Diegem: Van der Poel wins thrilling duel with Van Aert
Under the lights in Diegem, Belgium, Mathieu van der Poel rode to victory ahead of Wout Van Aert with a last-lap surge.
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Under the lights in Diegem, Belgium, Mathieu van der Poel rode to victory ahead of Wout Van Aert with a last-lap surge to claim Friday’s Superprestige cyclocross race.
Van der Poel (Beobank – Corendon) and Van Aert (Crelan – Vastgoedservice) traded the lead throughout the race, after quickly leaving the field behind in the early laps of the city-center course.
As the hour-long race wore on, the Dutchman van der Poel began to distance his Belgian rival in the sand pit and also over the double barriers, which both riders were hopping. Van Aert doggedly chased back to the leader each time, but on the final lap, he was unable to match van der Poel’s acceleration. The 2015 world champion carried a bit more speed through the sand, and in a matter of meters, had a decisive gap on the reigning world champ, Van Aert.
Kevin Pauwels (Sunweb – Napoleon Games) was a distant third, riding solo to the final step on the podium.
Full results
- 1. Mathieu VAN DER POEL, NED, 1:06:22
- 2. Wout VAN AERT, BEL,
- 3. Kevin PAUWELS, BEL, 1:06:46
- 4. Toon AERTS, BEL, 1:07:02
- 5. Jens ADAMS, BEL, 1:07:36
- 6. David VAN DER POEL, NED, 1:07:45
- 7. Tim MERLIER, BEL, 1:07:53
- 8. Tom MEEUSEN, BEL, 1:07:59
- 9. Klaas VANTORNOUT, BEL, 1:08:03
- 10. Laurens SWEECK, BEL, 1:08:19
- 11. Diether SWEECK, BEL, 1:08:26
- 12. Philipp WALSLEBEN, GER, 1:09:00
- 13. Marcel MEISEN, GER, 1:09:20
- 14. Daan SOETE, BEL, 1:09:24
- 15. Ismael ESTEBAN AGUANDO, ESP, 1:09:28
- 16. Michael BOROS, CZE, 1:09:45
- 17. Rob PEETERS, BEL, 1:09:52
- 18. Joeri ADAMS, BEL, 1:09:54
- 19. Severin SÄGESSER, SUI, 1:10:36
- 20. Javier RUIZ DE LARRINAGA IBAÑEZ, ESP, 1:10:50
- 21. Kevin SUAREZ FERNANDEZ, ESP, 1:10:55
- 22. Gianni VERMEERSCH, BEL, 1:11:49
- 23. Geoff KABUSH, CAN, 1:11:57
- 24. Daan HOEYBERGHS, BEL, 1:12:17
- 25. Julien TARAMARCAZ, SUI
- 26. Stan GODRIE, NED
- 27. Dave DE CLEYN, BEL
- 28. Boy VAN POPPEL, NED
- 29. Hendrik SWEECK, BEL
- 30. Marvin SCHMIDT, GER
- 31. Maximilien ANDREO, FRA
- 32. Jens GYS, BEL
- 33. Martin ERIKSSON, SWE
- 34. Flavien DASSONVILLE, FRA
- 35. Mark MCCONNELL, CAN
- 36. Wouter GOOSEN, BEL
- 37. DANIEL ANIA GONZALEZ, ESP