Van der Haar prevails in Gieten

Lars van der Haar (Rabobank-Giant Off Road Team) won the fifth round of the Superprestige Series in Gieten, The Netherlands. The European U23 'cross champion outsprinted a large front group which stayed together throughout the event. Belgium's Vincent Baestaens (Telenet-Fidea) finished second while Tijmen Eising (Sunweb-Revor) rounded out the top three in third.

Eising and Mike Teunissen (Rabobank-Giant Off Road Team) were the most aggressive during the race, but neither was able to force a selection heading into the finale.

"When it comes to sprints, I do stand my ground," said Van der Haar. "I ended up in second position on the road and then I knew it was as good as won. It was a nice end to a nervous match in which too many riders were in the leading group."

The victory was doubly good for Van der Haar as the Dutchman moved into the Superprestige Series lead by one point over previous leader Jim Aernouts (BKCP-Powerplus). Aernouts, the Belgian U23 'cross champion, could only manage a ninth place finish in Gieten and surrendered the lead by the slimmest of margins.