Nachtcross
Diegem · Sunday 20 September 2026 · · week 3 of Summer 2026 · First division under-23 women
wet course · 6 laps · technique and mud — settled — this is what it will be, 20°, 11 mm in drie dagen · 1.860 spectators lined the course
The podium
| 1 goud | Femke Vanhee — | 44:09 — | 0 pts € 900 |
| 2 zilver | Ilse Cools — | 44:21 +11.8s | 0 pts € 600 |
| 3 brons | Janne Michiels — | 44:38 +28.7s | 0 pts € 450 |
The course
- the sequence of corners
- the long straight
- the mud strip
- the steps
- the little bridge
- the wide section
- the off-camber
The rest of the result
| Rider | Team | Time | Gap | Prize | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Fauve Verbeke | Edwin1507 | 44:42 Spare bike: punctured and changed bikes. | +33.1s | € 320 | 18 |
| 5 | Fien Wauters guest rider | — | 44:52 | +42.8s | € 320 | |
| 6 | Eline Decock | Nukeproof Bombers Cycling Team | 44:53 | +43.5s | € 320 | 16 |
| 7 | Tine Vanhoutte guest rider | — | 44:57 | +47.5s | € 220 | |
| 8 | Kaat Segers guest rider | — | 44:57 | +48.2s | € 220 | |
| 9 | Noémie Marchand | — | 45:03 | +53.7s | € 220 | 13 |
| 10 | Janne Segers | Team Tim | 45:03 | +53.8s | € 220 | 12 |
| 11 | Markéta Benešová | 07raul07 | 45:06 | +56.9s | € 150 | 11 |
| 12 | Coralie Chevalier | The Muddy Spuds | 45:11 | +1:01 | € 150 | 10 |
| 13 | Camille Rousseau guest rider | — | 45:13 | +1:04 | € 150 | |
| 14 | Lore Vermeulen | — | 45:14 | +1:04 | € 150 | 8 |
| 15 | Nerea Ferrer | Bikefitting Surplace | 45:16 | +1:06 | € 150 | 7 |
| 16 | Elke Roelants | Good Question | 45:17 | +1:08 | € 150 | 6 |
| 17 | Maaike Vanhee guest rider | — | 45:22 | +1:13 | € 150 | |
| 18 | Wies Vermote | Rasio Racing | 45:23 | +1:14 | € 150 | 4 |
| 19 | Britt Verbeke | Hela Sauzen Pub Brawl | 45:24 | +1:15 | € 150 | 3 |
| 20 | Océane Lefevre | Stuwie CX | 45:25 | +1:16 | € 150 | 2 |
| 21 | Femke Dierckx | Uk Team Lote ABC | 45:25 | +1:16 | € 90 | |
| 22 | Febe Herteleer guest rider | — | 45:28 | +1:19 | € 90 | |
| 23 | Océane Barbier | BAT Performance | 45:29 | +1:20 | € 90 | |
| 24 | Lena Lambrecht | Rascals | 45:30 | +1:21 | € 90 | |
| 25 | Emma Demeyer guest rider | — | 45:37 | +1:27 | € 90 | |
| 26 | Elke Segers | Jusqu’au boue | 45:39 | +1:30 | € 90 | |
| 27 | Griet Michiels guest rider | — | 45:45 | +1:36 | € 90 | |
| 28 | Jolien Dierckx | Team MCL | 45:51 | +1:41 | € 90 | |
| 29 | Britt Vercammen guest rider | — | 45:58 | +1:49 | € 90 | |
| DNF | Julie Vandenberghe guest rider abandoned — bad luck | — | — | — |
Race report
45:58 Britt Vercammen brings up the rear at 2 minutes. One rider did not make it to the line.
45:51 Jolien Dierckx crosses the line 28th, at 1:41.
45:45 Griet Michiels crosses the line 27th, at 1:36.
44:38 Janne Michiels crosses the line 3rd, at 0:29.
44:21 Ilse Cools crosses the line 2nd, at 0:12.
44:09 Femke Vanhee wins by 12 seconds.
43:50 The wet meadow is costing a few seconds more every lap.
43:40 In the hairpin Femke Dierckx gains a place on Febe Herteleer.
43:00 The line through the hairpin has closed up completely; it is going to be a run.
42:10 On a day like this it is not the strongest who wins, it is whoever runs least.
42:00 Femke Vanhee moves up to 1st at Julie Vandenberghe's expense.
42:00 Femke Vanhee goes past Julie Vandenberghe and takes the lead.
41:10 Jolien Dierckx dives past Britt Vercammen in the hairpin.
40:40 Kaat Segers goes past Noémie Marchand in the long straight.
40:30 Coralie Chevalier takes the other line through the wet meadow and comes out ahead of Lore Vermeulen.
40:15 Julie Vandenberghe punctures in the little bridge and pulls out. Nobody in the pit.
40:10 The pits are working flat out.
40:00 Elke Segers had been sitting on the wheel a while and goes past Griet Michiels in the sequence of corners.
39:10 They are riding on a third of their tyres; the rest is packed with earth.
38:10 There is 7 seconds on the clock behind the leaders.
38:00 The line through the finishing straight is shifting; they are riding a metre off where they were a moment ago.
35:50 Febe Herteleer dives past Emma Demeyer in the off-camber.
35:10 Océane Barbier takes Emma Demeyer back in the sequence of corners.
34:50 There is a line through the slippery descent that gets narrower lap after lap.
33:40 There is not a dry thread left on anybody.
33:30 Ilse Cools has to let Janne Michiels go in the finishing straight.
32:50 In the long straight Britt Verbeke gains a place on Febe Herteleer.
32:40 The water is standing in the steep side; dive in too fast and you are down.
32:30 The line through the little climb at the back has opened right up.
32:20 Femke Dierckx is too quick for Griet Michiels in the sequence of corners and lies 26th now.
31:40 Julie Vandenberghe is out on their own at the front.
31:20 Lore Vermeulen had been sitting on the wheel a while and goes past Lena Lambrecht in the little bridge.
30:50 Get the pit wrong and you are standing still — and it is happening more and more.
30:20 On a day like this it is not the strongest who wins, it is whoever runs least.
29:50 The line through the finishing straight has closed up completely; it is going to be a run.
29:30 Fien Wauters goes past Tine Vanhoutte in the hairpin.
29:20 The entrance to the sequence of corners is littered with abandoned bikes.
28:10 Ilse Cools takes the other line through the hairpin and comes out ahead of Janne Michiels.
27:40 The rain of the last few days is still sitting in the hollow.
27:20 The gap to the first chaser is 12 seconds.
27:10 The brakes are dragging with mud; everyone is stopping too early in the steep side.
27:00 The pits are working flat out.
26:40 The sequence of corners is drying out on the side the sun is on.
25:55 Julie Vandenberghe goes past Femke Vanhee and takes the lead.
25:20 The field is one mud bath; everybody is riding on feel.
24:50 Half the field is running the off-camber by now.
23:00 Fien Wauters dives past Océane Lefevre in the sequence of corners.
22:50 Wies Vermote takes Emma Demeyer back in the start straight.
22:40 Tine Vanhoutte takes Emma Demeyer back in the hairpin.
22:00 There is not a dry thread left on anybody.
21:20 The deep furrow is getting deeper with every lap.
20:40 It is getting harder through the hairpin with every lap that goes by.
20:00 The derailleurs are packed with mud; shifting has become a gamble.
19:20 Elke Roelants had been sitting on the wheel a while and goes past Griet Michiels in the wide section.
19:10 Fien Wauters is too quick for Lena Lambrecht in the steps and lies 15th now.
19:00 The hairpin is costing a few seconds more every lap.
18:19 Griet Michiels slides out in the hairpin and loses 6 seconds.
18:10 Come off the line in the wide section and you are ankle deep in it.
17:40 There are 2 of them at the front.
17:30 Every lap is slower than the last, and today that is no disgrace.
16:50 All five are hunting a different line through the long straight; none of them is finding the good one.
16:30 The line through the wide section has closed up completely; it is going to be a run.
16:20 Noémie Marchand has to let Tine Vanhoutte go in the little bridge.
16:05 Femke Vanhee goes past Julie Vandenberghe and takes the lead.
16:00 Océane Lefevre goes past Femke Dierckx in the off-camber.
15:50 There is 9 seconds on the clock behind the leaders.
15:10 With 5 up front, and Julie Vandenberghe on the front of it.
14:10 In the little bridge Markéta Benešová gains a place on Nerea Ferrer.
13:45 Julie Vandenberghe goes past Femke Vanhee and takes the lead.
11:50 Eline Decock takes the other line through the sequence of corners and comes out ahead of Janne Segers.
11:30 The line through the off-camber is shifting; they are riding a metre off where they were a moment ago.
10:10 The entrance to the wide section is littered with abandoned bikes.
9:20 They are riding on a third of their tyres; the rest is packed with earth.
8:00 Noémie Marchand had been sitting on the wheel a while and goes past Janne Segers in the sequence of corners.
7:50 Fauve Verbeke takes Maaike Vanhee back in the hollow.
7:30 Femke Vanhee goes past Ilse Cools and takes the lead.
7:20 The hairpin is getting deeper with every lap.
6:40 The mechanics are standing ready with the pressure washer; a clean bike every lap.
6:20 Get the long straight wrong and you are standing still — and it is happening more and more.
5:20 The derailleurs are packed with mud; shifting has become a gamble.
4:20 The hairpin is drying out on the side the sun is on.
4:10 On a day like this it is not the strongest who wins, it is whoever runs least.
3:40 Griet Michiels slides out in the little climb at the back and loses 7 seconds.
3:40 They are nearly all taking the same side through the start straight now; the other line is finished.
3:39 Fauve Verbeke punctures in the off-camber, changes bike and loses 4 seconds.
3:10 Nothing has split at the front yet; Ilse Cools is leading it.
2:10 Bikes are changing every lap — the sequence of corners eats equipment.
1:50 The line through the hollow has opened right up.
0:20 The pits are working flat out.
0:10 There is a line through the deep furrow that gets narrower lap after lap.
0:05 Ilse Cools goes past Femke Vanhee and takes the lead.
0:00 Nachtcross: wet course, 6 laps. Mostly technique and mud.