Vanthourenhout Surges to World Cup Win After Isenbyt’s Error

The rider to benefit the most from the two mishaps was Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen–Bingoal) who broke away from a lead group of six riders in the thrilling final lap of the 8-lap race to win the fifth World Cup race of his career. Toon Aerts (Team Deschacht-Hens-FSP) and Felipe Orts (Ridley Racing Team) finished second and third respectively.

Vanthourenout took charge of the race not long after his teammate Eli Iserbyt, the defending World Cup champion, who had been riding like the winner at the front of the lead group, took a technical curve toofast and was unseated. He remounted quickly but had lost his momentum, ultimately finishing fourth.

Vanthourenhout thought his race was over when he broke his shoe on lap 3 and had trouble repairing the damage as he rode. “It was a bit of a panic with the broken shoe,” he said after the race. “I thought the race was over but my legs were good. The chase went well, so I was quickly back in sixth place. I realised that I could compete for the win.”

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Vanthourenhout’s chances for victory and those of other riders got a boost when European champion Thibaud Nys (Baloise Trek Lions) crashed hard at the barriers moments after the start. Czech rider Michael Boroš (Elkov-Kasper) had taken the early lead and was the first to go down, with Orts also hitting the ground on his heels. The chaos apparently unsettled Nys who hit the first barrier with his bike and then fell over the second one. Then things got even worse for the 22-year-old Belgian.

“When I was lying there, someone went right over my ankle,” he said after abandoning the race on lap 6. “I couldn’t put any more pressure on it. The only positive thing is that the damage to the ankle will be relatively limited since I was still able to cycle.”

This was the latest in a series of failures and crashes that have befallen Nys since he was hailed as the next coming of Mathieu van der Poel in this column. I offer my heartfelt apologies for infecting this eventual superstar with the dreaded commentator’s curse.

According to his father and coach, cyclo-cross legend Sven Nys, he will now take some time off for training in Spain and prepare for the World Cup race in Namur on December 15 and the Christmas racing season.

In the meantime, after three laps a lead group of six emerged that remained more or less constant through the rest of the race, with Vanthourenhout, Toon Aerts (Deschacht-Hens-FSP ) and Pim Ronhaar (Baloise Trek Lions) taking turns at the front and Iserbyt keeping out of the limelight until lap 7 when he burst to the front and seriously increased the pace. This troubled, above all, Ronhaar and Orts who lost touch with the group.

The previous Sunday, Iserbyt had won the first World Cup of the season in Antwerp in a commanding style and looked like the likely winner again until he miscalculated and opened the door to his rivals. Vanthourenhout didn’t hesitate to ride through it.

“Because of Eli’s mistake, Toon Aerts slowed down, and I could take advantage of that situation,” the winner explained. “I felt like I was the best in the race but positioning was difficult. It had been challenging to create a gap. I felt I had to make a move in the last lap, and I succeeded. I’m pleased.”

He should be pleased for he now leads the World Cup standings with 65 points after the two races, 3 points more than Iserbyt. Aerts sits in third, with 48. The next World Cup race is on December 8 in Cabras, Sardinia.