Sara Casasola delivered the biggest victory of her cyclocross career in Overijse, mastering the old-school power course and outlasting Lucinda Brand in a gripping duel that only broke apart after a dramatic fall from the Dutch rider. The Italian, already in excellent form this autumn, now moves into the lead of the Superprestige after a polished and assertive ride.
With conditions dry but deceptively slippery across roots, cobbles, and off-road cambers, the race took only minutes to settle into a select group. Brand was the first to stamp her authority, dragging Blanka Vas clear on the opening circuit. Casasola and Aniek van Alphen soon bridged across, forming a leading quartet as the early chaos behind caught out multiple riders.
Casasola was the first to tighten the screw, lifting the pace at the start of lap two. Vas was the first to crack, losing contact on the long climbing drag and never returning to the fight for the podium. Brand, Casasola and Van Alphen pressed on together, while Inge van der Heijden hovered several seconds behind, and Marion Norbert Riberolle battled through mechanical frustrations after an early issue.
Brand repeatedly tested her rivals, using every steep rise to force a gap, but Casasola held firm. Van Alphen, riding with her usual commitment, fought to stay in contact but finally began to slide backwards with two laps to go, leaving the two strongest riders locked together at the front.
The decisive moment
The duel between Brand and Casasola reached its climax just before the bell. As they approached the long start-finish drag, Brand clipped a wooden pole with her handlebars and somersaulted into the course tape. Casasola heard the impact, glanced back, and instantly saw daylight. Brand remounted immediately but started the final lap ten seconds down with a twisted handlebar, unable to surge as usual through the technical woods.
Casasola, by contrast, rode error-free. Her rhythm never wavered, and her power on the climbs continued to tell, allowing her to stretch the advantage metre by metre. Brand chased bravely, securing second place, while Van Alphen finished securely in third after resisting late pressure from Fouquenet and Van der Heijden.
“It’s amazing, I’m incredibly happy,” Casasola said afterwards. “You need a little luck sometimes, but I’ve worked a lot on my weaknesses and I feel I belong at this level now.”
Brand, sporting bruises and a skewed handlebar, was quick to contextualise the result. “I rode too close to a pole and my handlebar hit it unexpectedly. After that it was survival. I haven’t had the best week physically, so I’m proud I could fight for the win at all.”
Casasola now leaves Overijse as the first Italian winner of the Mother of All Crosses and the new leader of the Superprestige.
2025 Superprestige Overijse Women result
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Vanthourenhout outduels Ronhaar after a relentless tactical battle
Michael Vanthourenhout strengthened his grip on the overall Superprestige standings with a perfectly judged victory, distancing Pim Ronhaar on the steepest climb of the final lap to win in Overijse for the first time since the World Cup edition three seasons ago.
A tight, tactical opening
While the women’s race exploded early, the men’s event unfolded more gradually. Niels Vandeputte lit up the opening circuit, forcing a long line through the technical twists and the slick residual mud. Emiel Verstrynge then moved forward, with Ronhaar glued to his wheel, as Toons Aerts’ day unravelled immediately due to a broken chain that forced a long run to the pits.
By lap three, a trio of Ronhaar, Verstrynge and Vandeputte had prised open the first meaningful gap. Joris Nieuwenhuis and Lars van der Haar chased behind, but with the pace high on every rise and descent, they were soon eight seconds back. Vanthourenhout, meanwhile, rode quietly in the top ten, biding his time.
Race sharpens, trio becomes five
At the halfway point, Nieuwenhuis hit the front, pulling the chasers back into contention. Verstrynge, Vandeputte and Ronhaar still held the advantage, but the elastic between the groups snapped and reformed repeatedly as riders slipped, stumbled or over-committed on the cambers.
When Vanthourenhout finally moved to the front on lap five, the tone changed. His tempo was steady rather than spectacular, but it brought order to the break and allowed Cameron Mason to rejoin the leaders, expanding the fight for the podium. Van der Haar began to fade, while Wyseure and Michels surged forward, turning the front of the race into a fluid, unpredictable contest.
Ronhaar vs Vanthourenhout
Ronhaar attacked again on the short climbs of lap six, briefly gaining five seconds before Vanthourenhout used the long run-up to reconnect. A glance over Ronhaar’s shoulder revealed that only the series leader had the strength to follow. The duo cleared the rest, with the race for third developing behind between Nieuwenhuis, Vandeputte, Michels and the hard-charging Verstrynge.
The final lap began with both leaders marking each other closely. Accelerations came and went across the meadow, but it was in the steep wooded ascent where Vanthourenhout committed fully. Ronhaar hesitated for a fraction, and that was enough. The Belgian punched out a small but decisive gap which held all the way to the line.
Verstrynge completed a strong comeback to take third after closing a ten-second deficit to the chase group, but the day belonged to Vanthourenhout, who leaves Overijse with another major win and a confident grip on the Superprestige lead.
2025 Superprestige Overijse Men result
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