Cyclocross racing has been underway in North America and Europe for weeks now, but on Sunday Europe’s big three series—World Cup, Superprestige and X20 Badkamers Trofee—got going with the first round of the Superprestige, Vlaamse Druivencross in Overijse, Belgium. Michael Vanthourenhout’s impressive performance gave him four wins out of five 2026-2027 races.
2025-2026 Superprestige
Last season Niels Vandeputte beat out Vanthourenhout and Joran Wyseure for the title. Vanthourenhout claimed the Vlaamse Druivencross race last year.
Vandeputte had a strong 2025-2026 season in general.
Cameron Mason seized the hole shot on Lap 1 leading into the first climb. Gerben Kuypers pulled the string, which got chopped into pieces. Mason, Kuypers, Kevin Kuhn and Witse Meeussen charged off the front. This quartet hit the line five seconds ahead of Spaniard Filipe Orts.
Vandeputte pulled a sizeable chase group that included Vanthourenhout on Lap 2 of 9 and sewed up the hole.
Witse Meeussen pulls the string on the early laps.
Mason went down on Lap 3 but wasn’t dropped from the group. Vanthourenhout pulled on Lap 4. Kuhn started to push on Lap 5 in an attempt to thin out the numbers, but seven chaps crossed the line together.
Kuhn kept up the pressure at the business end of the race, but he couldn’t prevent Orts and Victor Van de Putte from joining the group. A wicked ditch compression caused Wyseure to crash and Kuypers’ machine to seize up. Vanthourenhout wound it up on Lap 7, Kuhn and Vandeputte scrambling to latch on.
When he heard the bell, Vanthourenhout’s lead was 27 seconds. He would repeat as Vlaamse Druivencross victor.
The next round of the Superprestige is the Noordzeecross in Middelkerke on November 5. The X20 Badkamers Trofee gets underway on November 1 and the World Cup starts in Czechia on November 27.
2026-2027 Superprestige, Round 1, Overijse
1) Michael Vantourenhout (Belgium/Pauwels Sauzen) 1:03:18
2) Witse Meeussen (Belgium/Crelan-Cordendon) +0:15
3) Niels Vandeputte (Belgium/Alpecin-Premier Tech) +0:18