The Pauwel Sauzen – Bingoal team came in to the Superprestige Finale with hopes of overcoming Toon Aert’s five-point lead over Eli Iserbyt.
After lap one, all was going to plan:
Behind the pressure was getting to Toon Aerts (Telenet Baloise Lions).
Could the Pauwel Sauzen team sacrifice individual chances of victory to help Iserbyt claim the overall?
Soon Sweck then Vanthourenhout answered that question.
While the Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal team celebrated a podium sweep, tensions among the teammates were high. Had his teammates let him win, Iserbyt would have taken the overall crown.
“From half the race it also became more difficult for me. I didn’t have a super day, but maybe we could do better with the team to take the overall victory,” said Iserbyt after the race (translated).
Teammate Vanthourenhout basically admitted as much, saying, “We looked at it for the overall victory, but in the last two laps it was every for himself.” (translated)
American Jonathan Anderson finished 44th, while Canadian Cameron Jette finished 46th.
See the race and overall series results below.
2021 Superprestige Middelkerke Results: Elite Men
| Rank | BIB | Rider | Nation | Team | Age | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | SWEECK Laurens | BEL | PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL | 28 | 0:59:49 |
| 2 | 3 | VANTHOURENHOUT Michael | BEL | PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL | 28 | 0:59:50 |
| 3 | 1 | ISERBYT Eli | BEL | PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL | 24 | 1:00:41 |
| 4 | 7 | VAN KESSEL Corne | NED | TORMANS CYCLO CROSS TEAM | 30 | 1:01:12 |
| 5 | 5 | VAN DER HAAR Lars | NED | BALOISE TREK LIONS | 30 | 1:01:40 |
| 6 | 2 | AERTS Toon | BEL | BALOISE TREK LIONS | 28 | 1:01:56 |
| 7 | 8 | ORTS LLORET Felipe | ESP | TEIKA-BH-GSPORT | 26 | 1:02:08 |
| 8 | 6 | HERMANS Quinten | BEL | TORMANS CYCLO CROSS TEAM | 26 | 1:02:26 |
| 9 | 25 | VANDEPUTTE Niels | BEL | ALPECIN - FENIX | 21 | 1:02:31 |
| 10 | 9 | KUHN Kevin | SUI | TORMANS CYCLO CROSS TEAM | 23 | 1:02:31 |
| 11 | 11 | KAMP Ryan | NED | PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL | 21 | 1:02:31 |
| 12 | 35 | VERSTRYNGE Emiel | BEL | TORMANS CYCLO CROSS TEAM | 19 | 1:02:50 |
| 13 | 23 | AERNOUTS Jim | BEL | BALOISE TREK LIONS | 32 | 1:03:06 |
| 14 | 22 | LOOCKX Lander | BEL | GROUP HENS - MAES CONTAINERS | 24 | 1:03:10 |
| 15 | 14 | RÜEGG Timon | SUI | CROSS TEAM LEGENDRE | 25 | 1:03:10 |
| 16 | 17 | RONHAAR Pim | NED | PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL | 20 | 1:03:48 |
| 17 | 29 | VANDEBOSCH Toon | BEL | PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL | 22 | 1:04:07 |
| 18 | 10 | SOETE Daan | BEL | GROUP HENS - MAES CONTAINERS | 27 | 1:04:27 |
| 19 | 38 | WYSEURE Joran | BEL | 20 | 1:04:27 | |
| 20 | 20 | ADAMS Jens | BEL | 29 | 1:04:45 | |
| 21 | 31 | FERDINANDE Anton | BEL | PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL | 21 | 1:04:51 |
| 22 | 16 | MENUT David | FRA | CROSS TEAM LEGENDRE | 29 | 1:04:55 |
| 23 | 36 | BEKAERT Yentl | BEL | BALOISE TREK LIONS | 22 | 1:05:07 |
| 24 | 19 | CHAINEL Steve | FRA | CROSS TEAM LEGENDRE | 38 | 1:05:46 |
| 25 | 21 | MEEUSEN Tom | BEL | GROUP HENS - MAES CONTAINERS | 33 | 1:05:54 |
| 26 | 27 | ROUILLER Loris | SUI | ALPECIN - FENIX | 21 | 1:05:57 |
| 27 | 41 | THOMAS Théo | FRA | TORMANS CYCLO CROSS TEAM | 20 | 1:06:10 |
| 28 | 13 | SUAREZ FERNANDEZ Kevin | ESP | NESTA - SKODA ALECAR CX TEAM | 27 | 1:06:16 |
| 29 | 26 | KIELICH Timo | BEL | CREDISHOP-FRISTADS | 22 | 1:06:25 |
| 30 | 46 | UYTDEWILLIGEN Ingmar | BEL | 30 | 1:06:31 | |
| 31 | 45 | VERVOORT Wout | BEL | 20 | 1:06:50 | |
| 32 | 12 | BAESTAENS Vincent | BEL | GROUP HENS - MAES CONTAINERS | 32 | 1:07:13 |
| 33 | 48 | MEEUSSEN Witse | BEL | PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL | 20 | 1:07:19 |
| 34 | 47 | NYS Thibau | BEL | BALOISE TREK LIONS | 19 | 1:07:34 |
| 35 | 34 | VRACHTEN Arne | BEL | 22 | 1:08:15 | |
| 36 | 33 | VAN DEN BROECK Arno | BEL | 21 | 1:08:53 | |
| 37 | 40 | DEJONGHE Len | BEL | GROUP HENS - MAES CONTAINERS | 21 | -1 LAP |
| 38 | 51 | GROENEN Klaas | NED | 27 | -2 LAPS | |
| 39 | 57 | BELMANS Lennert | BEL | IKO - CRELAN | 19 | -2 LAPS |
| 40 | 49 | VAN DIJKE Koen | NED | 25 | -2 LAPS | |
| 41 | 56 | PEMEN Dolf | BEL | PROXIMUS - ALPHAMOTORHOMES - DOLTCINI CT | 21 | -3 LAPS |
| 42 | 55 | HUYBS Ward | BEL | BALOISE TREK LIONS | 19 | -3 LAPS |
| 43 | 53 | GABRIEL Timothé | FRA | 19 | -3 LAPS | |
| 44 | 43 | ANDERSON Jonathan | USA | 25 | -3 LAPS | |
| 45 | 58 | LAEVENS Justin | BEL | PROXIMUS - ALPHAMOTORHOMES - DOLTCINI CT | 20 | -4 LAPS |
| 46 | 39 | JETTE Cameron | CAN | 34 | -4 LAPS | |
| 47 | 59 | SALOMEZ Ydris | BEL | PROXIMUS - ALPHAMOTORHOMES - DOLTCINI CT | 20 | -4 LAPS |
| 48 | 52 | OGER Vincent | BEL | 27 | -5 LAPS | |
| 15 | SWEECK Diether | BEL | CREDISHOP-FRISTADS | 28 | DNF | |
| 50 | ALDERWEIRELD Robin | BEL | 25 | DNF |
2020-2021 Superprestige Cyclocross Series Final Overall: Elite Men
| Pl | Rider | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toon Aerts (Bel) | 99 |
| 2 | Eli Iserbyt (Bel) | 97 |
| 3 | Michael Vanthourenhout (Bel) | 94 |
| 4 | Laurens Sweeck (Bel) | 93 |
| 5 | Lars van der Haar (Ned) | 89 |
| 6 | Corné van Kessel (Ned) | 83 |
| 7 | Daan Soete (Bel) | 48 |
| 8 | Quinten Hermans (Bel) | 44 |
| 9 | Ryan Kamp (Ned) | 39 |
| 10 | Felipe Orts Lloret (Spa) | 35 |
| 11 | Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) | 29 |
| Thomas Pidcock (GBr) | 29 | |
| 13 | Wout van Aert (Bel) | 26 |
| 14 | Niels Vandeputte (Bel) | 21 |
| 15 | Vincent Baestaens (Bel) | 14 |
| 16 | Thijs Aerts (Bel) | 13 |
| 17 | Pim Ronhaar (Ned) | 11 |
| 18 | Tom Meeusen (Bel) | 9 |
| Diether Sweeck (Bel) | 9 | |
| Kevin Kuhn (Zwi) | 9 | |
| 21 | Timo Kielich (Bel) | 8 |
| Gianni Vermeersch (Bel) | 8 | |
| Jim Aernouts (Bel) | 8 | |
| 24 | Thomas Mein (GBr) | 7 |
| 25 | Marcel Meisen (Dui) | 5 |
| Toon Vandebosch (Bel) | 5 | |
| Nicolas Cleppe (Bel) | 5 | |
| 28 | Jelle Camps (Bel) | 4 |
| Emiel Verstrynge (Bel) | 4 | |
| 30 | Anton Ferdinande (Bel) | 3 |
| Ben Turner (GBr) | 3 | |
| 32 | Yentl Bekaert (Bel) | 2 |
| David van der Poel (Ned) | 2 | |
| Lander Loockx (Bel) | 2 | |
| 35 | Thibau Nys (Bel) | 1 |
| Tim Merlier (Bel) | 1 | |
| Timon Rüegg (Zwi) | 1 |
