Felipe Orts claims his first podium of the season

Felipe Orts has already achieved his first podium of the 2026-2027 cyclocross season. The cyclist from Alicante finished third in the Nacht van Woerden, held this Tuesday in the Netherlands, and he did it in his third race with Euskaltel-Euskadi. A result that comes after a historic season for Spanish cyclocross and with which he begins to maintain the level he showed last winter.

Felipe Orts debuts the Euskaltel-Euskadi jersey on the podium: third in the Nacht van Woerden

Last season was probably the best of Felipe Orts' sporting career. The cyclist from Alicante achieved his best result in a Cyclocross World Championship by finishing seventh in Hulst, starred in one of the most notable moments of the year with his historic podium at the Benidorm World Cup, and once again demonstrated his national dominance by winning his eighth consecutive Spanish Championship.

With that track record and after his team change, Orts has started a new winter in which he will wear the orange jersey of Euskaltel-Euskadi. His first two races, Ardooie and Meulebeke, ended with a seventh and a ninth place respectively, but in the third he has already managed to reach the podium.

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It was in the Nacht van Woerden, a very popular night race in the Netherlands that takes place on an urban circuit and which Orts himself won in 2025.

This time, the rain was one of the main characters and turned the grassy sections into real mud pits. On a course of about three kilometers, with numerous curves and narrow sections, the Spaniard had to recover after a poor start that relegated him to the back positions.

Up front, Joris Nieuwenhuis quickly took the initiative and, despite suffering a fall in the early stages, ended up setting a pace that none of his rivals could follow. The Dutchman, who was also debuting with Heizomat-Cube, finished pulling away solo while Orts managed to catch up with Niels Vandeputte and Jente Michels in the fight for the podium.

Nieuwhuis's victory was no longer in danger, but behind him the battle remained open until the last lap. Orts managed to drop Michels, although he ultimately could not surpass Vandeputte, who took second place. The Spaniard crossed the finish line third, just 15 seconds behind the winner and two seconds behind the Belgian.

He could not repeat the victory he achieved in Woerden last year, but Orts thus achieves his first podium with the colors of Euskaltel-Euskadi and confirms his progression at the start of the season, in which the main events of the international calendar are still ahead.

Results Nacht van Woerden 2026 – Elite Men

1. Joris Nieuwenhuis (Heizomat-Cube) – 1:03:37
2. Niels Vandeputte (Alpecin-Premier Tech Development Team) – +13 s
3. Felipe Orts (Euskaltel-Euskadi) – +15 s
4. Jente Michels (Alpecin-Premier Tech Development Team) – +27 s
5. Yordi Corsus (Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw) – +1:17
6. Lander Loockx – +1:27
7. Mees Hendrikx – +1:30
8. Ryan Kamp – +1:44
9. Floris Haverdings – +1:51
10. Danny van Lierop – +2:01