Emiel Verstrynge (Belgium) won the men's under-23 title at UEC Cyclo-cross European Championships in Namur, Belgium. The Belgian National Team swept the podium, with Thibau Nys securing the silver medal and Witse Meeussen the bronze.
By the end of the first lap, the Belgian talent continued to push out their gap, but a rear-wheel puncture from Nys forced him out of the lead group in a race-changing moment.
Two Dutch riders, Pim Ronhaar and Tibor del Grosso, chased their Belgian rivals Verstrynge and Meeussen, while Nys took a bike change in the pits and chased the front riders.
Ronhaar went solo, forcing the two Belgians, Verstrynge and Meeussen, to chase, while del Grosso fell off-pace with a front flat tire.
Nys reconnected with his teammates Verstrynge and Meeussen, and the three combined their efforts to try and close down the 25 seconds gap to leader Ronhaar.
The trio reached Ronhaar on the last lap, and the Dutchman struggled to match his Belgian rivals in the pursuit of victory.
In the end, it was Verstrynge who proved strongest in the final, taking the victory ahead of his teammates Nys and Meeussen. Italy's Davide Toneatti raced in for fourth, leaving Ronhaar to settle for fifth.
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