Wout van Aert fulfills his favorite role in Meulebeke in comfortable style
It had frozen last night and this morning in Meulebeke. Less mud and thus more possibilities for the opponents of Wout van Aert, who could make less use of his phenomenal power on a smooth and dry course. Not so! In the afternoon the surface at Domein Ter Borcht thawed and the course changed into a mudfest! After one minute of the cross, the game was already over. Eli Iserbyt and Michael Vanthourenhout completely missed their start. Wout van Aert does not. Laurens Sweeck led the dance, but soon the 26-year-old Sportsman of the Year took the lead. A position he would never give up. While Iserbyt slipped into the background and left the race halfway through, only one rider could keep up with Van Aert and taken silver Toon Aerts, Michael Vanthourenhout took bronze.
1.Wout van Aert in 1u04’12”
2.Toon Aerts @20″
3.Michael Vanthourenhout @41″
4.Laurens Sweeck @1’12”
5.Tim Merlier @1’56”
6.Gianni Vermeersch @1’59”
7.Quinten Hermans @2’01”
8.Diether Sweeck @2’05”
9.Jim Aernouts @2’40”
10.Daan Soete @2’48”
Sanne Cant solo to victory and takes her 12th title
The women were the first to work at the BK in Meulebeke on Sunday. Sanne Cant started as a big favorite, after eleven previous titles, and immediately fulfilled that role. De Lilse was the first to enter the field, Lotte Kopecky, Belgian champion on the road and against the clock, had started well and followed in her wheel. Alicia Franck, Ellen Van Loy, and Laura Verdonschot followed quickly. On the tricky course, more than a playground cross as in a “normal” edition of the Berencross, Cant quickly made a gorge, although Kopecky offered fierce resistance, with Alicia Franck in the wheel. However, the value ratios quickly became clear: Cant collected about 10 seconds after the first lap, Kopecky followed in the second position, Franck struggled and dropped to third, a place on the podium in sight. For a long time the difference fluctuated around 12 seconds, Cant finally dived into the final lap with an 18 counts lead over the Liv Racing Team rider. Alicia Franck was already at a deficit of 1:22, but the bronze seemed to be safe because Ellen Van Loy and Laura Verdonschot were even further: in 2 minutes they were struggling for fourth place. Cant. Kopecky just did not cause a stunt, she finished 22 seconds later and can proudly look back on her campaign in the field with a silver medal. Alicia Franck completed the podium with bronze.
1 Sanne Cant in 48’40”
2 Lotte Kopecky
3 Alicia Franck
4 Laura Verdonschot
5 Ellen Van Loy
6 Marthe Truyen
7 Loes Sels
8 Suzanne Verhoeven
9 Kiona Crabbé
10 Karen Verhestraeten
