Côte de la Meuse
Namen · Sunday 13 September 2026 · · week 2 of Summer 2026 · First division elite men
dry course · 7 laps · climbing and power — settled — this is what it will be, 19°, 2 mm in drie dagen · 3.020 spectators lined the course
The podium
| 1 goud | Lars Vanacker — | 55:38 — | 0 pts € 900 |
| 2 zilver | Lars Dierckx — | 55:53 +15.1s | 0 pts € 600 |
| 3 brons | Mathijs Cuypers — | 55:55 +16.9s | 0 pts € 450 |
The course
- the steps
- the long straight
- the sequence of corners
- the mud strip
- the hollow
- the wide section
- the steep side
The rest of the result
| Rider | Team | Time | Gap | Prize | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Vince Verstraete guest rider | — | 55:58 | +19.4s | € 320 | |
| 5 | Julien Girard guest rider | — | 56:08 | +29.7s | € 320 | |
| 6 | Robbe Vandevelde guest rider | — | 56:11 | +32.7s | € 320 | |
| 7 | Bavo Decock guest rider | — | 56:23 | +45.3s | € 220 | |
| 8 | Dries Verstraete | Stuwie CX | 56:24 | +45.8s | € 220 | 14 |
| 9 | Rien Maes guest rider | — | 56:24 | +45.9s | € 220 | |
| 10 | Arne Cuypers | Good Question | 56:26 | +48.3s | € 220 | 12 |
| 11 | Robbe Geens | Uk Team Lote ABC | 56:27 | +48.9s | € 150 | 11 |
| 12 | Warre Brouwers | BAT Performance | 56:30 | +52.3s | € 150 | 10 |
| 13 | Jens Goossens guest rider | — | 56:33 | +54.4s | € 150 | |
| 14 | Théo Fontaine | Dromara Mudslingers | 56:36 | +57.3s | € 150 | 8 |
| 15 | Tibo Peeters guest rider | — | 56:38 | +1:00 | € 150 | |
| 16 | Lode Beyens guest rider | — | 56:42 | +1:04 | € 150 | |
| 17 | Arne Maes | Rascals | 56:42 | +1:04 | € 150 | 5 |
| 18 | Mathijs Vanhoutte | Nukeproof Bombers Cycling Team | 56:56 | +1:18 | € 150 | 4 |
| 19 | Antoine Moreau | 07raul07 | 56:57 | +1:19 | € 150 | 3 |
| 20 | Vince Wauters | Team MCL | 57:03 | +1:25 | € 150 | 2 |
| 21 | Yann Rousseau guest rider | — | 57:12 | +1:34 | € 90 | |
| 22 | Jens Smets | De Treintrappers | 57:16 | +1:37 | € 90 | |
| 23 | Sander Vermeulen | — | 57:27 | +1:49 | € 90 | |
| 24 | Wannes Naessens | Hela Sauzen Pub Brawl | 57:29 | +1:50 | € 90 | |
| 25 | Quentin Lefevre | — | 57:32 | +1:54 | € 90 | |
| 26 | Wout Decock | Edwin1507 | 57:32 | +1:54 | € 90 | |
| 27 | Sander Vanwalleghem guest rider | — | 57:32 | +1:54 | € 90 | |
| 28 | Ruben Vanacker | Bikefitting Surplace | 57:41 | +2:02 | € 90 | |
| DNF | Niels Willems abandoned — no spare bike | The Muddy Spuds | — | — | ||
| DNF | Felipe Solana abandoned — no spare bike | Jusqu’au boue | — | — |
Race report
57:41 Ruben Vanacker brings up the rear at 2 minutes. 2 riders did not make it to the line.
57:32 Sander Vanwalleghem crosses the line 27th, at 1:54.
57:32 Wout Decock crosses the line 26th, at 1:54.
55:55 Mathijs Cuypers crosses the line 3rd, at 0:17.
55:53 Lars Dierckx crosses the line 2nd, at 0:15.
55:38 Lars Vanacker wins by 15 seconds.
55:10 Dry and fast, and that makes it a long hour.
54:00 Lars Dierckx is too quick for Mathijs Cuypers in the steps and lies 2nd now.
53:30 Hardly a bike change all day — there is nothing to wash off.
53:10 It is getting harder through the hollow with every lap that goes by.
52:50 They are nearly all taking the same side through the steps now; the other line is finished.
52:40 The line through the finishing straight has opened right up.
52:30 The front group is riding on sight, not on line; it all looks the same out there.
52:20 The ground in the sequence of corners has been ridden rock hard.
52:19 Théo Fontaine slides out in the hollow and loses 2 seconds.
51:40 Tyre pressure is half the race today, and nobody is saying so.
51:20 The lines are fixed on a course this dry; they are all riding the same rut.
50:40 The line through the mud strip is shifting; they are riding a metre off where they were a moment ago.
49:40 Bavo Decock takes the other line through the little climb at the back and comes out ahead of Dries Verstraete.
49:30 Lars Vanacker is out on their own at the front.
49:10 The pits are working flat out.
48:50 The gap to the first chaser is 9 seconds.
48:00 On a dry course there is little to win in the corners; it has to come from the legs.
47:40 It is dusting up in the start straight; anyone at the back is riding in a cloud.
47:10 Get the finishing straight wrong and you are standing still — and it is happening more and more.
46:20 The course is hard underneath; this is a day for anyone who can keep the power on.
46:10 The hurdles is drying out on the side the sun is on.
46:00 Wout Decock dives past Wannes Naessens in the steps.
45:50 There are holes in the line through the start straight that nobody is riding out any more.
45:30 Dust over the off-camber — there is no grip left in the corners.
45:00 A day for racing on the pedals; there is nothing to slide away.
44:50 Dry and dusty, and by the end you cannot tell who is who.
44:40 The mud strip is tearing itself apart; next lap it will be brutal in there.
44:30 Half the field is running the sequence of corners by now.
44:20 There is 7 seconds on the clock behind the leaders.
44:10 Dry and fast, and that makes it a long hour.
43:50 The line through the hollow has opened right up.
43:30 The sand in the start straight is loose and deep — that is where the hour will be decided.
43:10 The entrance to the hollow is littered with abandoned bikes.
42:50 In the off-camber Arne Maes gains a place on Vince Wauters.
42:30 Robbe Geens is too quick for Théo Fontaine in the mud strip and lies 13th now.
42:20 Dries Verstraete goes past Warre Brouwers in the slippery descent.
40:10 Lode Beyens takes Felipe Solana back in the steep side.
40:00 Hardly a bike change all day — there is nothing to wash off.
39:40 It is getting harder through the slippery descent with every lap that goes by.
39:20 With 2 up front, and Lars Vanacker on the front of it.
39:10 Julien Girard takes the other line through the steps and comes out ahead of Robbe Vandevelde.
38:50 The gap to the first chaser is 5 seconds.
38:10 The lines are fixed on a course this dry; they are all riding the same rut.
38:00 Ride the steep side instead of running it and you take half a second out of the rest every lap.
37:40 They are nearly all taking the same side through the off-camber now; the other line is finished.
36:40 The line through the hairpin is shifting; they are riding a metre off where they were a moment ago.
35:40 Felipe Solana punctures in the hollow and pulls out. No spare bike.
35:20 The little climb at the back is getting looser with every lap.
34:40 In the off-camber Bavo Decock gains a place on Théo Fontaine.
34:30 Hardly anybody is getting off today, and that makes it an hour with no rest in it.
34:20 Up front Lars Dierckx goes past Warre Brouwers — 2nd now.
34:00 The ground in the wide section has been ridden rock hard.
33:30 Tibo Peeters had been sitting on the wheel a while and goes past Rien Maes in the hairpin.
33:10 There are holes in the line through the off-camber that nobody is riding out any more.
32:50 It is dusting up in the little bridge; anyone at the back is riding in a cloud.
32:30 In the finishing straight Wout Decock gains a place on Niels Willems.
32:00 Lode Beyens is too quick for Niels Willems in the hurdles and lies 24th now.
31:30 Dry and dusty, and by the end you cannot tell who is who.
31:20 Yann Rousseau has to let Arne Maes go in the wide section.
31:00 The front group is riding on sight, not on line; it all looks the same out there.
30:40 The line through the finishing straight has opened right up.
30:30 Ruben Vanacker goes past Wannes Naessens in the hollow.
30:20 The entrance to the hollow is littered with abandoned bikes.
30:10 Hardly a bike change all day — there is nothing to wash off.
29:30 The steep side is costing a few seconds more every lap.
29:10 The lines are fixed on a course this dry; they are all riding the same rut.
28:50 Dust over the hollow — there is no grip left in the corners.
28:40 The sand in the off-camber is loose and deep — that is where the hour will be decided.
27:49 Niels Willems punctures in the hairpin and pulls out. No spare bike.
27:40 Get the slippery descent wrong and you are standing still — and it is happening more and more.
27:30 The course is hard underneath; this is a day for anyone who can keep the power on.
26:50 Lars Dierckx moves up to 3rd at Arne Cuypers's expense.
26:30 Lars Dierckx dives past Robbe Geens in the steep side.
26:20 They are nearly all taking the same side through the wide section now; the other line is finished.
26:10 The mud strip is drying out on the side the sun is on.
25:50 The pits are working flat out.
25:40 Robbe Vandevelde had been sitting on the wheel a while and goes past Dries Verstraete in the steep side.
25:20 Up front Warre Brouwers goes past Arne Cuypers — 2nd now.
25:10 The slippery descent is tearing itself apart; next lap it will be brutal in there.
24:10 Warre Brouwers is too quick for Dries Verstraete in the sequence of corners and lies 4th now.
24:00 There are holes in the line through the long straight that nobody is riding out any more.
23:40 The ground in the little climb at the back has been ridden rock hard.
22:00 Tyre pressure is half the race today, and nobody is saying so.
21:50 Lars Vanacker goes past Robbe Geens and takes the lead.
21:40 With 3 up front, and Robbe Geens on the front of it.
21:30 Hardly anybody is getting off today, and that makes it an hour with no rest in it.
20:50 The gap to the first chaser is 6 seconds.
20:40 The steps is costing a few seconds more every lap.
20:20 Mathijs Cuypers goes past Antoine Moreau in the finishing straight.
19:40 Lars Dierckx dives past Antoine Moreau in the steps.
19:37 Mathijs Cuypers slides out in the start straight and loses 6 seconds.
18:50 The front group is riding on sight, not on line; it all looks the same out there.
18:40 Felipe Solana takes the other line through the steep side and comes out ahead of Sander Vanwalleghem.
17:30 Warre Brouwers takes Antoine Moreau back in the hairpin.
17:20 On a dry course there is little to win in the corners; it has to come from the legs.
16:50 There is 10 seconds on the clock behind the leaders.
14:50 All five are hunting a different line through the little climb at the back; none of them is finding the good one.
14:30 In the finishing straight Lars Vanacker gains a place on Robbe Vandevelde.
14:00 Hardly a bike change all day — there is nothing to wash off.
13:30 Lars Dierckx is too quick for Sander Vanwalleghem in the sequence of corners and lies 14th now.
13:10 Dry and dusty, and by the end you cannot tell who is who.
12:40 Half the field is running the finishing straight by now.
12:00 There are 2 of them at the front.
11:00 Lars Vanacker had been sitting on the wheel a while and goes past Julien Girard in the finishing straight.
10:40 It is dusting up in the pit; anyone at the back is riding in a cloud.
10:20 The line through the sequence of corners has opened right up.
9:40 Robbe Geens goes past Arne Cuypers and takes the lead.
9:00 The steep side is tearing itself apart; next lap it will be brutal in there.
7:20 The lines are fixed on a course this dry; they are all riding the same rut.
6:30 The little climb at the back is getting looser with every lap.
6:20 The pits are working flat out.
6:00 There are holes in the line through the slippery descent that nobody is riding out any more.
5:40 With 4 up front, and Arne Cuypers on the front of it.
5:10 Dust over the mud strip — there is no grip left in the corners.
4:10 They are nearly all taking the same side through the steep side now; the other line is finished.
3:40 Ride the long straight instead of running it and you take half a second out of the rest every lap.
2:50 Hardly anybody is getting off today, and that makes it an hour with no rest in it.
2:40 A day for racing on the pedals; there is nothing to slide away.
2:20 The sand in the mud strip is loose and deep — that is where the hour will be decided.
1:10 The mud strip is costing a few seconds more every lap.
0:50 The front group is riding on sight, not on line; it all looks the same out there.
0:30 Dry and fast, and that makes it a long hour.
0:05 Arne Cuypers goes past Lars Vanacker and takes the lead.
0:00 Côte de la Meuse: dry course, 7 laps. Mostly climbing and power.