“We haven’t seen a race like that for years” – Is cyclocross better without Van der Poel, Van Aert & Pidcock? Expert claims European Championship proves the answer is yes

While much of the sport’s focus often revolves around the “big three” of Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert and Tom Pidcock, Dutch ex-pro turned expert Thijs Zonneveld believes the 2025 Cyclocross European Championships showed just how entertaining the sport can be without them.

In Middelkerke, fans were treated to one of the most dramatic and unpredictable men’s championships in years. Toon Aerts powered to his second continental title after a fierce hour-long battle that saw eight riders still in contention when the final lap began. For Zonneveld, that open, chaotic racing was a reminder that cyclocross doesn’t need its biggest stars to deliver edge-of-the-seat action.

“It was really great that the race was so close — in the last lap there were still seven or eight riders who could have won,” Zonneveld told In De Waaier. “We haven’t seen that at a championship for a long time. And among those eight weren’t even the two biggest pre-race favourites, Vanthourenhout and Nieuwenhuis.”

The race itself was a constant tug-of-war between nations and teammates. Early on, the likes of Pim Ronhaar, Joris Nieuwenhuis and Thibau Nys traded blows with Aerts, Michael Vanthourenhout and Joran Wyseure. As the laps wore on, the soft North Sea sand and shifting winds began to fracture the front group — but no one could make a clean break.

With one lap to go, the lead octet still featured Aerts, Nys, Ronhaar, Wyseure, Mason and Verstrynge, setting up a finale of small margins and bold gambles. Aerts kept his nerve through the technical sand and timed his sprint to perfection, just edging Nys on the line.

“Position was everything in this race,” Zonneveld explained. “You couldn’t afford to sit too far back. Ronhaar did it perfectly until the last few corners — one mistake and it was over. He spent the whole race fighting four or five Belgians on his own, which was impressive.”

For Zonneveld, the spectacle was proof that the absence of Van der Poel, Van Aert and Pidcock isn’t always a loss for the sport — in fact, it can make it better.

“In championships where Van der Poel rides, he’s two levels above the rest,” he said. “Or when Van Aert and Pidcock are there, they each sit a level above everyone else. This weekend showed that without them, you can have real suspense again.”

Aerts’ narrow win over Nys — and the sight of Ronhaar and Wyseure pushing them all the way — delivered exactly that: a race that felt genuinely up for grabs.

“It was fantastic to watch,” Zonneveld concluded. “This is the kind of race we’ve missed — one where you don’t know who’s going to win until the final metres.”