Thibau Nys returns to the X²O Badkamers Trofee in Hamme-Zogge with a narrow overall lead, a newly won European champion’s jersey and a start list containing almost every rider capable of taking time from him. The Belgian won the Koppenbergcross despite two crashes and now carries a lead of just two seconds over Michael Vanthourenhout into the Bollekescross on Sunday, 15th November. It is an unusually small advantage for a series decided on accumulated time, and a particularly awkward one to defend on a course brought back after 13 years.
Niels Vandeputte, Joran Wyseure, Joris Nieuwenhuis, Gerben Kuypers, Laurens Sweeck, Pim Ronhaar and Cameron Mason are all on the official elite men’s sheet. They will have the opportunity to reshape both the race and the early standings around the fields of Hamme-Zogge, where the elite men start at 15:00 local time, 14:00 in the UK.
Nys returns in European colours with only seconds to spare
Nys set the tone for this season’s X²O competition on the Koppenberg. Crashes threatened to end his challenge, yet he recovered a large deficit to overhaul Vanthourenhout and take the victory. The result was a reminder of his ability to change pace even deep into a physically draining cross. It also provided the opening lead in the time classification, although the gap in the overall standings is only two seconds rather than the seven seconds separating the pair on the race result.
He then won the European title in Zeddam, meaning Hamme-Zogge is expected to be the first competitive outing for the jersey in this part of his calendar. Nys skipped the midweek Niel race and Saturday’s Merksplas event, a choice that could leave him fresher than rivals who have raced through the busy spell. The flip side is that a rider who has been racing continuously may have a better immediate sense of how the latest conditions are handling under pressure.
The older course carries a connection which is more personal than the standings. Organisers have highlighted Sven Nys’s record of wins at the Zogge event, making the return particularly resonant for his son. That historical detail does not win the race, but it adds to the attention around his appearance in the European champion’s jersey.
Vanthourenhout and Wyseure have reasons to attack
Michael Vanthourenhout begins two seconds off Nys in the series and has already shown he can put him under pressure. He was close to turning the Koppenbergcross into a decisive early lead before Nys completed his recovery. With the aggregate-time format, a clean ride and even a modest gap could overturn the hierarchy on Sunday. He needs no dramatic solo move to take the overall lead at this stage.
Joran Wyseure brings another form line. The Crelan-Corendon rider took silver at the European Championships in Zeddam and is among those explicitly highlighted by the race organiser. His persistence over recent weeks suggests he is not relying on an isolated peak. Where riders face repeated heavy accelerations, Wyseure has the form to punish anyone who makes a slow start or takes too long to recover from a mistake.
Gerben Kuypers is third in the overall time classification at 47 seconds, having finished third on the Koppenberg. He is well placed to benefit if Nys and Vanthourenhout watch each other too closely. In a time-based series, a rider moving clear of a tactical stalemate could collect much more than a podium place. Kuypers has the incentive to ride his own race rather than merely follow the two men ahead in the standings.
Vandeputte and the Dutch challenge provide depth
Niels Vandeputte has the highest UCI ranking shown on the supplied men’s entry list, but the ranking column is not a form forecast for Sunday’s result. He has the ability to contest the front in technical fields and is an obvious concern for Nys. Joris Nieuwenhuis and Pim Ronhaar offer a different threat: both can sustain high effort when long muddy or grassy sections force riders to work without much respite.
Ronhaar is fourth in the early X²O standings at 1:12, already a minute behind Nys but far from out of the contest across eight rounds. Nieuwenhuis, meanwhile, is in the Hamme field after an active early winter and has the type of measured power that can become especially effective when a course demands patience. Their first-lap positions will matter because passing on narrow field-side lines can cost both momentum and energy.
Laurens Sweeck, Mees Hendrikx, Jente Michels, Toon Vandebosch and Ryan Kamp widen the selection of plausible protagonists. The start list is strong enough that even a rider who finishes outside the top five could have beaten several established contenders. The contest is not just about who can make the decisive move, but who can avoid paying for one poor line choice while the front group is still tightly packed.
Cameron Mason’s Niel win gives British interest added weight
Cameron Mason arrives off victory at Niel, an important result in its own right and a useful indicator that he can convert good form into a win in Belgian racing. The British rider was fifth on the Koppenberg and sits fifth overall, 1:16 behind Nys. That makes him more than a rider hoping to pick up places if the favourites falter. A strong showing at Hamme could quickly reduce his deficit to the podium places in the series.
Mason’s strengths are relevant to the expected demands of the Zogge circuit. Riding smoothly through changes in grip and retaining pace after dismounts can be as important as raw acceleration. If rain makes the fields heavier, a disciplined ride could keep him in touch while other riders spend energy repeatedly recovering from mistakes. He will need to stay near the front early enough to avoid getting trapped behind riders struggling for traction.
Thomas Mein is another British rider on the sheet, with his Koppenberg performance giving him an attainable benchmark for Sunday. Mein was ninth on the Koppenberg and sits within reach of a meaningful gain in the standings. For British followers, Mason’s victory at Niel makes him a genuine podium consideration, not simply a familiar name in an international entry list.
The Bollekescross returns to its original setting
The Hamme-Zogge course is not simply a rebranding of last year’s Flandriencross in Hamme. Sunday’s event revives the Bollekescross on its original ground around Zogge after 13 years away, and the organiser says the basic course has changed little from the version last used there in 2013. Start and finish are near the village church, with racing through neighbouring fields around Boschmansstraatje.
That setting makes the weather and successive races important variables. Dry grass can allow prolonged high-speed efforts, while wet sections can turn innocuous corners into places where riders must dismount or choose a more cautious line. Earlier junior, under-23 and women’s races may also alter the surface. Equipment choices, particularly tyres and pressure, must respond to the actual conditions on Sunday rather than an assumed description of an old circuit.
Nys won the separate Hamme Flandriencross in 2025 after a contest with Mason, but that result is historical context rather than evidence that the same technical demands apply in Zogge. The distinction is explained in our Hamme-Zogge cyclocross history, including the former Bollekescross era and later racing in Hamme.
How the race could change the X²O standings
Unlike a series awarded by finishing points, the X²O Badkamers Trofee calculates its overall classification by accumulated race times, with specific intermediate timing rules. The top five after the Koppenberg are Nys, Vanthourenhout at two seconds, Kuypers at 47 seconds, Ronhaar at 1:12 and Mason at 1:16. A mechanical or poor opening lap can therefore damage not just Sunday’s result but the next three months of overall-classification ambitions.
A win by Nys would underline his early position, but the more important number for the overall standings may be the gap to Vanthourenhout. If Vanthourenhout can distance him by even a few seconds, the lead could change. Mason and Kuypers also have room to climb if either of the leading two loses significant time. Our X²O Trophy explained guide covers the unusual series format in more detail.
Start list, race time and how to watch
The men’s elite Bollekescross starts at 15:00 CET on Sunday, or 14:00 GMT in the UK. The women’s elite event starts at 13:45 CET, 12:45 GMT. The official men’s sheet is headed by Nys, Vandeputte, Vanthourenhout, Felipe Orts, Nieuwenhuis, Wyseure, Sweeck, Hendrikx, Kuypers and Kevin Kuhn, with Mason listed 12th by entry number. Numbers and UCI rankings on the sheet do not predict finishing order, and withdrawals remain possible before the start.
The Hamme-Zogge men’s broadcast guide has the UK viewing arrangements. The race is the second round of eight on the 2026–27 cyclocross calendar, before the competition moves to Beringen on 22nd November. With a two-second lead at the top, the timing line in Hamme matters almost as much as the finishing podium.
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Photo Credit: Belga / AFP via Getty Images -
Photo Credit: Getty Images
