A strong Wout Van Aert was the best in the sandpit at the Superprestige race in Zonhoven. The Vastgoedservice-Golden Palace left his final companion, Lars van der Haar (Giant-Alpecin), behind him in the fifth lap. The Dutchman fell back in the last lap and missed the podium. A strong Rob Peeters closed the door for Kevin Pauwels and took second place. Sven Nys finished fourth.

Every year the strongest rider of the pack triumphs in the sandpit of Zonhoven. Lars van der Haar knew that and so he did not go full gas when he launched the first attack. The Giant-Alpecin rider already proved himself to a tough opponent for Wout Van Aert in the World Cup race in Valkenburg where he picked up the win convincingly.

It was not too surprising that the two riders looked like the strongest in the second lap. Van der Haar was the first to dive down the pit. Initially he was joined by a select group of riders. There was no Sven Nys who left a gap and was with Kevin Pauwels a handful of seconds behind.Like yesterday in Kruibeke Nys did a good pursuit, excelled in the technical pieces and got back into podium contention.

However, Wout Van Aert left nothing to chance in the front of the race. In the third lap, the in-form rider created a gap on the climb from the sand pit. Lars van der Haar and teammate Tim Merlier were the only riders to follow and just before the end of lap four, the two main riders also left Merlier behind.

Van Aert clearly possessed a bigger engine than the skinny van der Haar and the Dutchman was suffering in the physically demanding sectors. Finally, Lars van der Haar cracked and at the start of lap six the unbeatable Van Aert was already 42 seconds ahead of van der Haar. The trio Nys-Pauwels-Peeters followed another ten seconds later.

Further back, Klaas Vantornout who was back after illness, had a bad crash. The Belgian champion quickly got medical treatment but could not continue and had to withdraw. And Wout Van Aert? He rode at his own level and set a must faster pace than chasers Peeters, van der Haar, Nys and Pauwels. That quartet had to decide the remaining podium places.

Team mate Rob Peeters, who clearly got stronger as the race progressed, dropped Lars van der Haar behind with two laps to go, but he sufferedin the final lap. At the start, his lead was only five seconds over the duo of Nys and Van der Haar. The latter, however, made a mistake at a crucial time in a downhill section and so missed the podium. Van Aert won with a convincing lead. In the finishing straight, Peeters closed the door for a visibly frustrated Kevin Pauwels, who had to settle for third. Sven Nys finished in fourth place.

Result

1. Wout van Aert

2. Rob Peeters

3. Kevin Pauwels

4. Sven Nys

5. Lars van der Haar

6. Laurens Sweeck

7. David van der Poel

8. Julien Taramarcaz

9. Jens Adams

10. Tom Meeusen

Overall Superprestige standings

1. Wout van Aert 30

2. Lars van der Haar 25

3. Sven Nys 24

4. Kevin Pauwels 22

5. Rob Peeters 21

6. Laurens Sweeck 15

7. Julien Taramarcaz 14

8. Tim Merlier 13

9. Klaas Vantornout 11

10. Gianni Vermeersch 10