No opposition for Cant in Hoogstraten

Sanne Cant (Enertherm-BKCP) dominated the penultimate round of the Superprestige cyclo-cross series in Hoogstraten, Belgium. Cant won ahead of British champion Helen Wyman (Kona Factory Team) and Jolien Verschueren (Young Telenet-Fidea). It was the 21st win for Cant this season.

“Never before I had so many wins. Also the Superprestige went great. Only in Franchorchamps I wasn’t able to win and in Diegem I was ill. In all other rounds I won,” Cant said.

Cant took control of the race in the second lap on the muddy course when the classic fast starters Wyman, Ellen Van Loy (Young Telenet-Fidea) and this time also Sanne van Paassen (Boels-Dolmans) faded back. Cant, the Belgian and European champion, quickly created a big gap over her rivals.

Van Loy set the pace in the first chase group with teammate Jolien Verschueren working hard to stay on her wheel. Wyman struggled to keep up with the Young Telenet-Fidea duo but kept them in sight. Wyman explained afterwards she struggled to adapt to the tough course in Hoogstraten, compared to the fast one in Lille from Saturday.

During the second half of the race Van Loy faded back. First Verschueren dropped her and little later also Wyman passed the Bpost Bank Trophy winner. Further back Loes Sels (Young Telenet-Fidea) overtook former World Cup winner Sanne van Paassen to move into fifth place. Meanwhile Cant enjoyed a 40 seconds lead over Wyman and Verschueren.

Whether it was Cant who faded or Wyman who gained momentum was unclear but with two laps to go Wyman had halved her deficit on leader Cant. What at first seemed like a stroll in the park became a stressful end of the race for Cant as she crashed just before hitting the final lap, riding into some plastic tape that came lose because of the wind.

Nevertheless Cant stood tall and held off Wyman until the finish line. Wyman was a good runner-up ahead of Verschueren, Van Loy and Sels.

“Suddenly I was on the ground and hurted my left shoulder. For a moment I thought Wyman would overtake me. Luckily the gap was big enough to get the win,” Cant said. Wyman spotted there was a unique chance to beat Cant but she quickly realized that it wasn’t going to happen. “The gap was too big. Briefly I hoped for a small stunt but she was the strongest,” Wyman said.

Last year Nikki Harris won the Aardbeiencross – the strawberry cross - in Hoogstraten ahead of Cant and Verschueren.

The eighth and final round of the Superprestige series is held next week in Middelkerke, Belgium on February 14. There’s no general classification in the elite women's category in the Superprestige series.

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