Ruddervoorde provides the setting for Joran Wyseure’s first Telenet Superprestige victory

Joran Wyseure recorded his first-ever victory in the Telenet Superprestige in Ruddervoorde. The rider from West Flanders went on the attack with two laps to go and managed to hold off Niels Vandeputte and European champion Michael Vanthourenhout.

Niels Vandeputte (Alpecin-Deceuninck) had the best start in Ruddervoorde. Together with Joran Wyseure (Crelan-Corendon), Kevin Kuhn (Charles Liégeois Roastery CX) and European champion Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen - Bingoal), by the end of the first lap, he had built up a small lead on the rest of the field.

The West Fleming Wyseure clearly felt in his element. He sped up again on lap two and took off alone. Michael Vanthourenhout followed some four seconds behind. For Vandeputte, Kuhn and Nys, the gap was twice as large.

Half a lap later, it was Vanthourenhout who managed to join Wyseure at the head of the race. In the chase, Gerben Kuypers (Charles Liégeois Roastery CX), Niels Vandeputte and Thibau Nys (Baloise Trek Lions) successfully combined their efforts. Going into the fourth lap, we now had five leaders. A little later, Lars van der Haar (Baloise Trek Lions), Felipe Orts (Ridley Cycling Team), Jenthe Michels (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Kevin Kuhn also joined up with this leading group.

Gerben Kuypers was the driving force at the front, but getting away was beyond any of them. Then, with three laps to go, the group seemed to be on the point of breaking up. Vanthourenhout was the only one who could match Kuypers’ tempo. Vandeputte, Wyseure and Van der Haar followed a few seconds behind, but half a lap later the accordion closed again.

The next to try his luck was Joran Wyseure. Coming through the finishing point, he had built up a nice lead on his competitors. In the meantime, a downpour had made the course increasingly slippery.

Wyseure started the final lap with a 12-second lead on Michael Vanthourenhout, but he went down a few turns later. Vanthourenhout and Vandeputte came awfully close, but Wyseure was able to complete his solo successfully. And so he achieved his first victory in the Telenet Superprestige in Ruddervoorde. Vandeputte and Vanthourenhout took the other places on the podium.