Thibau Nys is set to begin his 2026–27 cyclocross season at the Koppenbergcross on Sunday, 1st November, returning to the race he won on his first appearance of the previous winter. The Belgian champion has made Oudenaarde a deliberate starting point, and his first race will be against opponents who already have several hard weeks of competition behind them. The men’s elite race starts at 15:00 CET, or 14:00 GMT in the UK.
The Koppenbergcross opens the eight-round X²O Badkamers Trofee. The cobbled climb dominates the pictures. The race is also decided in the less photogenic places: a greasy corner, a narrow passage, an off-camber bank taken half a metre off line. Nys has won here twice, in 2023 and 2025, and another victory would be a powerful way to open a winter planned around selective appearances rather than racing every weekend.
Koppenbergcross 2026 race time and setting
The race takes place at Melden, near Oudenaarde in East Flanders, on Sunday, 1st November. The men’s elite start is at 15:00 local Belgian time, which is 14:00 GMT. The women’s elite event begins at 13:45 CET, or 12:45 GMT. Both countries will have switched from summer time, leaving Belgium one hour ahead of Britain. The organisers have also scheduled junior and under-23 races earlier in the day.
This is round one of the X²O Badkamers Trofee, a season-long Belgian series decided on accumulated time. The calendar then continues through Hamme-Zogge, Beringen, Hofstade, Loenhout, Baal, Lille and Brussels. The Koppenbergcross is not part of the UCI World Cup, nor should it be confused with the separate Superprestige competition. Our cyclocross calendar sets out how the different series fit together.
The climb is only part of the challenge
The Koppenberg is famous in road racing as a brutal cobbled obstacle in the Tour of Flanders. In cyclocross, riders encounter it after navigating grass, mud and sharp changes of direction. The ascent is steep enough to expose even a small loss of momentum. When the surface is greasy, the difference between riding and running can come down to one missed gear change or a rear tyre that briefly loses traction.
Repeated climbs reward riders who can sustain power without becoming clumsy on the technical sections. A strong climber may gain several seconds on the cobbles, then lose them on an off-camber descent if they take the wrong line. There is little time to settle: each lap asks riders to recover from the previous climb while preparing for the next one. A few seconds lost on one lap can become a minute by the finish.
The weather will influence which skills matter most. Dry, relatively firm ground can allow fast riders to carry speed and make the climb a more direct power contest. Heavy rain changes the line choices and places greater demands on tyres and handling. The circuit’s history is covered in our Koppenbergcross course and winners guide, which provides context for how different conditions have shaped previous editions.
Thibau Nys returns to a favourite race
Nys confirmed the Koppenbergcross as his first cyclocross appointment of the winter when his programme was announced in October. He described the event as an ideal race for him and made clear that a third victory was an ambition. His programme reflects the balance between road commitments and the championships that matter most to him in cyclocross.
His 2025 performance is the obvious reference point. Nys moved into contention during the early laps, attacked alongside Cameron Mason and then broke clear. Mason finished 21 seconds behind, with Pim Ronhaar third at 1 minute 44 seconds. The result showed how quickly Nys can translate road fitness into cyclocross speed when the course suits him. It did not, however, prove that an opening-day victory is automatic.
His father and team manager Sven Nys has suggested the Belgian champion may not be at his absolute peak at the start of the campaign. It is a useful warning against reading too much into his past results. Race sharpness includes cornering at full speed in a crowded field, choosing the right moments to attack and handling the sudden changes of pace that training cannot reproduce exactly. A rider can be extremely fit and still need a race or two to find that rhythm.
Nys also has the European Championships in Zeddam on his programme the following weekend. That gives the Koppenbergcross added value as a high-level test, but it may also shape how he manages the effort if he encounters difficulties. He has targeted a shorter campaign than last year, balancing major cyclocross objectives with preparations for the road season.
Vanthourenhout and the riders already racing
Michael Vanthourenhout has set a formidable early benchmark. His October form included victory at Superprestige Overijse, where he attacked decisively, and he has already assembled several wins before Nys begins his campaign. Vanthourenhout has spoken about the Koppenberg as a difficult race for him, a reminder that current form and course suitability do not always point in the same direction.
If he takes the start, Vanthourenhout has the advantage of recent racing intensity and the confidence of repeated victories. He also knows that Nys can turn the climb into a sustained power test. Their contrasting preparation creates one of the most interesting questions of the weekend: can the rider with the stronger recent race rhythm hold off a rival whose best efforts have repeatedly come on this particular hill?
Joran Wyseure, Pim Ronhaar, Niels Vandeputte and Cameron Mason have all shown qualities that can matter on demanding Belgian courses, although a final official 2026 men’s start list had not been established when this preview was prepared. They should not be presented as confirmed entrants without that evidence. Mason’s second place in 2025 and Ronhaar’s third show the level of competition Nys faced last year, not a guarantee that the same podium riders will return.
The first race of a series can also favour someone willing to commit while the headline contenders watch each other. The Koppenberg makes that difficult because the hill exposes anyone who has spent too much energy before the final laps, but the technical sections offer opportunities to create a gap without having the highest peak power in the field.
Why the X²O time classification matters
The X²O Badkamers Trofee is decided by cumulative time, with time bonuses available during individual rounds. That changes the calculation compared with a points-based series. A rider who loses half a minute in Oudenaarde begins the next event with a deficit that has to be recovered on the road, rather than simply scoring fewer points in a table. A strong first round can therefore have lasting value.
Riders who miss a meeting or do not finish receive a fixed penalty time under the series regulations. The system rewards consistent participation, but it does not oblige every star to chase the overall trophy. Someone with a selective programme may still focus on winning the Koppenbergcross as a stand-alone target. Our X²O Trophy explainer covers the format and the complete 2026–27 calendar.
The time-based classification makes the first lap especially important. Positioning at the entry to the technical sections can prevent avoidable losses, and any rider capable of making an early separation may bank seconds before the main climb has taken its toll. But attacking too early is risky on a circuit where each ascent becomes harder as fatigue accumulates.
The tactical questions for Sunday
Watch how Nys handles the opening ten minutes. Last year he was able to move forward quickly and make his attack before rivals had settled. A similarly confident start would suggest his reduced calendar has not cost him much sharpness. If he loses ground in the technical sections, however, the riders already racing every week will have an opportunity to make the early selection without him.
Vanthourenhout’s first climb will be another useful reference point. If he can match Nys on the cobbles, his recent form could make him a dangerous opponent deep into the race. If the Belgian champion opens a gap there, the chase will need to use the rest of the lap intelligently rather than wasting energy with repeated accelerations.
The men’s race begins at 14:00 GMT. The final start list and ground conditions remain worth checking, but Nys’s return gives the race a clear point of focus.
