The last round of the X2O Trofee delivered as the field tackled the very technical track in Brussels Universities campus and Michael Vanthourenhout emerged victorious taking the second win of the day for Pauwels Sauzen - Bingoal.
The race started in chaotic manner right from the start as cup leader Toon Aerts crashed right at the startline and had to race from the very back of the field to chase on. Nevertheless the gap was big enough and as long as he stayed in the race he would keep the cup lead, which he has in the end.
In the front of the race Pauwels Sauzen quickly took the head of the race with Laurens Sweeck creating a gap early on as some riders struggled in the off-camber sections. On the second lap Michael Vanthourenhout joined him and on the third the Belgian took control of the race.
From there on the win was in his hands, as Jens Adams emerged from behind through the remaining Pauwels Sauzen riders. In the final lap Eli Iserbyt launched his move to take second place as Adams wrapped up the podium in a brilliant performance.
Toon Aerts finished a strong 9th place despite the early issues and took the overall win in the X2O Trofee, with Eli Iserbyt and Michael Vanthourenhout completing the podium.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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🏆 X2O Trofee Brussels ME (C1) 🇧🇪 1 🇧🇪 Michael Vanthourenhout 2 🇧🇪 Eli Iserbyt 3 🇧🇪 Jens Adams 4 🇳🇱 Van der Haar 5 🇧🇪 L. Sweeck 6 🇨🇭 Rüegg 7 🇧🇪 Th. Aerts 8 🇨🇭 Kuhn 9 🇧🇪 To. Aerts 10 🇧🇪 Baestaens ➡️ Results: bit.ly/3gGFySq
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