"This gives me a lot of self-confidence" - Niels Vandeputte makes statement with faultless performance in Hulst

Niels Vandeputte has sent a message to the rest of the cyclocross world that Alpecin-Deceuninck are about more than just Mathieu van der Poel. In the final race before his team leader's return, Vandeputte dominated from start to finish at World Cup Hulst, taking a first World Cup victory.

Starting brightly, Vandeputte controlled the race from the very first. Despite a late charge by Felipe Orts over the final few laps, the Alpecin-Deceuninck man held firm, held his advantage and kept the lead rather comfortably in the end, soloing the victory.

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“Maybe one of the best ever yes”, he responded afterwards when asked by the media if this had been a career-best ride. “Both technically and physically I rode well. I made few mistakes on a treacherous course. I haven't been able to do much cross in recent weeks, so this gives me a lot of self-confidence for the coming period.”

"My lead was thirty seconds, but suddenly I saw it again. I got a bit nervous and made a few small mistakes, but I was able to keep the lead stable afterwards,” Vandeputte continued, admitting Orts late fightback gave him cause for concern. "It's incredible to win in such a way."

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