Leading from start to finish: unleashed Niels Vandeputte wins the first World Cup round of his career in Hulst

“We are not yet concerned with the fact that they will return, but Hulst is the most important day of the weekend for us.” These are the words of Jurgen Mettepenningen, team manager of the Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal, and 'they' are of course Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert. The Dutchman – who has already won six times in Hulst – will make his return on Sunday, but Van Aert will have to wait another day longer.

In other words: it was the ideal moment for the other riders to take another victory. Then we mainly looked at World Cup leader Michael Vanthourenhout beforehand. He won the last three crosses and is perhaps in the form of his life, but could not make it four out of four in Zeeland.

Vandeputte from the start

Niels Vandeputte left the starting blocks as the best, and quickly gained a lead over everything and everyone. While his competitors had to deal with falls in the background, he had no problems. Marie Schreiber had already soloed to victory in the women's race, and the same scenario also seemed to occur in the men's race.

After two laps, Vandeputte's lead was already twenty-four seconds, and that lead only seemed to increase. The pursuers – Vanthourenhout even three times – kept crashing, while the leader rode a flawless start to the race.

Felipe Orts with overtaking attempt

Felipe Orts and Eli Iserbyt were the only two who could remain relatively close to Vandeputte – who occasionally made a slip. Between the two of them they could fight it out to see who would get the best place of honor. Or was there more to it?

It was the Spaniard who believed in it the most. He shook off Iserbyt and, two rounds from the end, suddenly came within a manageable distance of soloist Vandeputtte. The competition radio reported fifteen seconds.

For a moment it seemed like it was going to be exciting again, but Vandeputte had no intention of letting the victory slip through his fingers. Orts seemed to have spoiled himself in his spectacular overtaking move, and did not get any closer in the last lap. He had to settle for second place. In the meantime, Pim Ronhaar had gone up and over Eli Iserbyt, ensuring himself a spot on the podium.

For Vandeputte it meant his first victory ever in a World Cup round. The icing on an already very strong season.