HG Cross: Michael Vanthourenhout scores solo victory in Dendermonde as Pauwels Sauzen go 1-2

Vanthourenhout attacked into the uphill sand section, powering over the tricky deep sand at the top of the hill while the rest had to dismount, and it was all he needed to get the winning margin.

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“I actually had an idea in my head the whole race to put everything into that final lap,” Vanthourenhout said. “Going up the stairs for the last time, I knew it would be tough for anyone to stay on my wheel. And then I just opened the throttle wide open.

“And then, as Mario De Clercq always says: ride fast where you need to ride fast. And that was simply trying to ride up the sand section well, which worked out right away. Then I knew the barriers suited me well too. From there on, I always tried to ride fast on the sections where I could, and then try to hold onto that lead.”

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The Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw team dominated the 10-lap race, lining out the 50-rider field from the start.

Gerben Kuypers (Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw) led through the opening lap with Cameron Mason (777TV CX).

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At the start of lap 4, Victor Van de Putte (Charles Liegeois CX) led Vanthourenhout, Wyseure, Kuypers, Mason and Ryan Kamp (Bomba Join) but no separation came until much later in the race.

Pauwels Sauzen continued to control the race heading into the halfway point, with Yordi Corsus leading Vanthourenhout and a group of 13 riders with Laurens Sweeck (Crelan-Corendon) swinging at the back.

Corsus, Wyseure, Vanthourenhout and Kuypers pushed the pace on the fifth lap, getting a little separation after a surge on the sandy climb. They had six seconds at the start of the next round, with Witse Meeussen (Crelan-Corendon) leading the chase with Van de Putte, Niels Vandeputte (Alpecin-Premier Tech), Kamp and Mason.

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By the start of lap 7, the quartet had extended their lead to seven seconds on Kamp and Vandeputte, but the rest of the chase had exploded. With Wyseure still in their midst, the Pauwels Sauzen riders sat up slightly in a technical section to let Kuypers go on the attack, forcing the Crelan-Corendon rider to burn matches in pursuit.

Wyseure made a somewhat frustrated surge in response but lost traction on his rear wheel in a turn and lost his momentum. The four riders went into lap eight with Vandeputte in solo pursuit just six seconds behind, Kamp in no-man’s land at 10 seconds, and Mason in a group of three at 17 seconds.

As Wyseure went to the front, Vandeputte made contact with the leaders, and Kamp was closing in, making contact across the pump-track section. The pressure was off, and even Mason and Meeussen were able to rejoin.

Vanthourenhout made an attack at the bell, pulling away with Wyseure and Corsus, but the surge was short-lived. Vandeputte positioned himself in fourth wheel and was a real danger as the top sprinter in the group.

Vanthourenhout had only one weapon against the Alpecin man: his technical skills. He blasted through the sand and rode over the crest, helped by a bobble by Wyseure to open up a gap.

Once there was daylight between him and the chase, Vanthrouenhout opened up the jets and with Wyseure suffering with the Pauwels Sauzen riders on his wheel and Vandeputte sitting on, too, there was no bringing back the lone leader.