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Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) continued his robust run of type to see off the problem of Pim Ronhaar (Trek-Baloise Lions) and win the X20 Badkamers collection race in Herentals.
The second half of the race noticed a decent battle between Vanthourenhout, Ronhaar and Laurens Sweeck (Crelan–Corendon). A final-lap acceleration by Vanthourenhout put away his two rivals, with the Belgian successful a second successive race after victory on the UCI World Cup in Dublin two weeks in the past.
Though the 31-year-old seemed to be the strongest for a lot of the race, it was a tactical battle, influenced by the slippy situations underfoot. Vanthourenhout had studied the important thing sections of what’s nonetheless a comparatively new cyclocross race intimately, and put that to his benefit.
“It was a very nice day. I loved the race. I might really feel I used to be the strongest and I put every thing into the ultimate lap. I knew I needed to go full gasoline however it was a very nice victory,” Vanthourenhout stated after the end.
“The final time up the skiberg I knew it was my second. From the highest to the underside was simply technical sections and downhill. So if I keep on the entrance within the first place on the highest it is tough to lose the race.”
Following his second December victory, Vanthourenhout is seeking to proceed his momentum into the next a part of the cyclocross calendar, beginning with the World Cup in Namur on Sunday.
“First I have to get well from right this moment. Tomorrow is one in all my favorite races in Namur so I am trying ahead to it.”
“I am very proud of my season to date. The Christmas interval may be very busy so I hope to have good legs on this a part of the season,” Vanthourenhout added.
The way it Unfolded
With the muddy Herentals course reduce up after a weekend of racing previous the elite males, the beginning was to be key for the 2024 Herentals spherical of the X20 Badkamers Trofee.
It was Toon Aerts who made the perfect of the early working, accelerating away to take a major lead on the primary lap and taking bonus seconds within the general collection competitors by crossing the road first after lap one.
In lap two, Eli Iserbyt was pushing on to eat into Aerts’ benefit, however hit his shoulder on the side-barrier heading spherical a proper bend.
Aerts was caught and handed by each Vanthourenhout and Sweeck, who had distanced him by the tip of the second lap, as had a pursuing Ronhaar. Aerts seemed to be paying for his early efforts.
Vanthourenhout and Sweeck had been later joined on the entrance by Ronhaar and Niels Vandeputte, with a bunch of 5 not far behind.
Ronhaar pushed on by a hilly part to distance his Belgian companions and was seven seconds forward shifting into the second-half of the race. Vanthourenhout joined Ronhaar on the entrance of the race, with Sweeck taking a while to make his approach again to type a number one three for the race’s finale.
The three had been locked collectively using by the bell to suggest the ultimate lap, with Iserbyt, Vandeputte and Lars van der Haar half a minute behind.
Vanthourenhout stretched issues out within the early phases of the final lap and appeared the strongest of the trio. His tempo was an excessive amount of for Sweeck and Ronhaar, notably taking the benefit on the essential, steep Skiberg. The Belgian stretched clear, with Ronhaar pursuing.
Vanthourenhout powered on to take victory for the primary time in Herentals, with Ronhaar second and Sweeck third.
Outcomes
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