Results Superprestige Overijse 2026 - Michael Vanthourenhout storms to fourth win in five starts as Lucinda Brand defies back trouble in series opener
Cyclocross
Michael Vanthourenhout has won the Superprestige season opener in Overijse, claiming his fourth victory in five starts after escaping on the seventh of nine laps. Lucinda Brand also delivered a commanding solo win, returning from the back trouble that kept her out of Saturday’s race in Heerde.
Vanthourenhout strikes after Kuypers and Wyseure crash
Vanthourenhout recovered from a poor start and waited through repeated regroupings before making his winning move. Cameron Mason and Gerben Kuypers had forced the early pace, while Kevin Kuhn and Witse Meeussen also put the favourites under pressure without establishing a lasting advantage.
Nine riders entered the final three laps together before Kuypers attacked uphill. He opened a small gap but crashed heavily on an asphalt descent, with Joran Wyseure falling behind him. Both were taken out of contention.
Vanthourenhout then accelerated on a climb. Kuhn and defending Superprestige champion Niels Vandeputte initially tried to follow, but neither could hold his wheel. A six-second gap grew to 27 by the bell, leaving Meeussen, Kuhn, Vandeputte and Mason fighting behind him.
Meeussen’s final-lap pressure distanced Mason and stretched Vandeputte, before a problem with Kuhn’s clipless pedal disrupted the Swiss champion’s podium challenge. Vandeputte regained contact with Meeussen as Vanthourenhout completed his third Overijse victory, adding to his wins in 2022 and 2025.
Vanthourenhout in action
Men's Results
| 1 | VANTHOURENHOUT Michael | Pauwels Sauzen - Altez Industriebouw | 1:03:18 |
| 2 | MEEUSSEN Witse | Crelan - Corendon | 0:15 |
| 3 | VANDEPUTTE Niels | Alpecin - Premier Tech | 0:18 |
| 4 | MASON Cameron | 777TV CX Team | 0:20 |
| 5 | KUHN Kevin | Heizomat - Cube | 0:29 |
| 6 | ORTS LLORET Felipe | 0:30 | |
| 7 | WYSEURE Joran | Crelan - Corendon | 0:40 |
| 8 | LOOCKX Lander | 0:41 | |
| 9 | VAN DE PUTTE Victor | Charles Liégeois CX Team | 0:58 |
| 10 | VANDENBERGHE Viktor | Pauwels Sauzen - Altez Industriebouw | 1:05 |
Brand rides clear as Alvarado struggles
Brand won ahead of Aniek van Alphen and Inge van der Heijden after breaking away on the third lap. Saturday’s Heerde winner Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado finished eighth.
Van Alphen and Van der Heijden briefly opened a gap approaching lap three, but Brand quickly closed them down with Amandine Fouquenet following. The world champion then increased the pace on the climbs, first distancing Fouquenet before leaving the two Dutchwomen behind.
Her advantage grew from five seconds at halfway to 15 with two laps remaining. A stumble at the barriers failed to halt her progress, while Van Alphen eventually shook off Van der Heijden to secure second.
Alvarado spent the race chasing after a slow start. Ten seconds behind after the opening lap, she continued to lose ground and ultimately held off Julie Brouwers for eighth. Fouquenet finished fourth ahead of Denise Betsema and Kristyna Zemanova, with Alicia Franck seventh.
Brand’s victory earned her 15 points and the first Superprestige lead, one ahead of defending series champion Van Alphen and seven clear of Alvarado.
Read also
Women's Results:
| 1 | BRAND Lucinda | Baloise Verzekeringen - Het Poetsbureau Lions | 48:19 |
| 2 | VAN ALPHEN Aniek | 777TV CX Team | 0:17 |
| 3 | VAN DER HEIJDEN Inge | Crelan - Corendon | 0:36 |
| 4 | FOUQUENET Amandine | Pauwels Sauzen - Altez Industriebouw | 1:04 |
| 5 | BETSEMA Denise | De Ceuster Bouwkranen | 1:07 |
| 6 | ZEMANOVÁ Kristyna | Crelan - Corendon | 1:25 |
| 7 | FRANCK Alicia | 1:27 | |
| 8 | ALVARADO Ceylin Del Carmen | Fenix - Premier Tech | 1:50 |
| 9 | BROUWERS Julie | Charles Liégeois CX Team | 1:53 |
| 10 | CLAUZEL Hélène | 777TV CX Team | 2:03 |
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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