"On the last few steps, my legs completely seized up" - Joran Wyseure gutted with European Championships near-miss as Nys snatches impressive victory
Cyclocross
Joran Wyseure came up just short in his bid for the 2026 Cyclocross European Championships. Forming a decisive duo at the front of the race alongside compatriot Thibau Nys, it came down to a decisive dying minutes of the race.
In this case, it all went in favour of Nys, who surged ahead in the final lap of nine. It took an hour of racing for Wyseure to finally relinquish Nys's wheel as he came in for the silver medal just seconds behind.
Early on, Wyseure found himself alongside Swiss rider Kevin Kuhn in chase of Nys after the Lidl-Trek rider attacked before the halfway point. That move saw the duo join Nys before the Belgians combined forces to drop Kuhn.
With Nys likely favourite if the pair came to an uphill finish straight sprint, Wyseure led from the front on the seventh and eighth laps as he looked to put the big favourite on the backfoot. It appeared as though Nys was in fact struggling, but he had enough to come to the front when it mattered.
With 99 steps every lap and an attritional course that meant getting rid of a rider with an attack was difficult, Wyseure admitted his disappointment as decisive factors saw him miss out in Zeddam. Although the 25-year-old steps up from his bronze medal last season, he came short of a third victory of the season.
Thibau Nys wins the 2026 Cyclocross European Championships elite men's race
"My legs completely seized up"
Wyseure told HLN after the race: "It's really a mixed feeling. I am very disappointed but also proud. The difference between winning and finishing second at a championship is so big. On the last few steps, my legs completely seized up.
"I feel really good and am recovering quickly. I've got a good feeling, but Thibau is a bit more used to fighting for a title. He played it very smart."
Meanwhile, after his Koppenbercross win last weekend, Nys won his second elite European Championships title and vowed that his best is yet to come as he straps in for a bust winter season.
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"It was a tough one. I think it was a hard and a really nice battle with Joran [Wyseure]. He was super strong and it was really difficult to get rid of each other," Nys said in his post-race interview.
"So I felt, halfway through the race, that it would be a big explosion in the last lap. I mean, it is quite hard, but on the other hand, it is quite difficult also to make a gap."
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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- He should have been allowed to go to Movistar. Right now both arent a good fit for each other and are just wasting each other's time and effortabstractengineer08-11-2026
- 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
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