Laurens Sweeck on top of the world after winning epic Superprestige Diegem Cross: "It was sprinting from the beams"
CyclocrossMonday, 30 December 2024 at 22:01
In the absence of cyclocross superstars Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert, Laurens Sweeck seized the opportunity to shine, claiming victory at the final cyclocross race of 2024, the Superprestige Diegem Cross. Sweeck outpaced Vandeputte, who took second place, while Thibau Nys rounded out the podium in third.
Speaking after his hard-fought win, Sweeck reflected on the decisive final lap, "You just had to be in the lead," the winner begins his story. "We both knew that, but we were both dead. It was sprinting from the beams. The audience was really huge on the last lap. That just makes you cycle faster."
The victory did not come easily, as Sweeck had to dig deep to outmanoeuvre Nys in the closing stages. Despite the effort, he kept his composure under pressure, "It's just a matter of bluffing and continuing to bluff. Pretending that you have something left and hoping that he will eventually fold." "I knew that I shouldn't hesitate from the last bridge. I just had to ride as fast as possible. Then it's hard to pass anyone," said Sweeck. The win marked his fourth triumph of the season, and he’ll be hoping to add more to this list in 2025.
Reflecting on the significance of this win, Sweeck explained, "Every victory is important. Yesterday I had a really bad day. I really suffered in the cold. Today was a big difference. I am happy with this victory."
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- neither did much good.OCexile02-01-2025
- RIP also Agnes Keleti 104 (not a cyclist, just an only unlucky 5x Olympic champ).Mistermaumau02-01-2025
- It was actually my aim to suggest using as many different alternatives for the Texas Turd as people’s imagination allows but from the disappointing feedback as to my more important suggestion I can only assume that despite all the « tough » talk here, nobody really cares that much about change. Respect for your « travels » even if idealogically and politically I was 100% against both and I think history has shown neither did much good except maybe for a select group of mostly egoïst who had nothing to lose like shareholders in companies best not named either. I think your experience in Portugal will work out just fine, don’t forget to take your bike ;-)Mistermaumau02-01-2025
- planning to NOT be an ugly american while living in portugal! learning portuguese is a massive goal and already underway. objective is to leave a small and gentle footprint of our own while embracing the people and everything else that made us want to live there. unlike you, my only extended and repeated experiences in countries other than the US are iraq and afghanistan. i have not considered emigrating to either. •my voldemort comment: i probably was being a sloppy (and tired) reader but i thought you suggested not using lance’s name, as in “he who must not be named.” but i don’t think that’s actually what you were suggesting, hence my lame comment made zippo sense to you. at best it was a DAD JOKE anyway.OCexile02-01-2025
- Just goes to show how much training has changed over the years. I remember a time when pros rode with total amateurs on certain training days, not only can they no longer afford to ride so relaxed, some are probably contractually banned from riding with uncleared others, if only for accident and insurance purposes.Mistermaumau02-01-2025
- Likewise, the same can be said for just about any sport. Still doesn’t change what Pogboom said.Mistermaumau02-01-2025
- I think anyone setting out obsessed to win it is doomed to fail. It only happens to a couple of handfuls every generation, maybe just a handful during anyone’s best career years. We had a period without « outstanding » riders (almost 10 different winners in 10 years) where it would have been easy, he may be resigning himself to the fact he just came along at the « wrong » moments and it may be best to focus on other challenges whilst waiting to see if a good opportunity to win after all comes along. He’s probably weighing choices, copy JV by sacrificing everything for the TdF or do his own programme and hope the right opportunity to win presents itself. He still has time on his side.Mistermaumau02-01-2025
- You expect him to talk about other riders instead? Maybe write to journalists in order to suggest directing better interview with him if you want it to change.Mistermaumau02-01-2025
- I don’t get the Voldemort comment but much appreciate what you wrote. As there was no other return regarding my idea, it seems they’re ok to continue posting in this article and as we have freedom of speech I’ll go OT, if anyone other than you reads on, I warn you, it’s probably a waste of your time, but, your choice ;-). Portugal is a pretty good choice, only negatives are price rises but maybe you bought in time and anyway downscaling from the US or many other EU countries that is just a first world citizen problem, worse is the rising risk of foreigner resentment but in my experience this is more a social and media discussion than an individual one, if you behave correctly (many feel the need of that freedom to behave like they wish and then wonder why others turn against them) you’ll never have personal issues with anyone just because you’re from elsewhere. CH, D, A kill joy, spirit and curiosity, though south CH (Ticino, lake areas) mixes a bit of I mentality and has sun so might be worth exploring. H is sitting on a fence geopolitically, too unclear how it’ll go. Budapest is great and relaxed but nature aside there’s little more of interest to a seasoned traveler. Scandinavia, Iceland, FI GB all very interesting and beautiful but without reasons the weather is too off-putting, yes. F bureaucracy can kill you, most of the Mediterranean places are good if you pick well, many generally ignored issues can become crucial. Greece is often overlooked. Crete as an example would suit me. Have lived in B, NL, F, UK, E, L and spent a lot of time in I, visited friends/travelled to NY, Cali & Hawaii, Barbados, Iceland, Belarus, Turkey, Vietnam, UAE, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Sierra Leone, Rwanda and more than 80% of the rest of Europe. Never had a real problem except with individuals, even during tensions (war/civil unrest). Freedom of speech is an exaggerated problem outside certain very well known places. I mean who of us would feel like standing on a box in public preaching stuff to strangers, do many of us really have such strong agendas to promote? As long as people can talk to each other openly when they feel like it, let’s just live life.Mistermaumau02-01-2025
- i really do relate to your deep concerns about the perils of allowing dangerously manipulative discourse in a largely unchecked way. in the current social/political climate in the US you can FEEL that peril constantly if you’re paying any attention and you’re willing to actually think through it. really, man, i get it. the problem for me, though, is i can’t really find an example of a country that limits/controls/restrains speech via its institutions and institutional state apparatuses that i would actually prefer to live in. all the places i look at and think YUP, I MIGHT WANNA LIVE THERE are countries with levels of free speech that equal (some might argue they exceed) that of the united states. if it weren’t for the incessant cold i’d be totally up for living in denmark, norway or switzerland. i AM going to live at least half the year in portugal (having already bought a house there precisely because my mind is quieter and i feel more peaceful when i’m not in the US), and there are lots of other places that are on that list that all have protected speech to nearly absolute degree. conversely, i NEVER spend ANY time thinking “maybe i’ll take my wife and dogs and move to Belarus.” or russia, or china, or hungary, or central african republic, or yemen, or…” You get the idea. i’m well aware of my ignorance of so many of the world’s cultures, so if there’s somewhere out there that’s figured out how to LIMIT SPEECH and, by doing so, produce a more enlightened, more peaceful and compassionate and HAPPIER way of life for its citizens, then i’ll sell everything and move THERE (as long as there are nice places to pedal a bicycle and they have rideable surf and plenty of sun).OCexile02-01-2025