In a notable year finale, the Valencian cyclocross rider Felipe Orts from Villajoyosa closed 2023 with another strong podium finish in the C1 category at the race held in Loehnout, Belgium. The result carried emotional weight for Orts, who had just learned of a family member’s passing, turning the race into a moment of personal significance as well as sporting achievement. This news added an extra layer of intensity to the event, underscoring Orts’s resilience and commitment to the sport.
Traitor Felipe Orts makes history in Belgium
JA Galvan
During Friday’s competition, Orts found himself standing on the podium behind the race winner, the Dutch rider Mathieu van der Poel, who dominated the field. Orts secured a silver medal in a tightly contested sprint, narrowly edged out by Vermeersch of Belgium, who surged ahead in the final meters. The Dutch rider Ryan Kamp also crossed ahead of Orts in the decisive moments, yet the Spaniard delivered a strong late push to reclaim second place in a dramatic finish. This performance reinforced Orts’s status as a consistent podium contender in top-level European cyclocross events, particularly in Belgium, a country renowned for its deep cyclocross culture and demanding courses. (Source: Cycling press reports; attribution: local race coverage)
Felipe Orts placed 12th in Antwerp in Van der Poel’s new exhibition
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This result marked Orts’s second podium finish in the C1 category after a third-place showing in Niel, Belgium, the previous November. The Belgian venue has a long-standing reputation for challenging mud, tight corners, and technical sections that test riders’ endurance and precision. Orts’s performance in Antwerp continued to demonstrate his ability to maintain a high level across varied courses and conditions, even when facing the sport’s most formidable rivals. (Source: race summaries; attribution: event organizers)
On Saturday, riding high on the momentum from the podium, Orts entered the next World Cup round and finished 12th in Hulst, Netherlands, in another race won by van der Poel. The field featured a mix of seasoned cross specialists and emerging talents, highlighting the depth of competition at the world level and Orts’s ongoing development in the sport. (Source: World Cup results; attribution: international cycling federation)
Six wins in 2023
Across the year, Orts collected six notable victories in cyclocross events, including triumphs at the national championship in January and at several European tests in Marín (Pontevedra), Melgaço (Portugal), Tarazona, Xàtiva, and Valencia. The string of wins underscored a productive season that balanced national pride with international exposure. In addition to his cycling results, Orts also concluded his association with the Burgos-BH road racing team after competing in five road events this season, signaling a shift in focus toward cyclocross on the competitive calendar. (Source: season recap; attribution: team press summaries)
Orts’s next challenge is already on the horizon, with his name appearing on the start list for the Sven Nys Grand Prix in Baal, Belgium, on January 1. The race traditionally attracts the sport’s elite couple of riders, featuring a showdown between top contenders including Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert. The event will set the tone for the early part of the new year, testing Orts’s form and tactical acumen as he aims to build on his 2023 successes. (Source: season preview; attribution: event organizers)