Mathieu van der Poel (Corendon Circus) entered Sunday’s Superprestige Hoogstraten with a one-point series deficit to World Champ Wout van Aert (Creland Charles), and for the first few laps, looked to be still feeling the effects of a tough Worlds, post-Worlds illness, or yesterday’s winning effort in Lille.
The European Champion had an uncharacteristic slow start, and for much of the first lap sat outside of the top ten while Michael Vanthourenhout (Marlux Blingoal) and Toon Aerts (Telenet Fidea) took their turns at the front.
Wout van Aert looked motivated to keep his Superprestige series lead, and hit the front while Van der Poel was content to sit in the top five with his brother David patrolling the attacks at the front.
For a brief period, the Worlds top three were riding at the front with a gap, but that lead group was short-lived.
Finally, on critical heavy mud section, Van der Poel pushed past everyone, while Van Aert struggled, and suddenly, it was go time.
Van der Poel surged, while his brother sat on Van Aert’s wheel and watched the new series leader ride away with more than half the race remaining.
Mathieu van der Poel took the Superprestige series lead from Wout van Aert in Hoogstraten. photo: 2017 Superprestige Gavere. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine
Behind Van der Poel, the chasers regrouped once again, with an eight-man group content to ride together until the final lap.
Sweeck put in a dig on the final lap by the pits in hopes of avoiding another sprint with Tim Merlier (Crelan Charles) and the other chasers.
It worked. Sweeck finished second, with David van der Poel sprinting for third and joining his brother on the podium and making it a Circus sweep.
Van Aert rolled in for sixth.
Six North Americans took the start, all but Michael van den Ham (Garneau Easton p/b Transitions Life Care) finishing three laps down. Van den Ham finished two laps down in 33rd, Tobin Ortenblad (Santa Cruz – Donkey Label) finished in 35th, Kerry Werner (Kona) in 37th, Eric Thompson in 38th (MSpeedwax.com), Mark McConnell (Hot Sauce Cycling) in 41st, and Tyler Cloutier (Renewed Cyclocross) in 42nd.
Full results below.
2018 Superprestige Hoogstraten Results - Elite Men
| Rank | BIB | Last Name | First Name | Country | Team | Gender | Age | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | VAN DER POEL | Mathieu | NED | CORENDON - CIRCUS | M | 23 | 0:59:33 |
| 2 | 4 | SWEECK | Laurens | BEL | ERA-CIRCUS | M | 25 | 0:59:55 |
| 3 | 15 | VAN DER POEL | David | NED | CORENDON - CIRCUS | M | 26 | 1:00:03 |
| 4 | 6 | VANTHOURENHOUT | Michael | BEL | MARLUX - BINGOAL | M | 25 | 1:00:03 |
| 5 | 10 | MERLIER | Tim | BEL | CRELAN - CHARLES | M | 26 | 1:00:05 |
| 6 | 1 | VAN AERT | Wout | BEL | CRELAN - CHARLES | M | 24 | 1:00:09 |
| 7 | 7 | AERTS | Toon | BEL | TELENET FIDEA LIONS | M | 25 | 1:00:12 |
| 8 | 12 | VERMEERSCH | Gianni | BEL | STEYLAERTS - BETFIRST | M | 26 | 1:00:14 |
| 9 | 5 | MEEUSEN | Tom | BEL | CORENDON - CIRCUS | M | 30 | 1:00:20 |
| 10 | 26 | BOSMANS | Wietse | BEL | ERA-CIRCUS | M | 27 | 1:00:37 |
| 11 | 8 | VAN DER HAAR | Lars | NED | TELENET FIDEA LIONS | M | 27 | 1:01:21 |
| 12 | 14 | ADAMS | Jens | BEL | PAUWELS SAUZEN - VASTGOEDSERVICE | M | 26 | 1:01:28 |
| 13 | 11 | HERMANS | Quinten | BEL | TELENET FIDEA LIONS | M | 23 | 1:01:34 |
| 14 | 21 | CLEPPE | Nicolas | BEL | TELENET FIDEA LIONS | M | 23 | 1:01:34 |
| 15 | 31 | VAN KESSEL | Corne | NED | TELENET FIDEA LIONS | M | 27 | 1:01:44 |
| 16 | 3 | PAUWELS | Kevin | BEL | MARLUX - BINGOAL | M | 34 | 1:01:54 |
| 17 | 18 | VANTHOURENHOUT | Dieter | BEL | MARLUX - BINGOAL | M | 33 | 1:02:01 |
| 18 | 38 | AERNOUTS | Jim | BEL | TELENET FIDEA LIONS | M | 29 | 1:02:08 |
| 19 | 16 | BERTOLINI | Gioele | ITA | M | 23 | 1:02:32 | |
| 20 | 25 | SOETE | Daan | BEL | TELENET FIDEA LIONS | M | 24 | 1:02:42 |
| 21 | 27 | ORTS LLORET | Felipe | ESP | GINESTAR - DELIKIA | M | 23 | 1:02:52 |
| 22 | 13 | BOROŠ | Michael | CZE | PAUWELS SAUZEN - VASTGOEDSERVICE | M | 26 | 1:03:01 |
| 23 | 23 | BAESTAENS | Vincent | BEL | M | 29 | 1:03:07 | |
| 24 | 24 | ADAMS | Joeri | BEL | M | 29 | 1:03:09 | |
| 25 | 41 | MEISEN | Marcel | GER | STEYLAERTS - BETFIRST | M | 29 | 1:03:37 |
| 26 | 54 | PEETERS | Rob | BEL | PAUWELS SAUZEN - VASTGOEDSERVICE | M | 33 | 1:03:46 |
| 27 | 48 | RUIZ DE LARRINAGA IBAÑEZ | Javier | ESP | M | 39 | 1:04:23 | |
| 28 | 42 | MERLIER | Braam | BEL | STEYLAERTS - BETFIRST | M | 24 | 1:04:29 |
| 29 | 30 | VAN COMPERNOLLE | Kenneth | BEL | TARTELETTO - ISOREX | M | 30 | 1:04:57 |
| 30 | 35 | ESTEBAN AGUERO | Ismael | ESP | GINESTAR - DELIKIA | M | 35 | -1 LAP |
| 31 | 32 | VAN LEEUWEN | Patrick | NED | M | 33 | -1 LAP | |
| 32 | 20 | GODRIE | Stan | NED | CRELAN - CHARLES | M | 25 | -2 LAPS |
| 33 | 40 | VAN DEN HAM | Michael | CAN | GARNEAU-EASTON p/b TRANSITIONS LIFECARE | M | 26 | -2 LAPS |
| 34 | 29 | VAN AMERONGEN | Thijs | NED | M | 32 | -3 LAPS | |
| 35 | 46 | ORTENBLAD | Tobin | USA | M | 24 | -3 LAPS | |
| 36 | 39 | GYS | Jens | BEL | M | 29 | -3 LAPS | |
| 37 | 44 | WERNER | Kerry | USA | M | 27 | -3 LAPS | |
| 38 | 52 | THOMPSON | Eric | USA | M | 29 | -3 LAPS | |
| 39 | 28 | DEGROOTE | Jonas | BEL | M | 23 | -4 LAPS | |
| 40 | 37 | KOYEN | Niels | BEL | M | 27 | -4 LAPS | |
| 41 | 45 | MCCONNELL | Mark | CAN | M | 30 | -5 LAPS | |
| 42 | 49 | CLOUTIER | Tyler | USA | M | 29 | -5 LAPS | |
| 43 | 50 | OGER | Vincent | BEL | M | 24 | -6 LAPS | |
| 36 | SWEECK | Diether | BEL | M | 25 | DNF | ||
| 43 | PRUVOT | Nicolas | FRA | M | 23 | DNF |
