Results CX European Championship 2025 | Toon Aerts takes emotional victory after sprint duel with Thibau Nys

In a thrilling finale worthy of a continental title, Toon Aerts claimed the Cyclocross European Championship in Middelkerke after a tense last-lap sprint against Thibau Nys. The 30-year-old Belgian held his nerve through the final dunes and powered to gold, securing his first major championship win since his long-awaited return to the top level.

The race was a war of attrition from the start, with heavy sand, sea-spray and changing lines turning the beachside circuit into a tactical battle. Early on, Michael Vanthourenhout and Pim Ronhaar set the tone, trading accelerations while Nys, recovering from a modest start, climbed steadily into contention. Joran Wyseure impressed on the running sections, while veteran Toon Aerts showed flashes of his old power to stay glued to the leaders.

At halfway, a group of four – Nys, Vanthourenhout, Ronhaar and Wyseure – broke clear, holding a narrow margin over the chasers. When Aerts and British champion Cameron Mason later bridged across, the front of the race swelled again and the pressure intensified. The sand became the great equaliser: every mistake cost seconds, every clean passage offered a chance to counter.

With two laps to go, Ronhaar’s aggression reignited the tempo. He repeatedly attacked through the beach and over the steep climbs, forcing Aerts and Nys to dig deep. Behind, Mason and Emiel Verstrynge briefly threatened before sliding back, leaving five riders to contest the final lap.

Then came the decisive moments. Ronhaar began the last technical section first but over-cooked a corner, allowing the Belgians to surge past. Nys took over at the head of the group, launching from distance in a bold bid to decide the title before the sprint. The Dutchman faded, while Aerts – cool and composed – clawed onto his wheel. The pair hurtled into the finishing straight with the European jersey on the line.

In the final metres, experience triumphed over youth. Aerts came around Nys to win by half a wheel, punching the air in delight as the Belgian fans erupted along the barriers. Ronhaar crossed just behind for bronze after an afternoon of relentless attacking.

For Aerts, it marked a remarkable comeback and one of the most emotional wins of his career. The Belgian, who has battled adversity and time away from the sport, now adds the blue European jersey to a palmarès that already included national titles and World Championship medals – but never, until today, continental gold.