Inside continental championship weekend at Pan-Ams with CXD Trek Bikes and Euros with the Baloise Glowi Lions!
Trek athletes starred across continental championships weekend in cyclocross. At Pan-American Cyclocross Champs, Andrew Strohmeyer of CXD Trek Bikes won his first elite continental title. As the reigning United States National Champion, he is now the holder of two prestigious champions jerseys.
Meanwhile across the pond, the Baloise Glowi Lions took three silver medals at European Championships with Thibau Nys (men’s elite), Lucinda Brand (women’s elite) and David Haverdings (men’s U23). Racing was fast and chaotic on a unique course in Middelkerke.
Andrew Strohmeyer has been one of the most promising riders on the U.S. circuit for several years. Now at 23 years old, he appears primed for a breakout season in his second year as an elite.
Andrew Strohmeyer hopping the barriers in D.C. | Photo: Sam Brummitt
On Saturday, Strohmeyer once again battled hard with longtime rival Eric Brunner. They quickly separated themselves from the field and dueled each other for the first half of the race.
“Coming into today I knew that I needed to get it down to just me and Eric pretty much as soon as possible, just to race with us two, so we didn’t have to deal with a big group,” Strohmeyer said after the race. “I pushed the pace a little bit and got it down to just me and him, and then it got tactical. I figured out how to race and how to win.”
A huge moment for the reigning U.S. champ. | Photo: Bill Schieken
With three laps to go, Strohmeyer began pulling away from Brunner with a long, sustained effort, taking a little more of a gap in every corner. In the end, Strohmeyer won by 52 seconds, and the Maryland native got to celebrate in front of a home crowd that had packed the course in Washington, D.C.
“This feels like home,” Strohmeyer said. “We’ve been doing this as a local race for the past few years, and I was saying this morning that the season always starts at DCCX. No matter when it is, this year, I marked this day on my calendar and said, ‘This is the start of my season.'”
Pim Ronhaar (left) and Thibau Nys (right) getting ready ahead of the men's elite European Championship. | Photo: BlueFrame Media
In Middelkerke, the Baloise Glowi Lions had an eventful weekend. They raced on a course last used to host the 2022 Belgian National Championships. Its defining feature is a passage over a sandy beach along the North Sea that tested riders’ skill and endurance.
In the elite women’s race, Lucinda Brand was on her back foot early due to a poor start, but she quickly climbed out of the middle of the pack to help spearhead the chase group alongside Italian rider Sara Casasola and fellow Dutchwoman Aniek van Alphen. The group wasn’t able to bridge to eventual winner Inge van der Heijden, who quickly got a gap on the field and never looked back, but Brand won the war of attrition within the trio, taking second at 15 seconds ahead of Van Alphen to help complete an all-Dutch podium.
Lucinda Brand charging hard in the sand. | Photo: BlueFrame Media
Brand was a favorite to win, and was gracious despite just missing out what would have been the second European title of her career.
The elite men’s race was an even messier affair, ending in a thrilling sprint in which Thibau Nys was edged out by veteran Toon Aerts.
Nys was part of a large lead group on the final lap that included Baloise Glowi teammate Pim Ronhaar, who finished fourth. Both riders were aggressive, with Ronhaar leading out all riders up the steep exit from the beach. Nys took over heading into a bumpy sector ahead of the finishing straight, but Aerts positioned himself well to power past the young Belgian and take the win.
Thibau going all out in a wild men's race. | Photo: BlueFrame Media
“It was a very awkward race to ride,” Nys was quoted after the race. “I actually felt good, but it was hard to make any difference. Whenever I thought everyone was on their limit, someone would come back again, or I’d make a small mistake. It was a race where you could win — or end up outside the top ten.”
In the men’s under-23 race, David Haverdings recorded one of the best results of his young career, finishing second after helping drive the chase to catch the lone leader heading into the final lap. He improved eight spots from European Championships in 2024, and gained another strong performance this season to go with two Top 10 elite finishes so far.
Continental championships weekend is one of the most exciting in a jam-packed cyclocross racing season. In case there was any question, cross is now well underway.
