Aaron Van der Beken wins Legacy Gravel

Save the best for last! That must have been what Aaron Van der Beken was thinking when he lined up for the UCI Gravel World Series in Leuven on Sunday. After 147 kilometers, he proved to be the fastest of a 12-rider lead group — closing his gravel campaign with a strong and well-deserved victory. In West Flanders, Joris Nieuwenhuis came close to making it a perfect weekend for the team.

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Aaron has made major progress in the gravel scene this year. The highlight was a brilliant 21st place at the World Championships, but the rider from Horebeke clearly wasn’t finished yet. On the same gravel roads where last year’s rainbow jerseys were decided, participants could also qualify for next year’s Worlds in Australia.

Racing through the beautiful Woods of Brabant National Park, Aaron stayed alert all day and made the decisive front group of twelve. Among them were big names such as Greg Van Avermaet and Jan Bakelants, as well as a handful of rising young riders. Aaron timed his sprint perfectly, taking the win by half a wheel over Mats Omloop — his first gravel victory as a young elite rider.

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Ruddervoorde

Meanwhile, in Ruddervoorde, the first round of the Superprestige cyclocross series was held on Sunday afternoon. Joris Nieuwenhuis was undoubtedly the rider of the day. Mid-race, he launched a bold attack and forced his rivals to dig deep to bring him back.

Joris didn’t give up easily. In the final lap, he executed everything perfectly. Michael Vanthourenhout briefly took over during a running section, but Joris stayed glued to his wheel. In the sprint, he came alongside the local rider but couldn’t quite overtake him, finishing second — a strong result that sends him home with plenty of motivation.

Unfortunately, not everyone had luck on their side this weekend. Felipe Orts suffered a mechanical issue when his tire came off the rim, forcing him to run part of the course and ending his chances for a top finish. Still, with his 4th place on Friday, the Spaniard showed that his form is exactly where it needs to be.

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