"The fact that I am now winning here shows that I am on the right track" - Niels Vandeputte celebrates rare victory in Lille
Cyclocross
For just the fifth time in his career, Niels Vandeputte was able to celebrate a victory on Sunday afternoon at the X2O Trofee in Lille, after a thrilling finale.
“It's really unbelievable. I have very few words for this. It was already in my head yesterday (Saturday, ed.). I like coming to Lille and have shown great things here in the past,” reflected the Alpecin-Deceuninck man in his post-race interview. “I knew where to do it and it turned out just as I had imagined."
Entering the final lap alongside Joris Nieuwenhuis and Joran Wyseure, victory was by no means assured for Vandeputte. "I don't really know what to say now… I chose to ride in third position, which of course entails risks. The second man can always make a mistake,” he continues. “I wanted to place an attack in front of the VIP tent. No one appeared to be able to respond immediately. Afterwards I wanted to stay as clear as possible in the technical zone and I succeeded. In the last sand strip I had a few meters to gain, although I only saw that when I turned onto the last straight line.”
“The feeling of winning a classification cross is truly incredible. I'm very happy that it worked out this season. This is extremely important. I have made progress in recent years, but it is less noticeable this year if you look at the development of Joris and Pim Ronhaar," he concludes. "The fact that I am now winning here shows that I am on the right track.”
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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A great first victory for 🇧🇪 Niels Vandeputte in one of the big Belgian races in the X2O Trofee 🇧🇪 Lille. Great race and a perfect final lap. 👏 #Lille
🏁 @NielsVDPutte mag de Soudel Krawatencross 2024 op zijn naam schrijven! De jonge Belg kwam voor Nieuwenhuis over de streep. 🥇 #X2ObadkamersTrofee #SoudalKrawatencross #krawatencross #Lille #veldrijden #cyclocross
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