Diegem is a classic, a night race that’s almost as celebratory as New Year’s Eve for cyclocross fans in Belgium. (The race’s later start also allows American fans to watch a Belgian cyclocross at a more reasonable hour.) 

And what a show we saw.

Sanne Cant Is Officially Back—Despite A Burned-Out Bus

Cant did not have the best news on Friday: her team's bus (though she has her own trailer as well) caught on fire at the Brico Cross race in Bredene. While the cause is still unknown, the team had to scramble to find a new home for the younger racers who primarily use the bus, especially with the chilly temperatures that Belgium is currently experiencing.

Le bus de la formation @IKO_Beobank victime d'un incendie, ce vendredi, à #Bredene.

?? https://t.co/jWAMLEUtqD pic.twitter.com/aypksrfKed

— La GazetteDes Sports (@GazetteDesSport) December 29, 2017

Luckily, they found a loaner, and the logistical crisis was averted. That left Cant with no worries other than crushing the competition under the lights at Diegem. Her sand technique was flawless, and with two laps to go she dropped her competition and soloed to victory.

Vos Is Becoming Reacquainted With The Head Of The Race

Early on in the race, Vos was dueling at the front, chasing Maud Kaptheijns, who won in the sand at Koksijde earlier this year. But a sandy crash for Vos took her out of the lead group — sad for the multi-time world champ, but a good sign that she’s got the engine to race at the front again.

Pauline Ferrand-Prevot is settling into good form, and eventually came around Kaptheijns for second place, only 21 seconds back on Cant.

Under-23 superstar Laura Verdonscht surprised the field by coming in fourth — a great result for the young racer.

Van Der Poel Makes It Seven

At the start of the race at Diegem, an early crash looked like it might take Mathieu Van der Poel out of contention: he had an over-the-bars moment on a rough and rutted off-camber.

Van Aert capitalized on Van der Poel’s mistake and built a substantial lead in the opening laps. But Van der Poel picked his way back through field, avoiding subsequent crashes from other racers, caught Van Aert, and then dropped him, crossing the line by nearly a minute ahead.

Van der Poel has now won Diegem seven times straight, from junior to under-23 and now, in the elite men’s field.

What does this mean? It means that Van der Poel doesn’t just ride from the front: after his crash, he didn’t come into the lead until two laps to go, yet still finished with a sizable gap.

What About Wout?

Van Aert did win on Friday at Bredene, and while he had to settle for second under the lights today at Diegem, he’s clearly in good form to potentially peak at nationals and again at worlds — if he plays his cards right.

Laurens Sweeck also had a great race into third, and we’ll likely see him on a few more podiums as the season winds down.

The same is true for a few racers in the women’s field: seeing Ferrand-Prevot and Vos at the front of the field must be making Cant a bit nervous, since those two are among the very few women to keep her from a world championship title in the past.

By Molly Hurford; Photos by Balint Hamvas – Cyclephotos