Cant wins in Middelkerke, seals Superprestige overall victory

World champion Sanne Cant wins Belgian cyclo-cross tittle

World champion Sanne Cant wins Belgian cyclo-cross tittle (Image credit: Tim de Waele)

Sanne Cant (Iko-Beobank) won the final round of the Superprestige Ladies Trophy in Middelkerke, sealing her overall victory in the competition. Maud Kaptheijns (Crelan-Charles), her main rival for the title, finished in second place 12 seconds later. Laura Verdonschot (Marlux-Bingoal) won the sprint for third place, 48 seconds down.

Going into the race, Cant (92) led Kaptheijns (91) by just one point in the rankings, and a win for either woman would seal the overall title. Kaptheijns had started out strong, winning the first four rounds of the Superprestige, while Cant had won the previous two rounds.

The duo had the best start of the field, setting the tone for the race, set on a mud and sand course beyond the North Sea sand dunes.

It didn’t take long for the groups to sort themselves, with Kaptheijns and Cant in the lead. A handful of seconds further back Verdonschot, Ellen Van Loy (Telenet-Fidea Lions), Loes Sels (Crelan-Charles) and Ceylin Del Carmen Alvarado (Corendon-Circus) formed an elite chase group.

Kaptheijns looked potentially the strongest in the early stages, riding through the toughest sand sections where oth-ers, including Cant, were forced to run. At the midway point of the race, with the chasers 30 second back, it was time for moves to be made up front.

On lap three, Cant powered away Kaptheijns on the twisting early section, but couldn’t hold the gap, leading to a back-and-forth battle on that lap and the penultimate lap four. At that point Cant looked to be in control, with Kaptheijns unable to get any real advantage.

The beginning of lap five saw the decisive move. On the same section as she had two laps earlier, Cant got a gap, and this time it was a race-deciding one. The battle for third place had seen the chasers reduced to Del Carmen Al-varado, Sels and 21-year-old Verdonschot, with the latter prevailing in a sprint to the line.

The main glory - and her third Superprestige title - went to Cant though, capping

Results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Sanne Cant (Bel)0:40:23
2Maud Kaptheijns (Ned) Crelan - Charles0:00:12
3Laura Verdonschot (Bel) Marlux - Bingoal0:00:48
4Ceylin Del Carmen Alvarado (Ned) Corendon - Circus0:00:50
5Loes Sels (Bel) Crelan - Charles0:00:52
6Kim Van De Steene (Bel) Tarteletto - Isorex0:01:08
7Ellen Van Loy (Bel) Telenet Fidea Lions0:01:41
8Joyce Vanderbeken (Bel)0:01:47
9Jolien Verschueren (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen - Vastgoedservice0:01:55
10Nikki Brammeier (GBr)0:02:03
11Annemarie Worst (Ned) Era-Circus0:02:19
12Karen Verhestraeten (Bel)0:02:47
13Elle Anderson (USA)0:02:53
14Manon Bakker (Ned)0:02:57
15Denise Betsema (Ned)0:03:10
16Pauline Delhaye (Fra)0:03:31
17Rebecca Fahringer (USA)0:04:28
18Veerle Goossens (Ned)0:05:14
19Jinse Peeters (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen - Vastgoedservice0:05:18
20Suzanne Verhoeven (Bel)0:05:46
21Marthe Truyen (Bel)0:06:07
22Irene Gerritsen (Ned)0:06:44
23Kim Van De Putte (Bel)0:06:55
24Shana Maes (Bel)0:07:54
25Anja Nobus (Bel)0:07:59
26Lise Van Wunsel (Bel)0:09:26
27Meg De Bruyne (Bel)Row 26 - Cell 2
28Corey Coogan Cisek (USA)Row 27 - Cell 2
29Alicia Franck (Bel) Marlux - BingoalRow 28 - Cell 2
30Tine Rombouts (Bel)Row 29 - Cell 2
31Christine Vardaros (USA)Row 30 - Cell 2
32Jo Blanchaert (Bel)Row 31 - Cell 2
DNFAlice Maria Arzuffi (Ita) Steylaerts - BetfirstRow 32 - Cell 2
DNFFleur Nagengast (Ned) Telenet Fidea LionsRow 33 - Cell 2
DNFJana Dobbelaere (Bel)Row 34 - Cell 2
DNFMargriet Kloppenburg (Den)Row 35 - Cell 2

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Daniel Ostanek
Production editor

Daniel Ostanek is production editor at Cyclingnews, having joined in 2017 as a freelance contributor and later being hired as staff writer. Prior to joining the team, he had written for most major publications in the cycling world, including CyclingWeekly, Rouleur, and CyclingTips.

 

Daniel has reported from the world's top races, including the Tour de France and the spring Classics, and has interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars, including Wout van Aert, Remco Evenepoel, Demi Vollering, and Anna van der Breggen.

 

As well as original reporting, news and feature writing, and production work, Daniel also runs The Leadout newsletter and oversees How to Watch guides throughout the season. His favourite races are Strade Bianche and the Volta a Portugal, and he rides a Colnago C40.

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