Laurens Sweeck earns sweet victory in third round of Superprestige series
Niels Vandeputte leaps into series lead
Laurens Sweeck was the boss of Monday’s run-and-carry-heavy third round of the Superprestige series in Niel, Belgium. It was his second victory of the season. The man who claimed the last step of the podium, Niels Vandeputte, took over the series lead from Joran Wyseure.
The Series So Far
Although Crelan-Corendon’s Joran Wyseure and Baloise Trek Lion Thibau Nys won the first two rounds, Wyseure and Niels Vandeputte had the same number of points atop the classification. Lars van der Haar was lurking one point behind. Having earned Sunday’s X2O Badkamers Trofee round, Nys was absent on Monday.
Sweeck claimed the hole shot and led through the mogul section with Vandeputte on his wheel. A rider clog in the moguls created a leading group. Van der Haar was way down the string. Wyseure was also on a bad ride. Sweeck rolled the first 2.85-km circuit in 7:21.
Sweeck and Vandeputte had Eli Iserbyt and Spaniard Filipe Orts for company, but Sweeck pushed on at the beginning of Lap 2. Vandeputte put some real estate between himself and the other chasers. Sweeck had a six second lead after two circuits.
On Lap 3 of 8 Iserbyt found Vandeputte but a mistake separated them again. Michael Vanthourenhout joined Iserbyt and Orts, van der Haar finally appearing on the horizon. The situation stayed steady through Lap 4.
Lap 5 was where Iserbyt finally ran down Vandeputte and started to push on alone. Iserbyt’s bid for the runner-up spot continued over the next couple of circuits, but on the rain-soaked bell lap, Vandeputte and Orts reunited with Iserbyt and Sweeck’s gap shrank. Orts, second place in last week’s European Championships, claimed the runner-up spot and Iserbyt couldn’t make the podium.
The midway point of the series comes November 16 in Merksplas.
2024-2025 Superprestige Round 3, Overijse
1) Laurens Sweeck (Belgium/Crelan-Coredon) 57:56
2) Filipe Orts (Spain/Ridley) +0:08
3) Niels Vandeputte (Belgium/Alpecin-Deceuninck) +0:16