Vanthourenhout dominates the opening round of the Telenet Superprestige in Overijse

Michael Vanthourenhout was the fastest rider in the season opener of the Telenet Superprestige in Overijse. He crossed the finish line solo after a race that remained tightly contested for a long time. With two laps to go, he launched the decisive attack and went on to take the victory. Witse Meeussen and Niels Vandeputte joined him on the podium.

Following the official start of the Telenet Superprestige, Gerben Kuypers (Pauwels Sauzen – Altez Industriebouw) was the quickest to sprint into the fields. Last year’s winner in Overijse, Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen – Altez Industriebouw), had a less successful start and crossed the line in tenth place at the end of the opening lap.

The first real split in the race did not come until the second lap. Driven by Kuypers, a group of four riders, also featuring Mason (Seven Racing), Kuhn (Heizmat – Cube) and Meeussen (Crelan - Corendon), briefly pulled clear of the rest. Niels Vandeputte (Alpecin – Premier Tech) responded, closing the gap and bringing the rest of the peloton with him.

After his difficult start, Vanthourenhout moved to the front for the first time on lap three. He tried to accelerate on several occasions but was unable to break away. The field remained tightly packed halfway through the race. Mason, Meeussen, Vanthourenhout, Kuypers and Kuhn tried to raise the pace, gradually thinning out the peloton on lap five. Vandeputte and Mason also managed to bridge the gap to the leaders. A group of seven riders then started the sixth lap together.

With two laps to go, the race took a decisive turn. Following a crash involving Wyseure and a mechanical problem for Kuypers, Vandeputte, Vanthourenhout and Kuhn seized their opportunity. The trio rode away together, but when Vanthourenhout accelerated hard on the climb, nobody could match his pace.

Vanthourenhout continued to extend his lead on the penultimate lap. With an advantage of around thirty seconds, he heard the bell signalling the final lap. After nine laps, he proved to be the strongest rider, crossing the finish line solo. Following a thrilling battle for the remaining podium places, Meeussen secured second place, with Niels Vandeputte completing the podium. Vanthourenhout thus claimed his third victory in Overijse.