Niels Vandeputte wins Superprestige Merksplas 2026 sprint as Wyseure takes series lead

Niels Vandeputte sprinted to his first victory of the 2026–27 cyclocross season at Superprestige Merksplas, passing Joran Wyseure on the finishing straight after an unusually close and tactical Aardbeiencross. The two Belgians were credited with the same time of 1:01:24, while Spanish champion Felipe Orts finished third, two seconds behind.

Seven riders began the final lap together after a fast race in which repeated attacks and setbacks had failed to produce a lasting break. Wyseure did most of the work to split that group in the closing kilometres, but Vandeputte followed through the sand and had the faster finishing sprint. The result also gave Wyseure the Superprestige overall lead, after setbacks for two of the riders who had started the day ahead of him.

Michael Vanthourenhout abandoned following a heavy crash on lap four, while Niel winner Cameron Mason was caught behind the incident and eventually finished 15th. It opened the door for a new order at the top of the eight-round series as the competition reached its halfway point.

How it unfolded

The fourth Superprestige round offered a different challenge from Wednesday’s mud-soaked race at Niel. Conditions at Merksplas were comparatively dry and fast, with the long sandpit the most reliable place to force a separation. That left the riders able to regroup on the quicker sections, making positioning and repeated accelerations more important than one sustained solo attack.

Vandeputte started fastest and led the opening circuit, with Vanthourenhout and his Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw teammate Yordi Corsus also setting the pace during the following two laps. Rather than controlling the event from the outset, the favourites took turns testing one another. The front group remained substantial, and the changes of leadership suggested that no rider was yet able to make a decisive selection.

Among those working towards the front were Wyseure, the previous week’s Middelkerke winner, and Joris Nieuwenhuis, who had twice won at Merksplas. Local rider Wout Janssen also made an appearance near the front as the first half of the race developed.

Vanthourenhout’s crash removes a leading contender

The most consequential incident came on the fourth of 11 laps. Gerben Kuypers struck a pole while turning left, causing a crash that also brought down teammate Vanthourenhout and impeded Wyseure. Vanthourenhout was unable to continue, withdrawing from a race in which his speed and early positioning had made him one of the obvious threats.

Wyseure lost ground but successfully chased back towards the leading riders. Mason, who had arrived in the series lead after his breakthrough win at Niel, was also held up and never returned to the central fight for victory. He finished 29 seconds down in 15th, a modest gap in time but a costly result in the Superprestige points competition.

The front group continued to trade positions. Nieuwenhuis attempted to impose himself, but his familiarity with the Merksplas course did not translate into an advantage that could withstand the pursuit. Wyseure suffered another small crash on lap six and again had to spend energy recovering lost positions.

Corsus attacks as seven riders reach the bell

Corsus was particularly active as the laps counted down. He accelerated from the sand in the penultimate circuit and momentarily forced the others to chase, a strong contribution from a rider still eligible for the under-23 ranks. Yet the front continued to reorganise, and his move could not reduce the contest to a small enough group to make a winning escape.

Seven riders began the final circuit together: Vandeputte, Wyseure, Orts, Corsus, Nieuwenhuis, Kevin Kuhn and Jente Michels. With so little separating them, the riders could no longer rely on the early pace to eliminate rivals. The remaining task was to reach the sand well placed and carry sufficient momentum onto the finishing approach.

Wyseure attacked repeatedly through the final corners, using accelerations to break up the group rather than waiting for the sprint. The tactics worked in one respect, bringing Vandeputte and Orts clear of the rest, but they also gave Vandeputte the opportunity to stay on his wheel while the leading trio fought for the finishing positions.

Vandeputte comes around Wyseure in the sprint

The decisive final sand passage left Vandeputte, Wyseure and Orts together with a small advantage. Wyseure led the sprint out, seeking to make the most of the speed he had carried through the preceding turns. Vandeputte remained behind him until the finishing straight, where he came past to take the victory by the narrowest of margins.

The official classification gave both men the same time of 1:01:24. Orts followed at two seconds, securing another podium after finishing fourth at Niel. Corsus and Nieuwenhuis crossed five seconds behind, with Kuhn sixth at seven seconds and Michels seventh at eight.

Mees Hendrikx finished eighth at 16 seconds, Victor Van de Putte ninth at 19 seconds and Ryan Kamp tenth at 22. The small spread across the top ten reflected a race decided less by lasting breakaways than by positioning, technical execution in the sand and the sprint that followed.

Wyseure takes the lead despite another near miss

Vandeputte’s victory followed a difficult start to the season and brought a first Superprestige success at Merksplas. His patience in the last lap was particularly important: he did not have to launch the attack that split the favourites, but he positioned himself to exploit Wyseure’s work and was still fresh enough to win the sprint.

For Wyseure, second place came after two separate incidents and a considerable effort to shape the finale. It also marked another runner-up finish in a run of strong results that included his victory at Middelkerke. Although he missed out on the race win, he gained the points that mattered for the overall standings.

Wyseure now leads the Superprestige with 52 points, eight clear of Orts and Kuhn, both on 44. Vanthourenhout’s retirement and Mason’s 15th place changed the shape of the competition in one afternoon. The next immediate appointment for many of the contenders is Sunday’s X²O Trophy at Hamme-Zogge, where the classification is decided on accumulated time rather than Superprestige points.

Superprestige Merksplas men 2026 result