
Niels Vandeputte did everything right on the muddy technical course in Hulst, soloing to his first-ever World Cup victory. The win in the Netherlands marked the third triumph of the season for the 24-year-old Alpecin-Deceuninck rider.
Just like in the women’s race, Vandeputte surged ahead on the first lap and steadily extended his lead throughout the seven-lap contest. He built a commanding 31-second advantage before the chasers closed the gap in the final two laps. In the end, Vandeputte held on to win by 9 seconds over second-place finisher Felipe Orts (Ridley).