Results CX European Championship 2025 | Inge van der Heijden stuns field to claim biggest career win in Middelkerke

It was billed as a coronation for Lucinda Brand, but it was Inge van der Heijden who produced the performance of her life on the sands of Middelkerke, powering to a shock victory at the Women’s Elite European Championships. The 26-year-old Dutchwoman led from start to finish to deliver an eighth consecutive continental title for the Netherlands — and burst into tears as she crossed the line in disbelief.

From the opening lap, Van der Heijden looked untouchable. While pre-race favourite Brand was delayed by a sluggish start from the third row, her compatriot surged clear immediately, attacking the course’s sand sectors and steep transitions with composure and precision. Sara Casasola and Blanka Vas briefly held her wheel, but the relentless rhythm of the Dutch rider soon broke the field apart. By the end of the opening circuit, Van der Heijden already led by twenty seconds — a margin that would never truly be threatened.

Behind, Brand began her recovery, moving past Belgian champion Marion Norbert Riberolle and working with Casasola to form a chasing duo. Yet each time Brand edged closer, the leader responded with ease, maintaining a steady tempo that exploited every metre of the deep Middelkerke sand. Aniek van Alphen soon joined the pursuit, while Casasola, as so often this season, fought to disrupt the Dutch dominance.

At halfway, Van der Heijden remained in complete control — seventeen seconds ahead of Casasola and just over twenty clear of Brand. A brief acceleration from Brand hinted at a comeback, but a lapse in rhythm saw Casasola slip away again, the Italian continuing to chase stubbornly as Van Alphen followed just behind.

When the chasers finally stalled, Van der Heijden’s advantage began to soar. With two laps to go she was over forty-five seconds ahead, while Brand, Van Alphen and Casasola all watched one another rather than committing to the chase. Casasola’s hopes of a medal evaporated with a heavy crash in the sand on the penultimate lap, leaving the two Dutch riders clear for silver and bronze.

Brand attacked hard in the final lap, briefly distancing Van Alphen on the steep climbs after the beach section, but her younger compatriot refused to crack and clawed her way back before the finish. Up front, Van der Heijden remained smooth and unflustered, threading the final dunes with clinical precision before raising her arms to claim her first major international title.

Behind her, Brand and Van Alphen completed an all-Dutch podium, extending the nation’s extraordinary streak of European titles to eight straight editions. Casasola recovered from her fall to take fourth, more than two minutes adrift, while France’s Hélène Clauzel finished sixth and Laura Verdonschot rode superbly to secure seventh as the best Belgian finisher.

For Van der Heijden, this was a defining victory — built not on a late surge or tactical gamble, but on pure control and consistency from the first pedal stroke to the last. Another golden day for the Netherlands, and a breakthrough one for its newest champion.