French National champion Amandine Fouquenet outpowered the favourites to claim a surprise victory in the Superprestige Heusden-Zolder with a blistering solo attack on the second-to-last lap.
Fouquenet brooked no rivals on a very technical, fast course where dry weather helped keep the speeds very high throughout, her late, swift charge very effectively pushing Blanka Vas into second and Aniek Van Alphen into third.
By far the most aggressive rider in the group of five that formed in the first third of the six-lap race, Fouquenet finally stormed away alone on a series of viciously short, steep climbs in the finale.
