"I can definitely go to America with confidence" - Michael Vanthourenhout showing great form and aiming high in first World Cup rounds
Cyclocross
With the absence of some of the names that are still finishing their road season, Pauwels Sauzen - Bingoal have been dominating the cyclocross season as they've taken the three Belgian races so far, with Michael Vanthourenhout emerging victorious in Meulebeke yesterday.
“We once again played the team game well. Together with Eli Iserbyt, I was able to wear out the opposition," the Belgian said in a post-race interview. Taking advantage of a mechanical problem from Laurens Sweeck, Vanthourenhout and Iserbyt only found the competition of Lars van der Haar in the final laps, but the 28-year old had the best legs on the day.
Whilst Iserbyt covered the Dutchman, Vanthourenhout was able to ride into his second win of the season, following the season opener in Kruibeke. “I felt really good before the start of the cross. The exploration taught me that there was something in it. It may have looked easy, but it wasn't. I had to attack a few times before I could make a gap," he described.
"First Laurens Sweeck made my life miserable and then Lars van der Haar came up with me. I also had a problem with him. In the last two laps I gave everything I could, with success," Vanthourenhout added.
With the World Cup having it's first round next week in Waterloo - with Fayetteville the week after - Vanthourenhout is ready to be aiming for the victories there. “After two victories and a second place in three races I can definitely go to America with confidence. The team decided to travel a little later. That way we can train a little more. That's not really what it comes down to. It will be busy training days before we are on the plane," he concluded.
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- Schreiber won. UCI please admit your fault and correct result.averagecyclist10-11-2026
- She deviated from her line - end of
leedorney10-11-2026 - If I was Lucinda Brand, I'd refuse to wear the jersey. Is there a rule that she "has to" wear it, as the winner? It would certainly feel like stolen valor.wrsty10-11-2026
- but don't let your socks be too long or handlebars be a cm too narrow.mij10-11-2026
- Saw a casual interview with Geraint Thomas and him a few years ago. Seems like a nice laid guy and I wish him well.GregT10-11-2026
- Ernesto Maggioni - The president of the commissaires Mafia. It is getting evident that this guy is basically "Iamalwaysrightandyouarestupidsoiwontlistentoyou" kind of guy. So fire him so that he can be always right in his homeabstractengineer10-11-2026
- Somehow it has got into his mind that he is a GC rider. He is primarily a classics and stage rider who can perform on GC given his day. As a result he is wasting his time on TDF GC and once committed to GC you are too tired to do anything else.abstractengineer10-11-2026
- 🐐❤️Lozza09-11-2026
- This is such a black eye to women's professional cyclocross if this result remains. Marie Schreiber won this race fairly. This finish is not unlike others in cyclocross. Lots of moving around to get to the finish not to cut anyone off , but to generate a sprint on soft wide tires caked with mud and sand. This is not nearly the same as a road race between two riders sprinting to the finish on faster bikes and thinner firmer tires. The powers in charge need to use some common sense, reverse this result and remember this is Cyclocross not Road racing. Unbelievable. . .Zencycle09-11-2026
- Tis beyond your comprehension fine sir so best not to look on with blind eyes to THE GOATS greatness.
Brucegel09-11-2026
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3️⃣ IN A ROW 🥇Kruibeke 🥇Beringen 🥇Meulebeke #FightToTheFinish
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