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The 2026-2027 Telenet Superprestige continued on Saturday, November 14, 2026, with the Aardbeiencross in Merksplas, Belgium. The Aardbeiencross, the Strawberry Cross, is the series’ stop in Merksplas in the province of Antwerp, raced this year on a renewed course. Merksplas was the fourth round of the series, following the series opener in Overijse, where Lucinda Brand won the Vlaamse Druivencross to open the 2026-2027 Telenet Superprestige, the second round in Middelkerke, where Aniek van Alphen won the Noordzeecross under the lights on November 5 and the third round in Niel, where Manon Bakker and Cameron Mason won the Jaarmarktcross on Wednesday. The Elite Women and Elite Men raced on Saturday, and the full results are below.

Superprestige Merksplas Elite Women’s Race

Lucinda Brand (Baloise Verzekeringen – Het Poetsbureau Lions) won the Elite Women’s race in 49:58, finishing two seconds clear of Inge van der Heijden (Crelan-Corendon), with Sara Casasola (Crelan-Corendon) third, three seconds back. Aniek van Alphen (777TV CX Team) finished fourth at nine seconds, and Leonie Bentveld (Pauwels Sauzen – Altez Industriebouw) rounded out the top five at 13 seconds.

There were no North American riders in the women’s race in Merksplas.

Three days after she stopped early in Niel with a sprained foot, Brand was back at the front in Merksplas. On the fast, renewed course the field stayed together for a long time, with Amandine Fouquenet making the best start and the leading group shrinking only gradually, lap after lap. Brand made her first real move through the sandpit on the fourth of eight laps and struck again in the sand a lap later, but the chasers regrouped each time, with Fem van Empel, Van Alphen and Bentveld among those who came back. The race was decided in the sandpit on the final lap, where Brand was the only rider to get through without a mistake. She opened the gap there and held it to the line for her fourth victory in Merksplas, after her wins in 2020, 2021 and 2025.

2026 Superprestige Merksplas Elite Women’s Results

Place Bib Rider Team Time
1 1 Lucinda Brand BALOISE VERZEKERINGEN – HET POETSBUREAU LIONS 49:58.0
2 6 Inge van der Heijden CRELAN-CORENDON 50:00.0
3 12 Sara Casasola CRELAN-CORENDON 50:01.0
4 4 Aniek van Alphen 777TV CX TEAM 50:07.0
5 8 Leonie Bentveld PAUWELS SAUZEN – ALTEZ INDUSTRIEBOUW CYCLING TEAM 50:11.0
6 28 Fem van Empel SPECIALIZED TMRW 50:14.0
7 9 Denise Betsema DE CEUSTER BOUWKRANEN 50:16.0
8 7 Kristýna Zemanová CRELAN-CORENDON 50:21.0
9 10 Julie Brouwers CHARLES LIÉGEOIS CX TEAM 50:27.0
10 5 Manon Bakker VELOSPORT VELUWE 50:32.0
11 11 Hélène Clauzel SEVEN RACING 51:14.0
12 3 Amandine Fouquenet PAUWELS SAUZEN – ALTEZ INDUSTRIEBOUW CYCLING TEAM 51:17.0
13 18 Alicia Franck X-OATS-LOTTO ATHLETES FOR HOP 51:50.0
14 22 Anniek Mos KDM-PACK CYCLING TEAM 52:02.0
15 16 Sterre Vervloet CHARLES LIÉGEOIS CX TEAM 52:31.0
16 21 Noï Moes WV SCHIJNDEL 52:40.0
17 25 Grace Inglis TEAM HUP 52:47.0
18 17 Lauren Molengraaf D.O.S. VZW 53:27.0
19 14 Xan Crees XC RACING 53:32.0
20 26 Alderney Baker TEAM EMPELLA 54:13.0
21 20 Anna Kay ESSEC CYCLING TEAM 54:40.0
22 23 Anna Flynn HANDSLING ALBA DEVELOPMENT ROA 54:48.0
23 36 Arabella Blackburn HANDSLING ALBA DEVELOPMENT ROA 54:55.0
24 24 Amy Perryman RAPHA CYCLING CLUB 54:57.0
25 32 Alana Polfliet NEVER GIVE UP BY JOLIEN VERSCH 55:12.0
26 15 Perrine Clauzel SEBMOTOBIKES CX TEAM 55:24.0
27 30 Ann-Christine Allik OP KOP CYCLING TEAM 55:28.0
28 33 Liene Meeusen Individueel 55:33.0
29 27 Elena van der Veken ACROG-TORMANS 56:03.0
30 40 Emily De Cuyper SUPER HELP – EVIL EYE 56:33.0
31 34 Rebecca Woodvine FOSSA RACING -1 LAP
32 35 Laure Huybrechts ESSEC CYCLING TEAM -1 LAP
33 39 Ishbel Strathdee TEAM HUP -2 LAPS
DNF 13 Rebecca Gariboldi DE CEUSTER BOUWKRANEN DNF
DNF 37 Tessa Zwaenepoel KASSEIEN FIETS HUIS CT DNF

Superprestige Merksplas Elite Men’s Race

Niels Vandeputte (Alpecin-Premier Tech) won the Elite Men’s race in a sprint finish in 1:01:24, credited with the same time as runner-up Joran Wyseure (Crelan-Corendon), with Felipe Orts Lloret (Euskaltel – Euskadi) third, two seconds back. Yordi Corsus (Pauwels Sauzen – Altez Industriebouw) finished fourth at five seconds, and Joris Nieuwenhuis (Heizomat – Cube) rounded out the top five, also at five seconds. It was Vandeputte’s first victory of the season, and Wyseure’s second place moved him into the lead of the Superprestige standings ahead of Cameron Mason.

Andrew Strohmeyer of the United States (Competitive Edge Racing) finished 29th in 1:05:09, three minutes and 45 seconds behind Vandeputte. Strohmeyer was the only North American rider in the men’s race in Merksplas. No riders from Canada raced in the Elite Men’s field.

The men’s race ran 11 laps on the fast Merksplas course and stayed tactical deep into the race. Yordi Corsus was the first to open a real gap, attacking on the ninth lap, but a five-rider leading group came back together for the finale, with Vandeputte, Wyseure, Orts Lloret, Corsus and Nieuwenhuis all still in contention. Wyseure led the sprint out of the final turn, but Vandeputte came off his wheel after the cleanest run through the sand and passed him in the finishing straight, with enough room to celebrate as he crossed the line.

Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen – Altez Industriebouw) crashed hard in the middle laps and was out of the race, and did not finish, as shown in the TNT Sports clip below. We wish him a quick and full recovery. Cameron Mason came into Merksplas as the Superprestige series leader, but finished a disappointing 15th. He had taken the series lead with his victory at the Superprestige round in Niel, where he won the Jaarmarktcross and took the series lead.

2026 Superprestige Merksplas Elite Men’s Results

Place Bib Rider Team Time
1 1 Niels Vandeputte ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH 1:01:24.0
2 5 Joran Wyseure CRELAN-CORENDON 1:01:24.0
3 3 Felipe Orts Lloret EUSKALTEL – EUSKADI 1:01:26.0
4 15 Yordi Corsus PAUWELS SAUZEN – ALTEZ INDUSTRIEBOUW CYCLING TEAM 1:01:29.0
5 4 Joris Nieuwenhuis HEIZOMAT – CUBE 1:01:29.0
6 9 Kevin Kuhn HEIZOMAT – CUBE 1:01:31.0
7 10 Jente Michels ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH DEVELOPME 1:01:32.0
8 7 Mees Hendrikx TEAM BOMBA JOIN 1:01:40.0
9 22 Victor Van de Putte CHARLES LIÉGEOIS CX TEAM 1:01:43.0
10 12 Ryan Kamp TEAM BOMBA JOIN 1:01:46.0
11 35 Jarno Bellens BALOISE VERZEKERINGEN – HET POETSBUREAU LIONS 1:01:47.0
12 14 Michael Boroš KASPER CRYPRO4ME 1:01:49.0
13 23 Wout Janssen CYCLIS – ROOFS FOR ENERGY – VA 1:01:49.0
14 26 Mats Vanden Eynde BALOISE VERZEKERINGEN – HET POETSBUREAU LIONS 1:01:52.0
15 11 Cameron Mason SEVEN RACING 1:01:53.0
16 19 Thomas Mein HOPE FACTORY RACING 1:01:54.0
17 17 Bailey Groenendaal WV SCHIJNDEL 1:01:56.0
18 13 Toon Vandebosch CRELAN-CORENDON 1:02:07.0
19 25 Kay De Bruyckere PAUWELS SAUZEN – ALTEZ INDUSTRIEBOUW CYCLING TEAM 1:02:29.0
20 21 Stefano Viezzi ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH DEVELOPME 1:02:35.0
21 8 Gerben Kuypers PAUWELS SAUZEN – ALTEZ INDUSTRIEBOUW CYCLING TEAM 1:02:50.0
22 38 Lennert Meeusen LRG-CYCLING TEAM 1:04:04.0
23 31 Remon Delnoije TWC DE KEMPEN 1:04:26.0
24 36 Ingmar Uytdewilligen VP CONSULTING CYCLING TEAM 1:04:32.0
25 27 Hannes Degenkolb HEIZOMAT – CUBE 1:04:32.0
26 34 Lorenzo Marasco SEBMOTOBIKES CX TEAM 1:04:33.0
27 46 Ieben Jacobs VP CONSULTING CYCLING TEAM 1:04:43.0
28 40 Bengt Daelmans CYCLIS – ROOFS FOR ENERGY – VA 1:04:48.0
29 20 Andrew Strohmeyer COMPETITIVE EDGE RACING 1:05:09.0
30 30 Lukas Herrmann HEIZOMAT – CUBE 1:05:50.0
31 41 Levi Van Dijk ZRTC THEO MIDDELKAMP 1:06:33.0
32 42 Thomas Verheyen ATAR – VAN GORP PROJECTS CT 1:06:35.0
33 37 Spencer Corder ROTOR RACE TEAM -3 LAPS
34 44 Torben Aerts TEAM KEMPEN CYCLING VZW -4 LAPS
35 39 Jody Mills HUP CC -5 LAPS
36 33 Yuta Okayama OLANDA BASE/WATERSLEY -6 LAPS
37 43 William Lezard MAGSPEED RACING -7 LAPS
DNF 2 Michael Vanthourenhout PAUWELS SAUZEN – ALTEZ INDUSTRIEBOUW CYCLING TEAM DNF
DNF 18 Kryštof Bažant CYKLOSTAR RACING TEAM DNF
DNF 45 Rune Smits CYCLIS – ROOFS FOR ENERGY – VA DNF