Sand specialist Sweeck lives up to his name and wins Duinencross Koksijde, but Del Grosso challenges him
Cyclocross
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Follow us on GoogleSand specialist Laurens Sweeck lived up to his name by conquering the dunes of Koksijde, but it was anything but an easy win for the 31-year-old Belgian of Crelan-Corendon. Tibor Del Grosso proved a formidable opponent, providing an exciting and challenging battle. Toon Aerts secured the third spot.
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Without Mathieu van der Poel, Michael Vanthourenhout, and Thibau Nys, who were absent for various reasons, the cyclo-cross in Koksijde kicked off. The next name was eliminated in the first turn: Niels Vandeputte slipped and was involved in a big crash. As a result, the Belgian was immediately one minute behind.
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Del Grosso and Sweeck find each other in the first round
A leading group quickly formed in the first dune passages, with Del Grosso and Sweeck in front. Entering the second lap, the Dutch rider and Belgian already had a lead of about 20 seconds ahead of the five chasers, including Pim Ronhaar and Joran Wyseure.
On the second lap, Ronhaar made a cautious comeback, leaving the rest behind at least. Del Grosso and Sweeck kept rotating well at the front and did not test each other to the limit. The emerging Ronhaar followed at eleven seconds at the next finish line passage. Behind them came Toon Aerts, Toon Vandebosch, and Wyseure at eighteen seconds.
On the third lap on the dunes, Sweeck pulled ahead slightly but then had to continue on foot, bringing Del Grosso closer again. Nevertheless, the rider of Crelan-Corendon and Alpecin-Deceuninck remained superior to the rest. Ronhaar remained stuck in his chase, and the Dutch rider from Baloise Glowi Lion saw his gap increase to nineteen seconds.
On the fourth lap, the young Dutch rider took the initiative after a fast descent. The pressure was suddenly on Sweeck, but Del Grosso made a mistake on the next section of sand, giving the experienced Belgian a golden opportunity. It was precisely what Sweeck needed, so we entered the fifth lap with the same leading duo. Both riders were particularly equal, which made for an exciting duel.
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Exciting battle between the Dutch rider and the Belgian
Ronhaar's comeback had failed at the back, a true chasse patate for the Dutch rider. However, the battle for spot three became interesting, as four more cyclists stood a chance. The victory was miles ahead of them, as the difference had grown to over forty seconds. The names in that group remained unchanged: Wyseure, Aerts, Vandebosch and Ronhaar.
After nearly forty minutes of racing and five laps, the two leaders did not pass the finish line together for the first time. The 31-year-old Sweeck proved more decisive on one of the steep dune slopes. Where the 21-year-old Del Grosso had to get off his bike, Sweeck stayed in the saddle. This was the first sign of difference between the two. Although the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider returned at the beginning of the fifth lap, it happened again not much later. Sweeck rode away meter by meter in the sand sections. However, Del Grosso closed the gap in the other sections.
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Sweeck beats Del Grosso and wins
Meanwhile, Aerts and Wyseure dominated the battle for third place. Ronhaar struggled with his gums and was eight seconds behind. Aerts finally claimed the podium on the fifth lap.
In the seventh lap, Sweeck managed to control the race for good. It was challenging, and Del Grosso proved to be a formidable opponent, but eventually, the Crelan-Corendon rider beat his rival. In the final lap, Sweeck could focus entirely on maintaining his lead to impressively cash in on his chance at victory. He did so with conviction. Virtually flawless, Sweeck rode all laps through all the sand sections. The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider secured second place and crossed the line 24 seconds behind the winner.
Results X2O Trophy Koksijde 2025 - men
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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