Marie Schreiber dominated the women’s race at the Hulst World Cup, seizing the holeshot and building a commanding lead on the muddy and technical course. The 21-year-old from Luxembourg capitalised on a clean start to open up a gap of 11 seconds by the end of the first lap. Behind her, the early chasers included Blanka Kata Vas, Zoe Bäckstedt, and Puck Pieterse, while Lucinda Brand struggled with her pedal engagement at the start.
By the second lap, Schreiber had extended her advantage to 30 seconds, leaving a rotating group of chasers to battle for the remaining podium spots. Brand found her rhythm and emerged as the strongest among them, gradually closing the gap to 19 seconds as the race entered the penultimate lap. Meanwhile, Pieterse and Inge van der Heijden joined forces in the chase, but Schreiber’s lead remained untouchable.
On the final lap, Schreiber maintained her composure despite a few mistakes, holding off Brand, who crossed the line 20 seconds behind. Pieterse completed the podium, finishing eight seconds further back. The win marked Schreiber’s first World Cup victory and broke a two-year streak of Dutch riders winning World Cup events.
Reflecting on her performance, Schreiber said, “I don’t really believe it yet. I was leading, and suddenly I had a big gap. I kept expecting them to come back, but with two laps to go, I thought, ‘I can really win this.’” She also credited her focus for helping her overcome a tough week following the loss of her dog, adding, “I stayed in my tunnel and remained calm. To lead from start to finish is something I can be proud of.”
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Photo Credit: GettyNiels Vandeputte solos to first men’s World Cup victory
In the men’s race, Niels Vandeputte rode an impressive solo to claim his first-ever World Cup win. The Belgian rider attacked early on the first lap, using the challenging conditions to his advantage. Despite starting from the second row, he quickly gained a small gap over his rivals, a lead he steadily grew as the race progressed.
“I felt great today, both technically and physically,” Vandeputte said. “I thought in the first lap, let’s just put some pressure on the other guys, and I got a small gap. From there, you don’t have to wait.”
By the midway point of the seven-lap race, Vandeputte held a 31-second advantage over the chasing group, which included Felipe Orts, Eli Iserbyt, Pim Ronhaar, and Emiel Verstrynge. Orts emerged as the strongest in the group, reducing the gap to nine seconds in the final two laps, but Vandeputte’s lead proved insurmountable. Orts crossed the line in second, with Ronhaar rounding out the podium after dropping Iserbyt on the bell lap.
The win marked a significant moment for Vandeputte, who has had a challenging World Cup campaign marked by illness and cancellations. “Winning a World Cup race is just another level,” he said. “This gives a big morale boost, especially now at the start of the Christmas period. I’m excited for the races that are coming up.”
The treacherous conditions on the Hulst course, including a slippery descent, caused multiple crashes during the men’s race, but Vandeputte remained flawless throughout. Reflecting on his solo effort, he added, “I didn’t expect to keep the gap for the whole race, but I’m very happy I managed to finish it off today.”
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Main photo credit: Getty
