Dutch cyclocross champion Tibor Del Grosso savoured beating his "childhood hero" Wout van Aert to take his first victory in an elite series 'cross race on Tuesday, outsprinting the Belgian to win the fifth round of the Superprestige series in Heusden-Zolder.
The 22-year-old led the way at the front of the race along with the Belgian two laps from the end of the eight-lap race, setting up a tense cat-and-mouse battle on the run to the finish line.
In the end, it was Del Grosso, racing his fifth race of the winter, who prevailed against Van Aert, racing his third, to win for the first time at the elite level outside of the Dutch National Championships last season.
"Insane day yesterday, so epic to be up there battling a childhood hero. 12-year-old Tibor would be absolutely pumped," Del Grosso wrote on social media following the race.
"Thank you Zolder. Thank you Wout van Aert for a great battle, huge respect for you. And thanks to everyone in my corner for all the help, y'all know who you are."
Del Grosso is a rising star for Alpecin-Deceuninck on the road and track. In 2025, his first year as a pro on the road, he won a stage of the Tour of Türkiye, won the youth classification at the Renewi Tour, and was twice on the podium at the Volta a Catalunya.
The two-time reigning under-23 cyclocross world champion scored seven under-23 wins last winter, and now he's added an elite Superprestige win to his tally, beating Van Aert as well as other top pros Michael Vanthourenhout and Thibau Nys.
"This is really cool. I was pretty calm in the final. Because we had a good lead, I could play poker. I was surprised Wout didn't start his sprint earlier. The shorter the sprint, the better for me," he said after the race, according to Het Nieuwsblad.
"With all that crowd, I managed to extend my sprint a bit. When it comes to prizes, I can always give something extra. I was determined to fight for the win today.
"Did my road experience help me today? Not really, because I think the guy I was riding with at the front has a bit more experience. It might be less fun for Wout to collide with another Alpecin rider, but I'm especially happy with this victory."
