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After Saturday’s last-barrier spectator-free thriller in Rucphen, all eyes of the present fans in Namur were on Tom Pidcock and Eli Iserbyt to see if they could offer up a sequel.

Quinten Hermans rocketed off the start and brought out Toon Aerts, with Eli Iserbyt moving through the field. Iserbyt soon emerged at the front, with Pidock stuck in traffic.

Hermans and Iserbyt took turns at the front but both faded. 2021 Namur UCI Cyclocross World Cup, Elite Men. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

Hermans and Iserbyt took turns at the front but both faded. 2021 Namur UCI Cyclocross World Cup, Elite Men. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

Iserbyt stayed on his bike down an off-camber and slippery climb, while others ran, but he lost ground in the process. Could the slower strategy save some matches for later in the race or was he starting his typical December slump?

Heading into Lap Two, it was all Aerts. Hermans let the gap open with the two dirty-side remounting teammates Laurens Sweeck and Michael Vanthourenhout keeping their podium hopes alive. Saturday’s World Cup Rucphen winner, Tom Pidcock was lurking.

Toon Aerts had an early lead until a crash and then flat tire ruined his chances. 2021 Namur UCI Cyclocross World Cup, Elite Men. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

Toon Aerts had an early lead until a crash and then a flat tire ruined his chances. 2021 Namur UCI Cyclocross World Cup, Elite Men. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

Thirty-four minutes into the race, Aerts’ Namur fortunes once again took a turn for the worse. Aerts, looking to master the course where he fractured ribs two years ago, flatted, sending Pidcock and Vanthourenhout past.

Could the two new leaders take advantage of Aerts’ misfortune?

Picock kept his World Cup podium streak alive. 2021 Namur UCI Cyclocross World Cup, Elite Men. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

Pidcock kept his World Cup podium streak alive. 2021 Namur UCI Cyclocross World Cup, Elite Men. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

Aerts was far from the pits, and had to take on the cobbled climb and finish straight before getting a bike and fresh front tire.

Up front, with a chance to go two-for-two on the weekend, Pidcock powered up the climbs, and pushed down the iconic off-camber. But the British Champ pushed too hard and slid down, letting Vanthourenhout tripod by.

Pidcock wouldn’t see the front again after making a few more mistakes, and Vanthourenhout held the British star off with a clean final lap. The Belgian crossed the line, covering his face with his muddy hands in disbelief.

Vanthourenhout had the fewest mistakes and mechanicals to upset the favorites. 2021 Namur UCI Cyclocross World Cup, Elite Men. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

Vanthourenhout had the fewest mistakes and mechanicals to upset the favorites. 2021 Namur UCI Cyclocross World Cup, Elite Men. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

“In the beginning, I was very strong, I believed in myself,” Vanthourenhout said, emotional after his win. “I saw Pidcock was very strong on the uphills, but in the off-camber section, I was maybe the strongest in the race, and that gave me a boost to win it all.”

Pidcock, Vanthourenhout, Aerts. 2021 Namur UCI Cyclocross World Cup, Elite Men. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

Pidcock, Vanthourenhout, Aerts. 2021 Namur UCI Cyclocross World Cup, Elite Men. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

Full results below. Stay tuned for more coverage, photos, and U23 and Junior results.

2021 UCI Cyclocross World Cup Namur Results: Elite Men

PosNrName / UCI Cyclocross TeamNATTimeGap
1.11VANTHOURENHOUT Michael
PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL
BEL59:28-
2.41PIDCOCK Thomas
INEOS GRENADIERS
GBR1:00:04+0:36
3.9AERTS Toon
BALOISE TREK LIONS
BEL1:00:19+0:51
4.10HERMANS Quinten
TORMANS CYCLO CROSS TEAM
BEL1:01:06+1:38
5.8ISERBYT Eli
PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL
BEL1:01:29+2:01
6.14SOETE Daan
CX TEAM DESCHACHT-GROUP HENS-CONTAINERS MAES
BEL1:01:34+2:06
7.12SWEECK Laurens
PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL
BEL1:01:43+2:15
8.3VAN KESSEL Corne
TORMANS CYCLO CROSS TEAM
NED1:02:08+2:40
9.19DUBAU Joshua
MASSI
FRA1:02:12+2:44
10.28RUEGG Timon
CROSS TEAM LEGENDRE
SUI1:02:14+2:46
11.51MEISEN Marcel
ALPECIN - FENIX
GER1:02:31+3:03
12.2VAN DER HAAR Lars
BALOISE TREK LIONS
NED1:02:35+3:07
13.13BAESTAENS Vincent
CX TEAM DESCHACHT-GROUP HENS-CONTAINERS MAES
BEL1:02:46+3:18
14.17AERTS Thijs
BALOISE TREK LIONS
BEL1:02:50+3:22
15.42MEIN Thomas
TORMANS CYCLO CROSS TEAM
GBR1:02:59+3:31
16.38BOROS MichaelCZE1:03:16+3:48
17.27KUHN Kevin
TORMANS CYCLO CROSS TEAM
SUI1:03:24+3:56
18.58ORTS LLORET Felipe
BURGOS-BH
ESP1:03:27+3:59
19.43TURNER Ben
TRINITY RACING
GBR1:03:31+4:03
20.15VANDEBOSCH Toon
PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL
BEL1:03:51+4:23
21.16ADAMS JensBEL1:04:14+4:46
22.31BERTOLINI Gioele
SELLE ITALIA - GUERCIOTTI - ELITE
ITA1:04:41+5:13
23.46WHITE Curtis
CANNONDALE/CYCLOCROSSWORLD
USA1:04:46+5:18
24.29MOTTIEZ Gilles
CROSS TEAM LEGENDRE
SUI1:04:57+5:29
25.32DORIGONI Jakob
SELLE ITALIA - GUERCIOTTI - ELITE
ITA1:04:58+5:30
26.7GODRIE StanNED1:05:07+5:39
27.44HECHT Gage
AEVOLO
USA1:05:30+6:02
28.20GRAS Yan
TEAM PODIOCOM CC
FRA1:05:37+6:09
29.36SUAREZ FERNANDEZ Kevin
NESTA - MMR CX TEAM
ESP1:05:49+6:21
30.24CHAMERAT DUMONT AntonyFRA1:05:56+6:28
31.45WERNER KerryUSA1:05:59+6:31
32.52WEBER Sascha
TREK | VAUDE
GER-1 LAP
33.47HAIDET Lance
L39ION OF LOS ANGELES
USA-1 LAP
34.22PHILIBERT Aurelien
ARDENNES CROSS TEAM GECIBAT
FRA-1 LAP
35.5VAN DER MEER GosseNED-1 LAP
36.4VAN DER POEL David
ALPECIN - FENIX
NED-1 LAP
37.40PETRUS LubomirCZE-1 LAP
38.18SWEECK Diether
IKO - CRELAN
BEL-2 LAP
39.23DUBAU LucasFRA-2 LAP
40.33SAMPARISI Nicolas
KTM ALCHEMIST POWERED BY BRENTA BRAKES
ITA-2 LAP
41.25MARASCO Lorenzo
SEBMOTOBIKES CX TEAM
FRA-2 LAP
42.48SWARTZ CalebUSA-3 LAP
43.37ULIK Matej
EXPRES CZ - TUFO TEAM KOLÍN
SVK-3 LAP
44.34SAMPARISI Lorenzo
KTM ALCHEMIST POWERED BY BRENTA BRAKES
ITA-3 LAP
45.55VAN DEN HAM MichaelCAN-3 LAP
46.30LUETHI Eric
SF-RACING
SUI-3 LAP
47.26BOULANGER HugoFRA-3 LAP
48.49GINIAT AndrewUSA-4 LAP
49.50CLOUTIER TylerUSA-5 LAP
50.54MALNASI Jozsef-AttilaROU-5 LAP
51.56NYSTROM SPENCER Felipe TimoteoCRC-5 LAP
53MAYER YannickGERDNF