Seppe Van Den Boer took the holeshot in Heusden-Zolder. Top favorite Jente Michels also had a good start, but after falling to his knees in the mud, the European champion had to give up some places. After a few minutes Michels was back in his seat. What’s more, at the start of the second lap he put in a first gear, but the rest didn’t release.
Pauwels Sauzen-Cibel Clementines was well represented at the front with three of the six riders, but it was Aaron Dockx, Michels’ teammate at Crelan-Corendon, who managed to pull away. Kay De Bruyckere and Michels gave chase, but due to the latter’s fall in a very slippery descending bend, the European champion also fell to the ground.
Mistakes from top favorite
Dockx had a five-second lead over Yordi Corsus and Sil De Brauwere halfway through the cross. Michels sat a little further away. But a little later everything came together again, so that foursome were once again at the top of the race. It was striking that Michels made a number of mistakes. The top favorite would not receive it as a gift today.
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And a handful of minutes later it was the same again on the stairs. A third mistake by Michels, this time when taking the steps. He saw Dockx, Casus and De Brauwere drive away slowly but surely. The verdict at the new crossing was not easy: the European champion, who had now been joined by Antoine Jamin, had 14 seconds to spare.
Don’t mess up
One mistake too many? It seemed so, because the three at the front worked well together. Not surprising of course, if you have pushed the top favorite into the defensive. Dockx, Casus and De Brauwere were also very evenly matched. But then Corsus made a slip. He had to put his foot on the ground and thus also hindered his teammate. But Dockx did not want to miss out and had the duo of Pauwels Sauzen-Cibel Clementis return.
In the last round, Corsus was the first to throw the bat into the woods, but Dockx quickly followed. In a bend the latter had to put his foot down, but he crawled through the eye of the needle and settled back into Corsus’ wheel.
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