Koksijde is the Duinencross, the sand race of cyclocross, held among the dunes of the Belgian coast since 1969, when Roger De Vlaeminck won the first edition. Long runs through deep, loose sand decide it, and riders who can keep pedalling where others have to run gain time on every lap. The town hosted the World Championships in 1994 and 2012, and two of the big dunes carry the winners' names, the Herygersduin for Paul Herygers and the Niels Albertduin for Niels Albert. Sven Nys holds the record with seven wins, and Mathieu van der Poel has five. In January 2023 Wout van Aert attacked at half distance and beat Van der Poel, who was struggling with back pain after a crash, by 1:38. A win in the Koksijde dunes marks a rider out as a true sand specialist.