Niels Vandeputte takes revenge with win in Exact Cross Maldegem after world championships

Niels Vandeputte won the Exact Cross Maldegem. After a tight race, the Alpecin-Premier Tech rider made his move in the final lap. Joran Wyseure finished second, Felipe Orts came in third.

Those looking to redeem themselves after the Cyclo-cross World Championships have long turned to the Parkcross of Maldegem for their chance at redemption. This year, Niels Vandeputte, who was disappointed by illness in Hulst, got the opportunity to wash away the bitter taste from last Sunday. He competed against riders including Michael Vanthourenhout and Felipe Orts.

Hardly any separation
While Kevin Kuhn was the first to enter the course, Vanthourenhout did not get off to a strong start. However, it didn’t really matter much, because after the first of eleven laps, a large group was still together. Vandeputte soon took control at the front of this peloton. He increased the pace, but this didn’t lead to much separation for the time being. Only a few riders at the back had to drop off.

In the following laps, we saw mainly Vanthourenhout, Orts, and Gerben Kuypers pushing the pace. Vandeputte watched from a distance, along with Ryan Kamp. They were also a bit behind when Orts made a mistake in the sand pit, allowing Kuypers and Vanthourenhout to gain a gap. However, the Spanish champion quickly fixed the situation. The rest of the group also managed to return.

Finally some separation
In the eighth lap, some difference appeared after a crash by Kuypers, which dashed his own chances. His teammate Vanthourenhout was now on his own and immediately launched an attack. Still, escaping was not yet successful. Vandeputte then took the lead and put the others under pressure. Vanthourenhout, who was in third position behind Wyseure, subsequently went over the bars in the sand. This finally led to larger gaps.

Vandeputte rode away with Wyseure, with Orts the only one able to bridge across. These three would battle it out for the win. As often, Vandeputte had a very strong final lap in his legs and secured the victory. Wyseure took second place, Orts finished third.