British rider Cameron Mason finished fifth in a thrilling edition of the UEC Cyclo-cross European Championships, just four seconds off top spot.
The 25-year-old at one point found himself in a chasing group some 20 seconds off the leaders, but fought back doggedly in the closing laps to bridge across and get himself in contention for a medal.
2016 European champion Toon Aerts reclaimed the title nine years later, outsprinting last year’s champion Thibau Nys in a nail-biting sprint finish. Joran Wyseure completed a clean sweep of the podium places for Belgium.
The Netherlands’ Pim Ronhaar livened up the race with near-constant attacks but mistakes cost him precious seconds in an incredibly tight race, and he eventually finished four seconds back in fourth, just ahead of Mason.
This year’s European Championships was contested on difficult sandy terrain in Middlekerke, Belgium, on the coast overlooking the North Sea.
The majority of the cyclo-cross calendar takes place on more muddy ground better suited to Mason, who was second at the European Championships in 2023.
But the Briton managed to keep pace with the sand specialists in the later laps before fading slightly on a breathless, all-out final lap, as a six-man group geared up for a sprint finish.
“This is such a special day, it was almost ten years ago my career started at the European Championships, and now so many years later I feel I have a second career again,” an emotional Aerts said afterwards.
“The race feels like it was over in a few seconds in my mind. I don’t know what happened but luck was on my side today, it was a while ago I had such luck. The last years were so difficult, to reach this today is incredible, I don’t know what to say.”
Aerts was given a two-year ban from racing after a positive test for the testosterone-boosting drug letrozole, with the ban in effect from February 2022 to February 2024. The two-time overall World Cup winner argued the substance had come into his system due to a contaminated dietary supplement and has always maintained his innocence.
Saturday’s women’s elite race was a clean sweep for the Netherlands, with sand specialist Inge van der Heijden riding home solo for the first elite women’s title of her career.
The 24-year-old came home 41 seconds clear of Lucinda Brand, with Aniek van Alphen finishing third 56 seconds behind the winner.
