2020 Azencross-Herentals (C-2),
Herentals, Belgium
Wednesday, December 23, 2020
Azencross-Loenhout podium history | 2019 edition | 2021 edition
The 2020 Azencross was run in Herentals because the usual Loenhout race was cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Winner Wout van Aert has spent some time in the mud. Cor Vos photo
The race: Here's the report from winner Wout van Aert's Jumbo-Visma team.
Wout van Aert has clinched his first victory of the cyclocross season. In his hometown Herentals, the 26-year-old Team Jumbo-Visma rider beat world champion Mathieu van der Poel, who had to deal with a puncture halfway through.
In the early part of the race, it became clear that it was going to be a duel between ‘the big two’. Van der Poel set the pace on the tough and slippery course and Van Aert almost always followed within a few seconds. After a flat tire from the world champion, the winner of Milan-San Remo and Strade Bianche was able to create an unbridgeable gap.
“I am really happy with this. Of course I had a stroke of luck because of Mathieu’s flat tire. I really wanted to win today. It all went well, then you can force a victory”, a delighted Van Aert said.
Van der Poel put the best one-day cyclist of the 2020 road season under pressure from the start. Van Aert: “I started with too low tire pressure. That was a major reason for why I was a little behind every time. I came back to Mathieu and when I had created a gap, I realised he had a flat tire. I immediately gained an advantage of half a minute and I was able to keep it. The big battle did not come to a climax today, but the mutual respect is great.”
On Boxing Day and the day after, the cyclocross races in Zolder and Dendermonde are next on Van Aert’s program.
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Complete results:
| 1 | VAN AERT Wout | JUMBO-VISMA | 58min 13sec |
| 2 | VAN DER POEL Mathieu | ALPECIN-FENIX | @ 35sec |
| 3 | VANTHOURENHOUT Michael | PAUWELS SAUZEN-BINGOAL | @ 1min 32sec |
| 4 | AERTS Toon | TELENET BALOISE LIONS | @ 2min 14sec |
| 5 | ISERBYT Eli | PAUWELS SAUZEN-BINGOAL | @ 2min 18sec |
| 6 | SWEECK Laurens | PAUWELS SAUZEN-BINGOAL | 1:00:39 |
| 7 | HERMANS Quinten | TORMANS CYCLO CROSS TEAM | 1:00:51 |
| 8 | VAN DER HAAR Lars | TELENET BALOISE LIONS | 1:01:01 |
| 9 | VAN KESSEL Corne | TORMANS CYCLO CROSS TEAM | 1:01:03 |
| 10 | VERMEERSCH Gianni | CREDISHOP-FRISTADS | 1:01:38 |
| 11 | KAMP Ryan | PAUWELS SAUZEN-BINGOAL | 1:01:49 |
| 12 | MEIN Thomas | TORMANS CYCLO CROSS TEAM | 1:02:03 |
| 13 | SOETE Daan | GROUP HENS-MAES CONTAINERS | 1:02:07 |
| 14 | ORTS LLORET Felipe | TEIKA-BH-GSPORT | 1:02:19 |
| 15 | SWEECK Diether | CREDISHOP-FRISTADS | 1:02:33 |
| 16 | KUHN Kevin | TORMANS CYCLO CROSS TEAM | 1:02:33 |
| 17 | RONHAAR Pim | PAUWELS SAUZEN-BINGOAL | 1:02:35 |
| 18 | VAN DER POEL David | ALPECIN-FENIX | 1:02:38 |
| 19 | RÜEGG Timon | 1:02:38 | |
| 20 | AERTS Thijs | TELENET BALOISE LIONS | 1:03:06 |
| 21 | FERDINANDE Anton | PAUWELS SAUZEN-BINGOAL | 1:03:11 |
| 22 | MERLIER Tim | ALPECIN-FENIX | 1:03:17 |
| 23 | ROUILLER Loris | ALPECIN-FENIX | 1:03:29 |
| 24 | MEEUSEN Tom | GROUP HENS-MAES CONTAINERS | 1:03:37 |
| 25 | LOOCKX Lander | GROUP HENS-MAES CONTAINERS | 1:03:40 |
| 26 | WHITE Curtis | 1:03:47 | |
| 27 | AERNOUTS Jim | TELENET BALOISE LIONS | 1:03:56 |
| 28 | VAN DIJKE Tim | 1:04:03 | |
| 29 | SIEBENS Gianni | 1:04:08 | |
| 30 | CLEPPE Nicolas | TELENET BALOISE LIONS | 1:04:10 |
| 31 | SUAREZ FERNANDEZ Kevin | NESTA-SKODA ALECAR CX TEAM | 1:04:24 |
| 32 | WYSEURE Joran | 1:04:42 | |
| 33 | NYS Thibau | TELENET BALOISE LIONS | 1:04:50 |
| 34 | WEBER Sascha | 1:06:10 | |
| 35 | GUILLAUD Valentin | 1:06:23 | |
| 36 | VERSTRYNGE Emiel | TORMANS CYCLO CROSS TEAM | 1:06:39 |
| 37 | VAN DEN HAM Michael | 1:06:55 | |
| 38 | DE BIE Sean | 1:07:06 | |
| 39 | PHILIBERT Aurélien | ARDENNES CROSS TEAM | 1:07:11 |
| 40 | VRACHTEN Arne | 1:07:38 | |
| 41 | MAINGUENAUD Tom | 1:07:55 | |
| 42 | ALDERWEIRELD Robin | 1:08:14 | |
| 43 | BAERS Arne | 1:08:51 | |
| 44 | JUNQUERA SAN MILLAN Mario | -1 LAP | |
| 45 | MORICHON Mathieu | -1 LAP | |
| 46 | DEJONGHE Len | GROUP HENS-MAES CONTAINERS | -1 LAP |
| 47 | GILLES Cyprien | -1 LAP | |
| 48 | JOT Hugo | ARDENNES CROSS TEAM | -1 LAP |
| 49 | REMONDET Valentin | A.S BIKE CROSSTEAM | -1 LAP |
| 50 | GYS Jens | -1 LAP | |
| 51 | TROPARDY Arthur | -1 LAP | |
| 52 | GACHIGNARD Thomas | TEAM PODIOCOM CC | -2 LAPS |
| 53 | VAN DEN BROECK Arno | -2 LAPS | |
| 54 | HAUSSLER Heinrich | -2 LAPS | |
| 55 | SALOMEZ Ydris | PROXIMUS-ALPHAMOTORHOMES | -2 LAPS |
| 56 | LAEVENS Justin | PROXIMUS-ALPHAMOTORHOMES | -3 LAPS |
| 57 | OGER Vincent | -4 LAPS | |
| VANTHOURENHOUT Dieter | PAUWELS SAUZEN-BINGOAL | DNF | |
| VANDEBOSCH Toon | PAUWELS SAUZEN-BINGOAL | DNF | |
| HENDRIKX Mees | CREDISHOP-FRISTADS | DNF | |
| ROMBOUTS Seppe | DNF | ||
| VERVOORT Wout | DNF | ||
| AUFFRET Ronan | TEAM PODIOCOM CC | DNF | |
| VAN CAMPENHOUT Jetze | GROUP HENS-MAES CONTAINERS | DNF | |
| PEMEN Dolf | PROXIMUS-ALPHAMOTORHOMES | DNF |
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Ceylin Alvarado has the finish line all to herself. Photo: X2O Badkamers Trofee
| 1 | ALVARADO Ceylin del Carmen | ALPECIN-FENIX | 45min 53sec |
| 2 | BRAND Lucinda | TELENET BALOISE LIONS | @ 19sec |
| 3 | BETSEMA Denise | PAUWELS SAUZEN-BINGOAL | @ 23sec |
| 4 | HONSINGER Clara | @ 1min 30sec | |
| 5 | CANT Sanne | IKO-CRELAN | @ 1min 36sec |
| 6 | VOS Marianne | 0:47:43 | |
| 7 | BAKKER Manon | CREDISHOP-FRISTADS | 0:47:56 |
| 8 | KASTELIJN Yara | CREDISHOP-FRISTADS | 0:48:12 |
| 9 | VAS Kata Blanka | 0:48:38 | |
| 10 | VAN EMPEL Fem | PAUWELS SAUZEN-BINGOAL | 0:48:46 |
| 11 | VAN ALPHEN Aniek | CREDISHOP-FRISTADS | 0:49:01 |
| 12 | ROCHETTE Maghalie | 0:49:01 | |
| 13 | ARZUFFI Alice Maria | 777 | 0:49:22 |
| 14 | NORBERT RIBEROLLE Marion | STARCASINO CX TEAM | 0:49:30 |
| 15 | LECHNER Eva | STARCASINO CX TEAM | 0:49:51 |
| 16 | PIETERSE Puck | ALPECIN-FENIX | 0:49:59 |
| 17 | KAY Anna | STARCASINO CX TEAM | 0:50:04 |
| 18 | CLAUZEL Hélène | A.S BIKE CROSSTEAM | 0:50:11 |
| 19 | COMPTON Katherine | 0:50:15 | |
| 20 | PERSICO Silvia | 0:50:25 | |
| 21 | VAN LOY Ellen | TELENET BALOISE LIONS | 0:50:29 |
| 22 | VERHESTRAETEN Karen | IKO-CRELAN | 0:50:38 |
| 23 | CLAUZEL Perrine | A.S BIKE CROSSTEAM | 0:50:48 |
| 24 | MUNRO Madigan | TREK FACTORY RACING CX | 0:50:55 |
| 25 | KEOUGH Kaitlin | 0:51:03 | |
| 26 | TRUYEN Marthe | TELENET BALOISE LIONS | 0:51:33 |
| 27 | FAHRINGER Rebecca | 0:51:49 | |
| 28 | VAN DE STEENE Kim | 0:52:08 | |
| 29 | MEISTROK Susanne | PROXIMUS-ALPHAMOTORHOMES | 0:52:19 |
| 30 | ROOIJAKKERS Pauliena | 0:52:37 | |
| 31 | MORICHON Anaïs | 0:52:43 | |
| 32 | VERHOEVEN Suzanne | 0:53:14 | |
| 33 | MCGILL Sidney | 0:53:31 | |
| 34 | WRIGHT Sophie | 0:53:39 | |
| 35 | KRÄHEMANN Lara | 0:53:55 | |
| 36 | VAN DER BURG Esther | PROXIMUS-ALPHAMOTORHOMES | 0:54:34 |
| 37 | DE WILDE Julie | IKO-CRELAN | 0:54:39 |
| 38 | PORHEL Laura | 0:54:41 | |
| 39 | LAQUEBE Amelie | 0:54:45 | |
| 40 | VAN WUNSEL Lise | 0:55:02 | |
| 41 | DOBBELAERE Jana | 0:55:22 | |
| 42 | DEVIGNE Camille | ARDENNES CROSS TEAM | 0:55:29 |
| 43 | STRAPPAZZON Marine | TEAM PODIOCOM CC | 0:55:32 |
| 44 | BROUWERS Julie | 0:56:13 | |
| 45 | CUETO VEGA Sara | 0:56:56 | |
| 46 | BASTIAENSSEN Fauve | 0:56:57 | |
| 47 | KELLY Siobhan | 0:57:41 | |
| 48 | LE DANTEC Gwennig | 0:58:20 | |
| 49 | BARTHELS Maïté | -1 LAP | |
| 50 | COOGAN CISEK Corey | -1 LAP | |
| 51 | MAES Shana | TORMANS CYCLO CROSS TEAM | -1 LAP |
| 52 | ZWAENEPOEL Tessa | PROXIMUS-ALPHAMOTORHOMES | -1 LAP |
| 53 | GEOGHEGAN Michelle | -1 LAP | |
| 54 | DE BRUYNE Meg | -1 LAP | |
| 55 | ROMBOUTS Tine | -1 LAP | |
| 56 | PARAJON FUENTES Maria | -1 LAP |
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