Thibau Nys made a spectacular return to cyclocross racing on Sunday, overcoming two crashes to win the Koppenbergcross in Oudenaarde, while British riders Cameron Mason and Thomas Mein both secured top-ten finishes.
The Belgian champion was making his first cyclocross appearance of the season and immediately showed his intentions on the demanding Koppenberg circuit. However, his race was thrown into chaos when Victor Van de Putte crashed in front of him, bringing Nys down and allowing Michael Vanthourenhout to establish a significant advantage.
Nys launched an impressive recovery, rapidly working his way back towards the front. Just as he appeared ready to challenge Vanthourenhout, a second crash forced another chase and a visit to the pits.
Undeterred, Nys continued to close the gap, finally catching Vanthourenhout before powering clear on the final ascent of the Koppenberg to take victory by just seven seconds. Gerben Kuypers completed the podium, 42 seconds behind the winner.
There was another encouraging performance from British champion Cameron Mason, who finished fifth, 1 minute 1 second behind Nys. Riding for the 777TV CX Team, Mason once again demonstrated his ability to compete among Europe’s leading cyclocross riders, although he was unable to repeat his runner-up finish at Oudenaarde last year.
Fellow Briton Thomas Mein also impressed, bringing his Hope Factory Racing bike home in ninth place, 1 minute 52 seconds down, giving Britain two riders inside the top ten.
Pete Matthews, representing Team HUP, was the third British rider in the elite men’s race, finishing 25th, four laps down.
For Nys, it was a remarkable way to begin his winter campaign, securing a third Koppenbergcross victory and immediately announcing himself as a serious challenger to Vanthourenhout’s early-season dominance.
