The European title has often reflected the balance of power in cyclocross, and in recent seasons, that balance wore Dutch colours. Fem van Empel won three consecutive editions, Namur in 2022, Pontchateau in 2023, and Pontevedra in 2024, establishing a clear hierarchy at the European championship level. This time, the script changes. An illness has sidelined the reigning World and European champion, removing the most reliable finisher of the past three years and reshaping the medal picture overnight.
Middelkerke provides a distinctive stage. The race uses the military domain at Lombardsijde and pushes riders onto the North Sea shoreline, with speed on the hard waterline sand quickly giving way to soft, churned sections and dune climbs. It is the kind of power running and bike handling test that has decided major titles before, comparable in feel to Oostende, and it will reward balance, composure, and clean remounts when the course breaks up.
Previous winners
2024
Fem van Empel
2023
Fem van Empel
2022
Fem van Empel
2025 Women’s European Cyclocross Championships Contenders
Lucinda Brand
With Van Empel out and several Dutch teammates missing through injuries, Brand becomes the clearest reference point. She arrives with authoritative wins on contrasting circuits, Koppenberg and Lokeren, which underlines both repeatability and range. The terrain suits her instincts, and she has strong memories of sand racing from Oostende. If she settles early into her lines and keeps errors to a minimum, her combination of engine and running power makes her the rider everyone else must mark.
Sara Casasola
The only rider to beat Brand in her first five races of the winter did so at Druivencross. Casasola profited from a Brand crash, but the win still reflected a meaningful step forward after targeted work on weaknesses over the summer. The open question is how that progress translates to deep, energy-sapping sand. If she holds form through the late laps and limits dismount time, she has a path to the podium.
Aniek van Alphen
Results across the opening phase of the season show a reliable front group presence. Van Alphen wins less often than her consistency suggests, but six top 4s point to strong baseline form and repeatable lap speed. On a course that punishes hesitation, that solidity matters. If the race becomes one of attrition rather than explosiveness, she profiles as a late podium threat.
Photo Credit: SportfotoInge van der Heijden
Another Dutch option with the technical tidiness to surf ruts and the patience to ride at threshold without overreaching. Van der Heijden’s value is in mistake-free progression through traffic and clean sections in deep sand. A medal is within reach if steadiness rather than single lap surges decides the front.
Manon Bakker
Brings useful sand handling and the kind of persistence that pays when the course degrades. If she starts fast and avoids time losses on the dune run-ups, she can anchor Dutch depth inside the top 6 and capitalise on any late race volatility.
Hélène Clauzel
France fields a competitive group despite the absence of Célia Gery in the elites. Clauzel has the grit and race craft to live with the leaders when the ruts get messy. With support structures in place for the weekend, a clean day puts her in the medal conversation.
Amandine Fouquenet
French champion and an opportunist on technical terrain. Fouquenet’s ceiling depends on how quickly she locks into rhythm on the beach and through the transitions back into the domain. If she threads those sections without foot down moments, a top 5 is realistic.
Blanka Vas
Coached by Sanne Cant and comfortable in heavy footing, but still some way off last season’s peak. The Middelkerke profile is not forgiving, so any hesitation in the sand compounds quickly. If form ticks up, she can ride into the top 8 late.
Marie Schreiber
If she starts, Schreiber brings a balanced skill set and tidy technique. Lack of racetime this winter is the variable. A cautious first half and a negative split approach would give her the best shot at a result around the top 10.
Context and key rider absences
The elite field is thinner than usual. Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado and Annemarie Worst remain out with long-running injuries, while Van Empel’s withdrawal removes the most proven championship closer in recent memory. Prominent young riders Célia Gery and Leonie Bentveld race the under-23 event, which also trims the elite podium contenders.
