As per tradition, many strong (inter)national junior teams were present in Nokere. The question was whether we would have an international winner again, just like last year.
Multiple crashes led to a nervous start of the race, during which the peloton largely stayed together. Real breakaways seemed unlikely due to the strong wind. Nevertheless, the challenging course created a selection, causing the strongest juniors to quickly appear at the front of the peloton.
With one and a half kilometers to go, British rider Sebastian Grindley managed to build a small lead thanks to several flawless corners. Belgians Xander Scheldeman and Cedric Keppens made attempts to bridge the gap with a strong sprint but ultimately had to settle for second and third place respectively.
The British rider declined a selection for the World Cyclocross Championships this year to focus on the road season. Successfully, as it turned out, since he immediately won his first race!


