HG Cross Heerderstrand: Joran Wyseure outpowers Joris Nieuwenhuis to claim first win of the season

Joran Wyseure (Crelan-Corendon) claimed his first win of the cyclo-cross season on the lake-side course at the HG Cross Heerderstrand in the Netherlands.

In a final-lap duel with defending champion Joris Nieuwenhuis (Heizomat-Cube), the Belgian used his power to full effect in the sand section, taking the longer line close to the water to find traction on the wet sand. The move gave him a few seconds of breathing room, which he steadily extended to seven seconds by the finish line.

Defending champion Niels Vandeputte (Alpecin-Premier Tech) took third, crossing the line, 16 seconds later ahead of Felipe Orts and 18-year-old Giel Lejeune (Alpecin-Premier Tech).

“It means a lot for me. I think every win is special, and it's a nice circuit here. I think it was a nice battle also with Joran and Niels, and I'm really happy I could make it off,” Wyseure said.

As the light changed quickly from red to green, riders on the left-hand side, including Wyseure, Orts, Laurens Sweeck (Crelan-Corendon) and Pim Ronhaart (Baloise Verzekeringer-Het Poetsbureau Lions), seemed not to be paying attention and had a slow start, and only Wyseure and Orts were able to recover to make it to the front of the race.

In the opening rounds of the nine-lap race. The front of the race shuffled and re-shuffled until six riders escaped at the end of the fourth lap, with Nieuwenhuis, Vandeputte, Orts, Mees Hendrikx (Bomba-Join), Lejeune and Wyseure making the front group.

With the sunny and slightly windy conditions drying out the course, riders were taking and testing the two different lines on the deep sand sections, with a shorter inside line and the more compacted sand on the outside, longer line.

At the end of the seventh lap, Wyseure powered to the front and applied pressure, with Hendrixx falling off the pace. He stayed at the front for the next lap, stretching out the group with his high pace until the elastic broke.

With one lap to go, Wyseure and Nieuwenhuis were locked in a duel until Wyseure broke away, giving a final look over his shoulder before speeding down the finishing straight.

Results

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