Superprestige Middelkerke: Joran Wysure steals the win as Michael Vanthourenhout has heated run-in with Cameron Mason

Joran Wysure (Corendon-Crelan) claimed the victory in the nighttime Superprestige Middelkerke, overcoming a series of mishaps to take the high-speed race ahead of series leader Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw). Kevin Kuhn (Heizomat Cube) finished a close third.

The race wasn't without drama, as Cameron Mason (777tv) had a late run-in with Vanthourenhout and endured an earful from the Belgian after the race.

On lap eight of 10, Vanthourenhout tried to keep Mason from passing in a turn before the sand pit, bumping Mason in the shoulder. But he paid for his aggression, losing his balance in the off-camber and losing a few positions. The incident hardly affected the results.

The nighttime Superprestige Middelkerke started with a full field under the lights with Maes Hendrikx (Bomba Join) getting the quickest start when the lights turned green, but he was tailed closely by Vanthourenhout heading into the first corner.

Now the series leader, Vanthourenhout is a top contender for the European championships and was keen to get a top result, but held back in the early laps to save his energy for Sunday.

A crash disrupted the back of the field but at the front, it was Vanthourenhout's teammate Gerben Kuypers who took charge of setting the pace in the first laps. The pace and the numerous short, sharp climbs and technical turns steadily whittled down the number of riders in the leading group, even though there were no major attacks.

Mason took the lead heading into the fifth lap, and his pace made Kuypers suffer. Vanthourenhout took to the front on lap six to let his teammate rejoin, but a surge from Wysure broke things up again but a mistake in the barriers knocked him out of the lead group.

On lap eight, Wysure was still pushing the pace when Vanthourenhout ran into Mason and lost touch with the leading group briefly. Then, it was Mason's turn to tumble on the barriers, but he was quickly back up and riding, and on Vanthourenhout's wheel.

Wysure led at the start of the penultimate lap, with Kuhn, and Jente Michels (Alpecin-Premier Tech) in pursuit. Vanthourenhout found Kuypers again and latched onto Michels' wheel with Mason just behind.

The evening dew caused mayhem again as Wysure slid out in a greasy turn and his spill allowed Kuhn to join him, and it wasn't long before the rest of the chasers were in contact. Kuhn surged into the lead, gaining a second over Wysure who was rattled by the barriers. Kuhn crossed the line at the bell with Wysure and Vanthourenhout on his wheel.

The Corendon-Crelan rider managed to get to the lead, wanting the freedom to pick his own lines and set the pace. He used the downhill sections to gain a few seconds, but Vanthourenhout was on the hunt. Wysure overcame his mental block and cleared the barriers cleanly, he passed the greasy corner without slipping and went into the final stretch with enough of a lead to win the race without a challenge.

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