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2026 Vlaamse Duinencross
(World Cup)
Koksijde, Belgium

68th edition: Sunday, October 25, 2026

Vlaamse Druivenveldrit Overijse Cross podium history | 2025 edition | Course map

This race is also known as the Vlaamse Druivenveldrit Overijse Cross.

Weather at the race city of Koksijde, Belgium, at 1:15 PM, local time: 14C (58F), partly cloudy, with the wind from the west at 48 km/hr (30 mph). There is just a 2% chance of rain.

Results: Men | Women

Men:

Winner Michael Vanthourenhout solos across the finish line.

Bill and Carol McGann's book The Story of the Tour de France, Vol 2: 1976 - 2018 is available in print, Kindle eBook & Audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

The race: Here's the organizer's race summary.

Michael Vanthourenhout was the fastest in the season opener of the Telenet Superprestige in Overijse. He crossed the finish line solo after a race that remained tightly contested for a long time. With two laps to go, he made the decisive move, ultimately securing the victory. Witse Meeussen and Niels Vandeputte joined him on the podium.

Following the official start of the Telenet Superprestige, Gerben Kuypers (Pauwels Sauzen – Altez Industriebouw) was the quickest to sprint into the field. Last year’s winner in Overijse, Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen – Altez Industriebouw), had a slower start and was in 10th place after the first lap.

It wasn't until the second lap that the first real separation occurred. Driven by Kuypers, a group of four—including Mason (Seven Racing), Kuhn (Heizmat – Cube), and Meeussen (Crelan - Corendon)—pulled ahead of the rest. Niels Vandeputte (Alpecin – Premier Tech) did not let this go unchallenged and closed the gap, bringing the rest of the pack along with him.

After his difficult start, Vanthourenhout moved to the front for the first time during the third lap. He attempted to accelerate several times but was unable to break away completely. Even at the halfway point, the field remained tightly packed. Mason, Meeussen, Vanthourenhout, Kuypers, and Kuhn tried to push the pace, thinning out the group during the fifth lap.

In the ensuing pursuit, Vandeputte and Mason managed to rejoin the leaders. A front group of seven riders thus entered the sixth lap together. With two laps to go, the race dynamic shifted. Following a crash by Wyseure and mechanical trouble for Kuypers, Vandeputte, Vanthourenhout, and Kuhn were able to capitalize. The trio pulled away together, but when Vanthourenhout pushed hard on an uphill section, no one could match his acceleration.

In the penultimate lap, Vanthourenhout’s lead continued to grow. He heard the bell for the final lap with a cushion of roughly half a minute. After nine laps, he proved to be clearly the strongest, crossing the finish line solo. Following an exciting battle for the remaining podium spots, Meeussen took second place, while Niels Vandeputte also secured a spot on the podium. This marked Vanthourenhout’s third victory in Overijse.

Complete results:

27.9 kilometers raced at an average speed of 25.61 km/hr

Where no team is listed, I have posted the rider's nationality.

Women:

Lucinda Brand wins her third Vlaamse Duinencross

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 organizer's race summary.

In the opening round of the Telenet Superprestige in Overijse, world champion Lucinda Brand won the first race of the season. She broke away from the pack halfway through the race and went on to claim a solo victory. Van Alphen finished second, and Van der Heijden took third.

European champion Inge van der Heijden (Crelan - Corendon) was the fastest into the course, immediately opening up a gap alongside Brand (Baloise Verzekeringen - Het Poetsbureau Lions), Betsema (De Ceuster Bouwkranen), and Fouquenet (Pauwels Sauzen - Altez Industriebouw). The leading quartet entered the second lap with a lead of a few seconds.

During that second lap, Aniek van Alphen (777TV CX Team) and Zemanova (Crelan - Corendon) managed to join the front group. Dutch champion Alvarado (Felix - Premier Tech) had a difficult start and was quickly forced into a chase; she was never able to bridge the gap to the leaders.

Halfway through the race, world champion Lucinda Brand took the initiative. With Van Alphen and Van der Heijden in her wake, she pulled away from the rest. Shortly thereafter, Brand pushed the pace again; no one could keep up, and she entered the fourth lap solo, holding a lead of several seconds.

With one lap to go, Brand continued to extend her lead. The Dutch duo of Van Alphen and Van der Heijden followed about 20 seconds behind, left to battle it out for second and third place. Brand faced no further challenges and rode a flawless race to victory. In the end, Aniek van Alphen won the duel for second place, while Van der Heijden finished third. For Brand, this marks her third career victory in Overijse.
Complete results:

Where no team is listed, I have posted the rider's nationality.

Course map:

2026 Vlaamse Druivenveldrit Cross map