Niels Vandeputte wins thrilling finale in Kortrijk for first season victory

Niels Vandeputte has won the Exact Cross in Kortrijk. After an exciting finale, the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider managed to hold off Cameron Mason and Ryan Kamp.

With Cameron Mason, Michael Vanthourenhout, Ryan Kamp, Niels Vandeputte, and Joran Wyseure, despite a packed cyclocross calendar, there were plenty of riders at the start in Kortrijk ready to push each other to the limit. Right from the start, it was clear that none of the riders would have a walk in the park, and that the race could well be decided in the final lap.

Mason immediately showed his eagerness. The British cyclocross rider has been in good form in recent weeks but, despite two second places in Hamme and on the Koppenberg, had yet to make the winning gesture this season. Mason managed early on to shake things up: early in the race, Vanthourenhout, Kamp, Vandeputte, and the surprising Yorben Lauryssen broke away from the rest. Wyseure, meanwhile, had a bad start.

The five riders up front would attract more company as the race progressed. First, Thomas Mein joined the group, and later Viktor Vandenberghe, Anton Ferndinande, and Wyseure also bridged across, so just before the halfway mark, we had as many as ten riders leading the race.

Cross remains thrilling until the last lap, Vanthourenhout crashes
Several riders showed their intent in the second half of the race. Lauryssen launched several accelerations, while we also saw Kamp and Vanthourenhout making various attacks. In the penultimate lap, seven riders were still battling at the front for the win, with Kamp, Mason, Vandeputte, and Vanthourenhout appearing strongest.

Vanthourenhout, however, would not win. The Belgian crashed just before the final lap started and was unable to return to the group. Mason, Vandeputte, and Kamp then broke away – setting up a fierce battle. For a full five minutes, the three contenders gave it their all to secure the victory, but in the end, it was the lightning-fast Vandeputte whose powerful final lap was enough to claim his first win of the season.