The Exact Cross Essen delivered some mucho high tension and contrasting emotions on Saturday, with chaos deciding the men’s race and control defining the women’s.
In the men’s race, Niels Vandeputte seemed good to go for the dub until Laurens Sweeck launched a last-ditch dive in one of the final corners. The risky overtake sent Vandeputte to the ground, costing him the win. Despite the incident, he said, ‘hey, that’s bike racing’, basically.
“In the end, it’s hard against hard,” Vandeputte said to Sporza.
🏆 Toon Vandebosch 🇧🇪 gagne devant Van De Putte et Vandeputte sur le Cyclocross d’Essen !! 🇧🇪😍🫡 pic.twitter.com/FbrzJyC6uv
— Cyclisme Belge 🇧🇪🩷 (@LeCyclismebelge) October 18, 2025
“I should have closed that corner so he couldn’t make that move. I cut it, and Laurens came inside. I didn’t expect it. Maybe it wasn’t the prettiest move, but in a race like this, it’s just hard racing.”
Vandeputte remounted rapidly and still got third, aided by Sweeck’s puncture from the same action. But there was little satisfaction in that podium.
“I think I should get a prize for how fast I jumped back on the bike,” he said. “But it’s no consolation. The goal was to win today, and third isn’t enough.”
The chaos cleared the way for Toon Vandebosch to claim victory, capitalizing on the misfortune of both protagonists in the final lap.
In the women’s race, Lucinda Brand delivered a legit masterclass in positioning and timing, taking her second win in as many starts this season. The Baloise – Trek rider described the Essen race as both a race…but also training.
“It wasn’t an easy race,” Brand said. “With such a fast course, sitting in the wheel gives you a big advantage. It’s hard to really put pressure on each other.”
Knowing overtaking was nearly impossible after the final bend, Brand seized control before the woods and held the pace high.
“With my lack of explosiveness, especially against someone like Sarah Casasola, I can’t risk coming from second. This was the best choice.”
Brand admitted she used Essen as race training. Which is common for the superstars of ‘cross. Do some big training blocks leading up to the race, maybe do some volume after. It’s very early in the season so riders can play around with racecraft too.
“Riding races like this helps to be in the right place at the right moment. And if it goes wrong, it’s less painful than at a world…
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