Startlist men's Cyclocross European Championships 2025 - No van der Poel or van Aert, but a dozen hungry sharks looking for a big win

The 2025-2026 Cyclocross European Championships take place this weekend in Middelkerke, Belgium, and the men's elite race is the highlight of this Sunday. In the startlist are lacking big names such as Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert and Eli Iserbyt; but we have defending champion Thibau Nys at the start.

The absentees van der Poel and van Aert are much due to their long road season, which gave way to a large holiday period before they make the move to Belgium where they are expected to start their campaign in December.

Eli Iserbyt in the meantime is still dealing with a lingering injury that is not only threatening his season but career. The Belgians will still have the grand majority of the big favourites for the day however, including defending champion Thibau Nys who won the title in Pontevedra, Spain, last winter.

The traditional figures, and the men who have been winning so far this season will all be present though. Belgium comes in with Michael Vanthourenhout - perhaps the main favourite to recover the title, Toon Aerts, Jente Michels, sand specialist Laurens Sweeck, Niels Vandeputte, Emiel Verstrynge and Joran Wyseure.

The Netherlands have Joris Nieuwenhuis as their best weapon, having won the Lokeren Rapencross this past Sunday and coming in with stellar form. The other nations will also have cards to play however.

Spain has last year's runner-up Felipe Orts at the start with number 9, Great Britain's Cameron Mason had a stellar second place at the Koppenbergcross and will be having number 26, and Switzerland's Kevin Kuhn will be number 20.

Number | Name | Nation | Year of Birth

1 | NYS Thibau | BEL | 2002

2 | AERTS Toon | BEL | 1993

3 | MICHELS Jente | BEL | 2003

4 | SWEECK Laurens | BEL | 1993

5 | VANDEPUTTE Niels | BEL | 2000

6 | VANTHOURENHOUT Michael | BEL | 1993

7 | VERSTRYNGE Emiel | BEL | 2002

8 | WYSEURE Joran | BEL | 2001

9 | ORTS LLORET Felipe | ESP | 1995

10 | SUAREZ FERNANDEZ Kevin | ESP | 1994

11 | HENDRIKX Mees | NED | 2000

12 | KAMP Ryan | NED | 2000

13 | NIEUWENHUIS Joris | NED | 1996

15 | VAN DER HAAR Lars | NED | 1991  

16 | VAN LIEROP Danny | NED | 2003

17 | MENUT David | FRA | 1992

18 | THOMAS Théo | FRA | 2001

19 | BOROŠ Michael | CZE | 1992

20 | KUHN Kevin | SUI | 1998

21 | CEOLIN Federico | ITA | 2000

22 | FONTANA Filippo | ITA | 2000

23 | RISBERG David | SWE | 1999

24 | JOVE RIART Xavier | AND | 1994

25 | HARTER Luca | GER | 2002

26 | MASON Cameron | GBR | 2000

27 | LUKŠAS Dovydas | LTU | 2002 |