Joris Nieuwenhuis (Ridley Racing Team) and Laurens Sweeck (Crelan-Corendon) were left reflecting on a missed opportunity after they podiumed at the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup in Terralba, Sardinia.
Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriedbouw) had the perfect last lap tactics as he held the front position and sprinted to victory after a close race.
With series leader and winner of the opening two rounds, Thibau Nys, one of several big names absent, it opened the door for the 35 starters in Sardinia to take a big win.
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Hard ground on large sections of the Sardinia course made for close racing as a leading group of 11 riders jostled for position throughout.
The race fragmented on the penultimate lap before Vanthourenhout held the front from Nieuwenhuis and Sweeck to take his first World Cup win in a year.
Nieuwenhuis finished just a second behind as his search for a second World Cup continues – his only win coming in Val di Sole two years ago.
“It was quite a hard race in the end because I had a good feeling that me and Michael [Vanthourenhout] were the best in the race at the start,” said Nieuwenhuis.
“We tried to get away but it was quite hard. I tried to defend my position all the time and hoped to do something in the last lap.
“Michael was a bit stronger, second. I think Michael got a bit better of a line and a bit better legs. He just got the better of me in the end.”
All of last weekend’s podium in Flamanville were absent in Sardinia, with Nys joined on a training camp in Calpe by Baloise Glowi Lions team-mate Lars Van der Haar and Cameron Mason also sitting out this round.
Other riders missing were Toon Aerts, Jente Michels, Ryan Kamp and Emiel Verstrynge.
Pim Ronhaar was the only Baloise Glowi Lions rider in the leading group and jostled into corners with Sweeck.
In the closing stages, a puncture at a key moment ended Ronhaar’s chances as the leading three rode clear.
Sweeck said that the fast nature of the course meant that it was a ‘fight after every corner’ for position after he narrowly missed out on victory.
“It was only a few seconds,” said Sweeck as his search for a first World Cup win in three years continues.
“I was in a good position on the last lap, but in the end it was a tactical move from Michael in the mud that made the difference.
“It was just a case of sitting as forward as possible, continuously. And then to waste as little energy as possible.
“I preferred to sit first or second, but everyone thought the same, and it was just fighting after every corner.
“In that last lap, I actually made a good passage, but Joris [Nieuwenhuis] held back a bit, and I was stuck on the outside and Michael [Vanthourenhout] comes through.
“And in the end, that turns out to be the decisive move. It was very difficult to make a real difference today. On those long sections, it always came back together.”
Despite missing the third round, Nys remains the World Cup series leader heading into next weekend’s fourth round in Namur.
Eric Braes, sports director at Baloise Glowi Lions, said that his riders made their own decisions on which races they decide to miss in preparation for the busy Christmas period.
“We have not organised a training camp with the team ourselves, we only do that for the World Championships,” he told Wielerflits
“We have left each rider free to how they want to fill in this period. It's not that every rider is necessarily exhausted, but if you want to get through the rest of the season and the Christmas period, this is the perfect time to pick up those long endurance training sessions again.
“Every rider can use that, even if it's just to cycle in better weather. The body responds better to this and that promotes recovery. You really shouldn't underestimate how important that is for the cyclocross riders.
"You have to make choices somewhere, and I think they are mainly personal. It is a matter of deliberation where you skip, and we make the best choice for every rider.”
