Pauwels Sauzen riders skillfully trick the Alpecin ones in Exact Cross Kortrijk

The next Exact Cross series was on the program in a cold Kortrijk. While most Dutch riders, such as Lars van der Haar and Pim Ronhaar, skipped the cyclo-cross race to start Sunday's first World Cup in Antwerp well rested, most of Belgium's top riders were present. So we saw Belgian champion Iserbyt, former European champion Vanthourenhout, Laurens Sweeck, and season revelation Vandeputte on the first row at the start.

Iserbyt was off to a good start and took the lead on the first lap. The other favorites for the win were among the first ten after the start. However, there was a brief gap behind the first three after Joran Wyseure slid. However, he recovered quickly and corrected the situation himself.

Entering the second lap, the first group consisted of eleven men. Among them was also Gerben Kuypers. The Belgian already has several top-ten finishes this season but has yet to make his mark on a cyclo-cross race. That is what he was aiming for in Kortrijk. With a strong acceleration, he reduced the front group to seven riders.

Making a difference on the fast course was challenging, with no real obstacles. Kuypers thus lowered the pace again, causing the front group to grow to ten. Vandeputte then briefly showed himself at the front, but he chose to save his energy for a later moment.

Then Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal launched their well-practiced game. Vanthourenhout went to the front, and Iserbyt carefully created a gap, forcing Vandeputte to chase. The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider eventually closed the gap convincingly.

Vanthourenhout was caught so that Iserbyt could take his chance. The former left a gap, and the Belgian champion immediately took the lead. Again, it was up to the men from Alpecin-Deceuninck to close the gap. In addition to Vandeputte, Jente Michels was also on the front on behalf of the team. However, the work was taken out of their hands, nota bene by Iserbyt. He slid at the beginning of the fourth lap when taking a turn.

Now the game could start all over again. About halfway through, there were seven men left at the front: Iserbyt, Vanthourenhout, Michels, Vandeputte, Kuypers, Wyseure, and the surprising Anton Ferdinande, who usually finds himself between spot ten and twenty. Now, he had a golden opportunity to finish in the top spot.

Meanwhile, it was time for the second round of the Pauwels Sauces Bingoal game. It was Vanthourenhout's turn again, and he created a nice gap thanks to Iserbyt. The young Michels saw the danger and cleverly jumped to the leader. However, Iserbyt was in his wheel.

It was ideal for Iserbyt and Vanthourenhout, but Vandeputte was moving to make things right. However, when Vandeputte joined, Iserbyt attacked his teammate Vanthourenhout, preventing the Alpecin men from responding immediately.

Thus, Iserbyt grabbed a substantial lead, and once again, the Alpecin riders were on the defensive. Vandeputte knew it was all or nothing if he still wanted to win. He picked up the pace and seemed to be closing in, but a mistake meant he lost some seconds to Iserbyt. Vandeputte's mistake seemed to be crucial, as the gap rapidly increased in Iserbyt's favor.

With three laps to go, he had a 15-second lead. On the fast course, that was a significant difference. The Alpecin men also no longer had the confidence and legs to close the gap. They allowed themselves to be passed by Vanthourenhout, who thus reduced the pace even further.

Thus, Iserbyt's lead skyrocketed, and the cards were dealt. Iserbyt won his second cyclo-cross of the season with a nice solo. Earlier, he was the strongest in the Dutch race of Heerderstrand, also part of the Exact Cross. In the second-place battle, Vanthourenhout put pressure on Vandeputte and Michels in the final lap. While Michels had to drop out, Vandeputte defeated Vanthourenhout in the sprint.