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Vos back on cyclocross’s top step, winning Superprestige Diegem

Van der Poel tops van Aert under the lights, Kabush 23rd

Seven-time world cyclocross champion Marianne Vos (The Netherlands) earned a cagey, hard-fought victory in Friday’s sixth round of the Superprestige series one week after her return to the sport. Last Saturday, Vos came back after nearly 700-days out of competition to take fifth, and six days later outdueled Sanne Cant and the very in-form Katerina Nash (Czech Republic) under the lights of Diegem, Belgium. In the men’s race, it was another showdown between Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel and Belgian Wout van Aert, with van der Poel continuing his run of good form against his rival.

Vos had to come from the back row, and found herself unable to move up in the big clog the resulted from a treacherous off-camber section soon after the start. Cant and Brit Nikki Brammeier edged ahead and Cant kept pulling out gaps in the sand sections. CrossVegas winner Sophie De Boer (The Netherlands) tangled with another rider trying to pass on the off-camber and crashed.

By the third of five laps, Cant’s main threat came from Vos, Nash and Brammeier. Vos took over the lead and started putting Cant and Nash through the grinder. By the last lap, Vos grabbed more time at the off-camber and then sealed the win in the sand. Cant was runner up and Nash third, the continuation of a fine week for the Czech with a World Cup victory at Namur and third at DVV Scheldecross.

The men’s podium was exactly the same as it was at both Namur and Scheldecross, with Kevin Pauwels once more watching the tail-end of a slugfest between van der Poel and van Aert. The Dutchman has had the measure of his rival in the past four meetings in all three major series: World Cup, Superprestige and DVV Trofee.

Van der Poel was superior in the sand and obstacles and tripped the confetti cannon at the finish a couple of seconds ahead of van Aert. Van der Poel leads the Belgian by four points with two rounds remaining.

Canadians Geoff Kabush and Mark McConnell placed 23rd and 35th respectively. Kabush came 36th and McConnell 51st in Namur.

The next big race in Europe is the World Cup Heusden-Zolder round on Boxing Day.

Superprestige #6 Diagem Elite Women
1) Marianne Vos (The Netherlands/Rabo-Liv) 43:11
2) Sanne Cant (Belgium/Iko Enertherm-Beobank) +0:18
3) Katerina Nash (Czech Republic/Clif Pro Team) +0:34


Superprestige #6 Diagem Elite Men

1) Mathieu van der Poel (The Netherlands/Beobank-Corendon 1:06:22
2) Wout van Aert (Belgium/Crelan-Vastgoedservice) s.t.
3) Kevin Pauwels (Belgium/Marlux-Napoleon Games) +0:24
23) Geoff Kabush (Canada/Scott-3Rox Racing) +5:55
35) Mark McConnell (Canada/Hot Sauce Racing)