After several major series podiums this season, Niels Vandeputte claimed Sunday’s X2O Badkamers Trofee Round 3, Flandriencross in Hamme, Belgium. Lars van der Haar warded off Eli Iserbyt’s bid to take over the series lead.
The Series So Far
After two rounds, van der Haar was the X2O leader, 25 seconds clear of Iserbyt; van der Haar had seized the Superprestige lead Saturday at that series’ midpoint. Van der Haar and Thibau Nys claimed the two rounds. Laurens Sweeck was coming off of two consecutive Superprestige triumphs.
It was a fast 2.4-km course; the women had raced seven laps, the winning time 43:53. Victor van de Putte claimed the hole shot. Niels Vandeputte led the string over the line in 5:43.
All the usual suspects were in the string at the beginning of Lap 2: Filipe Orts, Michael Vanthourenhout, Sweeck, Iserbyt, Nys and Iserbyt.
On Lap 3 Vanthourenhout took over the front before the lake. Sweeck and van der Haar mounted fresh bikes. An Iserbyt crash created a break in the string. Vandeputte, Vanthourenhout, Orts and Nys were in the front now. Nys had to take another machine.
Lap 4 saw van der Haar powering the chase behind the leading quartet. Orts took over from Vanthourenhout in the front group. On Lap 5 of 11, Vanthourenhout was Tailgunner Charlie.
The middle lap was where Nys began to wind it up. Vanthourenhout was still lagging.
Vandeputte returned to the front on Lap 7 but not for long. All four riders had bike changes, allowing van der Haar to reach them. Iserbyt joined in. Vanthourenhout, Nys and Orts found daylight between themselves and the others, and then Orts attacked over the line.
The Spanish champion pressed on during Lap 8.
Orts received unwelcome company at the beginning of Lap 9, and Nys went to the front. Series leader van der Haar had to scramble to come back, prompting Iserbyt to press from the business end of the group.
On the penultimate lap Iserbyt crashed again but he still pulled the string. Van der Haar continued to toil in pursuit; when he heard the bell he was ten seconds in arrears.
The bell lap saw Vandeputte seize the reins from Iserbyt beside the lake. It would be a thrilling conclusion. The off camber section delayed Iserbyt and Nys. Nys then suffered a nasty crash into a post, but he got up and eased over the line in 14th. Vandeputte wouldn’t be…
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