In round one, ‘Turbo’ Tibor Del Grosso already shows who’s boss: A great display of power on his way to a second world title

What a performance. Tibor Del Grosso has successfully defended his cyclo-cross world title with dominance. In Liévin, the 21-year-old Dutch rider from Alpecin-Deceuninck took off as early as the first lap, leaving his competitors in the dust. Behind the commanding super talent, Kay De Bruyckere secured second place after defeating his compatriot Jente Michels in an intense battle.

Before the race, all eyes were on one man: Tibor Del Grosso. As the defending world champion and Dutch elite champion, the big question was whether the 21-year-old Alpecin-Deceuninck rider would compete in the elite category. But he chose to defend his title in the U23 race, making him the clear favorite. His main competition was expected to come from the Belgian camp, with Jente Michels and Aaron Docx considered his toughest challengers on paper.

At the start, Danny van Lierop boldly took the lead with a blistering start. Known as ‘headstart-Danny,’ he led the pack ahead of his compatriot. However, Del Grosso quickly took control, setting a relentless pace from the outset. The gap opened up almost instantly—within no time, he had a ten-second lead. After just one lap, the damage was already immense: in just seven minutes, second-placed Léo Bisiaux was trailing by 21 seconds.

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Del Grosso supreme, but the battle for the medals was intense

The Frenchman was joined by Michels, but the fight for the podium remained wide open: behind the untouchable race leader, the competition was still tight. Senna Remijn was also in contention for the podium spots but later dropped back. The same happened to the young Bisiaux, who paid the price for his early efforts. Michels increased the pace and dropped his rivals, while Stefano Viezzi, last year’s Italian junior world champion, attempted to close the gap alongside Kay De Bruyckere. However, the Belgian had, of course, no intention of helping.

Viezzi gave everything to secure the best possible result, but in doing so, he played into the hands of the Belgians. In the penultimate lap, De Bruyckere attacked and, despite an awkward crash on the stairs, managed to ride away from his rival. He then pushed forward to catch up with his compatriot, setting up a thrilling battle for the silver medal. The gold was never in doubt—Del Grosso sealed his victory in style, pulling off a stunt over the bridge in the final lap. With an impressive display of dominance, he claimed his second world title. Behind him, De Bruyckere won the fight for silver.

Results World cyclocross championships men's promises 2025

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