The sand dunes of Zonhoven delivered tight pack racing and a thrilling final three laps.
Could the rested Laurens Sweeck take advantage of his jet-lagged competitors? Could Toon Aerts, winner in Zonhoven in 2019 with a last-lap attack, defend his title after a canceled race 2020? Might the mighty Eli Iserbyt extend his World Cup overall lead?
Elite Men. 2021 Zonhoven UCI Cyclocross World Cup. © Cyclocross Magazine
It took the full ten laps to answer these questions.
Sweeck looked best early on, taking an early lead on the sandy course, while Iserbyt, Aerts, Michael Vanthourenhout, Lars van der Haar and Quinten Hermans gave chase.
Hermans must have been relieved to ride the barrier-free course after Saturday’s mishap at the barriers.
Toon Aerts and teammate Lars van der Haar go 1-2 in Zonhoven. Elite Men. 2021 Zonhoven UCI Cyclocross World Cup. © Cyclocross Magazine
The lead group traded turns at the front and attacks, until an Iserbyt effort started the final fireworks. Van der Haar gave chase, but the two leaders on the penultimate lap lost momentum on a sandy uphill ride-then-run section. The tall Toon Aerts used his momentum to narrow the gap, and suddenly, it was all back together with a lap and half remaining.
Heading into the difference-making climb that Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado used to secure a podium spot, Toon Aerts cleanly rode the sand, while Iserbyt bobbled at the base.
One by one, the chasers had to dismount, and Aerts’ lead stretched to 20 seconds in one single climb.
Aerts stormed to victory with a final lap effort, while Van der Haar ran past an early-remounting Iserbyt on the final lap’s last climb to secure second behind his teammate.
Toon Aerts takes Zonhoven. Elite Men. 2021 Zonhoven UCI Cyclocross World Cup. © Cyclocross Magazine
With third, Iserbyt extended his World Cup lead over Hermans, who was fifth.
Toon Aerts and teammate Lars van der Haar go 1-2 in Zonhoven with Eli Iserbyt in third. Elite Men. 2021 Zonhoven UCI Cyclocross World Cup. © Cyclocross Magazine
Full results below. See the Women’s report and results from the Zonhoven World Cup here.
2021 UCI Cyclocross World Cup Zonhoven Results: Elite Men
| Pos | Nr | Name / UCI Cyclocross Team | NAT | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 13 | AERTS Toon BALOISE TREK LIONS | BEL | 58:58 | - |
| 2. | 2 | VAN DER HAAR Lars BALOISE TREK LIONS | NED | 59:08 | +0:10 |
| 3. | 12 | ISERBYT Eli PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL | BEL | 59:12 | +0:14 |
| 4. | 19 | SWEECK Laurens PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL | BEL | 59:17 | +0:19 |
| 5. | 15 | HERMANS Quinten TORMANS CYCLO CROSS TEAM | BEL | 59:24 | +0:26 |
| 6. | 14 | VANTHOURENHOUT Michael PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL | BEL | 59:35 | +0:37 |
| 7. | 17 | SOETE Daan CX TEAM DESCHACHT-GROUP HENS-CONTAINERS MAES | BEL | 1:00:10 | +1:12 |
| 8. | 5 | VAN KESSEL Corne TORMANS CYCLO CROSS TEAM | NED | 1:00:20 | +1:22 |
| 9. | 21 | VANDEBOSCH Toon PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL | BEL | 1:00:31 | +1:33 |
| 10. | 3 | RONHAAR Pim BALOISE TREK LIONS | NED | 1:00:50 | +1:52 |
| 11. | 20 | ADAMS Jens | BEL | 1:01:09 | +2:11 |
| 12. | 4 | KAMP Ryan PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL | NED | 1:01:20 | +2:22 |
| 13. | 29 | KUHN Kevin TORMANS CYCLO CROSS TEAM | SUI | 1:01:26 | +2:28 |
| 14. | 35 | BOROS Michael | CZE | 1:01:31 | +2:33 |
| 15. | 16 | BAESTAENS Vincent CX TEAM DESCHACHT-GROUP HENS-CONTAINERS MAES | BEL | 1:01:50 | +2:52 |
| 16. | 8 | HENDRIKX Mees IKO - CRELAN | NED | 1:02:03 | +3:05 |
| 17. | 40 | MASON Cameron TRINITY RACING | GBR | 1:02:07 | +3:09 |
| 18. | 33 | ORTS LLORET Felipe BURGOS-BH | ESP | 1:02:10 | +3:12 |
| 19. | 24 | MEEUSSEN Witse PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL | BEL | 1:02:14 | +3:16 |
| 20. | 22 | FERDINANDE Anton PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL | BEL | 1:02:19 | +3:21 |
| 21. | 7 | NIEUWENHUIS Joris TEAM DSM | NED | 1:02:21 | +3:23 |
| 22. | 23 | AERTS Thijs BALOISE TREK LIONS | BEL | 1:02:25 | +3:27 |
| 23. | 25 | THOMAS Theo TORMANS CYCLO CROSS TEAM | FRA | 1:02:43 | +3:45 |
| 24. | 41 | MEISEN Marcel ALPECIN - FENIX | GER | 1:02:51 | +3:53 |
| 25. | 18 | VANDEPUTTE Niels ALPECIN - FENIX | BEL | 1:03:12 | +4:14 |
| 26. | 34 | SUAREZ FERNANDEZ Kevin NESTA - MMR CX TEAM | ESP | 1:03:26 | +4:28 |
| 27. | 30 | LILLO Dario CX TEAM DESCHACHT-GROUP HENS-CONTAINERS MAES | SUI | 1:03:33 | +4:35 |
| 28. | 10 | GODRIE Stan | NED | 1:03:33 | +4:35 |
| 29. | 31 | BERTOLINI Gioele SELLE ITALIA - GUERCIOTTI - ELITE | ITA | 1:03:35 | +4:37 |
| 30. | 11 | DEL GROSSO Tibor | NED | 1:03:42 | +4:44 |
| 31. | 6 | VAN DER POEL David ALPECIN - FENIX | NED | -3 LAP | |
| 32. | 36 | STRANSKY Matej | CZE | -3 LAP | |
| 33. | 26 | BOMMENEL Nathan A.S BIKE CROSSTEAM | FRA | -3 LAP | |
| 34. | 38 | ASKEY Lewis GROUPAMA - FDJ | GBR | -3 LAP | |
| 35. | 28 | PHILIBERT Aurelien ARDENNES CROSS TEAM GECIBAT | FRA | -4 LAP | |
| 36. | 9 | VERBURG Luke | NED | -4 LAP | |
| 37. | 37 | BARNES Daniel TEAM SPECTRA WIGGLE P/B VITUS | GBR | -4 LAP | |
| 38. | 27 | BURNET Pierrick A.S BIKE CROSSTEAM | FRA | -5 LAP | |
| 39. | 42 | HAEHNEL Frederik | GER | -5 LAP | |
| 40. | 43 | JETTE Cameron | CAN | -6 LAP | |
| 41. | 45 | NOLAN Sean EVOPRO RACING | IRL | -6 LAP | |
| 42. | 32 | PARENTI Nicola | ITA | -7 LAP | |
| 43. | 44 | O REGAN Timothy | IRL | -7 LAP | |
| 39 | CHILTON Ben TEAM SPECTRA WIGGLE P/B VITUS | GBR | DNS |
