Denise Betsema (Pauwel Sauzen – Bingoal) tore up the typical race script and the muddy course in Middelkerke.
The Dutch star, coming off a third-place at Worlds, had an uncharacteristically slow start off the line at the Superprestige Finale in Middelkerke, but she wasted no time getting to the front by riding sections others ran.
Together with Mannon Bakker (Credishop-Fristads), she opened up a gap on the rest of the field on lap one, then dropped Bakker on lap two.
Unlike almost every other race where she’s held an early lead, Betsema didn’t come back to her chasers but rather stretched out her gap for a dominant win.
2021 World Champ Lucinda Brand (Telenet Baloise Lions) and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Alpecin Fenix) took the top two spots of the overall Superprestige series, followed by Betsema.
American Rebecca Fahringer (Kona Maxxis Shimano) raced, finishing 15th.
See the race and overall series results below.
2021 Superprestige Middelkerke Results: Elite Women
| Rank | BIB | Rider | Nation | Team | Age | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | BETSEMA Denise | NED | PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL | 28 | 0:49:28 |
| 2 | 2 | ALVARADO Ceylin del Carmen | NED | ALPECIN - FENIX | 23 | 0:50:00 |
| 3 | 1 | BRAND Lucinda | NED | BALOISE TREK LIONS | 32 | 0:50:36 |
| 4 | 5 | BAKKER Manon | NED | CREDISHOP-FRISTADS | 22 | 0:50:59 |
| 5 | 6 | KASTELIJN Yara | NED | CREDISHOP-FRISTADS | 24 | 0:51:21 |
| 6 | 7 | CANT Sanne | BEL | IKO - CRELAN | 31 | 0:51:54 |
| 7 | 19 | NORBERT RIBEROLLE Marion | FRA | STARCASINO CX TEAM | 22 | 0:52:03 |
| 8 | 9 | VAN DER HEIJDEN Inge | NED | 777 | 22 | 0:52:15 |
| 9 | 14 | VAN ALPHEN Aniek | NED | CREDISHOP-FRISTADS | 22 | 0:52:20 |
| 10 | 17 | PIETERSE Puck | NED | ALPECIN - FENIX | 19 | 0:53:08 |
| 11 | 10 | KAY Anna | GBR | STARCASINO CX TEAM | 22 | 0:53:34 |
| 12 | 13 | ARZUFFI Alice Maria | ITA | 777 | 27 | 0:53:54 |
| 13 | 12 | LECHNER Eva | ITA | STARCASINO CX TEAM | 36 | 0:54:04 |
| 14 | 20 | FRANCK Alicia | BEL | PROXIMUS - ALPHAMOTORHOMES - DOLTCINI CT | 27 | 0:54:13 |
| 15 | 11 | FAHRINGER Rebecca | USA | 32 | 0:54:23 | |
| 16 | 15 | VAN LOY Ellen | BEL | BALOISE TREK LIONS | 41 | 0:54:52 |
| 17 | 27 | CRABBÉ Kiona | BEL | 20 | 0:55:03 | |
| 18 | 18 | VAN EMPEL Fem | NED | PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL | 19 | 0:55:30 |
| 19 | 29 | DE WILDE Julie | BEL | IKO - CRELAN | 19 | 0:55:45 |
| 20 | 38 | PEETERS Jinse | BEL | 22 | 0:56:39 | |
| 21 | 8 | GONZALEZ BLANCO Lucia | ESP | NESTA - SKODA ALECAR CX TEAM | 31 | 0:57:06 |
| 22 | 28 | VERHESTRAETEN Karen | BEL | IKO - CRELAN | 30 | 0:57:29 |
| 23 | 21 | VERHOEVEN Suzanne | BEL | 25 | 0:58:11 | |
| 24 | 39 | BASTIAENSSEN Fauve | BEL | 24 | 0:59:22 | |
| 25 | 32 | BROUWERS Julie | BEL | 19 | 1:01:06 | |
| 26 | 37 | VAN BOVEN Hannah | NED | 22 | -2 LAPS | |
| 27 | 42 | GREENHALGH Laura | GBR | 36 | -2 LAPS | |
| 28 | 36 | KELLY Siobhan | CAN | 25 | -2 LAPS | |
| 29 | 41 | ROMBOUTS Tine | BEL | 21 | -2 LAPS | |
| 30 | 40 | VAN WUNSEL Lise | BEL | 21 | -3 LAPS | |
| 3 | WORST Annemarie | NED | 777 | 26 | DNF | |
| 33 | BARTHELS Maïté | LUX | 20 | DNF |
2020-2021 Superprestige Cyclocross Series Final Overall: Elite Women
| Pl | Rider | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lucinda Brand (Ned) | 114 |
| 2 | Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Ned) | 112 |
| 3 | Denise Betsema (Ned) | 101 |
| 4 | Yara Kastelijn (Ned) | 83 |
| 5 | Annemarie Worst (Ned) | 79 |
| 6 | Manon Bakker (Ned) | 76 |
| 7 | Sanne Cant (Bel) | 55 |
| 8 | Aniek van Alphen (Ned) | 41 |
| 9 | Anna Kay (GBr) | 36 |
| 10 | Laura Verdonschot (Bel) | 35 |
| 11 | Inge van der Heijden (Ned) | 33 |
| 12 | Puck Pieterse (Ned) | 29 |
| 13 | Maghalie Rochette (Can) | 22 |
| 13 | Clara Honsinger (USA) | 22 |
| 15 | Eva Lechner (Ita) | 20 |
| 16 | Marion Norbert Riberolle (Fra) | 14 |
| 17 | Shirin van Anrooij (Ned) | 13 |
| 18 | Perrine Clauzel (Fra) | 11 |
| 18 | Alicia Franck (Bel) | 11 |
| 18 | Alice Maria Arzuffi (Ita) | 11 |
| 21 | Christine Majerus (Lux) | 10 |
| 22 | Blanka Kata Vas (Hon) | 8 |
| 23 | Fem van Empel (Ned) | 7 |
| 23 | Anne Tauber (Ned) | 7 |
| 25 | Zoe Backstedt (GBr) | 4 |
| 26 | Ellen van Loy (Bel) | 3 |
| 27 | Evie Richards (GBr) | 2 |
| 28 | Rebecca Fahringer (USA) | 1 |
