Wout Van Aert wins CX World Championship for Belgium

Wout Van Aert of Belgium has delighted home fans in Zolder by becoming the new men's elite Cyclo-Cross World Champion following a thrilling race that was dominated by riders from the host nation and their Dutch  next-door neighbours, the two countries providing the first eight finishers.

His victory came despite having to chase back on midway through the race after a bizarre incident when defending champion Mathieu van der Poel of the Netherlands got his foot stuck in Van Aert's front wheel, costing both riders precious seconds.

By the final lap, Van Aert had got back to the front of the race and was fighting it out with Dutch rider Lars van der Haar, getting clear on a climb towards the end of the circuit to ride away to victory.

Behind the front two, van der Poel seemed poised to take bronze but he was beaten to the line by two Belgians, Kevin Pauwels, who took bronze, and Sven Nys, riding the race for the last time and waving to the crowd as he came in fourth.

Aged 39, Nys is regarded as the greatest men's cyclo-cross rider of his generation. In van Aert, 21 and the most consistent rider this season, Belgium may have found his successor.