"The goal is a place in the top three" - World Cup winner Michael Vanthourenhout admits CX World Championship might be out of reach
Cyclocross
Although Michael Vanthourenhout couldn't secure himself victory on the day at World Cup Hoogerheide on Sunday afternoon, finishing 2nd to Mathieu van der Poel, the Belgian's second place did do enough to secure him a first ever overall World Cup victory.
“I dotted the i’s today and completely pulled the rankings towards me," reflected Vanthourenhout afterwards, having started the race 32 points clear of Toon Aerts in the overall standings and already almost secured of World Cup victory. "I could ride around freely, because I knew it was as good as a given.”
Given the Cyclocross World Championships take place next weekend in Lievin, Vanthourenhout can't let up just yet though. Up against the rampant Van der Poel though, the Belgian admits a Rainbow Jersey win might be unlikely. “It will probably be a very tough cross," he previews. "I hope to start with good legs, just like today. The goal is a place in the top three, but of course you never know at a one-day cross. The legs have to be good then too.”
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| 01 | van der Poel Mathieu | - | 57:00 |
| 02 | Vanthourenhout Michael | - | + 01:42 |
| 03 | van der Haar Lars | - | + 01:57 |
| 04 | Aerts Toon | - | + 02:21 |
| 05 | Wyseure Joran | - | + 02:28 |
| 06 | Iserbyt Eli | - | + 02:33 |
| 07 | Verstrynge Emiel | - | + 02:41 |
| 08 | Nieuwenhuis Joris | - | + 02:43 |
| 09 | Adams Jens | - | + 02:51 |
| 10 | Kamp Ryan | - | + 03:02 |
| 11 | Ronhaar Pim | - | + 03:27 |
| 12 | Doubey Fabien | - | + 03:30 |
| 13 | Venturini Clément | - | + 03:47 |
| 14 | Orts Lloret Felipe | - | + 04:00 |
| 15 | Hendrikx Mees | - | + 04:14 |
| 16 | Dubau Joshua | - | + 04:18 |
| 17 | Boros Michael | - | + 04:23 |
| 18 | Vandebosch Toon | - | + 04:26 |
| 19 | Mein Thomas | - | + 04:27 |
| 20 | Kuhn Kevin | - | + 04:42 |
| 21 | Meisen Marcel | - | + 04:49 |
| 22 | Meeussen Witse | - | + 05:07 |
| 23 | Vandeputte Niels | - | + 05:18 |
| 24 | Funston Scott | - | + 05:38 |
| 25 | Mason Cameron | - | + 05:58 |
| 26 | Van Kessel Corne | - | + 06:24 |
| 27 | Horny Clément | - | + 06:31 |
| 28 | Bertolini Gioele | - | + 06:40 |
| 29 | Groslambert Martin | - | + 06:42 |
| 30 | Mottiez Gilles | - | + 06:44 |
| 31 | Gilles Cyprien | - | + 06:48 |
| 32 | White Curtis | - | + 07:29 |
| 33 | Konwa Marek | - | + 07:36 |
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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