Vanthourenhout triumphs again in Overijse after Ruddervoorde win
For the second week in a row, Michael Vanthourenhout proved to be the strongest rider in the Telenet Superprestige. He rode to a solo victory ahead of Ronhaar and Verstrynge.
There was drama right from the start. The peloton had barely entered the field when Toon Aerts (Deschacht–Hens CX Team) was forced to put a foot down. A chain issue sent him on foot to the pit area, where, after changing bikes, he already faced a deficit of over a minute.
At the front, it was Ronhaar (Baloise Glowi Lions) who set the pace in the third lap. His acceleration split the large group apart. Together with Verstrynge (Crelan–Corendon) and Vandeputte (Alpecin–Deceuninck Development Team), he opened up a 7-second gap on riders including Nieuwenhuis (Ridley Racing Team), Van der Haar (Baloise Glowi Lions) and Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen–Altez Industriebouw Cycling Team).
Ronhaar kept the pressure high and tried to break away solo, but without success. Midway through the race, Vandeputte, Nieuwenhuis, Vanthourenhout and Mason (Seven Racing) managed to bridge across to him. A four-man battle seemed imminent, but by the end of lap five, the front group came back together.
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That was the cue for Ronhaar to attack again. The Dutchman once more carved out a small lead. Vanthourenhout and Mason were the first chasers, but after a brief mistake by Mason, only Vanthourenhout could latch onto Ronhaar’s wheel. With three laps to go, it was mainly Ronhaar setting the pace in the lead group.
In the penultimate lap, Vanthourenhout showed his hand for the first time. While Nieuwenhuis was controlling the chase behind, Vanthourenhout launched another acceleration, though Ronhaar managed to hold on.
The renewed attacks at the front kept the chasers at bay. In a thrilling final lap, it was Ronhaar who finally cracked. Vanthourenhout powered away to take his second consecutive victory in the Telenet Superprestige. Ronhaar finished seven seconds behind in second place, while Verstrynge completed the podium in third. With this back-to-back win, Vanthourenhout also strengthens his lead in the overall standings.
