Aniek van Alphen solos to victory in Middelkerke's first-ever evening race

Aniek van Alphen claimed victory in the first-ever evening race in Middelkerke. The Dutch rider powered to a solo win after a strong performance and immediately takes over the lead in the Telenet Superprestige. Inge van der Heijden and Denise Betsema completed an all-Dutch podium.

For the first time, Middelkerke hosted an evening cyclocross race. Under the floodlights, the riders faced a technical course featuring plenty of twists and turns.

Amandine Fouquenet (Pauwels Sauzen - Altez Industriebouw CT), last year's winner in Middelkerke, made her presence felt from the start. She took the lead in the opening lap, with Aniek van Alphen (777TV CX Team) settling straight into her wheel. Together, they pushed the pace and tried to break away from the rest of the field.

At the start of the third lap, Van Alphen held a handful of seconds over her closest pursuers. European champion Inge van der Heijden (Crelan - Corendon), Hélène Clauzel  (777TV CX Team) and Denise Betsema (De Ceuster Bouwkranen) tried to close the gap.

At halfway, Van Alphen's advantage remained limited to a handful of seconds, with the chasers keeping the gap under control. With two laps to go, however, the Dutch rider managed to extend her lead to around ten seconds over Van der Heijden and Betsema.

Betsema visibly struggled on the grassy climbs and had to fight hard in the battle for second place against compatriot Van der Heijden. Meanwhile, Van Alphen continued to extend her advantage throughout the penultimate lap. Behind her, an all-Dutch battle for the remaining podium places was unfolding.

Van Alphen started the final lap with a comfortable lead of around twenty seconds. After another difficult passage on the grassy hill, Betsema appeared to have lost her chances of a podium finish. The battle for second place ultimately went in Van der Heijden's favour.

Up front, Van Alphen's victory was never in doubt. After a commanding solo performance, the Dutch rider celebrated her win after just over three-quarters of an hour of racing. Her victory in Middelkerke's first-ever evening race also makes her the new leader of the Telenet Superprestige.