Final CX Oostmalle (Men Elite including U23’s)

The cross-season edition 2020-2021 is over!!!
The cyclocross season ended in Oostmalle under a radiant spring sun. Due to the warm temperatures, the decisive sand strips were very heavy. After a lesser start, Laurens Sweeck leaped forward in lap 2 and leaving Hermans and the front group behind him. Toon Aerts, Eli Iserbyt, and Michael Vanthourenhout all did not have their day. Aerts would eventually become 4th and Vanthourenhout 7th. Iserbyt did not make the top 10 on a circuit he does not like. At the very front, Sweeck completed the laps flawlessly without getting into trouble. Just like last season, he dives into the spring break with a victory. Quinten Hermans and Lars van der Haar completed the last podium of the cross winter. Jim Aernouts, who says goodbye to the sport, finished eighth in his very last cross. After the finish line, he hugged his teammates and thanked everyone dear to him.
1 Laurens Sweeck in 58’49”
2 Quinten Hermans +19″
3 Lars van der Haar +33″
4 Toon Aerts +49″
5 Jens Adams +56″
6 Niels Vandeputte +1’11”
7 Michael Vanthourenhout +1’24”
8 Jim Aernouts +1’31”
9 Daan Soete @ s/t
10 Diether Sweeck +1’32”

Women’s Elite Race

Betsema holds Cant off in Oostmalle!! No more Brand or Alvarado for the last cross of the season and so everyone expected a duel between Betsema, Worst, and Cant. From that trio, we were allowed to cancel Worst quite quickly. First, she was unlucky with her gear, and later in the race, she also fell on her head. Still, she finished 5th. So we got into a battle between Cant and Betsema, not coincidentally two sand specialists. Cant set the pace in the opening phase but had to release the role when she had to get off the bike on a difficult part and Betsema could just continue. With an ultimate effort, the Belgian champion got back on the wheel of Betsema, but that had cost too much effort. Immediately she had to release again, Betsema drove further and further away in the 2nd part of the cross. A 2nd win for Betsema in Oostmalle, and a double for the team Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal
(Top 10 result) International Elite women in Oostmalle:
1) Denise Betsema NL
2) Sanne Cant BEL
3) Inge van der Heijden NL
4) Aniek van Alphen NL
5) Annemarie Worst NL
6) Alicia Franck BEL
7) Loes Sels BEL
8) Fem van Empel NL
9) Alice Maria Arzuffi ITA
10) Marthe Truyen BEL

Jurgen Mettepenningen (Manager Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) told the Belgian national newspaper “Het Nieuwsblad” He wanted to see his Pauwels Sauces-Bingoal win 20 TV crosses!! In the end, it became 23 “It has been a great season,” says Jurgen “Winning 23 times during a live TV broadcast, that’s great. ” “Last season was already a top year with 21 TV victories. Now we have two more, in a season with some cancellations. Just like in previous years, we have therefore achieved our target with bravado. And what really pleases me is that we achieved this with different riders. Our breadth is the strength of our team. We are the team of the season. ” “We are now entering a well-deserved rest period, but are already looking forward to next winter. We will approach them with great confidence. With our trident Eli Iserbyt-Laurens Sweeck-Michael Vanthourenhout among the men, a very talented core of young people, and Denise Betsema, seasonal revelation Fem van Empel and Laura Verdonschot among the women, the future looks very bright. ”