Denise Betsema Best at Superprestige Noordzeecross Middelkerke, Sanne Cant Wins Title

by Mathias Dewaelsche

Today was the last race for the Superprestige trophy in the Belgian coastal city of Middelkerke.

If World Champion Sanne Cant (Iko Beobank) would finish three places behind European Champion Annemarie Worst (Steylaerts-777), she would lose the Superprestige overall.

The odds, though, were in favor of Cant, who already won five times in the Noordzeecross (translated: North Sea cross), which is Belgian’s oldest cross with a sixtieth consecutive edition.

A challenging track with strips of mud and sand, little hills and an off-camber would determine whether Cant or Worst would win the Superprestige trophy.

U23 World Champion Inge van der Heijden (CCC Liv) sprinted to the holeshot. Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Corendon Corendon) followed in second position, with Cant third. Worst, who knew she had to finish three places before Cant, soon passed Cant.

The first strip of sand turned out to be a running strip, since it was freshly groomed before the start of the race.

In the following muddy section, the positions changed. Van der Heijden kept the lead, but Cant moved into second and Denise Betsema (Marlux Bingoal) third.

A hill followed by an off-camber presented van der Heijden with some difficulty, and she would lose time on the section and see her chances for victory ride away.

Cant, on the other hand, took both obstacles perfectly and opened up a gap.

Worst, who was in position fifth, changed bikes in the second pit area and was passed by Loes Sels (Pauwels Sauzen - Vastgoedservice).

Cant ended the first of five laps in the lead, with Betsema and Alvarado chasing. Worst was already 23 seconds behind. Were her title chances over?

In the first long sand strip, the three leaders had to run. The chasers at that point in the race were Van der Heijden and Sels. Worst, in the meantime, started to fade and was passed by Kastelijn, and then Verdonschot and Italian champion Lechner. It wasn’t going well for Worst, who hurt herself and was showing blood on her right calf.

At the front of the race, Betsema applied the pressure, drawing out Alvarado. At the end of the second lap, Cant was eight seconds in arrears behind the two Dutch leaders. Worst ended that second lap in 9th position on 59 seconds.

Betsema kept the pace high in the third lap, eventually shedding Alvarado. At the end of the thrid lap, Alvarado was 18 seconds behind.

Cant and Sels were in third and fourth position, at 27 and 48 seconds, respectively.

Worst’s title chances were over, as she was two minutes behind, riding with Van der Heijden. The U23 World Champion was fading after a strong start.

The bronze medal of that U23 World Championship, Alvarado, on the other hand, was riding very strong today. At the end of the fourth lap, she was 35 seconds behind on Betsema. Cant, who was chasing at 64 seconds, was about to be joined by her cousin Sels.

At the beginning of the last lap, Betsema had time to in hand to start celebrating a dream come true. The only 24-year-old took her 12th win of the season and finished third in the Superprestige standings.

Alvarado finished second on 45 seconds and took the U23 women Superprestige trophy.

Sels finished third on 1 minute 9 seconds. Cant finished fourth to take the Superprestige trophy and overall title.

European Champion Worst finished eighth and ended second in the Superprestige.

“In the beginning of the season, I dreamed of a first win in the Superprestige. I did it in the end,” Betsema said after her victory in Middelkerke (translated).

With this dream realized, she’s sure to rest easy tonight and dream of even bigger success for next season.

 

Four Americans took the start at Noordzeecross Middelkerke, with Rebecca Fahringer (Kona Maxxis Shimano) in 13th, Erica Zaveta (Louis Garneau Easton Transitions p/b LifeCare) in 17th, Corey Coogan Cisek (Amy D. Foundation) in 22nd and Rebecca Gross in 30th.

Photo gallery below the results.

2019 Telenet Superprestige Noordzeecross Middelkerke Results: Elite Women

Rank	BIB	Last Name	First Name	Country	UCI Team	Age	Result
1	21	BETSEMA	Denise	NED	MARLUX - BINGOAL	26	0:45:13
2	31	ALVARADO	Ceylin del Carmen	NED	CORENDON - CIRCUS	21	0:45:58
3	25	SELS	Loes	BEL	PAUWELS SAUZEN - VASTGOEDSERVICE	34	0:46:22
4	1	CANT	Sanne	BEL	CORENDON - CIRCUS	29	0:46:29
5	10	VERDONSCHOT	Laura	BEL	MARLUX - BINGOAL	23	0:47:04
6	2	LECHNER	Eva	ITA	CREAFIN TÜV SUD	34	0:47:17
7	42	KASTELIJN	Yara	NED	STEYLAERTS - 777	22	0:48:02
8	7	WORST	Annemarie	NED	STEYLAERTS - 777	24	0:48:19
9	34	VAN DER HEIJDEN	Inge	NED		20	0:48:41
10	20	VANDERBEKEN	Joyce	BEL		35	0:48:51
11	32	NAGENGAST	Fleur	NED	TELENET FIDEA LIONS	21	0:49:04
12	6	ARZUFFI	Alice Maria	ITA	STEYLAERTS - 777	25	0:49:22
13	23	FAHRINGER	Rebecca	USA		30	0:49:59
14	50	RIBEROLLE	Marion Norbert	FRA		20	0:50:31
15	11	VERHESTRAETEN	Karen	BEL		28	0:50:36
16	46	VAN ALPHEN	Aniek	NED		20	0:50:54
17	51	ZAVETA	Erica	USA	GARNEAU-EASTON p/b TRANSITIONS LIFECARE	30	0:52:06
18	43	PEETERS	Jinse	BEL	PAUWELS SAUZEN - VASTGOEDSERVICE	20	0:52:16
19	33	TRUYEN	Marthe	BEL	TELENET FIDEA LIONS	20	0:52:33
20	14	DELHAYE	Pauline	FRA		30	0:52:39
21	36	BELLAERT	Axelle	BEL		22	0:54:14
22	13	COOGAN CISEK	Corey	USA		42	-1 LAP
23	44	BAKKER	Manon	NED		20	-1 LAP
24	40	REALINI	Gaia	ITA		18	-1 LAP
25	18	GERRITSEN	Irene	NED		23	-1 LAP
26	15	MULDER	Mascha	NED		25	-1 LAP
27	22	JACOBS	Lotte	NED		31	-1 LAP
28	24	VAN DE PUTTE	Kim	BEL		35	-2 LAPS
29	48	DE WILDE	Julie	BEL		17	-2 LAPS
30	19	GROSS	Rebecca	USA		39	-2 LAPS
31	49	PARAJON FUENTES	Maria	ESP		17	-2 LAPS
32	35	ROMBOUTS	Tine	BEL		19	-2 LAPS
33	47	VAN LOY	Tess	BEL		18	-3 LAPS
34	17	BLANCHAERT	Jo	BEL		49	-3 LAPS
35	39	HARINCK	Tiger-Lil	BEL		17	-4 LAPS
	3	KAPTHEIJNS	Maud	NED	TEAM CHARLES	25	DNF
	5	VAN LOY	Ellen	BEL	TELENET FIDEA LIONS	39	DNF
	9	DE BOER	Sophie	NED		29	DNF

2019 Superprestige Noordzeecross Middelkerke Photo Gallery: Elite Women