“Surprised that Wout didn’t start his sprint earlier” – Tibor Del Grosso takes advantage of Van Aert error to seal Superprestige success

Tibor Del Grosso left Heusden-Zolder with one of the biggest cyclocross wins of his young career, after calmly outmanoeuvring Wout van Aert in a two-man sprint to claim victory in the Superprestige round.

“I was fairly calm in the finale. Because we had a nice advantage, I could gamble a bit,” Del Grosso said after the finish. “I was surprised that Wout didn’t start his sprint earlier.”

That hesitation proved decisive. As Van Aert delayed his launch, Del Grosso committed fully in the closing metres and sustained his effort all the way to the line, overturning what initially looked like a winning position for the Belgian.

The atmosphere in Heusden-Zolder also played its part. Del Grosso admitted the noise and intensity of the crowd helped him stretch his sprint longer than expected, a detail that underlined just how controlled his response was in the biggest moment of the race. “I was determined to fight for the win today,” he added, downplaying any suggestion that his road racing background gave him an edge. “I think the guy I was riding with at the front still has a bit more experience.”

It was a respectful nod to Van Aert, but the result spoke loudly on its own. Against one of cyclocross’s established benchmarks, Del Grosso did not blink, did not panic and did not miss his opportunity. In a Superprestige season packed with fine margins, this one was decided by clarity of thought when it mattered most.