X2O Badkamers Trofee leader Joris Nieuwenhuis has moved to clarify concerns around his winter campaign, stressing that his cyclo-cross season is not on hold despite knee problems that forced two recent DNFs.
The Ridley Racing Team rider has been one of the defining figures of the 2025-2026 cyclo-cross season so far. Nieuwenhuis opened the winter in dominant fashion, winning three races and establishing an early lead in the X2O Badkamers Trofee, the only major series decided on cumulative time rather than points.
That momentum was interrupted by a crash during the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup round in Antwerp. Nieuwenhuis finished 16th there, only the second time this season he placed outside the top ten. Although he was still able to salvage sixth place at X2O Trofee Hofstade two days later, the physical consequences of the fall soon caught up with him. He was forced to abandon both Superprestige Heusden-Zolder and the World Cup in Gavere.
“I haven’t been feeling very fit the last few days,” Nieuwenhuis explained on Instagram after Gavere. “My DNFs are quite rare and I had hoped to keep it that way. But since my fall in Antwerp I don’t feel the same way on the bike. My knee was hit hard and I can still feel it with everything I do. After the race we decided to get everything double checked before we start racing again.”
That message initially suggested a possible pause to his season, but Nieuwenhuis later issued a clarification, underlining that this was not the case. “The season is not on hold,” he wrote in a follow-up. “It’s mainly a matter of waiting to see how my body reacts in the coming days. Depending on that, we’ll decide which races I will ride.”
The concern is understandable given Nieuwenhuis’ recent history. The 29-year-old endured a difficult 2024-2025 cyclo-cross season, spending months sidelined with shingles. He rebuilt his condition through a full gravel campaign, finishing runner-up at the Marly Grav Race in Zuid-Limburg, and arrived into this winter determined to capitalise on a clean preparation.
Photo Credit: GettyResults followed quickly. Victories in Heerde, Merksplas and the Rapencross in Lokeren confirmed both form and confidence, and after the opening rounds of the X2O Badkamers Trofee he held a commanding lead in the general classification. With four events completed, Nieuwenhuis led Cameron Mason by 24 seconds and Thibau Nys by 42 seconds.
Despite the recent DNFs in Heusden-Zolder and Gavere, Nieuwenhuis remains at the top of the X2O Badkamers Trofee standings, now holding a 43-second advantage. With the festive period traditionally one of the most intense stretches of the cyclo-cross calendar, the coming days will be decisive in determining how much of that buffer he can defend.
For now, Nieuwenhuis’ message is one of caution rather than withdrawal. His knee is still reacting after the Antwerp crash, but there is no definitive break planned. Race-by-race decisions will follow, guided by how his body responds. Given his early-season form, rivals will be watching closely for his return to the start line, knowing that the X2O Badkamers Trofee leader remains very much part of this winter’s title picture.
