Klaas Vantornout (Sunweb) in action (Image credit: Daniel Simms)
By Brecht Decaluwé
Klaas Vantornout (Sunweb-Projob) pulled off his best performance ever by claiming victory in the fifth Superprestige race of the season. The Belgian endured rain and snow through the soaked meadow in Gieten, The Netherlands to win by a small margin over Bart Wellens (Fidea).
Belgian champion and leader in the Superprestige series Sven Nys (Landbouwkrediet-Tönnisteiner) finished third and retained his lead in the series, but Vantornout now trails by just three points.
"This is why I'm racing. It's extremely hard to win a big race these days as the level is high. My goal this season was to be on the podium as much as possible, and I've already succeeded four times out of only five Superprestige races," Vantornout said. "This course fit me perfectly with its slightly uphill sections with deep mud."
Runner-up Wellens was disappointed after losing the sprint against Vantornout. "More was possible for me. Most of the time, I beat Klaas in the sprints, but I think I was in too big of a gear," said Wellens. "Possibly I lacked the necessary energy in the sprint after closing the gap on him."
