Cross Mol was raced under a heavy snowstorm, creating an unique visual in the second race of the year. Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert headlined an epic day on the bike, with pictures telling the story of what happened on the 2nd of January. 

The cyclocross season was thus far mostly ridden under very dry conditions, unusually dry even. As recently as late December, the riders continued to face dry conditions which made races much faster and tactical overall.

The traditional mud that marks the cyclocross winters every year was not present this time around in almost any way, until the riders flipped the page and entered 2026. Literally on the first day, the GP Sven Nys in Baal was raced under rainy conditions, making it a muddy course. 

But nothing would've prepared the riders for what they were going to face in Mol at the Exact Cross - a race that didn't feature many top figures, but featured weather conditions that turned the race into one of modern cycling's most visually impressive professional events. 

In road cycling, such weather either brings races to a halt, or neutralizes them. In cyclocross it is rather safer due to the low speeds and the bikes already being adjusted for low traction conditions. However this didn't prevent a disaster from taking place, in the form of Wout van Aert's crash which led to a fractured ankle and the end to his cyclocross season. 

Until that moment however, fans got what was being one of the season's best races, with the dramatic footage showcasing the snowstorm in the lake town. Sand and snow combined, as the snowstorm began during the women's race. Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado took a victory in style. 

In the men's race it was Mathieu van der Poel who took a hard-earned victory in freezing conditions, being joined by Toon Aerts and Felipe Orts on the podium. Below is a set of pictures from the race that has perhaps been the absolute highlight of the 2025-2026 cyclocross season.