Niels Vandeputte (Alpecin-Premier Tech) secured a slim solo victory to extend his lead in the Superprestige series during the penultimate round in snowy Gullegem on Saturday.
In a thrilling battle between the top two in the Superprestige series ranking, Vandeputte opened a gap on his rival Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw) in the last few metres of the race, taking the win by just three seconds and extending his series lead to 91 points with one round to go in Middelkerke.
Vanthourenhout put in a powerful effort to try and win the day and move into the series lead, but just fell short in the final, crossing the line to take second place at three seconds behind the winner. He remains in second overall in the series ranking with 88 points, three points behind Vandeputte.
Joris Nieuwenhuis (Ridley) edged out Joran Wyseure (Crelan-Corendon) to take third place on the day.
Superprestige Gullegem marked the penultimate round of the series, held on a relatively dry but frozen circuit in Belgium. Nieuwenhuis took the hole shot onto the circuit after a fast start, followed closely by Vandeputte and Vanthourenhout, who were only separated by two points in the series rankings and locked in a battle for points from the beginning.
Also in the front group was Wyseure, Witse Meeussen (Crelan-Corendon), Kevin Kuhn (Heizomat-Cube), Jente Michels (Alpecin-Premier Tech), Felipe Orts Lloret (Ridley Racing Team), and Lander Loockx (Unibet).
Gerben Kuypers (Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw) took the lead on lap three of eight, in a surprise show of strength. Not far back, Vanthourenhout, Wyseure, Vandeputte, Nieuwenhuis and Michels settled into a five-rider chase.
A flurry of snow began to fall on the riders starting on the fourth lap, but Kuypers pushed on through the low visibility, gusty winds, and freezing temperatures, a whisker ahead of the chase, reduced to four riders as Michels had fallen off the pace.
The chasers closed the gap on the fifth lap, Nieuwenhuis moving into the lead and Kuypers drifting to the back after his effort off the front came to an end.
In the race for the day's victory and the series ranking, Vanthourenhout put pressure on the group and created a small gap with two and a half laps remaining, Vandeputte struggling to close the gap.
It was Wyseure who shut it down with Vanthourenhout, Vandeputte, and Nieuwenhuis in tow. An untimely bobble forced Kuypers off his bike, and he lost valuable time to the four leaders, but he held on to finish fifth.
As Vandeputte and Nieuwenhuis took a bike change on the penultimate lap, Vanthourenhout and Wyseure pushed on, opening a gap through the sand pit.
Nieuwenhuis had an untimely slip through a technical section, forcing Vandeputte to have to carry his speed around his rival. Vandeputte bridged the gap to Wyseure, but by that time, Vanthourenhout was already roughly five seconds ahead in the race lead at the start of the final lap.
The four riders came back together with half a lap to go, but Vanthourenhout kept the pressure on, not wanting to enter a four-way sprint.
Small gaps were opening behind him, and while Vandeputte struggled to stay connected to his rival's back wheel, he took an unexpected opportunity to run a technical uphill, moving around Vanthourenhout to take the race lead, the pair leaving Nieuwenhuis and Wyseure behind.
Vanthourenhout retook the lead over the stairs, but Vandeputte stormed passed him on the following straight away and onto the tarmac to take a solo victory and extend his series lead.
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