Toon Aerts won the Jaarmarktcross in Niel. The European champion was too fast for Kevin Pauwels and Corné van Kessel. Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel both skipped the race in Niel.

It was Gianni Vermeersch who immediately hit the front with the whole pack in tow. Pauwels had problems when entering a road bridge and thus fell back to the middle of the field. Jim Aernouts accelerated and could start the second lap with an advantage. Behind the lone leader, a group with Toon and Thijs Aerts and Philipp Walsleben had formed. Kevin Pauwels had already begun his comeback and was 40 seconds behind.

Jim Aernouts continued to ride hard. Behind him, Toon Aerts and Walsleben got away, not for long, however. Toon Aerts was the better of the two and bridged the gap to his teammate Aernouts alone. The two did not stay long together. Toon Aerts accelerated in a technical section and after five laps he had an advantage of five seconds over his teammates Aernouts and Dutchman Corné van Kessel. Walsleben and Kevin Pauwels were further back.

Jim Aernouts could not cope with the rapid pace of Corné van Kessel and he was dropped. Kevin Pauwels left Walsleben and Aernouts behind to move into third place.

Before the passage of the spider web, Pauwels joined the Dutchman and dropped him quickly. Leader Toon Aerts then took a corner too fast and crashed which allowed the duo Pauwels-van Kessel to suddenly reduce the gap to 17 seconds. Just before the start of the penultimate lap, Kevin Pauwels dropped Corné van Kessel and tried to catch Toon Aerts. Howeever, he did not succeed in joining the European champion. Toon Aerts had time to make a victory gesture and so follows Kevin Pauwels as the winner of the the Jaarmarktcross.

Result

1. Toon Aert 1.02.00

2. Kevin Pauwels +0.05

3. Corne van Kessel +0.37

4. Philipp Walsleben +1.14

5. Tom Meeusen +1.20

6. Jim Aernouts +1.29

7. Marcel Meisen +1.38

8. Dieter Vanthourenhout +1.55

9. Gianni Vermeersch +2.07

10. Stan Godrie +2.48