Superprestige 2022 – 7 – GAVERE [FULL RACE]

February 12, 2022

Superprestige 2022 – 7 – GAVERE

Superprestige 2021-2022 is the 40th edition of Superprestige, a competition that takes place between October 3, 2021 and February 12, 2022. The challenge consists of eight rounds for the men’s, women’s elites, U23 and junior elites held in Belgium and the Netherlands. All events are part of the 2021-2022 men’s and women’s cyclo-cross season calendar.

Lars van der Haar (Baloise Trek Lions) landed his first win since taking the Dutch cyclo-cross title a month ago at the final round of Telenet Superprestige in Gavere on Saturday. The European ‘cross champion made an aggressive move halfway through the contest to distance himself from all chasers and win by more than a minute ahead of Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal), and another 32 seconds ahead of teammate Toon Aerts.

Iserbyt sealed the overall title in the season-long series with a total of 97 points, a five-point advantage over Aerts. Van der Haar closed with 80 series points for third place overall. It was the first overall title at Superprestige for Iserbyt.

“I am happy that I finally achieved that overall victory in the Superprestige. So I can already check that off my bucket list,” Iserbyt said after the race to HLN.be.

Iserbyt won three of the seven Superprestige races held this season – Ruddervoorde, Jaarmarktcross and Merksplas – and was on the podium in two other contests. He also won the World Cup title in 2022.

Van der Haar was out for his first win of the series, and third victory of the season, having added the Dutch title in January to his European Cyclo-cross Championships victory.

“I felt very good from the start. In the end it became a hefty and long endurance training,” Van der Haar said after the races to HLN.be. “At some point I picked up the pace. I went for a win and if necessary I could make the game tough for Toon Aerts.”

A silver medallist at the World Championships in Fayetteville, Van der Haar said the conditions were in his favour, as the course was not its typical heavy mud like past editions and what mud had been there for the women’s race had dried out.

Aerts took the hole shot and would soon fall back in line behind Toon Vandebosch (Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal) with Iserbyt and teammate Michael Vanthourenhout, Aerts and Daan Soete (Deschacht-Group Hens-Containers Maes) forming a chasing group.

On the third lap Iserbyt lost his balance on a descent and tumbled to the ground, telling Dutch media “I was even groggy for a while but wanted to drive on straight away.” He reconnected at the front to the Baloise Trek Lions duo of Van der Haar and Aerts.

Van der Haar tried to make separation on the fourth lap, putting in an extra effort at the front. By the next lap, he had a clear gap on Iserbyt and continued to extend his lead.

Meanwhile, Aerts was the next rider to launch an attack by the seventh lap, but Iserbyt matched the power to keep him in sight, then struck out on his own by the bell lap.

Results :
1 Lars van der Haar (Ned) Baloise Trek Lions 0:59:08
2 Eli Iserbyt (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal 0:01:08
3 Toon Aerts (Bel) Baloise Trek Lions 0:01:40
4 Michael Vanthourenhout (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal 0:01:45
5 Daan Soete (Bel) CX Team Deschacht-Group Hens-Containers Maes 0:02:16
6 Kevin Kuhn (Swi) Tormans Cyclo Cross Team 0:02:30
7 Timon Rüegg (Swi) Cross Team Legendre 0:02:35
8 Joran Wyseure (Bel) Tormans Cyclo Cross Team 0:02:59
9 Ryan Kamp (Ned) Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal 0:03:17
10 Toon Vandebosch (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal 0:04:04
11 Yentl Bekaert (Bel) Baloise Trek Lions 0:04:16
12 Théo Thomas (Fra) Tormans Cyclo Cross Team 0:04:17
13 David Menut (Fra) Cross Team Legendre 0:04:50
14 Thijs Aerts (Bel) Baloise Trek Lions 0:05:06
15 Gilles Mottiez (Swi) Cross Team Legendre 0:05:10
16 Pim Ronhaar (Ned) Baloise Trek Lions 0:05:26
17 Marcel Meisen (Ger) 0:05:35
18 Timo Kielich (Bel) Iko – Crelan 0:05:39
19 Lennert Belmans (Bel) Iko – Crelan 0:06:01
20 Bailey Groenendaal (Ned) 0:06:15
21 Lorenzo Masciarelli (Ita) Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal 0:06:25
22 Antoine Huby (Fra) Cross Team Legendre 0:06:59
23 Stan Godrie (Ned)
24 Wout Vervoort (Bel)
25 Lukas Vanderlinden (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal
26 Kenneth van Compernolle (Bel)
27 Mickaël Crispin (Fra) Cross Team Legendre
28 Nicola Parenti (Ita)
29 Jonathan Anderson (USA)
30 Pieter Pauwels (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal
31 Silas Schmid (Swi)
32 Tetsuki Kaji (Jpn)
DNF Laurens Sweeck (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal
DNF Corne van Kessel (Ned) Tormans Cyclo Cross Team
DNF Felipe Orts Lloret (Spa)
DNF Mees Hendrikx (Ned) Iko – Crelan
DNF Jens Adams (Bel)
DNF Thomas Mein (GBr) Tormans Cyclo Cross Team
DNF Noé Castille (Fra) Cross Team Legendre
DNF Thomas Verheyen (Bel)