Nachtcross

38:52 Unai Iglesias brings up the rear at 87 seconds. Everybody finished.

38:46 Gonzalo Solana crosses the line 29th, at 1:22.

38:21 Vince Verhoeven crosses the line 28th, at 0:57.

37:26 Kasper Vermote crosses the line 3rd, at 0:02.

37:25 Jakub Kučera crosses the line 2nd, at 0:01.

37:24 Sergi Solana wins the sprint.

36:40 Théo Chevalier goes past Matěj Dvořák in the little bridge.

36:30 Every lap is slower than the last, and today that is no disgrace.

35:20 Sergi Solana goes past Jakub Kučera and takes the lead.

35:00 Come off the line in the steep side and you are ankle deep in it.

34:30 The rain of the last few days is still sitting in the slippery descent.

34:10 Kasper Vermote takes Quentin Rousseau back in the start straight.

34:00 Sander Cuypers had been sitting on the wheel a while and goes past Vince Vermote in the hairpin.

33:40 Aaron Depoorter takes the other line through the wide section and comes out ahead of Matěj Dvořák.

33:00 There is a line through the deep furrow that gets narrower lap after lap.

32:55 Jakub Kučera goes past Vince Rombouts and takes the lead.

32:40 They are still riding as one big group, and nobody is pulling.

32:10 In the steep side Jakub Kučera gains a place on Théo Girard.

32:00 The leader's jersey stopped being recognisable a long time ago.

31:50 On a day like this it is not the strongest who wins, it is whoever runs least.

31:20 They are riding on a third of their tyres; the rest is packed with earth.

31:10 There are holes in the line through the hurdles that nobody is riding out any more.

31:00 Bikes are changing every lap — the sequence of corners eats equipment.

30:50 Vince Rombouts goes past Quentin Rousseau and takes the lead.

30:35 Quentin Rousseau goes past Théo Girard and takes the lead.

30:30 The gap to the first chaser is 4 seconds.

29:30 Quentin Rousseau moves up to 2nd at Vince Rombouts's expense.

29:10 The mechanics are standing ready with the pressure washer; a clean bike every lap.

28:20 Up front Matěj Dvořák goes past Vince De Clercq — 3rd now.

28:10 Quentin Rousseau is too quick for Kasper Vermote in the hairpin and lies 5th now.

27:20 The line through the hairpin has closed up completely; it is going to be a run.

26:40 Get the hairpin wrong and you are standing still — and it is happening more and more.

26:10 Sander Cuypers slides out in the long straight and loses 2 seconds.

26:00 The off-camber is getting deeper with every lap.

25:30 Matěj Dvořák dives past Jorne Steyaert in the off-camber.

24:00 Come off the line in the mud strip and you are ankle deep in it.

23:00 The field is one mud bath; everybody is riding on feel.

22:30 The derailleurs are packed with mud; shifting has become a gamble.

22:20 Sergi Solana takes the other line through the little bridge and comes out ahead of Clément Barbier.

22:00 Jorne Steyaert goes past Vince Rombouts in the wide section.

21:20 The water is standing in the hairpin; dive in too fast and you are down.

21:00 Jorne Steyaert had been sitting on the wheel a while and goes past Clément Barbier in the long straight.

20:00 They are nearly all taking the same side through the little bridge now; the other line is finished.

19:50 Kasper Vermote takes the other line through the long straight and comes out ahead of Clément Barbier.

19:30 The little bridge is tearing itself apart; next lap it will be brutal in there.

19:10 Emiel Callens takes Unai Ortega back in the wet meadow.

19:00 On a day like this it is not the strongest who wins, it is whoever runs least.

18:20 In the wide section Vince Rombouts gains a place on Matěj Dvořák.

18:19 Kasper Vermote slides out in the hairpin and loses 3 seconds.

18:10 Bavo Coppens has to let Vic Claes go in the deep furrow.

17:30 The rain of the last few days is still sitting in the long straight.

17:10 Bikes are changing every lap — the sequence of corners eats equipment.

16:50 It is getting harder through the off-camber with every lap that goes by.

15:00 Unai Ortega is too quick for Bavo Coppens in the sequence of corners and lies 6th now.

14:50 Théo Girard goes past Vince De Clercq and takes the lead.

14:40 The entrance to the deep furrow is littered with abandoned bikes.

14:10 Vince De Clercq takes the other line through the wide section and comes out ahead of Radek Svoboda.

14:05 Vince De Clercq goes past Radek Svoboda and takes the lead.

14:00 Matěj Dvořák dives past Vic Claes in the little bridge.

13:10 Emiel Decock goes past Bavo Coppens in the hairpin.

12:20 The mud strip is drying out on the side the sun is on.

10:55 Radek Svoboda goes past Michal Dvořák and takes the lead.

10:50 Bavo Coppens takes Jarne Willems back in the hollow.

10:20 The leader's jersey stopped being recognisable a long time ago.

9:50 The gap to the first chaser is 5 seconds.

9:30 In the wet meadow Sergi Solana gains a place on Jakub Kučera.

8:40 The line through the hairpin has opened right up.

8:30 Théo Chevalier had been sitting on the wheel a while and goes past Jakub Kučera in the little bridge.

8:00 Get the little bridge wrong and you are standing still — and it is happening more and more.

6:30 The brakes are dragging with mud; everyone is stopping too early in the finishing straight.

6:20 The field is one mud bath; everybody is riding on feel.

6:00 The off-camber is costing a few seconds more every lap.

4:50 The pits are working flat out.

4:40 There is a line through the sequence of corners that gets narrower lap after lap.

4:10 The mechanics are standing ready with the pressure washer; a clean bike every lap.

3:20 There is not a dry thread left on anybody.

2:50 Bikes are changing every lap — the deep furrow eats equipment.

2:40 A front group of 4, and they are watching each other.

2:10 Come off the line in the long straight and you are ankle deep in it.

1:00 The rain of the last few days is still sitting in the little bridge.

0:05 Michal Dvořák goes past Sergi Solana and takes the lead.

0:00 Nachtcross: wet course, 5 laps. Mostly technique and mud.