Photos courtesy of @belga & @PhotoNews as indicated and results Sporza Belgium

Quinten Hermans had to wait a long time for it, but in Eeklo he still took a victory this season. He rounded off a solo ahead of Toon Aerts and Eli Iserbyt. Man in shape Laurens Sweeck gave up after a fall and some bad luck in the early stages of the cross. After a perfect weekend and a 2 out of 2, Laurens Sweeck was at the start in the Meetjeslandcross with the stamp “top favorite”. However, that role soon turned out not to bring him any luck. Sweeck fell, struggled with his gear and would quit halfway through the course. The riders of the Tormans team did better on the technical course in Eeklo. Corné van Kessel was the first to shake things up and ushered in a lightning-fast opening phase. Under the impulse of a motivated Aerts, who did not play in the finals last weekend, the Dutchman was caught again a little later. A lap later it was the turn of a teammate of Van Kessel. Hermans, who had struggled in a period of bad luck after his crash in the Dauphiné last year, seemed to have regained the good feeling deep in the season. In no time he distanced away!! All hands on deck in pursuit, but Aerts and an Iserbyt had to acknowledge their superior in an unleashed Hermans. The battle for the second place seemed to turn into an exciting battle between Iserbyt and Aerts, but a late mistake by the European champion turned out to be fatal. An emotional Hermans completed a great solo and can draw a line under an unfortunate period with his first victory of the season

Top 10 Men Elite (Class 2 UCI) Ethias Cross Eeklo
1 Quinten Hermans (BEL) 58’35”
2 Toon Aerts (BEL) +15″
3 Eli Iserbyt (BEL) +27″
4 Corné van Kessel (NL) +43″
5 Niels Vandeputte (BEL) +53″
6 Michael Vanthourenhout (BEL) +1’23”
7 Daan Soete (BEL) +1’25”
8 Thibau Nys (BEL) +1’48”
9 Toon Vandebosch (BEL) +1’51”
10 Timon Rüegg (Swiss) +1’52”

Denise Betsema has won the Ethias Cross in Eeklo. The Dutch were slightly stronger than her compatriot Manon Bakker. World champion Lucinda Brand had to settle for third place.
Top 10 Woman Elite (Class 2 UCI) Ethias Cross Eeklo
1 Denise Betsema (NL) 42’25”
2 Manon Bakker (NL) +6″
3 Lucinda Brand (NL) +28″
4 Anna Kay (GB) +44″
5 Sanne Cant (BEL) +1’05”
6 Annemarie Worst (NL) +1’17”
7 Inge van der Heijden (NL) +1’24”
8 Aniek Van Alphen (NL) +1’26”
9 Marion Norbert Riberolle (FR) +1’58”
10 Ellen Van Loy (BEL) +2’10”