"Everyone there really wants to win and take those cobbles" - Sven Nys outlines importance and reputation of winning mythical Koppenbergcross
Cyclocross
The Koppenbergcross is the next major cyclocross race and is one of the main goals of the season for many riders. The brutal Belgian race is one of the most important days of the early months of the winter, and Sven Nys who has won there nine times outlines it's importance.
“Most riders in our team (Baloise - Trek Lions, ed.) have chosen to drop the Superprestigecross of Ruddervoorde and go all out for Maasmechelen. The exception is Lars van der Haar, who does complete the entire program. Age is a factor that should not be underestimated. Someone over thirty, like Lars, can handle a lot of competition in a short time better than those young men, who can overtake themselves when it gets too busy," Nys shared with Wielerflits.
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Van der Haar is the defending champion in the men's race and will be starting off the first round of the X20 Badkamers Trofee already with a massive win in Maasmechelen in the bad. With Thibau Nys' phenomenal start to the season as well, the Belgian team have a lot to look forward to this Wednesday. The race comes in between the Maasmechelen World Cup and the European Championships however Nys does not believe this will see riders saving themselves.
A few figures will miss out on the race, likely as they do not want to focus on the cup, and will instead gear up fully for this weekend's events. “The Koppenberg is an event in itself, which is rock solid. It doesn't matter what day it falls on. Everyone there really wants to win and take those cobbles home," Nys argues. "The Koppenberg is regarded as highly as a European championship, I am not worried about that.”
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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.
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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)...
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Wat een mooie dag, wat een mooie winnaars 🙌 Proficiat Fem van Empel en Lars van der Haar, geef onze kassei een mooi plekje 🙏 📸 Belga #X2OBadkamersTrofee #welovecyclocross
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