"If I hadn't come so close, it wouldn't have been so sour": Verstrynge laments barely missing out on Belgian title
Cyclocross
The battle for the Belgian tricolor lived up to the hype in Beringen on Sunday. As predicted, it turned into a duel between the biggest favorite, Thibau Nys, and Emiel Verstrynge. While Nys eventually claimed the jersey for the second year in a row, he had to fight until the very last meter against a resilient Verstrynge. For the Crelan-Corendon rider, the silver medal felt particularly bitter.
A costly mistake at the beginning of the race
The race on the steep slopes of the Beringen mine was a war of attrition. Verstrynge, who had been identified by many as the only man capable of beating Nys, faced some difficulties at the beginning. A mistake in the opening laps put him on the back foot immediately.
"I crashed early in the race. I felt that the confidence was gone, I had to find my rhythm," Verstrynge explained about his difficult start in words collected by Sporza.
While Verstrynge was recovering, Nys seemed to be flying towards the title. However, he made a mistake of his own, crashing on the tricky course. This error gave Verstrynge some oxygen, and he began to close the gap significantly in the second half of the race.
"That crash by Thibau might not have ensured that I got very close, but I suspected that the lap after that wouldn't go so smoothly for him. I kept putting pressure on," Verstrynge said.
The dynamic then changed. Nys looked much more vulnerable, and Verstrynge smelled blood. However, the Baloise Trek Lions rider managed to defend his lead by exploiting the specific sections of the course that suited him best. "I had the feeling that I was getting closer, but every time I got closer, his strong sections came up," Verstrynge recalled.
By the final lap, both riders were exhausted. "I think everyone was out of their best strength. In that running section you see that the cold hits Thibau, but immediately I feel myself that it wasn't much better. It is more on adrenaline that I came so close in the last lap," Verstrynge admitted.
Verstrynge has had a very consistent cyclocross season so far
A very bitter end for Verstrynge
Despite the fatigue, Verstrynge managed to make contact with Nys in the absolute final phase of the race, but a small error in the final moments decided the championship.
"It hurts for a moment," he said. "In the final, I thought: I can do this here. But in the penultimate corner I had to concede one and a half meters. I couldn't make that up anymore."
Crossing the line in second place is a strong result for the young pro, but the way the race unfolded made it hard to swallow immediately after the finish. "If I hadn't come so close, it wouldn't have been so sour."
Still, Verstrynge is realistic. Even if he wanted the jersey and was so close to clinching it, his performance confirms he has taken a step up this winter.
"I can be disappointed with myself. Ultimately, coming second at the Nationals is something you'd rather not see. If I look back in a month and a half at how this period went, then I have to be satisfied," he concluded.
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.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Thibau Nys does exactly what Iserbyt is calling for
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - i did not see it. was the relegation justified or an overly hard decision? and don‘t cross riders deviate from straight lines all the time? bumping into each others when they cut corners, etc … why being more strict with the rules on the finish sprint?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- seems like we are advertising the website with pointless comments…Ketterechts08-11-2026
- So?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- The UCI do have their favorites.
Front24208-11-2026 - On a positive note, you maybe notice turning this topic into a discussion has the benefit of eliminating certain participants who do not see how they can turn it back to their sole interest ;-)Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- People see what they want to. I am actually the opposite of your accusation, probably more of a rebel than most of you who don’t get the big picture. The difference is, I don’t go moaning publicly about the consequences of my transgressions, I understand the need for rules and I take my OWN responsibility when deciding to ignore or break them or doing so involuntarily. I will also not hesitate to state my case or argue vehemently when relevant, sometimes it works, sometimes it makes things worse but that’s the price to pay for principles and having character.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- That may be but that was unknown to others and nothing says that’s the whole truth. Again, don’t try to misinterpret, it is a call and technically it is correct. Besides, even if there is a valid reason, that does not disqualify the ruling or punishment as far as the rules have been developed. I don’t think they’re as far as in football where for handball there is a distinction (in some ways and specific cases) between intentional or not. And football can be just as harsh and people live with it, eg the offside rule, also judged to within tiny fractions but often wrong or ignored. It’s the nature of every collective organisation and sometimes I wonder if our rebellion against it isn’t seated in the feelings we carry from the injustices we’ve felt personally, like being flashed driving 1km/h too fast when we are explained limits are just a security measure but we are absolutely certain not to have endangered anyone with our transgression. The problem is, nobody has better solutions and no 2 people have the same interpretation of where a limit should be.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Because for you deviated implies the other rider MUST have been made to fall and fail to finish ??? I don’t know if you ride a bike but next time someone carves you up or drives dangerously close, just hold back from those feelings of changing something, reporting or filming or even complaining. Everyone will just say, hey you’re still here undamaged, doesn’t seem like anyone did anything.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- And we, what are we doing?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment