After Saturday’s last-barrier spectator-free thriller in Rucphen, all eyes of the present fans in Namur were on Tom Pidcock and Eli Iserbyt to see if they could offer up a sequel.
Quinten Hermans rocketed off the start and brought out Toon Aerts, with Eli Iserbyt moving through the field. Iserbyt soon emerged at the front, with Pidock stuck in traffic.
Hermans and Iserbyt took turns at the front but both faded. 2021 Namur UCI Cyclocross World Cup, Elite Men. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine
Iserbyt stayed on his bike down an off-camber and slippery climb, while others ran, but he lost ground in the process. Could the slower strategy save some matches for later in the race or was he starting his typical December slump?
Heading into Lap Two, it was all Aerts. Hermans let the gap open with the two dirty-side remounting teammates Laurens Sweeck and Michael Vanthourenhout keeping their podium hopes alive. Saturday’s World Cup Rucphen winner, Tom Pidcock was lurking.
Toon Aerts had an early lead until a crash and then a flat tire ruined his chances. 2021 Namur UCI Cyclocross World Cup, Elite Men. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine
Thirty-four minutes into the race, Aerts’ Namur fortunes once again took a turn for the worse. Aerts, looking to master the course where he fractured ribs two years ago, flatted, sending Pidcock and Vanthourenhout past.
Could the two new leaders take advantage of Aerts’ misfortune?
Pidcock kept his World Cup podium streak alive. 2021 Namur UCI Cyclocross World Cup, Elite Men. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine
Aerts was far from the pits, and had to take on the cobbled climb and finish straight before getting a bike and fresh front tire.
Up front, with a chance to go two-for-two on the weekend, Pidcock powered up the climbs, and pushed down the iconic off-camber. But the British Champ pushed too hard and slid down, letting Vanthourenhout tripod by.
Pidcock wouldn’t see the front again after making a few more mistakes, and Vanthourenhout held the British star off with a clean final lap. The Belgian crossed the line, covering his face with his muddy hands in disbelief.
Vanthourenhout had the fewest mistakes and mechanicals to upset the favorites. 2021 Namur UCI Cyclocross World Cup, Elite Men. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine
“In the beginning, I was very strong, I believed in myself,” Vanthourenhout said, emotional after his win. “I saw Pidcock was very strong on the uphills, but in the off-camber section, I was maybe the strongest in the race, and that gave me a boost to win it all.”
Pidcock, Vanthourenhout, Aerts. 2021 Namur UCI Cyclocross World Cup, Elite Men. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine
Full results below. Stay tuned for more coverage, photos, and U23 and Junior results.
2021 UCI Cyclocross World Cup Namur Results: Elite Men
| Pos | Nr | Name / UCI Cyclocross Team | NAT | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 11 | VANTHOURENHOUT Michael PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL | BEL | 59:28 | - |
| 2. | 41 | PIDCOCK Thomas INEOS GRENADIERS | GBR | 1:00:04 | +0:36 |
| 3. | 9 | AERTS Toon BALOISE TREK LIONS | BEL | 1:00:19 | +0:51 |
| 4. | 10 | HERMANS Quinten TORMANS CYCLO CROSS TEAM | BEL | 1:01:06 | +1:38 |
| 5. | 8 | ISERBYT Eli PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL | BEL | 1:01:29 | +2:01 |
| 6. | 14 | SOETE Daan CX TEAM DESCHACHT-GROUP HENS-CONTAINERS MAES | BEL | 1:01:34 | +2:06 |
| 7. | 12 | SWEECK Laurens PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL | BEL | 1:01:43 | +2:15 |
| 8. | 3 | VAN KESSEL Corne TORMANS CYCLO CROSS TEAM | NED | 1:02:08 | +2:40 |
| 9. | 19 | DUBAU Joshua MASSI | FRA | 1:02:12 | +2:44 |
| 10. | 28 | RUEGG Timon CROSS TEAM LEGENDRE | SUI | 1:02:14 | +2:46 |
| 11. | 51 | MEISEN Marcel ALPECIN - FENIX | GER | 1:02:31 | +3:03 |
| 12. | 2 | VAN DER HAAR Lars BALOISE TREK LIONS | NED | 1:02:35 | +3:07 |
| 13. | 13 | BAESTAENS Vincent CX TEAM DESCHACHT-GROUP HENS-CONTAINERS MAES | BEL | 1:02:46 | +3:18 |
| 14. | 17 | AERTS Thijs BALOISE TREK LIONS | BEL | 1:02:50 | +3:22 |
| 15. | 42 | MEIN Thomas TORMANS CYCLO CROSS TEAM | GBR | 1:02:59 | +3:31 |
| 16. | 38 | BOROS Michael | CZE | 1:03:16 | +3:48 |
| 17. | 27 | KUHN Kevin TORMANS CYCLO CROSS TEAM | SUI | 1:03:24 | +3:56 |
| 18. | 58 | ORTS LLORET Felipe BURGOS-BH | ESP | 1:03:27 | +3:59 |
| 19. | 43 | TURNER Ben TRINITY RACING | GBR | 1:03:31 | +4:03 |
| 20. | 15 | VANDEBOSCH Toon PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL | BEL | 1:03:51 | +4:23 |
| 21. | 16 | ADAMS Jens | BEL | 1:04:14 | +4:46 |
| 22. | 31 | BERTOLINI Gioele SELLE ITALIA - GUERCIOTTI - ELITE | ITA | 1:04:41 | +5:13 |
| 23. | 46 | WHITE Curtis CANNONDALE/CYCLOCROSSWORLD | USA | 1:04:46 | +5:18 |
| 24. | 29 | MOTTIEZ Gilles CROSS TEAM LEGENDRE | SUI | 1:04:57 | +5:29 |
| 25. | 32 | DORIGONI Jakob SELLE ITALIA - GUERCIOTTI - ELITE | ITA | 1:04:58 | +5:30 |
| 26. | 7 | GODRIE Stan | NED | 1:05:07 | +5:39 |
| 27. | 44 | HECHT Gage AEVOLO | USA | 1:05:30 | +6:02 |
| 28. | 20 | GRAS Yan TEAM PODIOCOM CC | FRA | 1:05:37 | +6:09 |
| 29. | 36 | SUAREZ FERNANDEZ Kevin NESTA - MMR CX TEAM | ESP | 1:05:49 | +6:21 |
| 30. | 24 | CHAMERAT DUMONT Antony | FRA | 1:05:56 | +6:28 |
| 31. | 45 | WERNER Kerry | USA | 1:05:59 | +6:31 |
| 32. | 52 | WEBER Sascha TREK | VAUDE | GER | -1 LAP | |
| 33. | 47 | HAIDET Lance L39ION OF LOS ANGELES | USA | -1 LAP | |
| 34. | 22 | PHILIBERT Aurelien ARDENNES CROSS TEAM GECIBAT | FRA | -1 LAP | |
| 35. | 5 | VAN DER MEER Gosse | NED | -1 LAP | |
| 36. | 4 | VAN DER POEL David ALPECIN - FENIX | NED | -1 LAP | |
| 37. | 40 | PETRUS Lubomir | CZE | -1 LAP | |
| 38. | 18 | SWEECK Diether IKO - CRELAN | BEL | -2 LAP | |
| 39. | 23 | DUBAU Lucas | FRA | -2 LAP | |
| 40. | 33 | SAMPARISI Nicolas KTM ALCHEMIST POWERED BY BRENTA BRAKES | ITA | -2 LAP | |
| 41. | 25 | MARASCO Lorenzo SEBMOTOBIKES CX TEAM | FRA | -2 LAP | |
| 42. | 48 | SWARTZ Caleb | USA | -3 LAP | |
| 43. | 37 | ULIK Matej EXPRES CZ - TUFO TEAM KOLÍN | SVK | -3 LAP | |
| 44. | 34 | SAMPARISI Lorenzo KTM ALCHEMIST POWERED BY BRENTA BRAKES | ITA | -3 LAP | |
| 45. | 55 | VAN DEN HAM Michael | CAN | -3 LAP | |
| 46. | 30 | LUETHI Eric SF-RACING | SUI | -3 LAP | |
| 47. | 26 | BOULANGER Hugo | FRA | -3 LAP | |
| 48. | 49 | GINIAT Andrew | USA | -4 LAP | |
| 49. | 50 | CLOUTIER Tyler | USA | -5 LAP | |
| 50. | 54 | MALNASI Jozsef-Attila | ROU | -5 LAP | |
| 51. | 56 | NYSTROM SPENCER Felipe Timoteo | CRC | -5 LAP | |
| 53 | MAYER Yannick | GER | DNF |
