Ambiancecross

Ambiancecross

Race details
Date	January
Region	Dendermonde,   Belgium
Discipline	Cyclo-cross
Competition	UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup
Type	one-day
History (men)
First edition	2018 (2018)
Editions	6 (as of 2025)
First winner	Mathieu van der Poel  (NED)
Most wins	Wout van Aert  (BEL) (3 wins)
Most recent	Wout van Aert  (BEL)
History (women)
First edition	2018 (2018)
Editions	6 (as of 2025)
First winner	Denise Betsema  (NED)
Most wins	Lucinda Brand  (NED) (3 wins)
Most recent	Lucinda Brand  (NED)

The Ambiancecross race, sometimes called Ambiancecross Dendermonde is a cyclo-cross race held in Dendermonde, Belgium. The race has been held since 2018 and since 2020 it is part of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup. The race is held on a usually muddy course just outside the village of Grembergen in the municipality of Dendermonde.

History

The Ambiancecross was first held in 2018 in Wachtebeke which had previously been the location of the Belgian National Cyclo-cross Championships in 2005. ^[1] The race was organised by Jurgen Mettepenningen who was also the team manager of the UCI continental cycling team Pauwels Sauzen–Bingoal. In 2020 the race moved from Wachtebeke some 30 kilometers further to Dendermonde and became part of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup. However the first edition, in December 2020, had to be held without spectators due to COVID-19 pandemic; moreover, the 2020 race was also affected by the Storm Bella. The 2021 world cup race was held once more without spectators due to COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022 there was no race but in 2023 it was back as part of the world cup. ^[2]

Past winners

Elite Men

Season	Series	Winner	Second	Third
2024–2025	World Cup	Wout van Aert  (BEL)	Emiel Verstrynge  (BEL)	Joran Wyseure  (BEL)
2023–2024	World Cup	Pim Ronhaar  (NED)	Lars van der Haar  (NED)	Laurens Sweeck  (BEL)
2021–2022	World Cup	Wout van Aert  (BEL)	Mathieu van der Poel  (NED)	Toon Aerts  (BEL)
2020–2021	World Cup	Wout van Aert  (BEL)	Mathieu van der Poel  (NED)	Toon Aerts  (BEL)
2019–2020	stand-alone race	Mathieu van der Poel  (NED)	Tim Merlier  (BEL)	Quinten Hermans  (BEL)
2018–2019	stand-alone race	Mathieu van der Poel  (NED)	Michael Vanthourenhout  (BEL)	Wout van Aert  (BEL)

Elite Women

Season	Series	Winner	Second	Third
2024–2025	World Cup	Lucinda Brand  (NED)	Puck Pieterse  (NED)	Fem van Empel  (NED)
2023–2024	World Cup	Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado  (NED)	Lucinda Brand  (NED)	Zoe Bäckstedt  (GBR)
2021–2022	World Cup	Lucinda Brand  (NED)	Clara Honsinger  (USA)	Denise Betsema  (NED)
2020–2021	World Cup	Lucinda Brand  (NED)	Clara Honsinger  (USA)	Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado  (NED)
2019–2020	stand-alone race	Yara Kastelijn  (NED)	Sanne Cant  (BEL)	Laura Verdonschot  (BEL)
2018–2019	stand-alone race	Denise Betsema  (NED)	Alice Maria Arzuffi  (ITA)	Annemarie Worst  (NED)

External links

• Old official website for the race in Wachtebeke
• 2025 World Cup Website

References

1. "Was er ooit een betere naam voor een veldrit? Van Aert en Van der Poel starten in eerste "Ambiancecross"" [Has there ever been a better name for a cyclo-cross race? Van Aert and Van der Poel to start in the first "Ambiancecross"]. Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). 23 November 2018. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
2. "Twee keer geen publiek, maar ambiance staat nog altijd centraal in Dendermonde" [Twice without any spectators but the ambiance is still the centerpiece in Dendermonde]. wielerflits.nl (in Dutch). 3 January 2025. Retrieved 7 January 2025.