X²O Badkamers Trophy 2024 – 3 – HERENTALS [FULL RACE]

December 16, 2023

X²O Badkamers Trophy 2024 WE 🇧🇪 – Trofee Herentals Herentals, Belgium

The X²O Badkamers Trofee is one of four major, season-long cyclocross series. With its first edition dating back to 1987 it’s the second-oldest of Europe’s series. The X²O Badkamers Trofee is unique in the world of cyclocross, as unlike other series that award points after every race, the X²O Badkamers Trofee is effectively a season-long stage race, with the overall winner being the fastest over all of the eight races across the season. That’s not always been the case though, prior to switching over to this new system in the 2012/13 season the series ran on points, just like the other series. If a rider misses or does not finish at a round, it’s still technically possible for them to win as ‘non-finishers’. Lapped riders and non-starters are given the winner’s time, plus 5 minutes. Miss too many rounds, however, and these 5 minute-long deficits soon add up and create an insurmountable gap. For that reason, this is a series that riders often compete in throughout the season, rather than picking and choosing individual rounds. Riders at the X²O Badkamers Trofee are encouraged to have a fast start, not only because it will give them an advantage in the race, but the ‘Quick Start’ classification means that the first rider across the start/finish line after the first lap gets a 15-second bonus for their final overall time, with 10 seconds and 5 seconds going to second and third across the line, respectively. These time bonuses could prove to be vital in the outcome of the overall standings, especially if this year’s series is closely contested.

Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) is back on the cyclocross bike and already back to dominant best as he easily won his first race of the 2023-24 season, the X2O Trofee round in Herentals.

The world champion hit the front of the field from the gun, pushing the pace from the start in a clear statement of intent. He’d soon be out in the lead on his own, too, leaving his rivals behind on the steep mid-lap climb to power away over the top and down the tricky descent.

He’d remain out front alone until the end of the race, extending his advantage lap after lap in a devastating display of strength. After one lap, he was 13 seconds up, after three the lead was 44 seconds, and with two laps of the eight remaining almost a minute separated Van der Poel and the rest.

By the time he crossed the line for the final time to secure an inevitable victory, Van der Poel had enjoyed the time to ease up and enjoy his win, shedding a chunk of time in the process.

28 seconds later, Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) finished solo in second place, a second ahead of Lars van der Haar (Baloise Trek Lions) after a multi-rider battle for second that made for far more interesting viewing compared to the world champion’s peerless display.

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