On an icy, treacherous Gavere circuit, Lucinda Brand once again showed why she is the dominant force of the 2025-26 cyclocross season, riding clear to claim another Gavere World Cup victory after surviving a crash-heavy and unpredictable race.
With all the leading Dutch contenders on the start line, the frozen conditions immediately injected uncertainty. The slick surface increased the likelihood of mistakes and briefly raised hopes that Brand’s winning streak might finally come under pressure.
That sense of volatility was evident from the opening lap. Amandine Fouquenet forced the pace aggressively from the front, while crashes rippled through the bunch behind, most notably affecting Marion Norbert Riberolle. The race split early, with Shirin van Anrooij briefly opening a gap over Brand and Puck Pieterse, as Fouquenet and Celia Gery hovered close behind.
Van Anrooij’s momentum proved short-lived. A heavy slide late in the second lap forced her into the pits, costing significant time and removing her from contention. That left Brand and Pieterse together at the front, setting up the possibility of a direct duel.
That duel never materialised. Pieterse also crashed on the frozen surface, losing around ten seconds and momentum, and suddenly the race tilted decisively in Brand’s favour. With three laps remaining, Brand was alone at the front, while Pieterse, Fouquenet and Gery regrouped behind at roughly thirteen seconds.
From there, control replaced chaos. Brand rode with increasing confidence, extending her advantage lap by lap as others continued to struggle for grip. After nearly an hour of racing, she crossed the line alone, untroubled in the closing stages.
Behind her, Fouquenet again underlined her growing status this winter. The French champion dropped Pieterse in the fourth lap and held her off convincingly to take second place, while Pieterse settled for third after a demanding recovery ride.
Brand admitted afterwards that the race was harder than it looked. She struggled for grip early on, changed tyres twice, and only gradually found confidence. Once she did, the outcome was never in doubt, and her lead in the World Cup standings grew again.
2025 Gavere World Cup Women result
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Photo Credit: GettyVan der Poel withstands relentless Nys pressure in Gavere showdown
The men’s race delivered a very different kind of drama, defined less by attrition and more by sustained pressure at the highest level. Mathieu van der Poel was forced to dig deep to shake off an inspired challenge from Thibau Nys before finally riding clear to secure his fourth Gavere World Cup victory of the season.
From the opening laps, Gavere’s fast but technical layout prevented the race from fragmenting. Nys was immediately aggressive, repeatedly attacking on the steep climb and refusing to allow Van der Poel to dictate the rhythm. For several laps, the Belgian champion looked every bit Van der Poel’s equal, matching him both physically and technically.
An elite lead group formed around Van der Poel, Nys, Tibor Del Grosso, Michael Vanthourenhout and Emiel Verstrynge, with the pace fluctuating just enough to prevent a clean break. Nys continued to probe, forcing Van der Poel to respond again and again.
The decisive moment came late. On the third-to-last lap, Nys unclipped after bumping over a root on the climb, losing just enough momentum to open a gap. Van der Poel immediately seized the opportunity, pushing hard for a full lap and finally breaking the elastic.
Once clear, the world champion was flawless. He managed the final laps without risk, extending his advantage while Nys focused on defending second place. Behind them, Del Grosso won a fierce sprint for the final podium position.
Afterwards, Nys was realistic, admitting he raced aggressively because he did not want regrets, but conceding that even without the mistake, dropping Van der Poel would have been difficult. Van der Poel, in turn, acknowledged how strong Nys had been, noting that he only fully committed once the opening appeared.
It was a race that confirmed both Van der Poel’s supremacy and Nys’ status as his most consistent challenger this winter.
2025 Gavere World Cup Men result
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