The battle continues: Just like in the first run of the Super Prestige-Series a thrilling duel between Mathieu van der Poel of Team Beobank-Corendon and current World Champion Wout van Aert was the dominating story of the race in Zonhoven – with the same outcome: In the final lap Dutch Champion van der Poel counters the attack by van Aert and crosses the finish line first.

And also just like two weeks ago at Gieten, Laurens Sweeck, ERA-Circus, finished strong in third place. The very same picture in the women’s Elite category: Sanne Cant of team Enertherm-Beobank wins the second Super Prestige race in front of Jolien Verschueren and Nikki Brammeier on her STEVENS Super Prestige Disc.

In the beginning of the race Mathieu van der Poel had managed to get away on a very sandy course. Wout van Aert was able to catch up only after the first half of the race. From that moment on the two fought and kept each other close – so much so that after a while the first pursuer, Laurens Sweeck was able to come closer. Then van Aert and van der Poel took turns in trying to drop their opponent by repeatedly increasing speed. Shortly before the finish it looked as if the current World Champion would prevail. But Mathieu van der Poel mustered the last of his strength to swoop in on van Art and beat him just before finish line.

Laurens Sweek came in third with quite a gap. ”It was very hard today”, said a panting Mathieu van der Poel after the race, who after the finish was lying on the ground for quite a while gasping for air. ”Lap by lap I felt how I was running out of power. I am so glad that I could win here on my favourite course.”

Laurens Sweeck said after the race that he was not about to settle for third place but he was the only one in the pursuit. ”At first I had to fight back after I made a mistake. But when the two increased tempo I was the only one in the pursuit.” In the home stretch he almost had managed to close the gap but in the end his third place finish was very good.

Michael Boros (ERA-Circus) in place 8, David van der Poel in 9th and Vincent Baestaens in 11th as well as Philipp Walsleben and Dann Hoeyberghs (all Beobank-Corendon) in place 16 and 19 completed the field of well-ranked riders on STEVENS Super Prestige bikes. In the U23 competition Adam Toupalik rode to fifth place.

Sanne Cant also rode to her second victory in the Super Prestige Series. The Enertherm-Corendon rider obviously liked the sandy course very much. ”I think it’s my fourth time to win here”, she said after the race, and: ”I think I rode about the same time for every lap, I really felt good today.”