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European Cyclocross Championships podium history | 2022 edition | 2024 edition

Elite men | Elite women

Weather at the race city of Pontchâteau at 3:55 PM, local time: 56F, light rain, with the wind from the west at 20 mph. The rain is forecast to continue through the afternoon.

Elite Men:

A muddy Michael Vanthourenhout wins the Euro Cross Championships for the second year in a row.

Bill & Carol McGann's book The Story of the Tour de France, 2020: The Tour During Covid-19, Better Late Than Never is available in both Kindle eBook and Audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

The race: Here is a machine-translation of the race report from winner Michael Vanthourenhout's Team Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal:

An extra year in the European star jersey! Michael Vanthourenhout extended his European title with an impressive solo in Pontchâteau, France on Sunday. Eli Iserbyt, the perfect teammate, celebrated after the finish.

Because illness in the period surrounding the trip to the US had thrown a spanner in his performance, Michael Vanthourenhout was able to go to Pontchâteau as the underdog. Although in the end there was little noticeable difference because after ten minutes of racing the outgoing champion was alone in the lead. Compatriot and teammate Eli Iserbyt had conveniently left a gap and was exemplary in the subsequent laps, until he himself was set back by a flat tire. Michael, in turn, had such strong legs and such flawless technique that despite the difficult conditions he managed to defend his lead of around twenty seconds to the finish. A strong Ryan Kamp finished fifth from the background, Eli sixth.

Complete results:

30 riders entered representing 10 nations

22.52 kilometers raced at an average speed of 21.714 km/hr

Elite Women:

Fem van Empel wins the Euro cross championships for the second year in a row.

Bill and Carol McGann's book The Story of the Tour de France, 2019: A Year of New Faces is available in both Kindle eBook and audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

The race: Here's the report from winner Fem van Empel's Jumbo-Visma team:

Fem van Empel has won the European cyclo-cross title for the second year in a row. In Pontchâteau, France, the 21-year-old Dutch rider of Team Jumbo-Visma was once again in a class of her own. Ceylin Alvarado and Sara Casasola took silver and bronze respectively.

After a tricky start, Van Empel took the lead at the end of the first lap. In the laps that followed, the defending champion extended her lead over the chasing pack. By the halfway point, Van Empel had built up a one-minute advantage and rode comfortably to her second consecutive European title.

"I made too many mistakes on the first lap", Van Empel said. "That made it difficult to get into the right rhythm. The plan before the start was to attack on the sloping section at the end of the lap. That worked and I was able to ride at my own pace. I am happy to keep this jersey for another year."

After a busy and successful start to the season for Van Empel, who has won all seven cyclo-cross races she has competed in, it is time for a well-deserved break. "I need some rest", Van Empel admitted. "Mentally it is a challenge to start every race as the favourite. I'm in great shape, but it's not easy to keep myself motivated. That's why I decided to take two weeks off. This will allow me to recharge my batteries for the rest of the season."

Complete results:

16.92 kilometers raced at an average speed of 19.248 km/hr

21 riders entered representing 7 nations.