Saturday, December 21, 2024 at 11:10 AM
The first race of the day in Hulst has been held. Among the junior men, it was the Belgian Giel Lejeune who sovereignly won the Vestingcross. Lejeune immediately took the lead and did not relinquish it for the rest of the cross. Rafaelle Carrier then followed suit. The Canadian won in Hulst and is the new leader. The Dutch Cast Timmermans and Mae Cabaca finished fifth and sixth respectively.
In the World Cup rankings, 16-year-old Lejeune takes over the lead from Frenchman Soren Bruyère Joumard, who did not get further than tenth place in Hulst. There was no limit on Lejeune on Saturday, who opened a gap immediately after the start. Only Valentin Hoffer (France) and the Dutchman Cas Timmermans were able to close within ten seconds of the leader.
Timmermans was able to hold on to second place until lap four, but a few men came up from behind. Michal Sichta, Mattia Agostinacchio and Arthur Van Den Boer sped past the Dutchman, who finished fifth. Lejeune's victory was no longer in danger. After a second place in Dublin and the win in Hulst, the Belgian is 24 points ahead of the number two in the rankings.
This time it was Canadian Rafaella Carrier who won the women's race. In the first cross of the World Cup season, the 17-year-old had to settle for third place. This time she managed to outwit the competition. She knocked the American Lidia Cusack out of first place, who had to settle for fourteenth place in Hulst.
Mae Cabaca once again rode a very creditable cross by finishing sixth in the final results. This way she retains her fifth place in the general classification. With a deficit of 23 points to Carrier, there is still a lot possible for the 17-year-old Dutchman this season.
