Back to back World Cup wins for Sweeck in gripping Beekse Bergen race
Iserbyt makes late rally to retain series lead
Both elite races in Sunday’s fifth round of the 2022-2023 UCI Cyclocross World Cup on a new course in Beekse Bergen, the Netherlands turned out to be thrilling affairs, as Laurens Sweeck outsprinted Lars van der Haar for his second series victory in a row. Series leader Eli Iserbyt rallied from being far behind to come fifth and keep his place atop the table, four points ahead of Sweeck. Canadian Cameron Jette placed 45th.
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Iserbyt, winner of the first three rounds, led Round 4 victor Sweeck by 23 points in the standings, with Iserbyt’s Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal teammate and European champion Michael Vanthourenhout third. Van der Haar was looming in fourth.
Cameron Jette kept up the yeoman’s work as sole Canadian.
Swiss champ Kevin Kuhn claimed the hole shot on Lap 1, Sweeck on his 6. Kuhn led the mob through the forest maze. Van der Haar pulled the string over the line. Jette was 44th
Iserbyt was far down the field going into Lap 2. Kuhn’s crash allowed van der Haar and Sweeck to fly free off the front, with Vanthourenhout their closest chaser. The European champ made the junction and the leading trio were nine seconds ahead of Toon Vandebosche at the line. Jette crossed in 45th.
On Lap 3 of 8 the two Dutchmen and one Belgian pulled out a bigger lead before Joris Nieuwenhuis began to chip away at it.
Van der Haar wanted his teammate Nieuwenhuis to link up with him but Vanthourenout and Sweeck did not. Nevertheless, Nieuwenhuis bridged over on Lap 4.
Nieuwenhuis seized the wheel at the start of Lap 5, keeping the Kuhn-Vandebosch-Iserbyt chase 16 seconds in arrears. Van der Haar was the only one in the quartet to run the planks.
Going into Lap 6, Iserbyt was fifth place and 11 seconds back. Could he rally? As soon as be made contact, he crashed.
Iserbyt had to catch back up on the penultimate lap. Van der Haar almost augered in but saved it. Sweeck started to stretch things out at the pointy end of the race. The order was Sweeck, Vanthourenout, van der Haar, Nieuwenhuit, Iserbyt with gaps between them all. The European champion closed to Sweeck. But it was almost all sewn up when they heard the bell.
On the bell lap van der Haar linked up. Vanthourenhout grabbed the reins and tried to put daylight between himself and the others. Iserbyt made the junction but Vanthourenhout kept grinding. It was desperate stuff. Once more the quintet re-formed before the sand. Vanthourenhout continued to drive. Once the five riders reached the tarmac, the sprint was on, and Sweeck was the fastest.
Sweeck also won Friday’s round of the Superprestige series to seize the lead.
The next round is next Sunday in Overijse, Belgium.
2022-2023 UCI Cyclocross World Cup, Round 5, Beekse Bergen
1) Laurens Sweeck (Belgium/Crelan-Fristads) 57:36
2) Lars van der Haar (The Netherlands/Baloise Trek Lions) s.t.
3) Michael Vanthourenhout (Belgium/Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) +0:03
45) Cameron Jette (Canada)
