Results Koppenbergcross 2026 - Thibau Nys crashes twice but wins dramatic season debut as Lucinda Brand dominates
Cyclocross
Thibau Nys overcame two crashes and a 25-second deficit to beat Michael Vanthourenhout in a dramatic uphill sprint at the Koppenbergcross. The Belgian champion claimed his third victory on the iconic climb in his first cyclocross race of the season, while Lucinda Brand retained the women’s title in the X²O Badkamers Trofee opener.
Nys completes comeback on final climb
Nys’ race unravelled after Victor Van de Putte had set the early pace. Initially delayed behind a fall, he then crashed when he could not avoid the sliding Van de Putte in a separate incident, stopping to straighten his handlebars.
Disaster for Thibau Nys 😮 The Belgian goes over the bars with Victor van de Putte at the Koppenbergcross, but both are quickly back on their bikes. https://t.co/VdfDxxztGG
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) November 1, 2026
Vanthourenhout broke clear and built a 25-second advantage over Nys. Gerben Kuypers briefly regained his teammate’s wheel before being dropped again on the cobbled climb.
Nys worked his way past Joris Nieuwenhuis and moved into third when Pim Ronhaar hit a post and went over his handlebars. He then caught and passed Kuypers, reducing the gap to nine seconds before another crash forced a second handlebar adjustment.
The defending champion recovered again, passed Kuypers and finally reached Vanthourenhout at the foot of the Koppenberg ahead of the last lap.
The pair exchanged the lead through the closing stages, with Nys taking an inside line to move ahead before Vanthourenhout regained control approaching the final cobbled ascent.
Vanthourenhout launched his sprint first, but Nys came past on the climb to complete his recovery. His exhausted rival crossed seven seconds later
Results Koppenbergcross 2026 Men
| 1 | NYS Thibau | Baloise Verzekeringen - Het Poetsbureau Lions | 1:01:31 |
| 2 | VANTHOURENHOUT Michael | Pauwels Sauzen - Altez Industriebouw | 0:07 |
| 3 | KUYPERS Gerben | Pauwels Sauzen - Altez Industriebouw | 0:42 |
| 4 | RONHAAR Pim | Baloise Verzekeringen - Het Poetsbureau Lions | 0:57 |
| 5 | MASON Cameron | 777TV CX Team | 1:01 |
Brand retains title with commanding solo win
Brand finished 53 seconds ahead of Sara Casasola, who impressed in her first cyclocross appearance of the season. Marie Schreiber completed the podium at 1:22.
Casasola collected the maximum 15 bonus seconds at the first-lap intermediate sprint before Schreiber drove the leading group. Inge van der Heijden and Helene Clauzel lost contact before halfway.
Brand attacked on the fourth of six laps. Schreiber could not follow, while Casasola initially held her wheel before losing ground through a technical section. The world champion reached the top of the Koppenberg 11 seconds clear and continued pulling away.
Clauzel finished fourth ahead of Amandine Fouquenet and Denise Betsema. Ceylin Alvarado took seventh at 2:18, leaving her 2:43 behind Brand in the X²O standings after bonuses.
Fem van Empel finished eighth at 2:43 on her return to the race where she abandoned a year ago before taking an extended break. She had reached sixth around halfway before slipping back in the closing laps.
Read also
Results Koppenbergcross 2026 Women
| 1 | BRAND Lucinda | Baloise Verzekeringen - Het Poetsbureau Lions | 53:29 |
| 2 | CASASOLA Sara | Crelan - Corendon | 0:53 |
| 3 | SCHREIBER Marie | 1:22 | |
| 4 | CLAUZEL Hélène | 777TV CX Team | 1:44 |
| 5 | FOUQUENET Amandine | Pauwels Sauzen - Altez Industriebouw | 2:02 |
| 6 | BETSEMA Denise | De Ceuster Bouwkranen | 2:06 |
| 7 | ALVARADO Ceylin Del Carmen | Fenix - Premier Tech | 2:18 |
| 8 | VAN EMPEL Fem | Specialized TMRW | 2:43 |
| 9 | ZEMANOVÁ Kristyna | Crelan - Corendon | 3:21 |
| 10 | VAN DER HEIJDEN Inge | Crelan - Corendon | 3:27 |
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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