Dutch rider Lucinda Brand and Belgian Niels Vandeputte wrapped up Superprestige titles in Saturday’s final round of the 2024-2025 series in Middelkerke, Belgium. For Brand it was her third Superprestige trophy, for Vandeputte it was his first major series title. Brand is now in position to sweep the Big Three series: the World Cup, Superprestige and X2O Badkamers Trofee, which continues on Sunday.
Elite Women
A thrilling final showdown was anticipated between Brand and three-time champion Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, who took four of the first six rounds, as the latter was a single point adrift of leader and three-round winner Brand. However, Alvarado announced right before the race that she was ending her season early because of nagging injuries. She was seventh in last weekend’s Worlds.
Saturday ended up being a doozy anyway. Brand crashed in the first corner as the pack fought for the hole shot. She scrapped her way upstream plucking off one rider after the other to keep up her podium streak in 29 races this season. Inge van der Heijden scored her biggest win of the campaign in Middelkerke.
2024-2025 Superprestige Final Standings
1) Lucinda Brand (Baloise Glowi Lions) 114 points
2) Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Alpecin-Deceuninck) 99
3) Inge van der Heijden (Crelan-Corendon) 80
Elite Men
Vandeputte brought a 10-point gap over Lars van der Haar into Middelkerke. Curiously, neither Vandeputte, van der Haar nor third-place Michael Vanthourenhout won a round of this season’s series, although Vandeputte had 2024-2025 World Cup and X2O Trofee rounds in his pocket.
Saturday was a tactical race between six riders including the top-3. Not having started his season until January 12 due to shingles, Joris Nieuwenhuis won his first race of the campaign after two podiums. Vandeputte came third.
2024-2025 Superprestige Final Standings
1) Niels Vandeputte (Alpecin-Deceuninck) 98 points
2) Lars van der Haar (Baloise Glowi Lions) 86
3) Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen) 82
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