Mathieu van der Poel won in Silvelle di Trebaseleghe, in Veneto, his third European Elite Cyclo-Cross title after those in 2017 and 2018. The Dutch rider, current World Champion and also this year’s winner of the Amstel Gold Race and MTB European Champion, took the lead in the race right from the first strokes of the pedal, but he had to wait until the last lap to breakaway from the Belgians Eli Iserbyt and Laurens Sweeck (second and third by 3” and 20”) who tried to unnerve van der Poel throughout the entire race along with three other riders. A hard fought and thrilling race was watched by ten thousand spectators who took over this small Venetian town.
This was not the Netherlands only success since Dutch riders obtained excellent results in all the women’s races on the programme. In the Women’s Elite, the Dutch rider Yara Kasteljin took first place after staying in the lead for practically the whole race. In second place came the Italian Eva Lechner in 12”, third place went to another Dutch rider, the current European Champion Annemarie Worst. Sixth place for the World Champion, the Belgian Sanne Cant, who crossed the finish line 1’23” after the winning rider.
In the Men’s Under 23 race, the public witnessed an exciting challenge between the French and Belgians, with the Frenchman Mickael Crispin who launched a decisive attack on the last lap, managing to breakaway from the Belgian Timo Kielich and the other French rider Antoine Benoist (also third last year). Fourth place went to the other Belgian Tom Vandebosch, a big favourite of the race but who suffered a fall in the final stages.
In the Women’s Under 23 category, the Dutch rider Ceylin Del Carmen Alvarado doubled her title won last year and was crowned European Champion with a 12” lead over the Briton Anna Kay and 1’02” in front of Marion Norbert Riberolle.
Belgian victory in the Men’s Juniors with Thibau Nys the famous child (his father Sven Nys, also here today in Silvelle, was one of the best Cyclo-Cross riders of his time) who won the European Champion jersey after leading throughout almost the entire race with his teammate Jente Michels, before breaking away in the final. Third place went to the Swiss Dario Lillo 1’10” behind the winner.
For the very first time, the European title in the Women’s Juniors category was awarded in Silvelle: the Dutch rider Puck Pieterse beat the French rider Olivia Onesti by 28”. Bronze for another Dutch rider, Shirin Van Anrooij.
The next edition of the Cyclo-Cross European Championships will take place in ‘s-Hertogenbosch (Netherlands) on 7 and 9 November 2020.
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