Sweeck Triumphs After a Lightning-Fast Race

In Merksplas, a fast-paced and tactical cyclocross race unfolded. Niels Vandeputte (Alpecin-Deceuninck) set the pace by being the first to dive into the field, but it was ultimately Laurens Sweeck (Crelan-Corendon) who, after an exciting race full of surprising twists and tactical surges, seized the victory in the final lap.

Vandeputte was the first to hit the course, with Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) on his wheel. In the background, Thibau Nys (Baloise Trek Lions) made a clever move, gaining several positions. Meanwhile, Toon Aerts (Deschacht-Hens-Maes) and Lars van der Haar (Baloise Trek Lions) had a slower start, forcing them to work their way up from behind.

Vanthourenhout briefly took the lead, but Vandeputte entered the second lap first, followed by Vanthourenhout, Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal), and Sweeck. The pace eased for a moment, allowing the chasing riders to close the gap. Nys managed to join the leaders, taking a group with him, leading to a regrouping just before the sand section in the second lap. This group would battle for victory today.

At the start of the third lap, the group remained compact, with Vanthourenhout in the lead. Nys moved up to second, while Aerts had climbed to seventh. Felipe Orts Lloret (Ridley Racing Team) made a strong move and surged to the front of the race, with Iserbyt in his wake. They entered lap four in the lead, with Orts Lloret increasing the pace and putting pressure on the others. Only Vanthourenhout and Aerts could stay with him, while the rest were left a few seconds behind. These surges caused some pain, but no significant gaps emerged.

Orts Lloret maintained the high pace until Vanthourenhout took over the lead, allowing Vandeputte to close the gap. Soon after, Nys, Iserbyt, and Sweeck joined, and the group was back together. Everyone waited for a decisive acceleration or a small mistake, but neither came immediately.

Lap six began with Vanthourenhout in the lead again. He attempted to accelerate, causing Iserbyt to lose a little ground, which forced Nys to react. In the background, Orts encountered a shifting issue, creating a gap between fifth and sixth place.

The group soon reformed, and in the final laps, the large group stayed together, setting up a thrilling finish. For a moment, it seemed as though Vanthourenhout might break away, but he never gained more than a few lengths. Sweeck then took the initiative and launched a powerful acceleration. He managed to hold on to this lead just enough to cross the line first. Aerts finished second, while van der Haar secured third after Nys briefly hesitated to collect an extra point in the standings for van der Haar.

Lars van der Haar moves into a shared first place in the overall standings with Niels Vandeputte. Both riders have 49 points after 4 races in the Telenet Superprestige standings. Michael Vanthourenhout is third with 44 points.