Joris Nieuwenhuis, Pim Ronhaar, and Laurens Sweeck will not look back fondly on the Superprestige in Heusden-Zolder. The three cyclocross riders were unable to play a significant role in the race and unexpectedly hit the brakes for reasons that remain unclear.
Nieuwenhuis had a decent start in Heusden-Zolder, but the Ridley team leader fell to the back due to mechanical trouble—which required a bike change—and was unable to recover from this setback.
Ronhaar was off the radar for the entire race; the Baloise Glowi Lions rider got off to a very poor start and never managed to fight his way forward. Ronhaar has been quite inconsistent in recent weeks, alternating strong races (including a fourth place in Antwerp) with off-days.
Sweeck also had a slow start and was never able to take a leading role in a race that usually suits him perfectly. It’s still unclear why the Crelan-Corendon Belgian hit the brakes, but Sweeck has raced three consecutive sand events in recent days.
Telenet Superprestige Heusden-Zolder
