Michael Vanthourenhout comes out on top in Dublin after a thrilling final lap

Michael Vanthourenhout won the second round of the 2024-2025 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup in Dublin. The Belgian from the Pauwels Sauzen - Bingoal team was continually active throughout the race and was able to hold off Toon Aerts and Felipe Orts after a dramatic final lap.

Toon Aerts (Deschacht-Hens-FSP), starting from the front row in Dublin, made his ambitions clear right away. The Belgian was first into the field with last year’s winner Pim Ronhaar (Baloise Trek Lions) close behind. Michael Boros (Elkov-Kasper) took over the lead, but came a cropper at the hurdles. The Czech brought down several other riders with him when he fell, with Thibau Nys (Baloise Trek Lions) as the main casualty. Nys would eventually give up midway through the race. Leaving the crash aside, Laurens Sweeck (Crelan-Corendon) also got off to a poor start.

We had to wait until the end of the second lap before we saw the first attack. That came in the form of Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen - Bingoal). Ronhaar and Joran Wyseure (Crelan-Corendon) followed in the Belgian’s wake, but their adventure was short-lived. Meanwhile, Vanthourenhout was suffering a shoe malfunction. He was forced to head into the material post, causing him to lose several positions.

However, he had the luck that the race stayed compact for a long time, allowing him to quickly regain his spot at the front. The rider from Pauwels Sauzen - Bingoal clearly felt in his element. He stepped up the pace, cutting the leading group in half.

Eli Iserbyt, who had been biding his time throughout the race, decided to make his move halfway through the penultimate lap. He upped the tempo once more, but even he found it impossible to create the decisive gap. With six leaders, we entered the final lap: Iserbyt, Vanthourenhout, Ronhaar, Aerts, Orts (Ridley Racing Team) and Wyseure.

Iserbyt led for most of the lap, but a mistake on the uphill section ended his chances of victory. His teammate Michael Vanthourenhout capitalised on the moment and accelerated away successfully. Toon Aerts was unable to close the gap and had to be content with second place. Spaniard Felipe Orts took third spot on the podium.