With only a couple of races left in this cyclocross season, it was time for the big highlight. The World Championship of 2026 took place in Hulst. It's a Dutch settlement town characterised by a parcours with a series of little kickers and descents. In a stacked field, Joris Nieuwenhuis and Felipe Orts lined up for our team. Credits: Photonews Before the race, everyone agreed: Mathieu van der Poel was going to win his eighth world title in Hulst. He won every cyclocross race he attended this season and in the last races, no one was able to come even close. His biggest challengers were Del Grosso and Nys, but Joris and Felipe were keen to give it a shot at a medal as well. Straight after the start, Van der Poel started pushing and it became clear that the three main favourites were the strongest on the day. Mathieu went solo, with Del Grosso and Nys chasing. Joris and Felipe looked strong in the second chasing group with about 8 other riders. In the end, Joris had a close sprint for fourth place and he was able to edge out Fontana. Felipe, from his side, reached a personal best 7th place at the World Championship. In the last couple of weeks of the season, we have one big goal: defend Joris' leader position in the X2O Badkamers trophy. Next weekend, the second to last race takes place in Lille. One week later, he can claim the overall win in Brussels.

The cyclocross in Benidorm has become one of the highlights of the season in the past years. For the riders, it's the perfect moment to soak up some Spanish sun after months of cold and snow in the Benelux. For the fans, our Felipe Orts is one of the reasons for the success of this race. He lives in Villajoyosa, which is only 15 minutes away from Benidorm so he was totally ready to give it his all. Credits: Photonews In the first lap, it immediately became clear that Mathieu van der Poel was the strongest rider in Benidorm. Behind him, Joris and Felipe were able to focus on securing the remaining two podium places. The competition for the podium was fierce however and in the opening laps, no one could force a decisive gap. After 30 minutes of racing, the chasing group hesitated for a brief moment and it was Felipe who took his chance. He launched an attack and opened up a gap of 5 seconds. One lap later, Nys joined him in the attack and with a collegial gesture, he signalled to follow his wheel. The crowd went wild and with the two of them, they got a 20 second advantage in the hunt for the podium. In the last lap, Thibau was too strong for Felipe but that didn't matter. Felipe finished it off and was clearly the happiest rider in Benidorm with his third place. The crowd kept on chanting his name as this was the perfect closure to this great race. Credits: Photonews Joris finished 7th and embraced Felipe immediately after the finish. It shows how much this means to our team. Next week, we're in Maasmechelen and Hoogerheide for the last two rounds of this year's UCI Cyclocross World Cup. The ideal moment to show form ahead of the World Championships in Hulst one week later.

Last weekend, national cyclocross championships were held across Europe — and Felipe delivered a standout performance in Tarancón (Cuenca), securing his eighth consecutive Spanish national cyclocross title. While Spain did not offer true winter conditions, Felipe still enjoyed a memorable weekend from start to finish. It began with a special gift: a unique Lazer helmet, custom-painted by artists Zingirak Aerografia and PMK Design, featuring the village skyline of Villajoyosa. Felipe received the striking blue helmet in the days leading up to the race — a truly personal touch ahead of an important championship. Felipe in Mol Once the race started, the 30-year-old rider proved untouchable. Felipe dominated the field and claimed victory with a margin of more than one minute over Kevin Suárez Fernández. Another highlight already awaits this weekend, as Felipe lines up for the UCI Cyclocross World Cup in Benidorm, right in his home region. Joris & Daan The rest of the team was also in action over the weekend. Joris struggled with lower back pain during the Dutch National Championships in Huijbergen, which limited his ability to fully defend his position on a steep running section. He eventually finished in 6th place. In Beringen, Ridley’s home base, Daan competed in the Belgian National Championships. On a snowy course, he battled hard to secure a 14th place finish.

12 races in 16 days. A race almost every day. That was the extremely busy Christmas schedule. We've had a rider in every single race and now that this period is over, we can look back on a great two and a half weeks with some ups and downs. One thing is sure: our riders gave it their all! Credits: Photonews Mixed feelings before Christmas We started this campaign with four races on the bounce, just before Christmas. The main skill that you needed: mastering to drive through sand. We started in Antwerp, headed over to Koksijde, made a glorious return to Hofstade and finished with a high speed CX crit in Zolder. In Antwerp, Joris was on his way to battle for the final podium spot until he crashed in the final lap because of a puncture. It was a heavy crash and only time would tell how the body would react to it. In Koksijde, Felipe didn't have his best day out as he finished in 21st position. Hofstade and Zolder brought us two 6th places for Joris and Felipe respectively. Joris had a DNF in Zolder because he was still suffering from his crash in Antwerp. Podium in Loenhout The first race after Christmas started rough for us. In Gavere, Joris had a second DNF in a row an Felipe finished 29th. After that, things went much better for our riders. Felipe finished 8th in Dendermonde and Joris made his return to the podium in Loenhout. It was clear that the physical problems had been resolved after the fall and that he could start the upcoming races with a positive mindset. Daan rode a strong race in Loenhout as well and he was only a fraction away from a top 10 finish. In Diegem, Felipe accomplished another strong top 10 in the darkness. Starting 2026 with a bang The first of January means cyclocross in Baal. After Loenhout, he has only strengthened his leading position and was looking for more of that in Baal. For the first time in weeks, we got some mud and Joris delivered. He finished 5th on the day and took more than two minutes on Cameron Mason, his nearest competitor. In the X2O Badkamers Trofee GC, Joris' lead is 2' 52" with two races to go. In Mol, we got the most epic race of the season. Throughout the race, the snow continued to fall and many riders came in frozen stiff. Our Spaniard didn't care: he was able to finish on the podium after van der Poel and Aerts and was probably the most happy man after the race. Daan finished Mol in 13th position. Gullegem brought us another podium, as Joris finished third and in Zonhoven, both our riders arrived well and truly into the top 10. Once again, this proved to be the best time for cyclocross fans. Our riders rode their heart out on every occassion and with three podiums and eight top 10 results, our riders can take a well deserved breather. Championship season Next weekend, we're fighting for the National Championship jerseys. Felipe wants an eight consecutive Spanish title and Joris is looking for a second Dutch Championship. Daan will start in Beringen for the Belgian Championship. One day later, he will close his CX season in Otegem before focussing on gravel again.

Another crazy offroad weekend was upon us. The World Cup landed in Namur this weekend and on Saturday, Daan made his cyclocross comeback in the Exact Cross in Kortrijk. As if that wasn't enough, the Beach Race of De Haan was also on the programme on Sunday. Credits: Photonews We start this weekly report with the World Cup in Namur. This sure is one of the classics of the calendar. Expect off-cambers, steep downhills and huge crowds. Besides that, World Champion Mathieu van der Poel made his return to cyclocross. The perfect recipe for a great afternoon. Joris had a good start in this race and for quite some time, he was following the leaders. However, when there was an acceleration of Nys, Van der Poel, Van der Haar and Vanthourenhout, Joris decided to set his own pace. He battled for 6th place with Vandeputte and Ronhaar but in the end, he had to settle for 8th after a steady race. In GC, he is tied for second position with Vanthourenhout. Felipe drove this race a little more in the background. Still, on a track that isn't his favourite, he finished in a nice 15th position, ahead of Sweeck and Wyseure. Credits: Photonews Exact Cross Kortrijk On Saturday, Daan Soete made his cyclocross debut in the Leiecross in Kortrijk. Daan had a very good start and was well into the top 10 during the opening lap. Afterwards, he dropped back a little and the lack of specific cross training showed. He finished the race in 19th position. After the race, Daan got sick as he had respiratory problems. This led to the decision to skip the Beach Race in De Haan on Sunday. Beach Race De Haan With the abscence of Daan, we only had Aaron at the start at the Belgian coast. Just like last week, Jasper Dejaegher from Team Flanders - Baloise was the winner of the race. Aaron finished in sixth position and showed great improvement from last week. Next up for Aaron: the Belgian Championship Beach Race in Middelkerke in two weeks from now. Credits: Social Tee Christmas period coming up Next weekend, the busy Christmas period will really kick off. With 12 races in 16 days, the calendar is filled to the brim. Before Christmas, our schedule looks like this: Saturday 20 December - World Cup Antwerp: Joris Nieuwenhuis, Felipe Orts Sunday 21 December - World Cup Koksijde: Felipe Orts Monday 22 December - X2O Badkamers Trofee Hofstade: Joris Nieuwenhuis, Daan Soete Tuesday 23 December - Superprestige Heusden-Zolder: Joris Nieuwenhuis, Felipe Orts, Daan Soete

A busy weekend of offroad racing was ahead of us. Joris Nieuwenhuis was in Sardinia for the third round of the World Cup Cyclocross, Felipe Orts did two cyclocross races in Spain and Daan Soete and Aaron Van der Beken made their return to racing action after offseason at the Beach Race in Bredene. Credits: Photonews World Cup Sardinia The World Cup peloton moved from the West of France to the South of Italy at Sardinia. Last year was meant to be the first ever World Cup race at the island, but due to heavy storm the race was cancelled. This year, the event took place in little fishing village of Terralba. The riders got a fast track with a couple of sand pits and some standing water. It became clear that it would be hard to make a difference. Joris Nieuwenhuis, Vanthourenhout and Sweeck all gave it a try but no one was able to make it stick. We entered the final lap with 8 riders and in the end it was Vanthourenhout who got the better of Joris. Still, a nice second place! In the general classification, Thibau Nys stays in the lead. Joris reduced the gap to six points and sits in third position overall. The World Cup battle will really heat up from now on as we have 5 races before the end of the year. Next up is Namur on Sunday. Home races for Felipe After skipping last week's race in Flamanville, Felipe decided to do two local races with a lot of his fans along the track. On Saturday, he lined up in Xativa. On Sunday, the race was held in Cocentaina. Credits: Alvaro Cycling Felipe won both races and it was great to see Felipe entertain and inspire the local cyclocross community. Next weekend, Felipe returns to Belgium for the World Cup in Namur. Beach Race Bredene Finally, Daan Soete and Aaron Van der Beken returned to action at the Beach Race in Bredene. For both men, it was their first race in nearly two months after the gravel season. For Daan, this also was his first race as Belgian Champion. Credits: Social Tee Daan managed to finish 6th in Bredene, meanwhile Aaron finished in 14th position. Both men will do some more beach races, starting with the race in De Haan next Sunday and the Belgian Championship on the 28th of December. Daan will also hop back on the CX bike again and makes his return to cyclocross this Saturday in Kortrijk.

The 2025–2026 cyclocross season is in full swing, and Joris Nieuwenhuis is one of the strongest riders in the peloton. In the first two months, he won three televised races and leads the standings in the X2O Badkamers Trophy. His form is the result of a clear summer plan with one goal: Unbound Gravel. We documented his entire preparation. Now available on our YouTube channel. The preceding winter had a difficult start. A shingles infection sidelined Nieuwenhuis for months, forcing him to watch his competitors from the couch. After a training month in Spain, he returned at the Dutch Cyclocross Championships. With no expectations, he immediately took the bronze medal. That boost gave him confidence. He went on to win in Middelkerke and Oostmalle as well. After a short rest period, he shifted his focus entirely to his summer campaign. Unbound Gravel became the highlight of that campaign. His first participation in 2024, without proper preparation, fueled his ambition. In 2025 he wanted to return to Emporia, Kansas for a top result. Together with his coaches and experts, he worked on every performance factor. Koen de Haan optimized his training schedule, Rob van der Werf developed his nutrition plan, and Yannick Balk worked on his mental preparation. At the Aero Performance Lab in Beringen, he carried out extensive testing in both the wind tunnel and the climate chamber to be perfectly prepared at the start. How that preparation — and the race itself — unfolded is shown in the documentary  “The Unbound Journey – Chasing Gravel” . The film highlights Joris’ passion for music, his love for off-road racing, pushing boundaries, and the highs and lows of life as a pro athlete. As a devoted music lover with his own studio, he composed part of the soundtrack himself. It adds a personal touch and offers a glimpse into a lesser-known side of Nieuwenhuis. Ridley ASTR RS Throughout the entire summer campaign, Nieuwenhuis and his Ridley Racing Team teammates rode the ASTR RS, the gravel bike we launched in October 2024. This performance-focused bike is designed for modern gravel racing and combines an aero-to-weight frame with 52 mm tire clearance. Aaron Van der Beken, Daan Soete, and Nicole Frain have already achieved impressive victories with it.

After last week's World Cup Season opener in Tabor, the peloton moved to Flamanville for the second round. In Tabor, Joris finished third and had a solid start of the World Cup campaign. In the West of France, the route is marked around the beautiful castle of Flamanville. Only Joris was at the start, Felipe Orts had a one-week break. Credits: Photonews Missed start For the first time this season, Joris could start on the first row again. Unfortunately, Joris was caught napping when the lights went out. On the good side: the Flamanville track was pretty wide so he was able to overtake a lot of riders immediately after the start and in the second lap, Joris was at the front of the race. It quickly became clear that he and Nys were the strongest men in the race. They were joined by Van der Haar and Vandeputte during the first real breakaway, which allowed Nys and Van der Haar to play the team game. Van der Haar got away at a certain point, but Joris could reel him back in. Misfortune in lap 7 A bit later, it was Nys who made a little mistake and went down. Van der Haar, however, dropped the pace and Nys could return to the front of the race. In the mean time, Cameron Mason and Laurens Sweeck made it to the front group as well and we were looking to dive into the final with 6 riders. Unfortunately, Joris had a chain drop with two laps to go which caught him out of the final battle for victory. Nys didn't hesitate and went full gas for the victory. A very unfortunate incident, as things were looking very promising for Joris. In the end, he finished in sixth position. Credits: Photonews Italia Next week, we're off to Sardinia, Italy for the third race of the World Cup. Last year was intended to be the first race on the Italian island, but due to a severe storm, the race was cancelled on race day. Felipe will skip this one, Joris starts the race in fourth place in the general classification.

With the busiest period of the cyclocross season approaching fast, it was time to kick off the UCI World Cup season. This edition kicks off with three foreign races, starting in Tabor, Czech Republic. The weather maps indicated a probability of snowfall, but ultimately it did not stick and it mainly turned out to be a very slippery lap. Credits: Photonews After a stellar weekend with a win and a podium, Joris Nieuwenhuis was one of the favourites going into this race. Both Felipe and him had to start from the second row based on the UCI ranking. Joris didn't had any trouble making up positions and quickly got into the fourth spot. Felipe watched from a little further back in the bunch. However, the pace was extremely high, as Nys took the lead after just half a lap and only Joris was able to keep up. Joris was capable of taking over and wanted to put pressure on Nys, but in doing so he made a mistake and fell. Nys didn't hesitate and went all in to create a decisive gap. Joris did what he could, but it soon became clear that Nys was the strongest today. Competing for second place, Joris had to battle it out with Vanthourenhout, Verstrynge, Sweeck, and Michels. Vanthourenhout crashed hard on tarmac and Verstrynge fell in the penultimate lap, holding Nieuwenhuis up as well. Sweeck got a little gap after this incident and took the runner up spot in Tabor. Joris finished third and immediately takes some big points for the general classification. Credits: Photonews Felipe Orts takes a breather in Spain Felipe finished the race with some mixed feelings in 15th position. "I think it wasn't a bad day, but it wasn't a spectacular one either! I lacked confidence in the technical sections with the ice, which kept me from a good race within the top 10." Felipe travels back to Spain right now, where he takes a short race break after the first two months of the season. After this, he'll make his return in Namur for the fourth race of the World Cup. Joris will keep racing and he is doing both Flamanville (France) and Terralba (Sardinia, Italy) in the upcoming weeks.

Another double cyclocross weekender was on schedule. On Saturday, we went to Merksplas Kolonie for the "Strawberry" cross. On Sunday, Hamme was the place to be for the "Flandrien" cross. Joris was chasing his 10th pro win, meanwhile Felipe was looking for another strong result. Credits: Photonews Impressive win after early misfortune With quite some rain in Belgium over the weekend, we were curious to see how that would affect both courses. In Merksplas, it still turned out to be a pretty fast track with a slippery top layer of mud. It really proved to be slippery as Joris crashed early on in the race. There was no physical damage, but during the fall, a boa had come loose from his shoe. For a moment, he considered changing shoes, but that would have ruined the race completely so he decided to push through. The bad luck wasn't over yet, as in the second lap his chain fell off during a racing incident. Once Joris fixed the chain, he had to restart with a 30-second deficit. Thankfully, Felipe was well positioned at the front and he could hold the group together a tiny bit as Joris was chasing really hard. In no time, he overtook rider after rider and it was clear that he was one of the strongest riders of the day. By lap 4, he had already caught up with the leading group again. He tried to recover as much as possible from this effort and still kept something up his sleeve for the last two laps. He went to the lead position and just kept powering away and no one was able to follow. Nys made one last attempt, but while Joris flew through the sandpit, Nys got completely stuck. Joris finished steadily and won the cross in Merksplas in impressive fashion. Felipe notched up his third top 10 result in a row and proves that he is back where he belongs. Joris did a good job for the overall standings as well, as Vanthourenhout didn't have his best day out. Vandeputte overtakes him as the leader in the Superprestige and Joris closes in on third place. The next Superprestige race is in Zolder in over a month's time. Credits: FL!TZ Productions Podium in Hamme The race in Hamme on Sunday was part of the X2O Badkamers Trofee, which Joris is leading after the first two races. Just like on Saturday, the start did not go smoothly this time either. In the first corner, Joris was hit by other riders and fell. He had to restart at the very back of the field and on top of that, his handlebars were bent from the fall. Felipe didn't miss his start and and he took away some crucial bonification seconds from Joris' rivals after one lap. Joris began his long journey to the front, and once again that went very well. After a few laps, he caught up with Felipe on the start finish straight, where both men demonstrated their excellent relationship. Felipe took the lead and quickly pulled Joris along in his slipstream. Wonderful team spirit! At the front of the race, Nys and Mason got away from the other riders and also Joris had a hard time chasing them. It became clear that he had hurt his knee in the crash, which did not help his pursuit. It was a battle against van der Haar for the final podium spot, and it was Joris who ultimately prevailed. Excellent damage control after another eventful race. Felipe battled with Vandeputte, Sweeck and Michels for a nice place of honour and ultimately finished in 7th place. Strong result following the teamwork demonstrated earlier. Joris stays in the lead of GC with 24 seconds ahead of Cameron Mason and 42 seconds ahead of Thibau Nys. Credits: Photonews World Cup start Next week, the World Cup kicks off in Tabor, Czech Republic. Both Joris and Felipe will line up and weather forecasts are showing that it might be a race in the snow. Felipe takes a short breather after Tabor and will skip Flamanville and Cabras. He will return to racing action in Namur.

On Armistice Day, the traditional Jaarmarktcross in Niel took place once again. The course — featuring thousands of bags of river sand (poured into a massive sandbox), short loops up and down the dikes, and plenty of paved sections — provided the familiar mix that defines this classic in the Rupel region, just south of Antwerp. It turned into a spectacular race in which Felipe Orts completed a remarkable comeback to finish in 5th place. Photo News After course reconnaissance, it was clear that our riders were ready for this cyclocross classic. Felipe regained confidence after a solid 9th place at the European Championships in Lombardsijde, while Joris Nieuwenhuis looked to bounce back from a difficult weekend. Sports director Richard Groenendaal also reflected on the Europeans: “Some riders looked great in the warm-up but struggled during the race. Others who were frustrated in the sand beforehand suddenly flew once the race began. That’s cyclocross: it’s often a mental game as much as a physical one.” At the start, Felipe was boxed in on the right side of the road and lost ground, while Joris launched well and even took control of the race early on. However, his momentum was abruptly halted when he dropped from first to fifteenth place. His father later confirmed a crash, and it turned out Joris also suffered a chain issue. Meanwhile, Felipe was moving in the opposite direction, climbing steadily through the field. Starting outside the top 20, he overtook rider after rider, moving into the top 10 and eventually into 5th position. Despite his impressive pace, he narrowly missed joining the leading group. Behind the front trio and Emiel Verstrynge, Felipe secured 5th place, while Joris recovered strongly after his setbacks to finish 8th. In the Superprestige standings, Joris limited the damage and now sits joint 3rd overall. Felipe Orts: “I lost a lot of positions at the start, but once I got into my rhythm, I was riding really fast. Fifth place is fine, though under normal circumstances I can fight for the podium. I’m feeling fresh again and motivated for the upcoming races. Last weekend I felt weak, but no illness was found, thankfully things are back to normal now. I’ve marked Merksplas and Tabor as key goals before a short recovery break.” Joris Nieuwenhuis: “I had a good start and felt strong. But after a small mistake my chain came off and got jammed, and I also crashed. I needed a few laps to refocus, but I found my rhythm again towards the end. It wasn’t my best race, but luckily the damage from the crash is minor.”

The European Cyclocross Championships took place on Sunday on the military domain of Lombardsijde, near the Belgian coast. Our team headed there with healthy ambitions but returned home with mixed emotions. Felipe Orts showed a strong performance, finishing 9th and returning to his usual level, while Joris Nieuwenhuis had an off day and crossed the line in 15th place. He’ll have a quick chance to bounce back on Tuesday at the Jaarmarktcross in Niel. Unlike the well-known Superprestige course in Middelkerke, the Lombardsijde circuit offered a completely different challenge. With several running sections and long stretches of sand, it was a grueling track suited for riders with raw power. Both Felipe and Joris got off to a solid start and were part of the leading group early on. Joris even took the lead briefly but eventually had to let the front riders go after hitting his limits. In a second chase group, Felipe rode a consistent race, always within striking distance. He felt better than in previous weeks, even though sand is not his preferred terrain. In the final lap, he managed to move up to 9th place, showing clear signs of progress. Joris eventually finished 15th after a tough day in the saddle. Felipe: “I’m happy with this result. It wasn’t the best course for me with all the sand, but I felt good and had some energy left for the final lap. I’m glad to be back in the top ten and to feel that my form is improving.” Joris: “The preparations leading up to this European Championship were great. From the first rough planning back in March, to the altitude training camp in September, a lot of running and all the cross-training sessions in the sand with Richard (Groenendaal). But today it just didn’t click. I couldn’t get into it. And that’s also part of the process. If there’s one thing I learned from last year, it’s that setbacks like these can help you come back stronger as long as you take the right steps. Together with the people around me, we’re going to keep working. There are still many races to come, starting Tuesday in Niel.” Despite the mixed results, the team remains optimistic and motivated. With both riders showing strong commitment and continuous progress, the next races promise exciting battles and opportunities to move back toward the front of the field.